Where does background goes too far?

[LostSoul]

Here's a good guide for creating a character's background that I saved from the Star Wars RPG Mailing List (CP are character points, worth about level x 100 xp):

Ask all the players to fill out a quick questioneer with the following
questions: (give them 2-3 CP for each answered part)

Name three allies.
Name three neutrals.
Name three enemies.
-How & Why they are "related" to this person
-and When they spoke last / Where they "might" be now
list two adventure hooks for the other characters.
list three adventure hooks for your own character.
What is someting your characters has done that he's proud of.
What is someting your characters has done that he's not proud of.
Has the character been in love? With who?
What are his goals in life? (Social, Romantic, Personal)
Where's his family, what are they doing?

 

[Desdichado]

Depends on the campaign. For my Witchfire campaign I played in, I wrote about half a page of background. Absolutely none of it was used or referred to -- due to the fact that we were on a module and never went into custom plot hooks, etc.

So, I say don't write it if no one will use it. If the GM will use it, though, the more the merrier for the most part. Just make sure it jives with his vision of the campaign.

 

[Seaver]

*Pops out of Lurker Space

Hiya.

My background usually consists of:

My character has no family. He was an orphan. The reason he is adventuring is that his only friends are the people who now make up the party.



I do not hand the DM leverage against my character at creation.

Another reason I don't like a complicated background is that I don't want to put restrictions on my character at creation, but prefer to see where he is going after the first couple of adventures. If I can get away with it I even prefer to avoid assigning alignment until after those first couple of adventures.

My first character in 3ed started out as a CN cleric of war and destruction. After the 2nd session (and notifying my DM) he insta-changed to a NG cleric of Good and War. A noble and honorable one man war on evil, well a one man war on evil who happened to be in an adventuring party.

Eventually he ended up finding out that his family was still alive and were ex-adventurers, his alignment slid to LG as he developed a sense of honor and morality (and religious fervor) as strong as any paladin, and eventually became the head of his temple. He was retired shortly after that and donated as an NPC for future campaigns.

Heh, that makes the third time a DM has had one of my characters continue as a NPC in their campaign.

Anyway a blank slate is the best beginning in my opinion. Let the game and the story define your character as you go. Do not restrict yourself from the start.

I mean some of the best stories start from humble, unknown beginnings. The young man, ancestory shrouded in mystery, sets off to see what's on the other side of the hill and ends up getting wrapped up in an epic adventure. How many tales can you think of that follow this formula?


*Fades back into Lurker Space

 

[King_Stannis]

Just apply the "Horse-Oats" test. If anyone ever mentions that their character's horse eats a certain type of oats, it has gone too far.

ANd yes, it has happend to me as DM.

 

[abri]

Just apply the "Horse-Oats" test. If anyone ever mentions that their character's horse eats a certain type of oats, it has gone too far.

ANd yes, it has happend to me as DM.

Ok, pleading guilty there: I often describe my familliars/animal companion favorite food if its unusual or add character.
For example: my bat familiar tried to behave as human as possible, wearing a tiny sleeping hat, having a tiny bed (also was VERY lazy)... Favorite drink was grog (warm rhum and honey), went well with the small lazy bat.
But Yeah, I think I might have gone to far there.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

As a rule-of-thumb, the perfect background for me (as a DM) is one that provides a few plot hooks, but doesn't require me to remember too much.

Some backgrounds are too sparce to be useful. I like to know where the PC's family is from, where the PC grew up and learned his stuff, and any really life-altering details. I can use these to help tie the PCs into the story, and give them reasons to fight, etc.

Some backgrounds are too much, though. If a PC lists fifty relatives, sixteen classmates, his first three dogs, etc., the information becomes cumbersome. Trying to use it means trying to remember all sorts of details that may be important to the player, but for me the DM are simply overkill.

A happy medium is best.