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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Marandahir" data-source="post: 8243108" data-attributes="member: 6803643">I feel like the best way to create a character is to roll them up and see what story that unfolds from there. You could randomly generate a backstory with the backstory generator tables, or you could just pick a lineage and then roll your stats and see what class makes sense from a set of 6 ability scores and your lineage. I'd argue you should choose your lineage first so that you don't get tempted to choose a lineage in the old PHB style based on what Ability Score bumpers they grant that will best support the abilities you roll. Doesn't mean you can't alter those abilities after the fact using the new Tasha's rules, but I'd say best to figure out the lineage you want first rather than letting your ability scores guide you to a lineage.On the contrary, I feel like class should definitely be guided by ability scores and lineage, since it's the story of what you've chosen to do for yourself, rather than what you were born as. Once you have that, the backstory might start to write itself from the discrepancies between lineage, abilities, and class. Maybe you've made a Tiefling Paladin, but you rolled relatively high on Dexterity as a third highest score after Strength and Charisma. So maybe you decide that your Tiefling had a past life of crime before turning their life around and coming to faith in a deity. So you choose the Criminal background. This is just one way to do it, of course. But I feel like D&D is at its best when your options are constrained beyond your control and you're forced to roll with the punches. That's what makes D&D play more than just collective storytelling, after all - the randomness of the dice throw uncertain constraints that take the story in directions it wouldn't otherwise. And of course, I'd try not to develop the character too much as backstory before Session 1. The adventure IS their story, after all. If the backstory is more interesting than the story, then you shouldn't be playing the story, you should be playing the backstory. Let the game table develop the character over time. They can have a history, and it can be really interesting, but try to keep the details vague - let the game table help you discover the backstory details that flesh out the character and let that backstory unfold as part of narrative by being relevant to the ongoing plot. For example, don't create an elaborate story for the dark knight who murdered your parents and how you sought vengeance and eventually conquered over him; DO mention to the DM in session zero that your parents were murdered by a dark knight and you vowed revenge. Then the DM can introduce a dark knight into the game and you can actually get your revenge during gameplay.</blockquote>

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