This Chapter’s goals are to assist you the Player in making a Narrative Background for your Character. You already would have decided on a mechanical Background in the Character Generation & Levelling Chapter, which was detailing something your Character did before they became an adventurer.
A Narrative Background is taking the elements of that chosen Background, the training and knowledge you decided to gain, and to give them a story you, your Party and your GG can call upon during play, both for Character motivation as well as future plot threads.
Creating a background is very simple grab a paper and pen, or a word document program, and write about the Character’s early life before they were an adventurer. This can be as simple as a bullet pointed list of key NPCs and moments or could be something more involved. It is entirely up to you and optional.
Once you do have something written though, pass it to your GG as it will potentially help with the Campaign, giving the main plot thread of the Campaign a chance to have greater import for your Character or providing the GG a new NPC to throw in at an important moment.
This Chapter is here to provide advice on writing a Narrative Background, provide prompts, and even example tables for answers to the prompts. This Class Playbook will also Feature some unique prompts and ideas related to the Class you have chosen to play. These tables and prompts should be used as places to help generate ideas rather than to force them, and as such, you do not have to use an prompt or a rolled result from a table if it doesn’t mesh with the Character.
So, to begin with first look back at the Background you made during Character Generation, note down in your Narrative Background document the following things:
Background’s Name. This was what you did before you became an Adventurer, it did not have to be your whole life prior, as you may have learnt the basics of your chosen Class before the first session.
As such consider how what you did in your Background related to your training to be a member of your Class.
Background’s Languages & Training. You in your Background chose to learn to use certain Weapons and Tools, as well as specific Languages. It may be wise to consider what about your Background led to you gaining that knowledge and could provide some threads to include in your Background.
Background’s Feat. Another thing you gained because of your Background was a Feat. Consider what the Feat says about the Character and their Background and how that could be incorporated into your Background’s narrative.
These may give you some ideas for basic beats your Background should cover, from there we get onto more specific aspects that will vary Character to Character.
Bards spend years studying their arts mastering the fundamentals of their preferred artistic pursuits and magic, before advancing to more advanced studies and specialisation. These questions will hopefully help determine aspects about your Character. So, considering your Character consider the following aspects and looking to the following tables for inspiration for your own answers:
What is your preferred artistic medium? Consider what kind of art you prefer to use with your magic? Is it tied to an aspect of your Character concept or backstory? Are you good at it, or is it something you struggle to master? Do the tools or instruments you use have any special meaning to you? This may inform how you answer the other questions.
| Results | |
|---|---|
| 1 | You use an instrument handed down through your family. You channel the music of creation into the notes you play and your voice. |
| 2 | You channel the music of creation into your dance, without uttering a word, your moves inspire others to stand tall in battle. |
| 3 | You trained your voice to be a wondrous storyteller or speech maker. Using the music of creation to set the tone and tempo of your works. |
| 4 | You channel the music of creations into your paintings, allowing you to cast spells based on your painting. |
| 5 | Your art is pottery channeling your desires into its form and function. |
| 6 | You channel the music of creation into cooking, letting each note be a different complimentary flavour. |
Do you call upon your knowledge, your experience, or your own artistic spirit? What part of you is the primary source of your abilities? Do you call upon your knowledge of the past or stories, your own life experiences, or just your self-confidence and spirit? How you feel about this reason may inform other aspects of your Character.
| Results | |
|---|---|
| 1 | You call upon your Knowledge, from the many stories you have read and learnt. |
| 2 | You call upon your intuition, drawing on your own experiences to let them influence your art. |
| 3 | You call upon your Determination, letting your imagination and emotions take the lead. |
| 4 | You call upon your Knowledge, using your knowledge of history and facts to help bring reality to your art. |
| 5 | You call upon your intuition, letting your audience's reactions help shape your craft in the moment. |
| 6 | You call upon your Determination, your will and spirit is what fuels your abilities. |
How did you learn your craft? Consider how you got your education, was it in a formal college setting, via an apprenticeship, or maybe self-taught? Did it require any entrance exam or proof of ability? Did you have friends or rivals? What were the teachers like? How did they teach you through stories, practical experience or theoreticals? Did your teachers or lessons impact your own behaviour or preferred artistic style with theirs? This may inform how you answer the other questions.
| Results | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your family hired the greatest bards in the land to mentor you, in your family's chosen art. However, your mentor secretly taught you how to express yourself in a way true to you. |
| 2 | You went to a school to learn your trade. Making a fierce rival after you both boasted that you would be the greatest bard of your generation. |
| 3 | Your parents taught you everything you know. |
| 4 | You learnt from a kindly member of the community, who noticed your talents and offered to help you reach your full potential. |
| 5 | A forest spirit loved your art and so offered to help teach you their own people’s secrets. |
| 6 | You had no teacher, only yourself to push you onwards. |
What is your artistic muse? When you are stuck and not sure how to proceed, what do you think to help inspire you?
| Results | |
|---|---|
| 1 | You think back on your family and the people closest to you. |
| 2 | You think of your love, or at least about the concept of love. |
| 3 | You think about the beauty of nature. |
| 4 | Your faith is your muse. |
| 5 | You find the tempo and drama of battle is your muse. |
| 6 | You look to the wonders of the cosmos as your inspiration. |
How does your art and magic interact? Consider the above answers and your Character concept when answering the question. Consider creative ways you can use your artistic medium to cast your spells. Finally consider with all of the above, what does this all say about you? How does it reflect the background and nature of your Character?
| Results | |
|---|---|
| 1 | You make pottery each with a different scene upon it. When casting a spell, you spin the pottery letting the scene play out as reality warps to reflect the scene. |
| 2 | Your art is your cooking, often cooking up something in the heat of the moment. Maybe a healing sandwich, or a pot of boiling hot soup that seems to act a lot like acid. |
| 3 | Your magic comes from your dancing, the arcane elements dancing and weaving with your movements. |
| 4 | Your spells and abilities are tied to your voice, be it song, poetry, or speeches. |
| 5 | Stories are your arts, maybe your heroic tales inspire your allies, while detailing how the villain was felled by a bolt lightning, inspires life to mirror art. |
| 6 | You have mastered the art of mime, with your magic being channeled into your performance. |
| 7 | Your pictures paint a thousand words, or perhaps a very particular spell. |
| 8 | Your spells come from your music, your instruments matching the great cosmic song, and warping reality appropriately. |