Mistworld

In Mistworld many PCs can be described fairly simply.  I'm "name" and I lived in my small village until I became an adult.  I had to decide if I wanted to stay on the farm or if I was going to do something more with my life, to travel and follow the Saints, and I decided this speck of dirt was too small for me, at least right now, so I took my vows for a time.  We will see how life treats me and where it takes me, but I know I'm meant to do more than just stay here.

However, on both Shattered Norns and Mistworld there are many more complicated characters.

Here is a good way to work out backstories:

Rather than just "fill in a character sheet" you ask yourself:
.

• "Where do you come from and what was it like?"
• "What do you do"
• "Who do you worship"
• "What do people first notice about you?"
• "What do people who get to know you discover about you?"
• "Who are your friends and why?"
• "Who do you love and do they love you?"
• "Who are your enemies?"
• "What are your prized possessions?"
• "What secrets do you have?"
• "What ambitions do you have"
• "What do you fear most?"
• "What is your catch-phrase?" (makes me think of  Get Fuzzy the comic strip).

As you answer those questions you then have a handle on what you want to do with the character.

For Mistworld a great source is Dogs in the Vineyard as the various places the characters go in Dogs all have sins and dynamics that can be easily mapped to other settings (people have done Star Wars, Firefly and many other settings using that mechanic).  Most Mistworld adventures will either be Dogs-like (enter a village and find the source of what troubles the light of the Saints) or classic FRPG dungeon-like runs (encounter ruins and monsters and slay the monsters and search the ruins for clues, information and treasure).  A Mistworld campaign could very much run like most Diablo II games are played.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_in_the_Vineyard and http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?f=44

Sandy Petersen Rules (very neat stuff ...)

• sorcery.html
• shamans.html
• mystics.html
• ritual.html
• saints.html