When we, as players, start rolling up characters, we all approach our character’s personality a bit differently. Sometimes you choose class based on what sort of person your new character seems like. Sometimes details of personality start to form when you choose their background. And, more often than I’d expect, our characters turn out differently than we’d imagined once we actually begin play.

It’s important to explain why your character is an adventurer within their backstory. Adventuring is dangerous, and it’s not an especially secure way to make a living! So why is this character you’re making going down that route?

Selecting a background and a class helps clear that question up, especially since the Player’s Handbook gives examples as to why a character of certain classes might take up adventuring. That’s pretty helpful!

A good backstory answers the question of why your character is adventuring, and it helps the player roleplay that character according to their past experiences. Your character’s previous circumstances shape who they are right now.

But, it’s okay to not have a fully-fleshed out backstory. You don’t have to write a novel about everything that’s happened to your character in their past. I actually find it more helpful to start only with what I absolutely need.

I usually start with a handful of experiences, interactions, and relationships that were important to my character. Some of this stuff is to explain why they are the class they are. Other experiences/interactions/relationships fill in details about their flaws, bonds, ideals, or personality traits. Again, you only need a few of these.

As I’ve said before, I’m pretty sure that none of our ideas survive contact with the first session. You’ll find out new things about your character as you get into their shoes and play them. Leaving holes in their backstory gives you some breathing room.

It also gives your DM freedom to elaborate on details you’ve written or fill in holes you’ve left. Running your character’s backstory by your DM is a good move; it gives them the opportunity to ask questions and give you more information about your character’s place in their world. It’s also super important to let your DM know if your character has a secret—something that your character might be hiding from the party. Remember, you’re all working together to make a fun story.

Your character will change over time. So, don’t chain yourself to an exhaustive backstory, and give yourself some blank spaces to work with!