I start all my sessions, regardless of setting, asking my players a question about their characters backstory. I got this idea from watching Wild Cards on the SavingThrowShow and seeing how the GM used this. I enjoyed getting to know characters better and players developing their characters personalities and backstory further.
I implemented this as a Random Table. Rolling at the start of every session and asking players to answer the question from the perspective of the character. Since I use the Savage World system, I reward players that choose to participate with bennies. The questions are not intended to be short simple yes or no answers, but are meant for the player to really develop their characters further. I also find this helps the players connect to the other characters. They learn information about each character, that in all likelihood would often come out through conversations that would happen off session anyway. So I find it to be a really good trust building exercise among the players and characters.
My players have really enjoyed this and are sharing this with other people. There have been calls for me sharing my tables. So I have put together this Foundry module for others to use and share. I am adding the backstory development tools I use from all the different settings that I play and have groups in.
The first pass at this has backstory tables for the following settings. All these are RollTables in one compendium for Foundry.
- Deadlands: Weird West: The latest edition of the Deadlands for Savage Worlds. Though this can be used with any version of Deadlands.
- East Texas University: Modern Savage Worlds setting of college students in East Texas.
- Eberron Campaign Setting: High Fantasy setting created by Keith Baker published by Wizards of the Coast.