(Who Misses on Most Attacks)

True story…

I was GMing the Lost Mines of Phandelver adventure from the Fifth Edition Starter Set and I had two brand new players at the table. It was literally their first time playing 5e and the first time playing any RPG for one of them. We were using the preteen characters from the Starter Set. One of the new players had the elf wizard character and the other had a human fighter.

How do you deal with new and experienced players at the same table? This is the exact scenario that I was facing as the GM at my last game session.

Do you feel like you never have enough time in your gaming session to get to “the good stuff?” Does every combat last three hours? Do you feel like the entire session was spent making decisions about unimportant things? Has your adventure been hijacked by crafting, purchasing supplies, or pursuing one PC’s pet project?

You have designed a truly epic character. You labored over each attribute and skill to bring it to mechanical perfection. But when it comes to a backstory, your mind is a blank parchment. You’ve already used the typical “my village was destroyed when I was a child” trope a few times and don’t want to resort to the “lonewolf with a desire for revenge” who is out to “hear the lamentation of their women.”

To help you develop a rich and compelling back story for your awesome character, here are seven back story ideas drawn from the plots of the master storyteller, William Shakespeare.