Character Backgrounds
Character backgrounds are an optional but fun addition for a character, whether they’re new or returning. If we know where your character comes from, we can use that as personal plot or a tie-in point for your character into an on-going story.
Remember you can always submit a backstory, even for a character that has already entered play. You can even submit a revised backstory if you’ve already submitted one. This simply communicates to the storytellers potential elements for them to use as hooks to get you invested and draw your character deeper into the narrative.
So here is a chance for you to help us tell better stories and directly involve you in the future. To that end, there are couple things we ask players to keep in mind so we can generate personal plot for you.
Please be brief. We receive a lot of backgrounds, and those longer than two pages will have to be condensed.
Submit in bullet points or key notation format. The longer and more flowery your document, the less likely that Staff will be able to use your content for reference and story.
Give us something to use! Leave some loose ends, some unanswered questions, or old enemies. If your backstory has no hooks or ways to tie it to our setting, it’s less likely to be picked up by out STs. Consider the advice of Reddit user “Jimbaby” and think of your background notes as a collection of knives for the STs to stab you with.
Keep genre in mind. We want to reinforce the zombie apocalypse, so stay away from stories that deviate outside of those boundaries. Remember the tech levels of the post-apocalypse and keep the story believable for our setting. Check out the Guide’s Guide for more info on the genre and setting!
Stay local. The TX Chapter only has authority over the immediate 10 miles or so around our game location and primary settlement of Bravado. Keeping your backstory local gives us more options in what we can run. You can view Locations of Note in Geography & Settlements section.
