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I’ve got examples of five DND barbarian backstory ideas below. If you read to the end, you can learn more about LitRPG Adventures where I created these barbarian backstories for D&D or other fantasy tabletop RPG systems.
Barbarian Backstory Ideas
- Hoppetto – Female Orc Barbarian
- Zienna – Female Halfling Barbarian
- Feylinda – Female High Elf Barbarian
- Uuwen Sandstone – Female Gnome Barbarian
- Voinna Hufferhassle – Female Halfling Barbarian
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Hoppetto – Female Orc Barbarian
STR 11 INT 10 WIS 11 DEX 16 CON 10 CHA 13
Born in Bunch of Old Bats (Hamlet of Bunch) (Murkmarti Empire) (Grabisco Kingdom)
Notes: (Passionate) (Reckless) (Specialized)
Backstory:
Hoppetto was born in a small hamlet in the southwestern region of the Murkmarti Empire. It was a small hamlet, with a population of only a few hundred. Hoppetto had a rough childhood, as she was born into a family of hunters. Her father was a no-nonsense type of man, who expected his daughter to be able to hunt, track, and defend herself. She was taught to hunt from an early age, and did so for several years. She never really enjoyed the hunt for its own sake, but she did enjoy the thrill of the chase and the challenge of tracking and defeating her prey. She eventually grew tired of hunting, however, and decided to travel to the city of Murkmarti. She had heard that there were many exciting things to do there, and she wanted to see for herself.
Personality:
Hoppetto is a bit rough around the edges. She is a bit surly and prefers to be left alone. Once you get to know her, however, you will find that she has a good heart and is willing to help those in need. She is also a bit of a thrill seeker, always looking for ways to entertain herself.
Appearance:
Hoppetto is a tall woman, standing 6’6′. She has long black hair, which she wears in a braid. She has dark brown eyes and dark skin. She wears leather armor, which she’s worn for most of her life. She carries a longbow and a quiver of arrows with her at all times.
Start of Character:
Hoppetto has decided to travel throughout Grabisco and beyond, looking for danger and excitement wherever she can find it.
Zienna – Female Halfling Barbarian
STR 7 INT 7 WIS 7 DEX 16 CON 13 CHA 10
Born in Ooke’s Hamlet (Kingdom of Lookit) (Grabisco Kingdom)
Notes: (Inattentive) (Saddleborn) (Slow)
Backstory:
Zienna was the daughter of a proud halfling warrior and a noblewoman. She was born into a family of warriors and nobles. However, Zienna was a bit of a wild child and didn’t enjoy being confined to the castle walls. She often ran away from home to explore the countryside and search for adventure.
On one such adventure, she stumbled into a group of bandits and was captured by them. They took her to the nearby village where they were currently terrorizing. She was thrown in a cell with a few other prisoners. During her imprisonment, she overheard the bandits talking about a slave trader that was coming to the village the following day.
She decided to use the opportunity to her advantage. She gathered some weapons from the other prisoners and led a surprise attack on the bandits. The attack was a success, and she was able to free the other prisoners and kill the bandits. She waited until the slave trader showed up and then attacked him as well. The other prisoners joined her in the attack, and they were able to defeat the slaver.
Personality:
Zienna is a strong-willed and confident halfling. She is always looking for an opportunity to prove herself. She is very charismatic and a natural leader.
Appearance:
Zienna has long, brown hair that she wears in a braid. Her brown eyes always seem to be examining her surroundings. She wears a simple leather vest and pants.
Start of Character:
Zienna has decided to adventure throughout the Kingdom of Grabisco and beyond, intent on finding her place in the world.
Feylinda – Female High Elf Barbarian
STR 11 INT 14 WIS 11 DEX 11 CON 15 CHA 14
Born in Serennium (Grabisco Kingdom)
Notes: (Farsighted) (Agressive) (Musclebound)
Backstory:
Feylinda was born in a small village in the Grabisco Kingdom. She lived in a small cottage with her parents and two younger sisters. Her father is a merchant and her mother is a noblewoman. Her father spends most of his time traveling, selling his goods to other villages. Her mother, a beautiful woman, lives a life of luxury.
Feylinda’s childhood was a happy one. Sadly, her good fortune did not last. Feylinda’s father was killed by a band of robbers. Her mother passed away of a broken heart a few days later. Feylinda went to live with her aunt, who took care of her until she was old enough to fend for herself. She left her aunt’s house and traveled to the city of Serennium, where she sought to find her fortune.
Personality:
Feylinda is a very kind and caring person. She is very polite and thinks of the needs of others before her own. She is not selfish and would never steal from others. She is not a fighter and does not like to hurt others. She is very religious and believes in the gods. She is always willing to help those in need.
Appearance:
Feylinda is a beautiful High Elf woman with long, flowing blonde hair. She is very fair-skinned and has a beautiful face. She has a slender figure and has a high, clear voice. She is very intelligent and has a good sense of humor.
Start of Character:
Feylinda is currently traveling with a band of adventurers and seeking adventure.

Uuwen Sandstone – Female Gnome Barbarian
STR 12 INT 13 WIS 12 DEX 17 CON 5 CHA 16
Born in Kankus village (Grabisco Kingdom)
Notes: (Inattentive) (Uncivilized) (Distinctive)
Backstory:
Uuwen is a gnome from the village of Kankus. She grew up with a love for adventure and a desire to see the world. Her parents encouraged her to explore, and she explored. Her father was a bard and she learned a lot from him. She learned to play the violin and is a very skilled musician. She also loves to sing, and she has a beautiful voice. Her mother was a dancer and she learned the art of the dance. She is graceful and moves well. Her twin brother is a wizard and he is also a skilled fighter. They both have a great deal of knowledge and they are very close. Uuwen has a pet wolf that she rescued as a puppy. She named it Truffle and she treats it like a daughter. Truffle has a deep loyalty to Uuwen and will do anything for her. Uuwen has a deep love of life and is always eager to see what’s next.
Personality:
Uuwen is very outgoing and loves to have fun. She’s always up for an adventure and will do anything for those she loves. She’s very loyal and always stands up for what’s right.
Appearance:
Uuwen has long, brown hair and kind eyes. She has a warm smile and a friendly face. She wears leather armor and carries a sword.
Start of Character:
Uuwen has decided to travel the world and visit distant lands. She’s eager to see what she can discover.
Voinna Hufferhassle – Female Halfling Barbarian
STR 13 INT 13 WIS 13 DEX 14 CON 11 CHA 9
Born in Fyldorath (Grabisco Kingdom)
Notes: (Brawler) (Detached) (Easygoing) (The Princess Bride)
Backstory:
Voinna was born in the Kingdom of Grabisco to a Goliath father and a halfling mother. Her father was a well-respected warrior and her mother was a respected druid. She was a bit of an oddity, to be sure, but she never felt like an outcast. She grew up into a strong woman, strong enough to be able to handle herself in a fight.
When she was a young girl, her parents died in a pirate attack. She was taken in by a druid and a fighter who raised her to be a strong warrior. She has traveled around the kingdom of Grabisco and beyond, looking for adventure. She has had many adventures, including fighting for the city of Banesgate when it came under siege.
Her parents’ spirit animals, a wolf and a bear, have appeared to her and give her guidance.
Personality:
Voinna is a strong woman and a strong warrior. She is well known for her compassion, though. She is kind to all people, even those who may be her enemies. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and would do anything for them.
Appearance:
She is tall and muscular, like most goliaths. She is fair skinned and has long blonde hair. She has a tattoo of a wolf on her right arm. She wears leather armor and wields a sword with great skill.
Start of Character:
She is currently traveling around the Kingdom of Grabisco and beyond, looking for adventure and good times.
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FAQs
How do you write a good D&D backstory? ›
- Tip 1: Give your character a unique motivation. ...
- Tip 2: Come up with a backstory that shows development. ...
- Tip 3: Come up with a backstory that shows the world. ...
- Tip 4: Do Not Make Your Character Backstory Too Long. ...
- Tip 5: Write in First Person, Past Tense.
The backstory is your character's history to the point where your story begins. It includes all the events that have shaped your character and made them who they are today. The backstory can be revealed through flashbacks, dialogue, or inner thoughts/monologues.
How long should a backstory be? ›Put the backstory in the main story.
Try not to give too much too soon to the reader. Instead, place the backstory into the story in doses or short sections. Include only one to two lines of backstory in a scene set in the present. This way, the backstory doesn't feel too distracting to the reader.
When writing backstory for a new character, it can be tempting to include every bit of personal history that seems funny or interesting. However, focus on backstory that directly informs the plot points and conflicts that your character experiences in the main story.
Which is an example of backstory? ›Backstory includes the events that directly lead to the "story" and its storyform. For example: Bob's backstory involved the loss of a child pet that made him hypersensitive to having children, pets, or any other form of personal responsibility.
How do you start a story backstory? ›- Create a timeline for your character focusing on important life events.
- Sketch out small snapshots of their life around the time of these events – such as a diary. ...
- Identify formative events which are relevant to your work. ...
- Use real-life experiences.
- Begin your narrative at an exciting point in your life. ...
- Do not worry about style, grammar, punctuation, or other composition technicalities at the beginning. ...
- Be visual with your words. ...
- Be willing to laugh at yourself. ...
- Do not be afraid to write about your weaknesses, as well as your strengths.
- Exposition.
- Rising Action.
- Climax.
- Falling Action.
- Conclusion.
For example, if your protagonist is a lost soul, then his backstory could be one of his family abandoning him in unusual circumstances during his childhood. Take for example the backstory of Huckleberry Finn, and thus his lack of decorum and stability in his story.
What are the types of backstory? ›Specific kinds of backstory include Backstory Horror, Backstory of the Day, Flashback B-Plot, Happy Flashback, Prequel, Standard Cop Backstory, Start of Darkness, Troubled Backstory Flashback, and When It All Began.
Does a character need a sad backstory? ›
Every character needs a backstory and tragedy is a powerful motivator. Dead family, razed homes, and enemies who have left a character scarred all serve to get a would-be hero up off their butt and out into adventures. It gives characters an emotional arc and trauma to work through in game.
Can you start a story with a backstory? ›Writers often feel compelled to fill the beginning of their stories with backstory because they want to make sure the reader understands everything that's about to happen. It's kind of like saying, “Hang on a minute, reader. Before I tell you the story you want to hear, there are some things you need to know.”
How do you make a good villain character? ›- Strong connection to the hero. The best villains are inextricably connected to the hero, and aid in the hero's character development through their inherent opposition to them. ...
- Clear morality. ...
- A worthy opponent. ...
- Compelling backstory. ...
- Villains should be fun.
A backstory is a powerful tool for fleshing out the character. A character backstory is a comprehensive overview of how a character came to be who they are in the present day. It's how they grew up, how they coped with what life threw their way, and how all of those experiences have made them the person they are today.
How do you write a dark backstory? ›You make a dark story work the same way you make any other story work: make it and its characters believable, realistic, consistent, and relatable. Any death, blood, gore, etc. that happens should come off as a natural, even inevitable consequence of the situation at hand, not something tacked on for shock value.
How much backstory is too much? ›There's never such a thing as too much backstory, that's just an outlet for your imagination. Feel free to write up 10 pages of backstory on a character you're only using for a one-shot, if it's how you enjoy exercising your creativity.
Does every character need a backstory? ›No, not all characters need a backstory. While backstories can be helpful in fleshing out a character and making them more relatable, they are not always necessary. In some cases, too much focus on a character's backstory can actually detract from the story itself.
What are the 5 ways to start a story? ›- Strategy 1: Begin with action or dialogue. ...
- Strategy 2: Ask a question. ...
- Strategy 3: Describe the setting. ...
- Strategy 4: Begin with background information. ...
- Strategy 5: Have the main character introduce himself or herself.
- Introduce a key character's name (and how they got it) ...
- Begin with a landmark personal or historical event. ...
- Sow the seeds of your story's world. ...
- Start in the thick of action with dialogue. ...
- Introduce a strong narratorial voice. ...
- Begin with a character doing something unusual.
The most important thing to understand in writing a character with a traumatic backstory is representing them accurately. Even if you have no experience with the issue, you can learn from real life. Research how people react to traumatic events, particularly the type of trauma you include. Is there a common reaction?
What are the 5 story types? ›
- Overcoming the Monster.
- Rags to Riches.
- The Quest.
- Voyage and Return.
- Rebirth.
- Comedy.
- Tragedy.
- Novella. A work of fiction between 20,000 and 49,999 words is considered a novella. ...
- Novelette. A novelette falls in the range of 7,500 to 19,999 words. ...
- Short story. ...
- Flash fiction. ...
- Short Fiction Challenge.
Since there will be many plot points in a movie, I call these The Magnificent 7 Plot Points. They are: the Back Story, the Catalyst, the Big Event (we've mentioned that one), the Midpoint, the Crisis, the Climax, and the Realization.
What are the 4 story structures? ›The four-act structure divides a story into four major parts: the setup, the rising action, the crisis, and the resolution.
What's a good background for barbarian? ›Soldier is the best Background for a Barbarian build in 5e since it gives bonuses to skills like Athletics and Intimidation. Typically, Intimidation would be avoided due to mediocre Charisma stats with Barbarians, but this helps mediate it.
What is barbarian history? ›Barbarians — a word that today often refers to uncivilized people or evil people and their evil deeds — originated in ancient Greece, and it initially only referred to people who were from out of town or did not speak Greek.
How do I choose a good background? ›- Minimize distractions. ...
- Explore negative space. ...
- Pay attention to lines. ...
- Play with depth of field. ...
- Frame subjects with odd shapes. ...
- Look for patterns. ...
- Keep moving. ...
- Use the background as visual context.
The most powerful barbarian path, hands-down, is the Path of the Totem Warrior. Of course, after selecting this path, players will also have to choose the animal for their totem—all of which offer unique abilities at 3rd, 6th and 14th level.
What is the strongest barbarian build? ›What Is the Best Barbarian Build? The most commonly played Barbarian build is the Whirlwind build due to its unmatched combat mobility and survivability. Frenzy Barbarians are also fairly popular due to their high single-target damage output and sheer speed.
How do I make my backstory creepy? ›- Use the environment. ...
- Use your own fears. ...
- Write longer sentences. ...
- Make your readers breathe faster. ...
- Leverage fear of the unknown. ...
- Avoid clichés. ...
- Practice.
How do you write a villain character? ›
- Choose a real-life model. Find a real person to model your villain after. ...
- Put yourself in their shoes. When it's time for your villain to act, put yourself in their place. ...
- Consider their motivation. ...
- Introduce a villain with a bang.
- Tap into your own emotionality. ...
- Know the difference between sentimentality and truth. ...
- Leave room to be surprised by specific detail. ...
- Pair strong emotions with ordinary ones. ...
- Use backstories to add weight. ...
- Use sad moments to further character development.
: a barbarous person : a rude, crude, uneducated, or uncivilized person. No, I'm not some sort of barbarian who would open a bottle of wine to enjoy some before offering it as a gift. That would be uncouth.
Who was the first barbarian? ›Most scholars agree that Odoacer, the first barbarian king of Italy, was the son of Edico the Hun, king of the Germanic Sciri tribe and advisor to the feared Hun leader Attila.
Who were barbarians short answer? ›Late in the Roman Empire, the word “barbarian” came to refer to all foreigners who lacked Greek and Roman traditions, especially the various tribes and armies putting pressure on Rome's borders.