Backstory Made Simple

Three simple lines are all you need to create a compelling D&D character

Listen, I've seen more promising adventurers freeze up during character creation than I care to count. They sit there, staring at their blank character sheet like it owes them money, convinced they need to write the next great fantasy epic just to explain why their fighter picked up a sword.

Nonsense.

You don't need a novel. You don't need seventeen pages of tragic history involving dead parents, mysterious birthmarks, and secret royal bloodlines. What you need is just enough foundation to make your character feel like an actual person instead of a walking collection of dice rolls.

You don’t need to be Tolkien to make a great D&D character. Just three lines. That’s it. Here’s how to skip the drama and actually get to playing. 🎲🗡️

What’s a Backstory and Why Should You Care?

A backstory is your character's history before the adventure begins. It's who they were, what they did, and what shaped them into the person about to embark on an adventure. Think of it as the foundation supporting everything your character does.

Sad but true: The two areas of the character sheet that make a character most real — the character's backstory and flaws — are the most often ignored parts in character creation.

Here's why you should bother creating one:

• It makes decisions easier. When you know your character's background, you'll instinctively know how they'd react. No more sitting there wondering what to do while everyone stares at you.

• It gives your DM material to work with. Backstories provide plot hooks and ways to make the story personally meaningful to your character. DMs love players who give them something to work with.

• It helps you roleplay naturally. Instead of thinking "What would be cool?" you can think "What would my character do?" It’s much more authentic and a lot less exhausting.

You're not writing literature here. Even a few sentences can transform a collection of numbers on a page into an actual person you can imagine knowing, one with hopes, fears, and reasons for swinging a sword.

Foolproof Three-Line Method

The easiest way to create a complete backstory is to address three essential elements. Each part can be as brief as a single sentence, though you'll probably want to write more once you get started.

Line 1: Once Upon a Time... : Describe your character's old “normal” life. What was their job? Their lifestyle? What kind of person were they before everything went sideways? Keep it relatable. They were a baker, a soldier, a merchant's kid, a temple acolyte. Nothing fancy required.

Line 2: One Day... : Explain the moment that disrupted your character's old life. This could be dramatic (bandits burned down the village) or personal (discovered they could talk to animals). The key is that this event made their old life impossible or undesirable.

Line 3: Because of That... : Show your character's “new normal,” the current motivation. What drives them forward? What do they hope to achieve? This gives your DM hooks to involve your character in the story, so don't make it something impossible like "become a god." Make it achievable and interesting.

Three Examples

These example use the "once upon a time - one day - because of that" framework literally. That is only so you can identify the pieces clearly. Write your backstory however you see fit. There is no right way.

The Seeker
Once upon a time there was a merchant's daughter who felt trapped by her family's expectations. One day she discovered an ancient map in her father's belongings showing mysterious ruins. Because of that, she now seeks adventure and freedom to explore beyond her small town's borders.

The Hometown Hero
Once upon a time there was a young man living peacefully in a farming village, helping with crops and enjoying close community bonds. One day bandits attacked the village, burning homes and hurting innocent people, showing him how dangerous the world can be. Because of that, he now seeks to protect other peaceful people from similar threats, taking up arms to become strong enough to defend the innocent.

The Apprentice
Once upon a time there was an eager student learning blacksmithing in a bustling town, working alongside his master while dreaming of creating legendary weapons. He spent days at the forge gaining skill, evenings filled with stories of famous smiths and heroes.

One day his master vanished without explanation, leaving only a note about "debts that must be paid" and a mysterious unfinished sword. He searched everywhere but found only whispered rumors about dangerous people asking questions.

Because of that, he now searches for answers about his master's fate while surviving on his incomplete training. He carries the unfinished sword as both weapon and reminder, hoping to complete what his master started and understand what went wrong.

Connect With Your Party If You Can

Work with other players and make adjustments to create a connection. Find one detail from your backstory that could link to another party member. Maybe you're from the same region, faced similar challenges, or have goals that complement each other. Maybe you were both temple acolytes, but in rival orders.

Don't overplan this. If no way to make a connection is immediately obvious, let connections develop naturally during play. The best party bonds happen organically, not because you spent three hours coordinating backstories before session one.

What Not to Do

• Don't make trauma the star of every scene. Yes, maybe your character has a tragic past. So does everyone else's at the table. Don't make every conversation about your dead mentor.

• Don't create characters who don't want to adventure or be in a party. If your character has no reason to leave home and fight monsters — or if they are an antisocial, moody, loner edge lord with anger management issues — make a different character.

• Don't ignore the campaign setting. If your DM says "no magic users in this world," don't make your backstory about attending wizard school.

• Don't make yourself more special than everyone else. No, you are not the secret heir to anything. Nor are you the only survivor of your order. You're an adventurer, same as everyone else.

Bring Your Backstory to Life

Mention different parts as appropriate moments happen during the game. Let your old life influence how you react to familiar situations. Show how that life-changing moment still affects your reaction to the world around you. Chase your current goals through the choices your character makes.

As with other character sheet elements, your backstory is meant to be a springboard for interesting decisions and memorable moments.

That’s All There Is to It

Three parts, as simple as three brief sentences, are enough to create a compelling character foundation. Start simple and build from there. Your character's real story begins when the adventure starts.

Backstory shouldn’t be homework. Keep it light. Keep it fun.

Three lines. That’s all it takes to turn random numbers into a real person worth rooting for.

-- Professor Richard Crackfang, A.W.E. (Arcane Wizard Extraordinaire)

P.S. – One more (entirely fictional, of course) backstory example for you.
Once upon a time, a promising young wizard named Lump was expelled from the Academy of Magical Excellence for "unethical spell fusion" and “excessive glitter use.” One day, he mispronounced a spell during his final exam, blew the roof off the east wing, and accidentally polymorphed the headmaster into a duck — a particularly smug one. Because of that, he now travels the land offering unsolicited magical advice, peddling suspicious elixirs, and insisting everyone refer to him as Professor (and Richard) Crackfang, A.W.E. [Degree pending, lawsuit ongoing.]