D&D General Oh Please give me some Happy Backgrounds!!

[Hussar]

Heh. I have been here so many times.
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Competing for the darkest backstory in D&D

In the last campaign I got to play in, 3 of the other players all had these horrific backstories. Abuse, substance abuse, torture. You name it. Then you had my halfling monk - Jammy Sixtoes. Loving family. Really nice home. Even after the family was inevitably killed, the master that took me in was still more or less kind and generous. Everyone else? Left to the wolves, scarred, tortured, broken. It was freaking hillarious.

I'm actually thinking that I'm just playing against the grain because I keep making happy characters. Or at least characters that don't have tragic backstories. My Paladin Dragonborn in Hoard of the Dragonqueen had a loving family near Beregost. Still does. My Thayan Druid of Fire in Decent into Avernus had a fairly happy childhood in Baldur's Gate. Two parents, couple of siblings, aunts, uncles. Honestly, it would be so refreshing to see a player come to the table with a character that wasn't another broken shell with dead family and a horrific childhood.

 

[Retros_x]

Honestly, it would be so refreshing to see a player come to the table with a character that wasn't another broken shell with dead family and a horrific childhood.

I see why and the dark backstory trope is funny to grating sometimes depending on the level of edge the player inserts, but on the other hand I always think: Why would a happy character with an intact social network and support system and a loving family... why would they go on deadly adventures? If they are happy, would they not stay in their happy life with their family, farming and enjoying life?

 

[Fifinjir]

I see why and the dark backstory trope is funny to grating sometimes depending on the level of edge the player inserts, but on the other hand I always think: Why would a happy character with an intact social network and support system and a loving family... why would they go on deadly adventures? If they are happy, would they not stay in their happy life with their family, farming and enjoying life?

I can see it if the adventure is more like a travelogue or pilgrimage rather than an infiltration into enemy territory. E.g. if fights are something the journeyers might stumble upon on they way rather that what they’re seeking out. I don’t see a person content with their life going on a dungeon crawl though.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I like the idea of a halfling family/settlement with an inverted hobbiton attitude, where going on an adventure and bringing back these grand tales of life and death and weirdness to be recorded is a respected and celebrated accomplishment, recognised as a dangerous thing yes, but still respected and considered a praiseworthy ambition.

 

[Morrus]

I see why and the dark backstory trope is funny to grating sometimes depending on the level of edge the player inserts, but on the other hand I always think: Why would a happy character with an intact social network and support system and a loving family... why would they go on deadly adventures? If they are happy, would they not stay in their happy life with their family, farming and enjoying life?

Wanderlust and happiness are not mutually exclusive. You can have a happy childhood but decide to spend a year travelling Europe.

 

[Distracted DM]

Wanderlust and happiness are not mutually exclusive. You can have a happy childhood but decide to spend a year travelling Europe.

It's true- one might ask "well they might want to travel, but do they want to constantly risk their lives like adventurers do?" Well at times in our own past, war was seen as a grand adventure. So one could certainly grow up happy, devouring tales of adventure and exploration and righting wrongs.
Of course, when one goes on their own adventure, they may (or may not) be surprised by the reality.

 

[Kromanjon]

Wanderlust and happiness are not mutually exclusive. You can have a happy childhood but decide to spend a year travelling Europe.

Europe isn't quite as lethal, or have quite as many dungeons, as history books would have you believe.

 

[Morrus]

It's true- one might ask "well they might want to travel, but do they want to constantly risk their lives like adventurers do?"

Who says they were expecting danger? Maybe they just wanted to explore, see elves, see the ocean. The adventure is just what happens when the game starts. It doesn’t exclude a happy background.

Or maybe they’re just bored. You can have a happy upbringing but still get bored.

 

[Cergorach]

Happy childhood, endless curiosity, wanderlust... Result: Murderhoboing through Europe...

 

[Shiroiken]

You can have a relatively happy background and be an adventurer, even without wanderlust. Look at Frodo; he was pretty happy before the events of the campaign forced him into adventure. A background just has to explain what your motivation is and why you're at the start of the campaign... the events of the first adventure should take it from there.