D&D 5E I need a background for my ranger type wood elf

[Schaffarix]

Hi! I need a background for my ranger type wood elf, what i have is that my village was destroyed by fire giants while I was hunting. It was a peaceful village and I was one of the only ones that hunted and defended the village from the monsters, I'm level 9 . (sorry about my english im from brazil)

 

[Quickleaf]

Prayers to your rainforests in Brazil. For your character's backstory, here's a question...

Why did the fire giants destroy a simple wood elven village? They're evil, sure, but their form of evil serves a purpose, some grander design.

Was the fire giant chieftain cursed by an elf in the years before his/her hair went silver and (s)he founded the village in the woods? So now that the elf is dead or too weak to defend his/her people, the fire giant is seeking a way to break the curse (and damn any elf who gets in his way)?

Were the fire giants attempting to claim an ancient piece of the Vodinod (sp? it's an ancient giant-made weapon mentioned in Storm King's Thunder)? And that piece happened to be safeguarded by the elves? Or even unknowingly buried beneath their village?

Were the fire giants acting "heroically" (in their own minds) by preventing the prophesied (re)birth of a green dragon among the "lands of the elves where three rivers meet" (or something like that)? And they came to destroy the dragon egg that the elven priestess kept?

 

[Schaffarix]

Hi!! Thank very much for answer back!

We are playing SKT and we are close to Silver Marches. The elf is a new character. The party is going to kill the fire giants so to put me in history the master said that they (the giants) destroyed my village so now, and the party found me, i will ally with them because we all wanna kill the giants. The giant destroyed the village because the forest that we used to live was in the mountains and they wanna that territory

 

[Hriston]

I’m not sure if we’re talking about background, which is a character element like race or class, or if we’re talking about backstory. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, so it would be helpful to clarify.

If you haven’t already chosen your character’s background, I think Outlander fits well with the ranger/hunter role you’ve described for your character, or maybe Folk Hero if you want to focus on the idea that your character defended the village from monsters.

When coming up with a backstory, if I don’t already have an idea, I usually start with the character’s background and either choose or randomly determine the character’s personal characteristics (personality traits, ideal, bond, and flaw). I find that once I have all these elements in place, a backstory arises from them somewhat organically that weaves them all together. That’s my method anyways.

 

[akr71]

If you are talking Background, then Folk Hero makes sense. Actually anything works given the backstory you outlined.

Acolyte -> "Oh no, my village temple where I was training was destroyed by Fire Giants."
Guild Artisan -> " "Oh no, my village guildhall where I was training was destroyed by Fire Giants."
Noble -> "Oh no, my village was destroyed by Fire Giants."
Folk Hero -> "Oh no, my village was destroyed by Fire Giants, I vow to get my vengeance."

The Background can either add synergy to your character or fill in the gaps, skill wise. Backstory, I like to leave vague and fill in the gaps as the campaign progresses. That leaves you room to role play and the DM room to improvise. For example, you find and free some wood elf prisoners of fire giants.
You: Hey DM, any chance I know or recognize any of these prisoners?
DM: Huh, oh yes! While you don't know them personally, one of them you recognize as a master leather worker from your guild. He practiced his craft in a neighboring village that was also destroyed in the raids.

 

[Eltab]

Mmmm, maybe your village is peaceful now, but some time ago it was not. It might have been founded as a watchpost against some enemy (orcs? werewolves? demons of Hellgate Keep?) before you were born. The eldest in the village know that the giants long ago claimed this land but the claim faded away from lack of asserting it. Well, now the giants are asserting it. They are also chasing your traditional enemies out of the borderlands, your village is in the way. You were a hunter and observer and border guard. Your 'rules background' might be a Noble (well, an ex-noble now) or Guild Artisan (a forest product like spiarea bush bark which makes aspirin) or Soldier.