How to Write an Interesting Dungeons and Dragons Character

Create a background that your DM will actually read and use in your next game.

Maybe your character has dreamed of adventures since they were a child. Who knows? Maybe they’re still a child. Via Wizards of the Coast.

Are you gearing up to make a new D&D character, but scared that they won’t be interesting enough? Are you having trouble telling a good background story for an awesome character concept? Have you written a massive backstory only to have the DM ask you to lighten up? I feel that.

Creating a character is super fun, but has the challenge of making it worth investing in for everyone at the table. Here are a few tips for creating an interesting, multidimensional character that you and your DM can really sink your teeth into — metaphorically, I hope.

Start the Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey is the quintessential archetype of fiction; it’s the most basic story structure to follow to give a compelling, interesting, and in-depth evaluation of characters.

The Hero’s Journey is a story in three acts.

• In the first act, the hero’s ordinary world is introduced, then interrupted by the call to adventure. The hero refuses this call only to meet a mentor that spurs them on.
• Act two begins when the hero crosses into the new world and starts their real journey. They find allies and enemies, meeting challenges and tests along the way. Somewhere in the middle of this, the hero meets their absolute darkest hour and has a moment of desperation where all seems lost before they finally fight their way back out.
• In the third act, the hero gets what they were searching for and returns back to the world they came from. When they get home, they have time to reflect on what has changed about them and their world, and ponder what will happen going forward or feel rewarded by the fact that they can finally rest.

In terms of D&D, what we’re looking to do is establish our Act One; we want our characters to be firmly established as people, yet…