Party Backstory Generator

"The Party Backstory Generator is a collaborative storytelling supplement that’s a helluva a lot of fun for you and your players. It’s sort of like a workbook from your college lab class in that you get to draw out the starting region for your campaign, but everyone gets to collaborate and add their own touch so your whole group is invested in the setting. This book is a fun improv exercise that will get your group off to a great new start." LUKE GYGAX

How did everyone in your party meet? What alliances or tensions exist? Who screwed over who and what will you do about it?

For Fifth Edition (all editions really), Pathfinder, and other fantasy RPG systems, the Party Backstory Generator solves this problem quickly and easily. This is a simple, straightforward guide of limitless customization.

Build meaningful alliances and tensions between multiple party members with this map making, backstory and one-shot off-night story builder. “Choose two characters…” – it’s the prompt in this unique book that will bond your party in fun and meaningful ways. This book doesn’t create individual characters. It solely focuses on unifying your players with randomized background, conflicts, skills, and tragedies.

What's in the book?
•Over 300 randomized and detailed alliances or conflicts that build on each other - tables, drop-tables, and unique location attributes. Each random event compounds upon the next so each reuse is unique
•Fillable pages for Characters, Relationships, Events, and Locations
•A tabbing system for easy locating of related characters and events
•Event-based dice drop-tables that turn your shared map into a usable game board
•30 illustrations
•Cover by Luke Eidenschink
•Sturdy 70 pound paper
•Lots of replayability
•Suitable for all ages

What's NOT in the book

Anything that creates individual playable characters. There's plenty of great resources for that. This is all about the party. That said, the book does create non-playable characters that the GM can use to enrich their story or campaign.

How does it work?

Step 1

Everyone sits down with their pre-made characters and collectively draws a map of where they are from. With the guidance of the Game Master, they take turns and flesh out details of a place (town or city or anything) that they all visit in the area. They take turns drawing and building the world.

Step 2

Roll dice to generate hundreds of options that compound as the backstory builds: trades, loot, friendships, family, romance, lore, education, property, mysteries, and more. Each player takes a turn as they familiarize areas, meet locals, and acquire property. With each roll, relationships develop, compound, and grow in complexity. The GM is free to steer the prequel narrative in any direction they want.

Step 3

Once enough locations and events are created on the map, the map itself turns into a playable drop table where more random content can occur. Battles, calamity, new locations, and more. The map is a living document of your collective backstory.

Step 4

Return to the map on off-nights to go back in time to create more backstory and feed details into your campaign.

Created by Justin Sirois of Severed Books