About Backgrounds

Sometimes chargen can come to a grinding halt. The background. No, The Background. It can sometimes appear to be a boogeyman, or a confusing morass of letters and numbers. This page is aimed at clarifying just what one is, and how they could (though not must) be approached.

Why Write a Background?

Aside from backgrounds being required a background also serves some specific purposes in game. Backgrounds:

1. Lay out an 'outline' for a character. What their basic interests are, for instance, and where they came from. Even Clark Kent had a past; he came from somewhere. This is one of the background's most important parts. Without his past, Clark Kent wasn't nearly as interesting a character.
2. Provide potential plot hooks. Staff may bring an available hook into a storyline, although plot hook use isn't just limited to staff: they can potentially be used by other players, too. Open hooks or nuggets left in backgrounds create areas for development or 'filling in' through RP later on in the character's life. They create reasons to get on grid and develop the character.
3. Aid the writer in working out their thoughts. Characters are more than their attack rating. Spend some time in reflection, and ask 'who is this person'? A character should be able to stand up through months of roleplay.

Okay, but I'm Still Panicking. What Does One Usually Look Like?

Writing backgrounds can seem intimidating. It can feel this way for any person, so it's often helpful to take a step back and look at just what one is. When broken down, most backgrounds "look alike." No matter the game, backgrounds typically cover:

1. This is me as a kid, with my family.
2. This is me as a young teenager, beginning to grow and develop specific interests.
3. This is me as a young adult at the beginning of my new life. There is some event that propels me forward.

Most forms of writing follow patterns. A background is no different. This doesn't mean that all backgrounds end up looking alike--no "five paragraph essay" is exactly the same as another, after all--it just means they tend to include the same things, and in the same order.

Looking at it this way, it means all you as the writer has to do is fill in the steps.

What a Background Isn't

What backgrounds are not is a complete picture. A character fresh from creation will be fleshed out, but not fully developed. What this means is that the background lays the groundwork and bare essentials. To look at it another way, what happens to a child during their early years influences who they are as an adult, but does not define them. The rest--is up to you.