by My Discord has a bot you can use to make custom rolls, be
sure to use the Dice-Rolls tab.
https://discord.gg/EaMqAft
Character backstory grounds one to the setting, it invests you, it justifies your character. As such here's an expansive set of roll tables to help with that.
That said, you don't need to include all of this but I do expect at least 5 sentences in your backstory sections.
Parents
1-95 You know who your parents are or were
96-100 You do not know who your parents or were
Birthplace
1-50 Home
51-55 Home of family friend
56-63 Home of healer or midwife
64-65 Carriage, cart or wagon
69-70 Cave
71-72 Field
73-74 Forest
75-77 Temple
78 Battlefield
79-80 Alley or street
81-82 Brothel, tavern or inn
83-84 Castle, keep, or palace
85 Sewer or rubbish heap
86-88 Among people of a different race
89-91 On board a boat or a ship
92-93 In a prison or in the headquarters of a secret organization
94-95 A sage's laboratory
Number of Siblings
1-2 None
3-4 1d3
5-6 1d4+1
7-8 1d6+2
9-10 1d8+3
Family
1 None
2 Institution such as an asylum
3 Temple
4-5 Orphanage
6-7 Guardian
8-15 Paternal or maternal aunt, uncle or both.
16-25 Paternal or maternal grandparents
26-35 Adoptive family
36-55 Single father or stepfather
56-75 Single mother or stepmother
76-100 Mother and father
Absent parent
1 Your parent died
2 your parent was imprisoned, enslaved or otherwise taken away
3 Your parent abandoned you
4 Your parent disappeared to an unknown fate
Family Lifestyle
3 Wretched (-40)
4-5 Squalid (-20)
6-8 Poor (-10)
9-12 Modest (+40)
13-15 Comfortable (+10)
16-17 Wealthy (+20)
18 Aristocratic (+40)
Childhood Home
0 or lower On the streets
1-20 Rundown shack
21-30 Moved around a lot
31-40 Encampment or distant village
41-50 Low income neighborhood
51-70 Small house
71-90 Large house
91-110 Mansion
111 or higher Palace or castle
Life Events by Age
1-20: 20 years or younger . 1 Life event
21-59: 21-30 years old . 1d4
60-69: 31-40 years old . 1d6
70-89: 41-50 years old . 1d8
90-99: 51-60 years old . 1d10
100: 61 years old . 1d12
Life Events
1-10 You suffered a tragedy. Roll on Tragedies table.
11-20 You gained a bit of good fortune. Roll on the Boons table
21-30 You fell in love or got married. If you get this results more than once, you can choose to have a child instead.
31-40 You made an enemy of an adventurer. Roll a d6. An odd number means you are the fault of the rift. DM me and we'll work on your rival
41-50 You made a friend of an adventurer. DM me and we'll work on having an NPC buddy for you.
51-70 You spend time working in a job related to your background. +2d6 Gold
71-75 You met someone important. DM me and we'll work on this ambiguous NPC
76-80 You went on an adventure, see adventure table.
81-85 You had a supernatural experience, see supernatural experience table.
86-90 You fought in a war, see war table
91-95 You committed a crime, see crime table
96-99 You encountered something magical, see magical table
Adventure Table
1-10 You nearly died. Now you've got some nasty scars,or maybe you're missing an ear, fingers-1d3 or toes-1d4.
11-20 You suffered a grievous injury. Although the wound healed it still hurts from time-to-time
21-30 You were wounded but fully recovered
31-40 You contracted a disease while exploring a filthy warren. You recovered but you have a persistent cough, pockmarks, or grey hair
41-50 You were poisoned by a trap or a monster. Next poison saving throw is at an disadvantage
51-60 You lost something of sentimental value to you during your adventurer.
61-70 You were terribly frightened by something you encountered and ran away, abandoning your companions to their fate
71-80 You learned a great deal during your adventure, next ability check is at advantage
91-99 You found a considerable amount of treasure on your adventure. 1d20+50 Gold
Supernatural Experience Table
1-5 You were enslaved by exiled Coven witches, you escaped after 1d6 years
6-10 You saw a man possessed by a demon, you were able to get away even though you were seen.
11-15 A demon lord for whatever reason though you were worth making a deal with, the deal never concluded
16-20 You woke up one morning miles from your home, with no idea how you got there
21-30 You saw a star in the sky turn red and explode
31-40 You escaped certain death and you believe it was because of divine intervention
41-50 You saw a ghoul feeding on a corpse
51-60 You witnessed a minor miracle
61-70 You explored an empty house that turned out to be haunted
71-75 You somehow managed to survive a demonic possession
76-80 You saw a ghost
War Table
1 You were knocked out and left for dead. You woke up with no memory of the battle
2-3 You were badly injured in the fighting, you still bear awful scares of those wounds
4 You ran away from the battle to save your life, but you still feel shame for you cowardice
5-7 You suffered only minor injuries the wounds have healed without scaring
8-9 You survived the battle but suffer terrible nightmares in which you relive the experience
10-11 You escaped he battle unscathed, though many friends you had were killed or maimed
12 You acquitted yourself well in battle and are remembered as a hero. You might have received a medal
Crime Table
1 Murder
2 Theft
3 Burglary
4 Assault
5 Smuggling
6 Kidnapping
7 Extortion
8 Counterfeiting
Magic Table
1 You were charmed or frightened by a spell
2 You were injured by the effect of a spell
3 You witnessed a powerful spell being cast by a someone using 1d
4 You drank a poison
5 You found a spell scroll and succeeded in casting the spell it contained
6 You were affected by a teleportation magic
7 You turned invisible for a time
8 You identified an illusion for a what was
9 You saw a creature being conjured by magic
Boon
1 A friendly wizard gave you a spellscroll containing one scroll (ofthe DM's choice).
2 You saved the life of a commoner, who now owes you a life debt. This individual accompanies you on your travels and performs mundane tasks for you, but will leave if neglected, abused, or imperiled. Determine details about this character by using the supplemental tables and working with your DM.
3 You found a riding horse.
4 You found some money. You have 1d20 Gold in addition to your regular starting funds.
5 A relative bequeathed you a simple weapon of your choice.
6 You found something interesting. You gain one additional trinket.
7 You once performed a service for a local temple. The next time you visit the temple, you can receive healing up to your hit point maximum.
8 A friendly alchemist gifted you with a potion of healing or a flask of acid.
9 You found a treasure map.
10 A distant relative left you a stipend that enables you to live at the comfortable lifestyle for 1d20 years. If you choose to live at a higher lifestyle, you reduce the price of the lifestyle by 2 Gold during that time period.
Tragedy
1 A family member or a close friend died. Roll on the Cause of Death supplemental table to find out how.
2 A friendship ended bitterly, and the other person is now hostile to you. The cause might have been a misunderstanding or something you or the former friend did.
3 You lost all your possessions in a disaster, and you had to rebuild your life.
4 You were imprisoned for a crime you didn’t commit and spent 1d6 years at hard labor, in jail, or shackled to an oar in a slave galley.
5 War ravaged your home community, reducing everything to rubble and ruin. in the aftermath, you either helped your town rebuild or moved somewhere else.
6 A lover disappeared without a trace. You have been looking for that person ever since
7 A terrible blight in your home community caused crops to fail, and many starved.
8 You lost a sibling or some other family member.
9 You did something that brought terrible shame to you in the eyes of your family. You might have been involved in a scandal, dabbled in dark magic, or offended someone important. The attitude of your family members toward you becomes indifferent at best, though they might eventually forgive you.
10 For a reason you were never told, you were exiled from your community. You then either wandered in the wilderness for a time or promptly found a new place to live.
11 A romantic relationship ended. Roll 3d6. An odd number means it ended with bad feelings, while an even number means it ended amicably.
12 A current or prospective romantic partner of yours died.
Roll on the Cause of Death supplemental table to find out how. lf the result is murder, roll a d12. On a 1, you were responsible, whether directly or indirectly
Cause of Death
1 Unknown
2 Murdered
3 Killed in battle
4 Accident related to class or occupation
5 Accident unrelated to class or occupation
6—7 Natural causes, such as disease or old age
8 Apparent suicide
9 Torn apart by an animal or a natural disaster
10 Consumed by a monster
11 Executed for a crime or tortured to death
12 Bizarre event, such as being hit by a meteorite
sure to use the Dice-Rolls tab.
https://discord.gg/EaMqAft
Character backstory grounds one to the setting, it invests you, it justifies your character. As such here's an expansive set of roll tables to help with that.
That said, you don't need to include all of this but I do expect at least 5 sentences in your backstory sections.
Parents
1-95 You know who your parents are or were
96-100 You do not know who your parents or were
Birthplace
1-50 Home
51-55 Home of family friend
56-63 Home of healer or midwife
64-65 Carriage, cart or wagon
69-70 Cave
71-72 Field
73-74 Forest
75-77 Temple
78 Battlefield
79-80 Alley or street
81-82 Brothel, tavern or inn
83-84 Castle, keep, or palace
85 Sewer or rubbish heap
86-88 Among people of a different race
89-91 On board a boat or a ship
92-93 In a prison or in the headquarters of a secret organization
94-95 A sage's laboratory
Number of Siblings
1-2 None
3-4 1d3
5-6 1d4+1
7-8 1d6+2
9-10 1d8+3
Family
1 None
2 Institution such as an asylum
3 Temple
4-5 Orphanage
6-7 Guardian
8-15 Paternal or maternal aunt, uncle or both.
16-25 Paternal or maternal grandparents
26-35 Adoptive family
36-55 Single father or stepfather
56-75 Single mother or stepmother
76-100 Mother and father
Absent parent
1 Your parent died
2 your parent was imprisoned, enslaved or otherwise taken away
3 Your parent abandoned you
4 Your parent disappeared to an unknown fate
Family Lifestyle
3 Wretched (-40)
4-5 Squalid (-20)
6-8 Poor (-10)
9-12 Modest (+40)
13-15 Comfortable (+10)
16-17 Wealthy (+20)
18 Aristocratic (+40)
Childhood Home
0 or lower On the streets
1-20 Rundown shack
21-30 Moved around a lot
31-40 Encampment or distant village
41-50 Low income neighborhood
51-70 Small house
71-90 Large house
91-110 Mansion
111 or higher Palace or castle
Life Events by Age
1-20: 20 years or younger . 1 Life event
21-59: 21-30 years old . 1d4
60-69: 31-40 years old . 1d6
70-89: 41-50 years old . 1d8
90-99: 51-60 years old . 1d10
100: 61 years old . 1d12
Life Events
1-10 You suffered a tragedy. Roll on Tragedies table.
11-20 You gained a bit of good fortune. Roll on the Boons table
21-30 You fell in love or got married. If you get this results more than once, you can choose to have a child instead.
31-40 You made an enemy of an adventurer. Roll a d6. An odd number means you are the fault of the rift. DM me and we'll work on your rival
41-50 You made a friend of an adventurer. DM me and we'll work on having an NPC buddy for you.
51-70 You spend time working in a job related to your background. +2d6 Gold
71-75 You met someone important. DM me and we'll work on this ambiguous NPC
76-80 You went on an adventure, see adventure table.
81-85 You had a supernatural experience, see supernatural experience table.
86-90 You fought in a war, see war table
91-95 You committed a crime, see crime table
96-99 You encountered something magical, see magical table
Adventure Table
1-10 You nearly died. Now you've got some nasty scars,or maybe you're missing an ear, fingers-1d3 or toes-1d4.
11-20 You suffered a grievous injury. Although the wound healed it still hurts from time-to-time
21-30 You were wounded but fully recovered
31-40 You contracted a disease while exploring a filthy warren. You recovered but you have a persistent cough, pockmarks, or grey hair
41-50 You were poisoned by a trap or a monster. Next poison saving throw is at an disadvantage
51-60 You lost something of sentimental value to you during your adventurer.
61-70 You were terribly frightened by something you encountered and ran away, abandoning your companions to their fate
71-80 You learned a great deal during your adventure, next ability check is at advantage
91-99 You found a considerable amount of treasure on your adventure. 1d20+50 Gold
Supernatural Experience Table
1-5 You were enslaved by exiled Coven witches, you escaped after 1d6 years
6-10 You saw a man possessed by a demon, you were able to get away even though you were seen.
11-15 A demon lord for whatever reason though you were worth making a deal with, the deal never concluded
16-20 You woke up one morning miles from your home, with no idea how you got there
21-30 You saw a star in the sky turn red and explode
31-40 You escaped certain death and you believe it was because of divine intervention
41-50 You saw a ghoul feeding on a corpse
51-60 You witnessed a minor miracle
61-70 You explored an empty house that turned out to be haunted
71-75 You somehow managed to survive a demonic possession
76-80 You saw a ghost
War Table
1 You were knocked out and left for dead. You woke up with no memory of the battle
2-3 You were badly injured in the fighting, you still bear awful scares of those wounds
4 You ran away from the battle to save your life, but you still feel shame for you cowardice
5-7 You suffered only minor injuries the wounds have healed without scaring
8-9 You survived the battle but suffer terrible nightmares in which you relive the experience
10-11 You escaped he battle unscathed, though many friends you had were killed or maimed
12 You acquitted yourself well in battle and are remembered as a hero. You might have received a medal
Crime Table
1 Murder
2 Theft
3 Burglary
4 Assault
5 Smuggling
6 Kidnapping
7 Extortion
8 Counterfeiting
Magic Table
1 You were charmed or frightened by a spell
2 You were injured by the effect of a spell
3 You witnessed a powerful spell being cast by a someone using 1d
4 You drank a poison
5 You found a spell scroll and succeeded in casting the spell it contained
6 You were affected by a teleportation magic
7 You turned invisible for a time
8 You identified an illusion for a what was
9 You saw a creature being conjured by magic
Boon
1 A friendly wizard gave you a spellscroll containing one scroll (ofthe DM's choice).
2 You saved the life of a commoner, who now owes you a life debt. This individual accompanies you on your travels and performs mundane tasks for you, but will leave if neglected, abused, or imperiled. Determine details about this character by using the supplemental tables and working with your DM.
3 You found a riding horse.
4 You found some money. You have 1d20 Gold in addition to your regular starting funds.
5 A relative bequeathed you a simple weapon of your choice.
6 You found something interesting. You gain one additional trinket.
7 You once performed a service for a local temple. The next time you visit the temple, you can receive healing up to your hit point maximum.
8 A friendly alchemist gifted you with a potion of healing or a flask of acid.
9 You found a treasure map.
10 A distant relative left you a stipend that enables you to live at the comfortable lifestyle for 1d20 years. If you choose to live at a higher lifestyle, you reduce the price of the lifestyle by 2 Gold during that time period.
Tragedy
1 A family member or a close friend died. Roll on the Cause of Death supplemental table to find out how.
2 A friendship ended bitterly, and the other person is now hostile to you. The cause might have been a misunderstanding or something you or the former friend did.
3 You lost all your possessions in a disaster, and you had to rebuild your life.
4 You were imprisoned for a crime you didn’t commit and spent 1d6 years at hard labor, in jail, or shackled to an oar in a slave galley.
5 War ravaged your home community, reducing everything to rubble and ruin. in the aftermath, you either helped your town rebuild or moved somewhere else.
6 A lover disappeared without a trace. You have been looking for that person ever since
7 A terrible blight in your home community caused crops to fail, and many starved.
8 You lost a sibling or some other family member.
9 You did something that brought terrible shame to you in the eyes of your family. You might have been involved in a scandal, dabbled in dark magic, or offended someone important. The attitude of your family members toward you becomes indifferent at best, though they might eventually forgive you.
10 For a reason you were never told, you were exiled from your community. You then either wandered in the wilderness for a time or promptly found a new place to live.
11 A romantic relationship ended. Roll 3d6. An odd number means it ended with bad feelings, while an even number means it ended amicably.
12 A current or prospective romantic partner of yours died.
Roll on the Cause of Death supplemental table to find out how. lf the result is murder, roll a d12. On a 1, you were responsible, whether directly or indirectly
Cause of Death
1 Unknown
2 Murdered
3 Killed in battle
4 Accident related to class or occupation
5 Accident unrelated to class or occupation
6—7 Natural causes, such as disease or old age
8 Apparent suicide
9 Torn apart by an animal or a natural disaster
10 Consumed by a monster
11 Executed for a crime or tortured to death
12 Bizarre event, such as being hit by a meteorite
