The Use and Creation of Backgrounds

[kesher]

Great post by Mearls: Here Comes the Player's Handbook

The use and creation/modification of backgrounds, IMO, hits the nail on the head.

To get us all started, the inimitable Patrick Stuart provides us with two of his own:

5e MANPAC Background

5e Underdark Background

...both of which, whether or not you'd ever use them, are proof that 5e in no way needs to be vanilla medieval fantasy.

[Finarvyn]

Thanks for posting this.

I see backgrounds as the kind of option you can use or not, depending upon how you want to run the game. Background tables go a long way toward making pregens more "lifelike", for example, and players can pick up on some generic stereotypes to get them in the mood for a character faster.

Or, you can just develop these "on the fly" through play.

[funkaoshi]

Hack & Slash has been posting some great backgrounds this week too.

[kesher]

funkaoshi: Freaking awesome!

I'm beginning to get glimmers of D&D, Warhammer-style... D&DHammer!

[kesher]

Aug 7, 2014 14:21:12 GMT -6 Finarvyn said:

Thanks for posting this.

I see backgrounds as the kind of option you can use or not, depending upon how you want to run the game. Background tables go a long way toward making pregens more "lifelike", for example, and players can pick up on some generic stereotypes to get them in the mood for a character faster.

Or, you can just develop these "on the fly" through play.

Absolutely! Developing them on the fly would, I imagine, be really easy with the template already developed--just fill it in as you go...

[funkaoshi]

Oh, I've started on a random 5e character generator by the way.

[kesher]

Aug 8, 2014 15:13:55 GMT -6 funkaoshi said:

Oh, I've started on a random 5e character generator by the way.

Awe. Some.

[zeraser]

Aug 8, 2014 15:13:55 GMT -6 funkaoshi said:

Oh, I've started on a random 5e character generator by the way.

That's pretty neat. It may see some use in our campaign - thanks!

[funkaoshi]

No problem. I'm hoping to add some of the OSR backgrounds i've seen posted in the next little while. (And actually finish the whole thing so it makes real characters.)