Character Backstory Book

>>51016500
The best backstories can be explained in one or two lines.
See http://whothefuckismydndcharacter.com

I don't think $4 karate lessons will be much help against ninjas.

Just read plenty of books, and learn of the varied character backstories that don't include some sort of cliche or, even worse, a cliched tragedy.

Go read anything by Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Joe Abercrombie, or others that will probably be posted in this thread.

Also depends on how complex you want the backstory.
You could go with something that is really simple but actually deep, or just go all out with a novella.

>>51016500

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey

This is the so-called monomyth, the hero's journey. Most characterizations of PCs are the beginnings of this.

>>51017014
>cliches suck, except when you subvert them.
>lel /tg/ is so creative

>>51016500
Pick a background that's easily explained. It's supposed to be delivered either quickly at the beginning or exposed over time through the course of the campaign. More like a short short story, not a huge novel.

Also, easily explained doesn't mean boring or banal. I once played an elf wizard who was petrified for 100 years, but it wasn't like a tragic thing, because our town was so insular that it didn't really change anything. Somebody fixed it and everybody I knew was still alive and kicking, so they were like "oh hey, necknuts is back".

I tend to think more Raymond carver style writing rather than like John Updike.