 Provide a setting of where your character grew up, and your character's

reasons for leaving to adventure.

 Provide 3 goals that your character wishes to complete through their lifetime. 1
short term, 1 medium term, 1 long term.
 Provide 2 secrets, 1 of which your character knows. The first can provide clues
about the second secret, but have the DM come up with the second secret. Feel free
to give suggestions of what it could be.
 Provide 3 people that your character has strong ties to other than their parents
or family.
 Provide 3 memories of events that stand out strongly in your characters mind.
Hopefully these events inform why your character is the way they are.
 Provide extra details to flesh out key relationships, or details about your
character's home location.

As an example, here is my character Francisco Bacon:

 Setting and reason for adventuring:

Francisco Bacon is the son of a Deep Gnome village chief, Kristash Parnas Bacon,
and Epheria Delius Bacon. Brother of Amelia Bacon. His village, Centerhold, is a
central Deep Gnome village, trading between Deep Gnome mining outposts and the
surface/rest of the underdark. Its wealth makes it a target for raids. One day a mining
party brought back a set of magical blood red gems. As the assistant to the resident
Wizard Francisco helped in identifying them. During the process Kristash interrupted
and took the gems to the central bank for storage. Francisco tried to steal them back
to continue the identification but was caught red-handed and banished from the
village.

 Secrets:
Secret 1: Francisco determined that the gems had a protective aura, shielding the
village, as well as something darker.
Secret 2: You decide. I'm thinking they were made by Mind Flayers and serve as a
beacon for them, and that they control the mind of whoever possesses them, making
Kristash behave illogically around them.
 Character ties:
Gerhard Everast is Francisco's childhood friend. A short small human, he was
involved in much mischief with Francisco. He grew up to be a short Paladin,
protecting vs. the occasional raiders and pushing back encroachers. Still somewhat
silly, but not as much as he was as a kid. Serves to normalize Francisco somewhat.
Balda Turen is a male forest gnome, and the resident Wizard. He is a full fledged
Wizard, and very quick witted/knowledgeable. He hides Centerhold with illusions,
glyphs, runes, as well as natural defences such as waterfall camouflage and an
invisible path behind the waterfall. The entrance also has defensive fortifications.
Tana Turen is the daughter of Balda, and is a female forest gnome. She is an Arcane
Trickster and was a childhood friend of Francisco. She is now the assistant resident
Wizard, preparing to take over the role when Balda retires. She has been
adventuring to the surface and throughout the Underdark, sometimes with Gerhard.

 Memories:
He remembers the first time he conjured a Minor Illusion as a child, making copies of
anything he could see.
Francisco remembers making his mother cry by stealing her wedding ring as a prank.
He brought it back to her ashamedly.
His favourite memory is stealing a pie w/ his friends, leaving a minor illusion pie
behind and running off to enjoy it with them.

 Extra details:
Also, I picture Centerhold as having a main trading area, a fallback area, and then
the hidden village proper. So visitors can enter the trading area, but it's almost
impossible to enter the village itself.

 Goals:
Short term: Play pranks on those nearby. Tell silly jokes.
Medium term: Master Illusion magic, and create a spell in that category.
Longterm: Become a trickster demi-god.
Flesh Out Their Family Lives

Give Them More Friends Outside Of The Party

Give Them A Seemingly Contradictory Background

Think About When They Became Their Class

Decide On Their Religious Beliefs

Figure Out What Motivates Them

Reinforce The Background With Mechanical Choices

Start Thinking In Character

It's Ok To Leave Some Blanks

Work With The Rest Of The Table

The elven god of thunder, lightning and war was named **Tharion**, which
meant "noble watchman" in the ancient elven tongue. He was the son of
**Elara**, the goddess of the moon and magic, and **Firion**, the god of the
sun and fire. He inherited his mother's silver hair and his father's golden eyes,
and he wielded a mighty hammer forged from the metal of a fallen star.

Tharion was revered by the elves as a protector and a leader, who defended
their lands from the threats of orcs, dragons, and dark wizards. He was also
feared by their enemies, who trembled at the sound of his thunderous voice
and the sight of his flashing lightning. Tharion was always ready for battle, and
he loved the thrill of combat and the glory of victory.

But Tharion was not a cruel or bloodthirsty god. He fought only for justice and
honor, and he respected his foes who showed courage and skill. He also cared
deeply for his people, and he often walked among them in disguise, listening to
their troubles and offering them advice. He was especially fond of the elven
children, who admired him and looked up to him as a hero.

One day, Tharion heard a rumor that a powerful artifact, known as the **Eye of
the Storm**, was hidden in a secret temple in the mountains. The Eye of the
Storm was said to be a crystal orb that could control the weather and unleash
devastating storms upon the world. Tharion was curious and intrigued by this
legend, and he decided to seek out the artifact for himself.

He flew to the mountains on the back of his loyal eagle, **Aranion**, and
searched for the hidden temple. He found it after several days of exploration,
and he entered the ancient structure with awe and wonder. He followed a
winding corridor that led him to a large chamber, where he saw the Eye of the
Storm resting on a pedestal in the center. The orb was glowing with a blue
light, and it seemed to pulsate with power.

Tharion approached the pedestal, and reached out his hand to touch the orb.
As soon as he did, he felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins, and he
heard a voice in his mind.
"Welcome, Tharion, son of Elara and Firion. You are the chosen one, the
master of the storm. With this orb, you can command the winds and the
clouds, the rain and the hail, the thunder and the lightning. You can create
storms of unparalleled fury, or calm the skies with a gentle breeze. You can
shape the weather as you please, and no one can stop you. You are the god of
the storm, and the storm is yours to control."

Tharion was amazed and delighted by this revelation. He felt a new power
within him, a power that he had never imagined before. He lifted the orb from
the pedestal, and held it in his hand. He felt a connection with the storm, and
he sensed its potential and its might.

He decided to test his new power, and he created a small cloud above his head.
He made it rain, and then he made it snow. He made it thunder, and then he
made it lightning. He smiled, and he laughed. He felt a joy that he had never felt
before.

He decided to create a bigger storm, and he flew out of the temple with the orb
in his hand. He looked at the sky, and he saw that it was clear and sunny. He
thought that it was too boring, and he wanted to change it. He raised his hand,
and he summoned a dark cloud. He made it grow, and he made it spread. He
made it rain, and he made it snow. He made it thunder, and he made it
lightning. He created a storm of epic proportions, and he watched it with pride
and satisfaction.

He did not notice that his storm was causing havoc and destruction on the
lands below. He did not hear the cries of the people who were caught in his
storm. He did not see the floods, the landslides, the fires, and the deaths that
his storm caused. He did not care. He was too absorbed in his power, and he
wanted to create more storms.

He flew to other regions, and he created storms wherever he went. He created

storms of different kinds, and he experimented with different effects. He
created storms of rain, of snow, of hail, of fog, of wind, of dust, of fire, of ice, of
acid, of lightning, of thunder, of darkness, of light. He created storms that
lasted for hours, for days, for weeks, for months. He created storms that
covered the whole world, and he did not stop.

He became obsessed with his power, and he forgot everything else. He forgot
his people, his friends, his family, his duties, his honor, his justice. He forgot
who he was, and what he stood for. He became the storm, and the storm
became him.

He became **Tharion the Stormbringer**, the elven god of thunder, lightning

and war, and the most feared and hated being in the world.
 Tharion, the elven god of thunder, lightning and war, had many enemies, both mortal and divine.
Some of his most notable foes were:

 The Seldarine, the elven pantheon of gods, who disapproved of his reckless and destructive use
of the Eye of the Storm. They tried to stop him from unleashing more storms upon the world, and
to persuade him to return to his original role as a protector and a leader of the elves. They also
sought to recover the Eye of the Storm, which they considered a sacred and dangerous artifact 12
 The orcs, the sworn enemies of the elves, who suffered greatly from Tharion’s storms. They saw
him as a cruel and merciless tyrant, who tormented them with his power. They formed alliances
with other races, such as goblins, ogres, and trolls, to fight against Tharion and his elven
followers. They also sought to destroy the Eye of the Storm, which they believed was the source
of his power3
 The dragons, the ancient and powerful creatures, who resented Tharion’s interference with the
natural order of the world. They saw him as a usurper and a rival, who challenged their supremacy
and authority. They attacked him and his storms with their breath weapons, claws, and magic.
They also coveted the Eye of the Storm, which they regarded as a valuable and rare treasure.