Why ask your character questions
A character sheet tells you what your hero can do. It does not tell you who they are. Questions are a low-pressure way to discover that. Instead of writing a long backstory, you answer a few prompts, and the answers often suggest how to act at the table. If you have not built the mechanical side yet, begin with the D&D character basics.
How to use these questions
- Pick three to five that interest you, rather than answering all of them.
- Keep answers short. One or two sentences is enough.
- Leave some answers unknown, so the campaign can fill them in.
- Share a few with your DM. Hooks you write down are often picked up in the story.
- Revisit the list after a few sessions, because your character will change.
Origins and backstory
- Where did your character grow up, and what was it like?
- Who raised them, and what did that person teach them?
- What did they do for a living before adventuring?
- What is their earliest strong memory?
- What event pushed them to leave home or change their life?
- What do they carry that reminds them of their past?
If your class and background are not yet chosen, our D&D class guide can help you decide how your hero’s skills came about.
Personality and values
- What do they believe is the most important virtue?
- How do they act when they meet strangers?
- What makes them laugh?
- What would they never do, even for a large reward?
- How do they treat people with less power than them?
- What is their favorite food, and what do they refuse to eat?
Relationships
- Who do they trust most, and why?
- Who do they owe a favor or a debt?
- Do they have a rival, and what is the source of the rivalry?
- How do they feel about the other party members?
- Is anyone back home waiting for them?
Fears, flaws, and goals
- What are they most afraid of?
- What flaw gets them into trouble?
- What secret would be embarrassing or dangerous if it came out?
- What do they want in a year, and what do they want in ten?
- What would they give up to reach that goal?
Flaws are valuable. A character who is always right is hard to play and hard to enjoy. Choose flaws that make for interesting scenes, not ones that make you a burden to the party.
Funny questions
- What is the strangest thing they have ever eaten?
- What is a harmless superstition they follow?
- What would their entry in a tavern rumor list say?
- What embarrassing nickname did someone give them?
- If they had to sing in public, what would they sing?
- What useless item are they unreasonably attached to?
Session warm-up questions
Some groups use quick questions at the start of a session to get into character. They work best when they are short and tied to the recent story.
- What did your character do between the last session and now?
- What is your character thinking about right now?
- What is something your character regrets from the last adventure?
- What do they hope to find in the next town?
- What would they say to the person they trust most before heading out?
A short example
Suppose you answer three questions: your hero grew up in a river town, fears deep water, and owes a debt to a ferry captain. In three lines, you have a goal (repay the debt), a flaw (avoids water), and a hook for your DM. That is often enough to start playing.
If your character fights, you may also want to decide what armor they wear, and why. See D&D 5e armor class explained for how that affects the numbers.