Everyone has heard stories of GM woes, where players either write no backstory or write a 10-page novel that the GM must digest and find the useful nuggets hidden within. This “Ten-Minute Background” is the solution to that problem. And while its very name is a misnomer (it definitely takes more than ten minutes to write), it is one piece of GM Lore that I can’t live without.

When I came back from Afghanistan, after having played the most eye-opening game of Dungeons and Dragons (4th Edition), the first thing I did, once I had a stable internet connection, was to start diving into D&D content. There was YouTube, and then there was the Dungeon Master Experience by Chris Perkins, and then there were forums. And forums are where I found this little gem I have used ever since.

The Ten Minute Background was originally posted on the Wizards of the Coast forums (now lost to the annals of time) by a user named “The_Stray” who said it was heavily based on the Minimus RPG by Ad Astra Games, and was used with permission from Ken Burnside.

Example character is Malcolm Kay from Six and Twenty: Metropolis, produced by unMadeGaming, using the City of Mist RPG.

Step 1: Concepts

“Write five background concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile, etc. Whatever you need to get an image in your mind. Five is just a minimum. More elements are encouraged!”

Example: 

• Malcolm has a tangled mop of straw-colored hair and is most often seen wearing a tattered olive-colored army-style jacket, a green and black scarf, and a tattered and dirty green slouchy beanie.
• Malcolm is the Rift for the Mythoi Peter Pan. As such, his mythos keeps him deceptively young. He looks like he is around age 18, but he has no recollection of how old he is or how long he has been living on the streets.
• Malcolm’s childlike nature prevents him from fully actualizing his fears and worst nightmares; this includes the death of his father and mother; instead, he replaces his memories with fantastical stories. (However, recent events have started to let the real memories seep back through)
• Malcolm has a tempestuous nature and can be prone to massive shifts in mood and tantrums. He embodies the sensibilities of a child and is in constant flux. He struggles to understand true danger unless directly faced with the unsavory consequences; he constantly scrounges for snacks and is prone to sulking when he doesn’t get his way.
• Malcolm’s biggest fear is being alone. He doesn’t know how the ‘Lost Boys’ find him, or even that there are new/old ‘Lost Boys,’ but when he latches on to someone, he will fight to keep them, even against the person themselves.

Step 2: Goals

“List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be a short-term goal, while the other should be a long-term goal. In addition, you may include a personal goal you have as the player.”

Example: 

• Short Term Goal: Stop the Nightmare
• Long Term Goal: Find his sister, Ivy Rose Kay

Step 3: Secrets

“List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one that involves him but that he is not aware of yet. This will help me create plots that center around your character. I will also create a third secret that you, as a player, will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!”

Example: 

• Malcolm Knows: Something is wrong with Our Lady of Grace’s Home for Wayward Children, and he ran away for more than just a game, but he can’t remember what it was or who he is running from.
• Malcolm Doesn’t Know: The current iteration of ‘Lost Boys’ isn’t the first, and when they get ‘too old,’ his mythos ‘removes’ them. He seems to have no recollection of ‘Lost Boys’ that are ‘removed,’ and neither does anyone else.

Step 4: Relationships

“Describe at least three people who are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, and one is hostile. If you like, you can also include an enemy of yours here, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.”

Example: 

• Friendly NPC: Gideon Grey (Rift: Morpheus, God of Dreams) – Gideon is a ‘Lost Boy’ and has been for as long as Malcolm can remember. He may be one of the original boys who escaped with Malcolm, as his Mythos seems to have a similar anti-aging effect. Recently, Malcolm has begun having strange dreams, nightmares, and deja vu-like dreams, and Gideon has been helping him through this trying time.
• Friendly NPC: Fadi Malek (Rift: Thoth, Egyptian God of Knowledge) – It is unclear whether Fadi recognizes Malcolm, but Malcolm doesn’t recognize Fadi, despite being a friend of his parents in years past. Fadi seems to put up with Malcolm, but the two aren’t what you would call friends. Fadi is a source of knowledge and wonders for Malcolm, always knowing a tale of adventure that will sate the young man’s questions.
• Hostile NPC: Samuel ‘Manny’ Valtierra Jr – Manny is the son of Samuel Valtierra, owner of Guede Funeral Services and leader of the Skullz. He seems to have made it his personal mission in life to harass, fight, or recruit Malcolm and his friends despite years of Malcolm turning him down.

Step 5: Flavor

“Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don’t have to be elaborate but should provide some context and flavor.”

Example: 

• Death of Jaime Kay:
  • Malcolm’s Fantasy: Jaime Kay was placed in a curse that slowly sapped her of her life force by an evil, dark sorcerer. His father, Colin Kay, began a quest that took him across the land and sea to find an artifact required to save the life of his one true love, but upon returning to the evil sorcerer, Colin was betrayed, and Jaime was killed anyway.
  • Malcolm’s Reality: Jaime Kay, a curator with The Museum, was diagnosed with an unknown disease that quickly spread through her body, and despite receiving treatment after treatment, the disease was too aggressive to be stopped by traditional means, so Colin sought out extreme practices and alternative medicine, but while he was out of the city Jaime slipped into a coma, and eventually died before his return.
• Death of Colin Kay
  • Malcolm’s Fantasy: Colin Kay, an adventurer, treasure hunter, and captain on the high seas died on a daring quest to bring back the woman he loved. Wracked with grief from her death at the hand of an evil sorcerer, Colin made it his life’s work to seek out lost treasures that would bring her back, but the sea is a fickle mistress, and a sea monster attacked Colin’s ship, and though he fought valiantly, he was lost to the briny depths.
  • Malcolm’s Reality: When Jaime was diagnosed with a mysterious illness, Colin threw himself into finding a cure. He used all of his work contacts at The University and spent countless hours in The Library, and on more than one occasion, he ventured into areas of The City where a man like him had no business going. Until he found something… something that got him killed. Colin mysteriously went missing until his body was found six days later, floating in a small dingy, torn to shreds.

The Ten-Minute Background is useful for both players and GMs because it offers a structured, time-efficient method to create compelling character backgrounds and enrich the role-playing experience. For players, Step 1 allows them to distill the most essential aspects of their character’s concept and background, leading to more focused and well-defined role-playing. Step 2 encourages players to set clear in-game goals, adding direction and motivation to their characters’ actions. Step 3 introduces known and unknown secrets to the character, enabling the GM to weave engaging plots around the character’s past and future. This fosters deeper player engagement as they uncover surprises in the narrative. Step 4 establishes relationships with three key NPCs, creating personal connections and potential allies or adversaries in the game world. Lastly, Step 5 prompts players to develop memories that add context and depth to their characters, aiding in developing intricate and relatable personalities, all of which contribute to a more immersive and enjoyable tabletop role-playing experience.