🧙 How to Write Your D&D Character’s Backstory

Welcome, adventurer! Whether you're new to tabletop roleplaying games or just want help creating a memorable hero, this guide will walk you through the process of crafting a character backstory step by step. By the end, you’ll have a rich foundation that will help you roleplay, bond with your party, and naturally enter the campaign's world.

🎭 Step 1: Who Are You?

Start with the basics.

Character Name: Choose a name that fits the tone or culture of your world.
Race (or ancestry): Are you an elf from ancient woods, a tiefling from a cursed bloodline, or a goblin from the scrapyards?
- What’s culturally normal for your people?
- How are you different?
Class: Your class shapes how you interact with the world. Are you a hardened fighter, a curious wizard, a sneaky rogue?
- When and why did you take up this path?

Tip: Your character’s race and class should influence, but not define, their personality.

🗺️ Step 2: Where Are You From?

Describe your hometown or region.

Is it a bustling city, quiet village, haunted forest, nomadic tribe, or isolated monastery?
What is your relationship to your homeland?
What are some customs, values, or sayings you grew up with?
What do people from there think of people like you?

If your setting is in the Material Plane of Moria, refer to the map and choose a named region like the Clarity Plains, Do’orikar, or Shelton.

🌞 Step 3: A Day in the Life

Before adventuring, what was your normal life like?

What did you do for work, study, or survival?
Who did you live with?
What was a typical morning or evening for you?
Did you enjoy this life, or were you longing for more?

🌠 Step 4: Hopes, Dreams & Motivations

Think about what drives your character forward.

What is your greatest dream or ambition?
What do you hope to achieve as an adventurer?
Is there something you’re trying to prove? Escape from?

Your DM may use this to weave your goals into the main story. Be open about them!

😱 Step 5: Fears & Flaws

Nobody is perfect—and that makes them interesting.

What are you afraid of? (Examples: failure, spiders, being alone, losing control)
Do you have any emotional wounds or past traumas?
Are you too prideful? Too trusting? Quick to anger?
Do you keep secrets?

🫂 Step 6: Relationships That Matter

Name at least one or two people who meant something to you.

A mentor, sibling, childhood friend, nemesis, parent, lover, pet?
Are they alive? Do you miss them? Are you trying to find them?
What did they teach you—or do to you?

These characters can become part of the campaign and might show up again.

♿ Step 7: Quirks, Disabilities, and Challenges

This is a great chance to explore identity in fantasy.

Does your character have a limp, chronic condition, or visible scar?
Do they have anxiety, stutter, or an unusual way of speaking?
Are they illiterate but clever, or deeply religious but confused by magic?
Do they have a weird habit or superstition?

✨ Final Touches: Entering the Story

Now tie it together:

What caused you to leave your old life behind?
Did something call to you—like a prophecy, letter, escape, or strange event?
How do you feel about becoming an adventurer?
What do you hope the others in your party never find out?

📝 Example Summary

Kasha, a tiefling warlock, grew up in a ruined temple beneath the Symbion Mountains. She sold relics to survive and made a pact with something ancient beneath the stone. She dreams of mastering magic to undo the curse on her bloodline. She fears fire and has burn scars from her childhood. Her only friend was a talking skull named Varin. She is secretly dying from a disease, and she doesn't want anyone to know. She joined the party after overhearing a rumor in a tavern about the “green gem that shows visions.”

🧾 Copy & Paste Template for Players

**Name**:
**Race / Ancestry**:
**Class**:
**Region of Origin**:
**Typical Day Before Adventure**:
**Dreams / Goals**:
**Fears / Flaws**:
**Important Relationships**:
**Quirks / Disabilities / Challenges**:
**How They Entered the Story**:

Feel free to message your DM or ask the table for help if you're stuck. This is your story—make it personal, weird, or bold. We're excited to meet your character! 🧡

Player CV: Zöe M. (Dungeon Mistress)