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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Thornir Alekeg" data-source="post: 1561261" data-attributes="member: 15651">My group has examples of the good and the bad in background.  Everyone made their characters in a vacuum, maybe knowing the class each was planning to play to to be sure needed bases were covered.  Too often I have used the tavern thing (last time they stepped up to defend the sorceress who was being hit on my a drunk sailor, all got arrested and had to work off their fines).  We have always rewarded the backstory with some kind of gift (usually minor magical or masterwork item).  The good example is the player with a 17 year old sorceress who ran away from her wealthy and influential family because they did not like her practicing that "filthy sorcery stuff".  Her parents have been searching for her and on several occasions, the people they hired to find her have gotten very close (i.e. fun side encounters that do not involve combat, but instead misdirection, evading pusrsuit, bluffing and the like to slip away).  I granted her a couple of bonus spells for her character to know that fit her story really well, but were so not useful in game terms she was hesitant to use her precious Spells Known slots on them.  She loves them and is always ready to cast them if the situation is right.The not so good example is the player who bought his fighter all kinds of equipment and armor, but could not afford the Double Orc-axe that he wanted, so he wrote his story so that his parents were dead and he was raised by an orc who gave him his masterwork axe with his dying breath.  No ties, just a reason to get a weapon he didn't want to spend money on. The only saving grace is that he has refused to use any other weapon, even if magical, because his axe is so personal to him.Next campaign I am planning to have the group make their characters together and work out realtionships from the start.  You won't need to know everyone, but everyone needs to know someone else in the party to tie them together.  I am hoping to drop the gifts aspect and explain that I hope to use a well written backstory to provide more depth to the characters and maybe some hooks.  Yep, you might have to rescue your kidnapped sister, but you also might find that your uncle has connections into that organization you are trying to join.</blockquote>

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