If you’re looking to get better roleplaying skills as a player, one way in D&D is to create a better D&D character background. Building a better D&D background allows your Dungeon Master more material to work with in creating the story. It also will give the player and other players more character hooks and opportunities to grab on to. We’re going to list five tips on how to create a better D&D character background to improve your roleplaying experience. These tips will provide quick and easy to use plot hooks and personality traits.

Decide on one thing that your character would lay down his life for. It may be something noble, or it may be more self-serving. But pick something that your character would, under any circumstances, fight to the death over. It could be that anytime someone steals something from him, he will go to the ends of the earth to track them down and make them pay at any cost. Or, it could be that whenever his homeland is disrespected in conversation, he just cannot let it go. Whatever it is, choose this one carefully as it will turn out to be an extremely important part of your character.

Pick three things that your character will always fight for. These three things are things that will instantly cause the character to go into fight mode. He may not fight to the death over these, but he will always address them appropriately. Perhaps the player just can’t stand it when people insult him about his short stature. Or maybe he hates it when people make fun of any one of his adventuring comrades.

Decide on one thing that your character fears the most. Perhaps your character has an intense fear of flying and resists any flight or levitation spells that are cast on him. Your character may have an intense fear of snakes, no matter how big or small. Or maybe your character has an intense fear of a specific creature, like werewolves, vampires, liches, or ghosts.

Choose one characteristic that defines your character to other people. Perhaps the primary characteristic you choose is benevolent. This character gives money to the poor when he can. He also lets defeated enemies leave the battlefield without dying if they fought honorably. A character with a vengeful characteristic would be more inclined to remember those that have defeated him and plot their demise for a later date. A vengeful character rarely ever lets acts of transgression towards him pass.

Create one additional character that is important and somehow related to your character. This could be a meddling uncle that always seems to show up in your business at inconvenient times. Or, it could be a childhood enemy that has followed you much of your life. He’s often poked fun at you when you’re down, but has also shown an act of heroism on random occasions which leads you to wonder if he’s really good, or really bad.

These seven characteristics don’t take too long to figure out when you’re creating a character. Decide on one thing you would die over, three things that you would fight for, one thing that your character is intensely scared of, one personality characteristic and one supplementary character that is somehow connected to yours. By answering each of these questions listed above, you can easily develop a more fleshed out character. This gives you more roleplaying opportunities and hooks for roleplaying due to the fact that you’ve developed a better D&D character background.