Chart 4: Social Standing
How was your family viewed by other people in the community?

01 – 10) Outsiders: Your family were settled or refugees to this community and therefore new to the area. Few people knew your family history and this could have caused some distrust.
11 – 15) Criminal: You or your family was seen as criminals or guilty of some crime. Whether wrongly convicted or not. Either way you are treated with suspicion or poorly.
16 – 20) Slaves: Your family was considered property of another. While your family could have been pampered by their owners they were still property and had little to no free will. Only choose this if slavery is accepted in the community. If not choose another or roll again.
21 – 45) Laborers: Your family was considered laborers or workers. They reported to another for their work and were given payment on the whim of another.
46 – 65) Merchants: Your family had a skilled trade or was probably merchants, possibly weavers, smiths, cobblers, or more complex.
66 – 75) Positive Religious, Arcane, or Military Affiliation: Your family was tied closely with that of a chosen group and therefore the community respected your family for their work.
76 – 85) Negative Religious, Arcane, or Military Affiliation: Your family was tied closely with that of a chosen group and therefore the community had little respect for your family for their work.
86 – 95) Upper Class: Your family was considered to be of the upper crust of their community.
96 – 100) Nobility: Your family was considered to be at the very top of their community. Go to Comment

Chart 5: Private Ethics
Your family had ethics and morals that impacted your relation on the community in general. Whether these ethics and morals were complete public knowledge or kept private and hidden is up to you to decide.

01 – 25) Neutral: Your family chose no sides in any conflict and opted to stay out of any debate that would cause friction with their reputation.
26 – 50) Fair: Your family held to their agreements and contracts and would not break any binding word or moral.
51 – 75) Good: Your family upheld the law and the community spirit, viewing it as part of their right to the rest of the community to be an example of involvement.
76 – 90) Untrustworthy: Your family was known for breaking agreements and contracts on several occasions with little remorse for the outcome.
91 – 100 Bad: Your family was often seen as taking actions against the community. Whether this was outright harm, or caught many times in criminal acts that were public. Go to Comment

Chart 6: Reputation

01 – 40) Unknown: Your family has no preconceived character with their community. Little is known about them and little is questioned.
41 – 55) Good: Your family is known and has a generally good reputation and is liked by others in the community.
56 – 65) Outstanding: Your family is well known and liked throughout the community and is considered to be an upstanding family name.
66 – 75) Black Sheep: In general your family is well liked but it is also well known throughout the community that there are a few dark sheep of the family that are less than upstanding citizens and are disreputable. Perhaps it is you.
76 – 90) Poor: Your family is treated with occasional contempt but has a few members who display ethical and decent behavior pulling your family name out of the mud on occasion.
91 – 100) Bad: Others in your community treat your family with open content. Each member in your family is assumed to be disreputable and dishonest regardless of their true morals. Go to Comment

Chart 7: Ancestors
Every family has its members who are remembered throughout the test of the family line. They could be the favored son, or the gifted daughter, the crazed uncle or the insane aunt. Roll a 1D4 to determine how many ancestors are remembered in your family. Most of these members are no longer around to sway or influence other members of the family. The crazed aunt that everyone expects to pass on the following year may continue to baffle others by staying in good health and bringing chaos to the family name.

01-49) None
50 – 55) Forgotten: Your ancestors are either unknown or forgotten. This is close to have no ancestors of note, but as time goes on the truth of one member may come out and revealed later on.
56 – 60) Immigrant: Your ancestor was a settler from another land which little is known about it.
61 – 62) Artisan: An ancestor was an artist of unmatched skill who left a legacy of excellence.
63 - 64) Arsonist: An ancestor was a well known firestarter, having burned down large portions of cities in their youth. In those cities your family name is looked at with scorn.
65 – 66) Merchant: An ancestor was a successful business owner that continues to exist today and prosper.
67 – 69) Merchant: An ancestor was not a very successful business owner and their downfall brought ruin to the family due to their actions.
70 – 72) Priest: A member of your family became a very reputable priest of a particular religion.
73 – 75) Arcanist: A member of you family became a reputable user of the arcane arts.
76 – 77 Magic; An ancestor created or owned an item of specific and well known ability. It may or may not be a family heirloom. In Hewdamia magic items can no longer be created so this is a big honor to have a family member be one to have created one of the lasting relics of old..
78 – 80) Victorious Hero: Your family produced a great leader, warrior, or military officer who was victorious in a great battle.
81 – 83) Defeated Hero: Your family produced a great leader, warrior, or military officer who was defeated in a large well documented battle.
84 - 86) Founder: Your family had a member who founded a community that still thrives to this day.
87 – 89) False Hero An ancestor made up a story of their life of a great accomplishment that was later found to be false. A dark mark followed them and your family ever since.
90 – 91) Exiled An ancestor was once a person of high standing who lost their power and was banished from their homeland.
92 – 93) Rebel An ancestor was known to have had a hand in an open rebellion against a ruling government. Whether it failed or succeeded is determined by the player and the DM.
94 – 95) Traitor: An ancestor is known to have betrayed their community or their government.
96 – 97) Cultist: An ancestor is known to have had an affiliation with a dark god or cult.
98) Villain An ancestor was a villain of some reputation who causes strife throughout the lands.
99) Prophet: An ancestor was a focus or seer of some great omen or prophecy.
100) Divine Touched: Your family is rumored to have had a member who ascended to an immortal status in some way. Go to Comment

Chart 8: Childhood events
Some events in a character early childhood could have had lasting effects on their future development and their personality. It could help shape them or hinder them emotionally.

01 - 15) Survived Danger: Perhaps they were kidnapped as a child or attacked by an animal.
16 - 30) Survived Danger to the Community: Possibilities include, flood, famine, plague, or war struck when they were young.
31 - 45) Long Journey: Character went on an eventful travel when they were young either a one or two way travel ending up where they grew up perhaps.
46 - 55) Witness: Saw a horrible crime or event when a child.
56 - 60) Astronomical Event: Born under strange sign in the sky, a blood full moon, an unknown comet, a meteor shower or other such unusual event.
61 - 65) Personal Event: You had a brush with greatness, whether it was meeting a king or well known legendary knight or warrior, contacted by a divine entity or other worldly being.
66 - 75) Refugee: Due to war or some other disaster that ruined your community, you became a refugee.
76 - 85) Death: You lost a parent or other significant family member during your childhood.
86 - 95) Illness: You contacted a lingering sickness or developed a defect.
96 - 100) Injured: You were injured which can range from burns, scars, broken bones, or even more serious defects. Go to Comment

Chart 9: Youth Events
Some events happen after childhood and in the middle of youth before the characters venture out on their own into their adventuring career. These events could change the entire course of their lives. This table represents the last significant event of their lives before the adventure of their character begins.

01 – 60) Nothing
60 – 70) Cultural Shift: A large group moved to your community or you were forced to move into another community. Doing so created friction between both. You were exposed to a new culture and challenges.
71 – 75) Siege: An attack from an organized menace extended over a period of time to your community.
76 – 80) Battle: A significant monster or villain threatened your community and is eventually driven off or stopped.
81 – 85) War: A large scale armed conflict engulfed your community, possibly a war, revolution, or an invasion.
86 – 95) Crisis: This includes earthquakes, climate shifts, famine, plague, and floods.
96 – 100) Religious: A new faith was created or brought to your community tearing the local religion to shreds. Go to Comment

Chart 10: Enemies
This could be something as small as a local bully that never forgets your name, or an eventual major villain that reoccurs throughout the characters life. This can be a good example to improve the characters life and relationships or cause enough of a plot hook to have enough adventure during the characters life to never have to worry about being bored.

01 – 15) No Enemies: Yet. . .
16 – 25) Minor Childhood Enemy: Someone has a grudge against the character but it is small and has no reason to lash out violently.
36 – 30) Jilted Lover: The character wronged someone in the matter of feelings and love related issues in their youth.
31 – 35) Lovers’ Friend of Relative: Someone has a grudge or ill will toward the character due to their actions toward a loved one the character treated badly.
36 – 40) Romantic Rival: You beat someone out of someone’s affection and another who was pining for their attention feels wronged and holds a grudge.
41 – 50) Family Enemy: Your family has gained the enmity of a person, group, organization, or another family.
51 – 55) Friends’ Enemy: The enemy of my friend is my enemy. One of your close friends has an enemy and that that person hates you due to your relationship with them.
56 – 60) Social Rival: You have wronged someone in a social, public, or business manner.
61 – 70) Villain: One or more local criminals that have contacts to a much larger organization has chosen to direct their hate toward you because of some incident you had a hand in.
71 – 75) Creature: A group of intelligent creatures have chosen to direct their hate toward you for an incident you had a hand in during your youth.
76 – 80) Political Enemy: A noble, military officer, or other high ranking official looks to you with disfavor and contempt.
81 – 85) Arcane Rival: A student of the arcane develops an intense hatred for you due to an early incident in your lives.
86 – 90) Diabolic Enemy: A demon or other powerful enemy identifies you as a current or eventual threat.
91 – 100) Imaginary Foe: You falsely believe that someone is out to get you at all costs. Go to Comment

I think I fixed that. There were some doosies in there. Go to Comment

Since I created this thing, I decided to show everyone how it works. Thanks to manfred he has diligently worked ot get the random generator working for this and right now, it works great. Here is what my new NPC has for a background. Its not spectacular, but its quick and fast. I did it in three minutes.

1) 51-65: Village Community
2) 01-20: Lower Class, homeless, beggers, etc.
3) 46-70: Minor Wealth
4) 46-65; Merchants
5) 26-50: Fair Ethics
6) 01-40: Unknown Reputation
7) 01-49: No Known Ancestors
8) 86-95: Illness
9) 01-60: Nothing
10) 16-25: Minor Childhood Enemy

Now I didn’t do the racial community, simply because I think Manfred forgot to put it in there. But here is what I got from this little experiment.

My family was originally merchants of some minor wealth. They owned their own home and business and were comfortable in their day to day needs to have few concerns. When I was young I came down with wet lung (pneumonia) and it taxed my parents so. I was ill for months at a time, and even when I got better, I would be overcome by a violent cough on the most unfortunate occasions.

Having spent their savings to find a healer to make me better, they began loosing their business for lack of want or care. Having no other siblings, their only desire was to see me well. At first, we had plenty of friends wishing to help, until the daughter of the local constable began spending her time with me, helping me throughout the day. This caught the nerve of Johnny Thimes, who fancied her to no end. The taunting never ended and it began to circulate around the village that my sickness could spread. She stopped coming.

Hurt, my parents left with me and went to the outlands where my pa hired on as a small time farm worker. We have little now, and mom weeps at night for what we don’t have. My cough still lingers but I vow to leave and return one day to raise my parents back to what they had and get them out of the muck and mire they are in because of my illness. Go to Comment

Hey if I can do it, anyone can. Go to Comment

Ah indeed, good point. Thanks again manfred. Go to Comment

The dice roller comes in handy! Go to Comment

Thank you for your concern. But if you read the text the following is stated in the submission.

This was created in conjuncion with an online guide to help flesh out a character during creation. This is a much shorter version, the online version was 75 pages long.

It is a much trimmed down version of what was located and read on the internet. There is no meaning to make profit or to even claim that I wrote any of what is in the sub. Now we take ideas from many concepts, whether they are from movies, books, TV shows, and alas from the internet. Some with direct conotations from these sources. This is an idea site. This was put up to give those GM's or players a helpful idea on the creation of background for those who have not read the original as some of the viewers and readers onthis site do not follow D20 or other conventional games. Agin however, thank you for your remarks. Go to Comment

And of all the things i have seen copied directly form the internet and not classified as being from another source other than the person who submitted it on the site. At least I stated point blank that it was from another source. Now crap like this, seemingly an attack, has made me really not want to come back again. Delete it if you wish. Adios. Go to Comment

Updated: Placed in hidden content so as not to offend. But it is still kept up here so I can still use it. Go to Comment

Honestly this needs to be a quest. I love it. I have already stormed up three different ideas that may het Mathom off my perverbial shoulders. I love it. Go to Comment

Yeah I had a few ideas spawn from this that decidedly never took off. To bad they were good rough ideas to, wish I could remember them. Go to Comment

I find this to be a wonderful idea and while not sure it would work with every group, I feel this is a wonderful way to begin a new campaign and set things in motion. Some groups like mine would balk at running parts of a story that regardless of their actions the end result is nearly set but over all this is a grand idea. Welcome and kudos.

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Having started my own campaign books via Moonhunter's example I can see a nice use for this. Its always helpful and handy to have for those who are absent minded like myself especially when you have players who never forget anything. I agree with this.

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I fail to see why this was down voted. Go to Comment