Setting-centric backgrounds rule
Using background tables as GM prep.
This article features affiliate links, which incur no cost to you.There is an age-old problem of getting players to make characters who fit into a setting without a ton of work. Here’s the thing though. The Liminal Horror folks have been solving this with every module they publish by including setting-specific backgrounds for years.
Take a look at this background from The Bloom.
Or Cairn’s backgrounds which build the setting of Vald, like the Fungal Forager:
More so than a class, which often is more of an archetype centred around the mechanics of play, a background and quick loadout is way more concrete about how you actually fit into this world.
A paladin can be a lot of things. A true crime journalist? A fungal forager? That’s way more specific and dialled for the vibe of an adventure. Their gear brings them to life more than a paladin’s smite does, that smartphone tripod makes them real.
Inkvein uses backgrounds as an alternative means of character creation. It has 12 setting-specific backgrounds that come with hooks built in and a set of gear to help you figure out who you are. Here’s the one for the Ink miner:
But why are we talking about this? Because not only should designers include these in modules they are writing for publication if they can… GMs should make these for ANY campaign they are running.
Background tables are amazing game prep
I recommend a d12 table for variety. Create 12 professions or roles that fit in your world. Huzzah! You’ve already done some world-building (Troika style). Give them an equipment loadout: the gear each of these professions gets is more world-building.
Now your players can roll or pick a cool setting-dialled background and have more of an idea about how your setting works.
You can use these backgrounds for NPCs too. Need a quick NPC? Roll on the backgrounds table. If you need an Ink miner in Inkvein (which there is a classic statblock for as well), you can look at the background entry.
Even better is that these don’t take loads of time to make. Making 12 custom classes would be a nightmare. 12 backgrounds might take you 30 minutes (ok, the ones for Inkvein took longer but that’s because it’s getting published and I had to be professional about it).
They don’t all need to be revolutionary either. Inkvein has a criminal background because illegal activity is a recurring theme in the dungeon and the city above. The background of ‘criminal’ is nothing new, but my inclusion of it is saying ‘crime is important in this setting’.
In short you get the following for cheap:
World-building
Setting-specific character creation
An NPC generation tool
So next time you’re gearing up for a new campaign, make a background table or find one that fits the bill (or Frankenstein one together).
This is 100% my take as well. If you're going to go for something to describe a character's background, shouldn't it be intrinsically tied to where they're from?
That's what I'm planning on doing for Inheritor at least. I'll be sharing more on the blog this week (along with the free playtest packet)!