Difference between revisions of "Background"

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Backgrounds should roughly come in three parts of 6 or more lines each. Below is a set of loose guidelines and motivational questions to give you a sense of  what staff looks at for in a 'complete' background.
 
Backgrounds should roughly come in three parts of 6 or more lines each. Below is a set of loose guidelines and motivational questions to give you a sense of  what staff looks at for in a 'complete' background.
  
*The first section is the ''''at a glance''''. This should help players quickly familiarize themselves with the character's broad strokes.
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*The primary section is the ''''at a glance''''. This should help players quickly familiarize themselves with the character's broad strokes and immediate fame/notoriety, if any.
 
**What is the character's recent history known?
 
**What is the character's recent history known?
 
**What [[Text Timeline - Modern Age|major events]] did they participate in or what groups are they a part of?
 
**What [[Text Timeline - Modern Age|major events]] did they participate in or what groups are they a part of?
 
::Someone unfamiliar with the character should have a passing acquaintance of their immediate past after reading the background.
 
::Someone unfamiliar with the character should have a passing acquaintance of their immediate past after reading the background.
*The second section should focus on '''early life'''.
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*The first background section should focus on '''early life'''.
 
**Where was the character born?
 
**Where was the character born?
 
**Did they come from a good household, were they raised by penguins under [[Gotham]] Zoo, or were they decanted from a cloning tank last year? How were their origins part
 
**Did they come from a good household, were they raised by penguins under [[Gotham]] Zoo, or were they decanted from a cloning tank last year? How were their origins part
 
**How did they live during their early years?
 
**How did they live during their early years?
*The third section should be '''origins'''.
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*The next section should be '''origins'''.
 
**What motivated them to become a hero or a villain? This is the 'call to adventure' that starts the Hero's Journey:
 
**What motivated them to become a hero or a villain? This is the 'call to adventure' that starts the Hero's Journey:
 
***It might be the death of a loved one;
 
***It might be the death of a loved one;

Latest revision as of 08:58, 2 January 2019

Backgrounds should roughly come in three parts of 6 or more lines each. Below is a set of loose guidelines and motivational questions to give you a sense of what staff looks at for in a 'complete' background.

  • The primary section is the 'at a glance'. This should help players quickly familiarize themselves with the character's broad strokes and immediate fame/notoriety, if any.
    • What is the character's recent history known?
    • What major events did they participate in or what groups are they a part of?
Someone unfamiliar with the character should have a passing acquaintance of their immediate past after reading the background.
  • The first background section should focus on early life.
    • Where was the character born?
    • Did they come from a good household, were they raised by penguins under Gotham Zoo, or were they decanted from a cloning tank last year? How were their origins part
    • How did they live during their early years?
  • The next section should be origins.
    • What motivated them to become a hero or a villain? This is the 'call to adventure' that starts the Hero's Journey:
      • It might be the death of a loved one;
      • Witness to a violent crime
      • Adoption by a more senior hero
    • Having heard the call to adventure, did they pursue that quest to completion before their current state, or is it still looming over them? Are they a callow youth or hard and experienced hero/ine?
This should bring the reader up to date on the character, though additional sections are permissible if the background gets very expository.