Monday Motivations #1

Article #1 in a regular series where I offer up some ideas for character backgrounds by class.  I aim to collect these ideas together for a future pdf publication.

What made your character decide to become a wizard? Why did they leave their home town? Did they leave family behind or are they looking for something? These are all questions players face when generating their characters, with the best will in the world it's tempting to rely on cliché.

ANY CLASS

1.  Slaughter - You were left for dead by the raiders who slaughtered everyone in your village.  You nursed your wounds and survived the cruel winter which followed fueled only by thoughts of revenge.  Now you must find out who orchestrated the raid and how you can destroy them. 

2.  Bastard offspring - On your mother's deathbed she told you that your father is a wealthy / powerful man who will never recognise you as his rightful heir.  You can't accept this and have vowed to either prove to him that you are a worthy heir or his equal.

RANGER

1. Track a foe beast  - You are the best tracker from your village and after a few of the villagers were killed by a savage beast you were tasked to hunt it down and slay it.  You have passed through many towns and villages along the way and have stopped to help the locals in exchange for food, lodgings and a little money.The beast's territory ranges for thousands of miles and you have been tracking it for months but it always seems to be one step ahead of you...

THIEF

1. Retrieve an heirloom - On your father's deathbed he gave you his signet ring, confiding in you that it was central to his fortune.  Stricken with grief you were drowning your sorrows in a local tavern where you were mugged.  After cursing your foolishness you returned home and in the following weeks creditors appeared from every corner claiming to be owed money.  It was not long before the business collapsed under the weight of it's debt.  Perhaps your father's ring held more significance than you originally thought so you vow to track it down and regain your family's fortunes...

2. Escape from poverty - After your family fell on hard times you decided to lessen the burden by going out on your own looking for work.  It was then that you realised how unfair the world is, the rich have far more than they'll ever need and are consumed with the need to gather more and more wealth whilst the poor go hungry and spend every waking moment trying to survive.  You decided to partake in a little wealth re-distribution of your own...