Random backstory table?

Juisarian · February 19, 2015, 05:58:05 AM

Hi all

Does anyone know a table I can find online to roll up a random character backstory for a Fantasy game?

I don't normally bother with backstories myself, beyond a vague 1-2 line concept, but I'm playing in a new game with a friend who's really into random tables at the moment, and wants to roll up his character's 10,000 word novella for fun.

Thanks

Juisarian

jeff37923 · February 19, 2015, 07:01:44 AM

Quote from: Juisarian;816333Hi all

Does anyone know a table I can find online to roll up a random character backstory for a Fantasy game?

I don't normally bother with backstories myself, beyond a vague 1-2 line concept, but I'm playing in a new game with a friend who's really into random tables at the moment, and wants to roll up his character's 10,000 word novella for fun.

Thanks

Juisarian

Two links, the first is to a Lifepath generator and the other is to a Lifepath PDF based on that used by R. Talsorian Games for Mekton and Cyberpunk.

http://www.tangent-zero.com/mz_lifepath.htm

http://b-com.narod.ru/fuzion/al.pdf

Will · February 19, 2015, 10:48:48 AM

You can probably dig up the Central Casting pdfs from ... the late 80s, I think?
Heroes of Legend, Heroes Now!, Heroes for Tomorrow (fantasy, modern, scifi).
Very 80s, but there are some fun ideas in there.

RPGPundit · February 20, 2015, 11:57:08 PM

As much as I love the really detailed lifepath stuff in Traveller, I find this isn't super compatible with D&D's zero-to-hero format.

It can be OK, if you plan to start characters out at higher levels; but if you go with starting characters I think it doesn't fit to have them have a really long heroic history. But I think short tables of early and prior history can be cool.

There's a couple of good tables in the "Dungeon Dozen" book, from what I recall.

In Dark Albion, I'm going to have prior event tables, that generate one interesting prior event in the PCs life during character creation.

The Butcher · February 21, 2015, 09:49:52 AM

Whatever its faults, Reign still has the best lifepath character generation for a fantasy game, that I know of, the One Roll Characters generator (the supplements feature more specific version for each culture).

Phillip · February 21, 2015, 10:03:39 AM

I posted a list of a number of general backgrounds - plot-hook "what's your quest" types - here a long time ago, but good luck finding that.

Interlock (of Cyberpunk fame) and Legendary Lives come to mind as a couple of things legally free online. You might find more in John Kim's Big List.

Lots of tables have been published, at least as early as 1977 (Chivalry & Sorcery), in game handbooks and supplements and magazines and now on blogs.

Phillip · February 21, 2015, 10:14:09 AM

Zenobia is free and has a fairly simple one - including what precipitated leaving home - that's geared to a fantasy version of the Roman Near East, but more broadly applicable. Some background (whether you're a former legionary, scribe, slave, bedouin, etc.) is picked, and brings appropriate features, but could be diced for or used as inspiration.

Ratman_tf · February 21, 2015, 12:17:48 PM

I haven't used it yet, but I like what I saw of the Beyond the Wall chargen lifepath thing-a-ma-bobs.

http://www.flatlandgames.com/btw/

RPGPundit · February 23, 2015, 11:39:13 PM

Quote from: The Butcher;816840Whatever its faults, Reign still has the best lifepath character generation for a fantasy game, that I know of, the One Roll Characters generator (the supplements feature more specific version for each culture).

Well, that's the way to do it for the 'hero journey' type of thing, since you can't have a dozen events. That's pretty much the same method I'm using for Albion.

Silverlion · February 24, 2015, 01:06:02 AM

How complex or simple do you want? Hearts & Souls2E gives a "basic origin" story in one of its methods.