>Spend weeks on backstory>Dm asks about character's motive 2nd session>"Oh ya in his backstory he...">GM: "Oh I didn't read it it was too long.">mere 4 pagesI know this is a tale as old as Gigax but what is even the proper response to this?
>>98062149Trim it down to only two pages next time?
>>98062149Keep the same backstory, but add a summary in bullet points.
>what is even the proper response to this?>Sorry GM, i shouldnt have make you read for half an hour in addition to prep you were already doing
>>98062149>I know this is a tale as old as Gigax but what is even the proper response to this?Don't write a 4 page backstory.
>>98062149Pay more attention to what the GM actually asks of you.Don't expect him to memorise everything you tell him.Talk with your group about your game, which includes listening as well as speaking.Don't be a whiny bitch and run to /tg/ for emotional support when you fuck up like a retard.
>>98062149you shouldn't even write a backstory. what a waste of time. your character's story should be in game, not on a poorly written multipage fanfic that no one wants to read
>>98062363I'd argue that a good backstory should be a set up for the events in game.Having some idea of motivations and some history does make your character a bit more than a statblock.
>>98062149To write a shorter backstory. Also to not spend weeks on it. I wouldn't argue for no backstory, as some anons do, but keep it short and concise.
>>98062149Unless you're playing something very character driven, 4 pages honestly is a tad too long.That being said GM just outright refusing to read it (come one, it'd only take like a few minutes) is also a dick move, especially if they did have some interest in the PC motivations.>what is even the proper response to this?Shrug, answer their question, consider whether you want to join their future campaigns and if yes, revaluate your attitude to them
>>98062377Do you want to give your GM veto power over your backstory?Probably not.And he probably already has a plot outline worked out.Best option is to keep it short.A couple of paragraphs should suffice.Your level one adventurer has probably had a whole life behind him, but the interesting bits should be the stuff you're gonna do with him, not the stuff that happened offscreen in his no-doubt overly complex and dramatic backstory.Basically, if you want to write a character, start a novel.If you want to play a character, start a roleplaying game.
>>98062149Any effort is going to be wasted so just switch to your ex-farmer human male fighter?
>>98062377You can start with a stat block and have their character develop as they interact with the world. For a lot of people that's far easier. It also means they more or less have to fit the world and any background you bring up will necessarily be relevant.
>>98062149>4 pagesSHIEEEEESHpeople actually do thatI thought it was a meme
>>98062149Let's see it.
>GM: "Oh I didn't read it it was too long."
It should be a paragraph or two. If you want people to care, keep it 300 like the romans
>>98062149A backstory should only be a paragraph long at most. Any longer and you've made an NPC, not something modular and undefined enough to be a PC.
>>98062149>4 pages4 lines. I'll tolerate a paragraph the most.
>>98062149Dont write a backstory retard.
>>98062149What's the game and system? I just can't imagine a game where a 4 page backstory would be warranted. If this is a D&D game, which it probably is, a character with 4 pages of backstory is probably too old or too entrenched in their current life to consider becoming an adventurer.
>>98062295>half an hour>4 pagesI know literacy is in decline but I hoped that tg would be slightly exempt.
>>98062495This.Show us.
>>98062149>4 page backstory
>>98062149Why did you even write a backstory? Are you retarded?
>>98062149>GigaxIf he can't even spell the name of the guy who made the game he's playing, then it really makes you wonder what these four pages looked like.For other people, academic writing often begins with an abstract that summarises what you're about to read (for people to decide whether or not to fund it.) if you really want to then adopt that, give your GM an elevator pitch & have the long version wherever you want to have it.
>>98062149Was this game starting at level 5 or something? Even 4 paragraphs would be indulgent for a low level character.You need to work on your writing if you can't be more concise.
>>98062413>You can start with a stat blockI can, but it's fucking lame.
>>98062377>Having some idea of motivations and some history does make your character a bit more than a statblock.And you don't need 4 pages to do that.Huh.
>>98062377>a good backstory should be a set up for the events in gameA good game sets up its own events through the challenges and character options it establishes.
>>98062149>Dm asks about character's motive 2nd session>"Oh ya in his backstory he...">GM: "Oh I didn't read it it was too long."Next time just answer the question directly instead of fishing for compliments about your writing.
The ONLY time I wrote a longer (about 4 paragraphs) backstory for my character was when was joining a campaign my sister was running where I already had some knowledge of what was going on; So, we worked on it together so I could be a good foil to the existing party, and fit within the setting.
OP doesn't even have 4 pages' worth of backstory in real life, yet he expects his starter character to.
