When it comes to playing D&D, we all have a favorite thing about the game.
Some of us love being the DM. Others love seeing how far we can bend the rules without breaking the game.
And then there are those of us who live for building new characters.
Whether you’re creating a new NPC to throw into the mix or you’re weaving together a new player character for your next campaign, this is always a fun task.
If you need a little inspiration for your next character’s backstory or personality, look no further!
Using This Guide
You can use this guide as light inspiration for your next character, tailoring one of the prompts to your liking, or you can take the character right from the page. The decision is yours.
Here are some fun ways to pick your prompt:
- Roll 2d20 and use that number to choose your character.
- Choose a character that feels out of your comfort zone.
- Have your DM pick a number between 1 and 41.
Get Into Character
- Your character is a rogue who is also a pyromaniac.
- A fighter who thinks they’re the best warrior to walk the land, and constantly makes up excuses when they mess up. (“there was dust in my eye”, “I was fighting a sneeze”, etc).
- Your bard joined the party thinking they were joining a traveling circus.
- A barbarian whose rage puts them into a trance. They must use the elements to fight.
- Your character thinks they might be a ranger, but they have amnesia and can’t be sure.
- You’re a Bloodhunter who gets woozy at the sight of blood.
- You are an elder tribal leader, ready to die a hero’s death. But you’ve already died before. It doesn’t seem to stick.
- A monk who is a skeptic, and constantly tries to figure out how the magic users are tricking them.
- You’re a changling who uses your shapeshifting abilities to tell the stories of your past battles.
- A warlock whose familiar is a sloth—who somehow does surprisingly well at its tasks despite its speed.
- You’re a noble Tabaxi fighter, out to clear your family’s tarnished name.
- A caffeine-addicted paladin on a quest for revenge after someone burned down their favorite coffee shop.
- Your character is a disgruntled farmer who joins your party to stop the monsters that are killing his livestock.
- An old man who is a wealth of knowledge and trivia from all of the places you’ve traveled.
- A halfling who can’t stand children, but is constantly mistaken for one.
- Your cleric is a certified doctor who takes their job very seriously.
- A Bloodhunter who has sworn revenge against all Paladins after losing your child to one.
- You’re a mysterious hooded figure who only speaks in riddles and cryptic phrases.
- Your character is a homesick bard who lost their homeland to the war.
- You stole from someone very important in order to feed your family, and now you’re on the run.
- A Paladin who is actually an atheist.
- You come from a long line of wizards, and you’re out to prove yourself worthy of your family’s name.
- Your patron tricked you into following them, and now you’re treated as their slave.
- You’re a druid who is afraid of animals.
- A monk who feels you may never live up to your master’s expectations.
- You’re a cleric who is a wine snob.
- You collect magical objects.
- A wizard with a frat boy attitude.
- Your character’s patron is the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
- You’re haunted by the souls of every person you’ve ever killed.
- Your character sneezes when they’re nervous.
- You’re afraid of asking for help, and have never worked with a team before.
- You focus on the worst-case scenario and get hung up on the what-ifs.
- You’re a two-headed firbolg, and you’re each a different class.
- A bard who’s a child who loves animal facts.
- A librarian who is hunting down a missing tome.
- You’re a professor in search of the answer to a complicated math problem.
- A halfling fighter whose best weapon is a castiron frying pan.
- You’re a fallen Paladin who is willing to do anything to get back onto your deity’s good side.
- A blacksmith who set out to forge the best weapon ever wielded.
- You’re a barbarian with a thing for pain.
Looking For More?
Our site is home to an abundance of resources for DMs, fantasy writers, and students.
If you’re looking for something specific and can’t find it here, let us know! We’re here to help you tap into your creative side.
