Flesh Out Your Fantasy Hero: Morgalad 4d6 TTRPG Basic Backstory Tables

Flesh Out Your Fantasy Hero: Morgalad 4d6 TTRPG Basic Backstory Tables

Building a memorable character is a cornerstone of any engaging TTRPG experience. In the Morgalad Fantasy RPG, described as a basic fantasy game, the process of defining your hero involves more than just statistics derived from the 4d6 system. Character creation explicitly includes fleshing out your character, which involves exploring their motivations, origins, and what led them to their chosen profession. A key part of this is developing a compelling backstory.

A character’s backstory is described as telling “of how your character has come to be and what has shaped them into the person they are or the profession they are in”. It works alongside their description (details like height, weight, hair & eye color, temperament, clothing, etc.) to provide a brief introduction to their appearance and mannerisms. For players or Hosts looking for inspiration in this fantasy RPG, the Morgalad system provides helpful tables specifically designed to aid in crafting these formative details.

Why Backstory is Essential for Your Morgalad RPG Hero

While mechanics like attributes (Power, Finesse, Essence, Knowledge, Consciousness, Allure), determined by rolling 1d6, and species define a character’s capabilities, their backstory provides context and motivation. Role-playing is a primary part of Morgalad, and a solid backstory gives players a foundation for making authentic choices and engaging with the world. It answers why your character is adventuring or what in their past led them to their profession.

Using the Basic Backstory Generation Tables

The Morgalad materials include basic tables specifically to help generate a backstory. The process is straightforward: you can start at the top and roll 1d6 on each table until you have a satisfactory backstory. This method offers a quick way to generate ideas or even a complete history.

Here are the tables provided for backstory creation, as found in the sources:

• Origins
  • Where does your character come from?
  • Roll 1d6:
    • 1. A small Hamlet to the south
      2. A quiet village in the east
      3. A large empirical kingdom
      4. The untamed wild lands
      5. A prosperous port town
      6. A dangerous mountain valley
• Reason for leaving?
  • Why did your character leave their homeland?
  • Roll 1d6:
    • 1. Hired to search for someone
      2. Was accused of a crime and fled
      3. Questing for a secret item
      4. In search of adventure
      5. Ran away from a fight
      6. Overcome with wanderlust
• Existing Family?
  • Does your character have any family or loved ones?
  • Roll 1d6:
    • 1. A brother
      2. A sister
      3. N/A
      4. Mother
      5. Father
      6. Distant relative (Cousin, Aunt/Uncle Etc.)
• Disposition
  • How do your characters’ relatives react to them?
  • Roll 1d6:
    • 1. Long lost relative
      2. Estranged
      3. Hostility
      4. Welcoming
      5. Indifferent
      6. Loyal

By rolling on these tables, you can quickly generate unique starting points for your character’s history, providing hooks for adventures and role-playing opportunities within the Morgalad fantasy role-playing game.

Beyond the Tables: Deepening Your Character’s Past

While the tables offer a structured starting point, developing a full backstory involves more creative thinking. Consider the details of your character’s appearance and mannerisms. How do the results from the tables inform these? If they come from a dangerous mountain valley and fled because they were accused of a crime, perhaps they are guarded or bear a scar from the event.

The Morgalad Host’s Toolbox contains various generation tables that can further inspire and detail your character’s background. Tables for generating NPCs (including species, personality traits, quirks, occupations, and names), locations (including population size, stores, and environmental details), and antagonists (lair, goal, minion type) can provide specifics about the people and places from your character’s past. If your character has a “Long lost relative” who is a “Distant relative”, the NPC generation tables could help you create this specific character. If they are from a “prosperous port town”, the City Generation tables could provide details about the type of town and its available stores. If they are “Questing for a secret item”, the Antagonist Generation tables might help you define who is guarding it or who else wants it. Even the Treasure Generation tables or Random Trap tables could hint at past challenges faced in obtaining equipment or navigating dangerous areas.

In conclusion, the Morgalad Basic Fantasy RPG provides accessible tools, including specific backstory tables, to help players and Hosts create detailed character histories as part of the character creation process. By combining the results from the provided 1d6 tables with creative input and inspiration from the other generation tables, you can forge a deep and compelling past for your hero, enhancing your experience in this 4d6 based TTRPG and bringing your character truly to life within the fantasy RPG world.