Generating

a Character
Background
By Roxanne Clark

This small guide is intended as an introduction, rather than an instruction

manual, to the use of the Decktet* deck of cards to aid character background
creation. The method might be of use to role players creating characters for
themselves to play, role play refs creating NPCs or writers creating characters
in fictional stories. Since the deck has it’s origins in role play this use for the
cards seemed to me to be a natural progression.
The method relies on simply drawing a card and interpreting it using your
own ideas or those suggested in the tables that I have provided as suggestions.
The suggested interpretations are based on the card’s title, art work or suit
combinations but should never be viewed as a limiting list, simply starting
points. After drawing a card record it and shuffle it back into it’s respective
deck
Remember too that should you at any time draw a card that simply doesn’t fit
the way you want the character’s story to go you are always free to redraw
(although it can often be those surprise elements that can add the interesting
colour to a character).

The first step is to separate the cards of the expanded deck into 4 piles, the 6
aces plus the excuse, the 14 personalities, the 12 locations (including the Market)
and the 12 events (including the Origin and End). Shuffle each pile separately.

*
 Next you need to determine just how much detail you are aiming to generate.
For a simple background character, added simply to act as wallpaper or as a
flavour enhancer and who is only going to be a brief encounter, you might only
want to draw a simple personality card to determine their job and discover their
main drive by drawing a single Ace. For a full blown character that you wish to
play live or in a table-top campaign you may wish to have a much more detailed
history, delving into their whole biography up until the point in time that the
game, or story, takes place. The following steps assume that you want to generate
the whole history but it is, of course, up to you where you stop and you may well
wish to vary several aspects of the method to your own taste.
(1) Character Personality
Draw one Personality Card. This card will determine the major character
and/or main profession of the character. If you are determining a major character
you may well want to skip the random draw of this card as you might well already
have a fairly strong idea of who you wish to play. There is nothing to stop you
drawing 3 cards and choosing one. The personality card table is on page 4.
(2) Character Drive
To determine the drives behind the character draw Aces and consult the Drive
table.
Always in search of
MOONS A religious / moral code WAVES
something new

Selfish, self important,

SUNS Pleasure and passion WYRMS
mistrusting others

Loyal (this could be a

LEAVES KNOTS Money
person, group or place)

Non-conformist
EXCUSE
cherishing their freedom

Combining 2 drives is much more interesting, for instance a sun/wave person

will be a philanderer who loves to charm new people but does not like to commit
themselves, a sun/wyrm conversely might be a passionate but possessive partner,
whereas a moon/worm may at best be a puffed up self-important person who
likes to bestow moral guidance upon everyone around him/her or at worst may
be a strict sadistic super-villain.
 Drive cards can be drawn at any point that a Personality Card is drawn in order
to enhance picture of the person involved, especially if they are a person of strong
influence in the character’s story.
(3) Parents
Draw 2 personality cards, one for your father, one for your mother, indicating
their professions/family backgrounds (and drive card(s) for each if desired).
(4) Your birthplace
Draw 2 Location cards (table on page 5). Choosing two cards enhances the
description of the place e.g. Cave + Window could be a birth in an isolated
religious community (under dubious circumstances?) or Market + Sea will
obviously be a harbour town.
(5) Childhood Event
Draw 1 Event Card plus any relevant follow-up cards (table on page 6). This
card indicates a significant childhood memory or event. Some event cards suggest
a further card draw in order to add to it’s description, sometimes taking you to
the table on page 7 for special Ace draws. If you prefer, just for speed, numbers
are provided down the side of this table in order that a six-sided die might be
rolled instead.
(6) A Significant person of influence in early life
Draw 1 Personality Card. This person will have been significant during
childhood - for good or bad is up to you.
(7) First job and workplace
Draw 1 Personality and 2 Locality cards.
(8) Further events
Draw 1 further Event card per 5 years of adult life to the present. I usually
timetable the last event as having not long happened and leading to the
character’s entry into the story about to unfold.

Have fun giving your imagination a workout!

 Author, librarian, faithful servant, devoted family member,
2 Author someone who is keeping a secret (their version of events being
half-truths or a complete fiction), spy.

3 Savage A savage, criminal, an outlaw, a vampire

Artist, con artist, photographer, fashion designer,
3 Painter
tailor/dressmaker, gambler, magician, mage

Sailor, fisherman, diver, driver, pilot, travelling salesman or

4 Sailor
merchant, a visitor from a far away place, a drunkard.

5 Soldier A soldier, assassin, an enemy

A lunatic, a person obsessed, a werewolf, a blacksmith, horse
6 Lunatic
trainer.

Someone out for revenge / seeking to make amends

6 Penitent (according to the way up the card presents). Monk, reformed
character, ghost, doctor, herbalist, botanist or psychologist.

8 Diplomat Diplomat, inn keeper, politician, socialite.

A merchant or shopkeeper, a banker, someone you owe

9 Merchant money to, a rich person. Craftsperson - carpenter, jeweller,
clockmaker, locksmith.

Singer, performer, musician, poet, journalist, historian,

Bard
storyteller, gossip.
Hunter, poacher, butcher, tracker, detective, farmer, forester,
Huntress
gamekeeper.
Watchman, security guard. law enforcer, policeman, sheriff,
Watchman
gatekeeper.

A guru or wise person, a hermit, inventor, scientist, engineer,

Light keeper
explosives expert.

Priest, lawyer, fortune teller, geologist, miner, prospector,

Consul
archaeologist
Rank Title Suggestions

A desert, a city or the middle of nowhere. A

2 Desert
hostile land either physically or socially.

4 Mountain A mountain or a mountainous region.

Forest, carpenter's workshop, large wooden

5 Forest
hall

Market, shops, busy place such as a station or

6 Market
other travel hub

7 Castle Castle, palace, fort, town hall

7 Cave A cave, a lake, a prison cell, a mine

8 Mill A mill, a factory

A deep valley, gully, a backward village or

9 Darkness
town.

Sea The sea, a settlement on the coast or river

A settlement on a border or frontier, the edge

Borderland
of town

Island An island, an isolated place

A church, a place with a view such as a hill

Window
side or top.
 Further
Rank Title Suggestions Draws*

2 Origin A major family event, a wedding or funeral. A

A journey. A permanent move, a tour, a

3 Journey LL
pilgrimage or an exile.
A battle, an argument, an ambush. Trap, a
4 Battle P LL
court case

Something uncovered, a family secret, a

5 Discovery long searched for person or object, a
breakthrough in your researches

A person enters or reentered your life - draw

7 Chance meeting P
a personality card
A major betrayal of trust (draw a personality
8 Betrayal card to give you a clue as to the nature of the P
event).
A pact or contract, a blood oath, major job
9 Pact P
opportunity

A bad event that leaves scars either

Calamity physically, mentally or both. (Draw an ace for AA
a clue as to the cause, and one for the effect)

End A complete change, the end of an era. P LL

Windfall A sudden upturn in fortune (out of the blue) A

Hard work is rewarded, a worked for goal is

Harvest achieved or you get the reward that your
activities deserved.
Significant ceremony - wedding, an
Rite P
initiation into a guild or association
* A = an Ace (see pg 7) L = a Locality Card P = a Personality Card
 After Calamity
Suit After Origin Cause
After Calamity Effect After Windfall

The wedding of your beloved - may Damage to your You are favoured by a rich
MOONS Criminal activity
or may not be to you. mental health sponsor

Something lost comes to

A split in the family, or your friends,
The town, village or light. You either now have it
SUNS is caused by (or flares up because of) Fire
city that you are in or are rewarded for it's
the funeral of someone close to you
return

A wedding that leads to your leaving Loss of your home, Land that you had or inherit
LEAVES home either of your own volition or Fall / falling object(s) possessions, things suddenly becomes very
under duress. precious to you valuable

The funeral, or departure, of someone Water, flood, Imprisonment or A distant relative dies
WAVES
very dear to you. drowning reduction of freedom leaving you an inheritance

A person close to you is murdered You gain through another's

WYRMS (perhaps shuffle the personality cards Poison Your own body misfortune e.g. gambling or
already drawn?) reward money

A wedding that causes a major family

A large financial gain
rift, possibly with financial
KNOTS Disease Financial ruin through a once in a life time
implications which may or may not
business opportunity
be in your favour

Political upheaval (family or country) Fall in Social One of your innovations

EXCUSE Your fault
causes a rift or dislocation Standing prove to be lucrative
 Decktet Character Background Work Sheet
Name
Main job P( )
Drives AA( + )

Parents: Father P( )

Mother P( )

Birthplace L( ) + L( )

Childhood Event E( )

Significant Person in early life P( )

Further events and people