I’m working on a hack that encourages improvisation and lack of planning (because that’s more fun for me). I’ve made a list of questions that each playbook starts out with – players have to choose one question to answer at character creation, and I’m thinking of having them have to answer a new one each time they level…any thoughts/opinions?
BARBARIAN
*What is it about the rites and rituals of your homeland’s gods that makes their practice illegal here?
*What great curse troubles your people, and what in this land did the Elders say might be the only way of ending it?
*When you underwent the initiation rites of adulthood, the psychotropic brew you drank gave you a vision of a person, a place, and a thing. What were they?
*What great beast from your land are you the only one ever to slay, and who believes that the strange pattern its claws gashed in your flesh makes you the Chosen One?
*Which one of your fellow PCs exhibits a power that your people consider anathema, and when the time is right, how do you plan to make sure they never use that power again?
*They came and they slew your tribe. The killed your family. They carried away the only one you ever loved. Who are they, and how did you track them here?
*When you first met one of your companions, they saved you from an angry mob. Who do you now owe a life debt, and what made the mob so angry at you?
*On the next full moon it will happen. What is it, and what dangerous quest must you undertake to avoid it?
*Your eldest sibling traveled to this land when you were but a babe. Where do the rumors say they met their gruesome end, and what vile murderer now wields your clan’s ancestral weapon?
*What is your clan’s totem spirit? What promise did your Elders make to it that has now come due, and why are you the only one who can make sure it’s paid?
BARD
*It was love at first sight. Who is your one true love, and what is the seemingly insurmountable obstacle is keeping you apart?
*One of your performances has made you a powerful enemy. Whe are they, and why are they so enraged?
*From what place have you been banished on pain of death, and why is it vital that you soon return?
*What legendary hero are searching for so that you may sing them the ballad you wrote about them? Why will the probably not like it?
*One of your companions finds you joie de vivre incredibly annoying. Who are they, and what are you going to do to change their negative attitude?
*They say you have the voice of an angel. They’re close. How do you plan on avoiding the wrath of the creature whose voice you stole?
*You have eschewed the traditional occupation of your family in order to wander the world. Why would it be so incredibly inconvenient if people were to find out who your family is and what they do?
*Few can resist you after experiencing one of your performances. What makes your newest fan so dangerous now that you’ve rebuffed their advances?
*An older, wiser troubadour taught you everything you know. Who were they, and will they believe you owe them when you meet again?
*There’s an old, faded inscription on your instrument that you just discovered. What does it say, and why does that fill you with terror?
CLERIC
*From what deity, pantheon, or impersonal anthropomorphization of a philosophical concept do you draw your power, what aspect of the universe do they control, and what the most important tenet of your faith by which you must always abide?
*What force or organization is the greatest threat to your sect, and what is the reason behind this conflict?
*What sacrifices and offerings does your faith demand, and how do they put you at risk?
*What major holiday of your faith is soon approaching, what does it commemorate, and what threatens to mar this year’s celebration?
*You’ve shared a shameful secret with on of your companions. Why is it so important that no one else find out?
*One of your companions’ very soul is at risk! What do you plan to do in order to convert them?
*What vice (drinking, gambling, philandering, crime) did you engage in before you found your calling, and what is tempting you to begin again?
*What sign of the prophesied apocalypse have you just witnessed, and what grim portent of armageddon must you now work to prevent?
*What corruption have you discovered that threatens your religion’s very foundations, and why won’t anyone in charge believe you or address the problem?
*What hypocrisy or inconsistency in your faith’s teachings or practices has always bothered you, and what now forces you to confront these doubts?
DRUID
*What blight on the natural world has long been kept at bay by your fellow Druids, and what makes you believe that it will soon return?
*In what unusual way does one of your companions keep dying in your dreams, and what makes you believe the dream will soon come true?
*Your shadow is gone. What does that mean, and what terrible fate will befall you if you don’t get it back before the next new moon?
*What enemy or villain must you convince to willingly give you their blood, lest a great calamity occur?
*What is the cause of this extreme, out-of-season weather, and why don’t you know how to put a stop to it?
*What kind of horrid creature has been stalking the group, and who were they before they were transmuted?
*Why must this entire village be evacuated immediately, and why won’t anyone believe you?
*How do you know that you’ve just crossed into a different world?
*What promise did you make the Queen of the Fae, and why won’t one of your companions like it?
*Why are all the trees so angry?
FIGHTER
*Who did you leave behind when you went off to fight the war? Why do you need to find them now?
*Why were the recent wars fought? What now might allow the losing side to begin the conflict anew?
*What promise did you make to your closest friend while they lay dying on the field of battle, and what will make it so dangerous to keep?
*What wartime atrocity do you feel responsible for, and what might allow you to redeem yourself?
*What enemy did you make during a past battle, and why might they now be able to enact their revenge?
*Which of your companions must you keep safe, and what do you fear will happen if they fall?
*What is the name of the noble to whom you still owe an oath of loyalty, and what are you afraid they’ll ask you to do?
*Who did you once fail to save, and what does their ghost now seem to want from you?
*What legendary lost weapon do you seek to possess, and who else believes that it should belong to them?
*How did you get that terrible scar, and what does it mean now that it’s begun to burn and tingle?
PALADIN
*Who is your family, and what terrible past actions have dogged them for generations?
*What three vows did you make when you joined your knightly order, and what horrible punishment would you endure were they to find out about the one you just broke?
*What great destiny does that birthmark portend? Why might you want to avoid it?
*Who slew the knight you were squired to, and what is stopping you from seeking revenge?
*Which member of your family has it in for you, and what gives them the power to cause you so much trouble?
*What quest were you given by your order or family, and what makes you doubt its wisdom or morality?
*Which of your companions has shown disrespect for your station, and how do you plan on teaching them their place?
*What law-breaker did you once show mercy, and why do you now regret it?
*What temptation threatens to corrupt you, and which of your companions do you fear might lead you further down the path?
*What was the first thing the voice coming from your ancestral sword whispered to you, and does the fact that no one else can hear it cause you concern?
RANGER
*What terrible tragedy drove you to abandon civilization all together, and what threat has emerged that is forcing you to return?
*This isn’t your first animal companion. What doom befell the first one, and what makes you so sure these are its tracks?
*There’s an old hermit in these parts who has shown you kindness in the past. What makes they’re disappearance so worrying?
*Which of your companions reminds you of someone important that you once lost, and why do you fear the same fate might befall them?
*The bodies show signs of being attacked by a supernatural creature that has never been seen in these parts before. Tell the DM what it is, and they’ll tell you what is the only thing that can kill it.
*Long ago on your travels many leagues away, you once found a standing stone in a forest glade. Something terrible happened there. Now that you’ve found an identical monolith here, why are you filled with dread?
*Why do think you’ve received this invitation to the incredibly formal party at the a noble’s manor, what’s forcing you to go, and which of your companions might be the only one to teach you all the etiquette you’ll need to know in time?
*Unbeknownst to them, when you first met one of you companions, you were stalking them like prey. Why were you doing that, and what do you fear they’ll do if they find out?
*The creatures of the forest are disappearing. Especially the dangerous ones. What do you think is taking them,, and why does your answer portend even more danger?
*What is that thing that just reared up behind one of your companions, and what makes you think reflexively shooting it with an arrow might turn out to have been a really bad idea?
THIEF
*Who put the price on your head, and for what?
*You lost a member or members of your family long ago. Who do you believe knows what actually happened to them, and why are they keeping this information from you?
*What is the greatest treasure in the entire Realm, and why is it imperative that you steal it?
*You’re keeping a secret from the rest of your companions. What is it, and why do you think they’ll do if they find out about it?
*Which one of your companions has something that you need, and how do you plan on stealing it without anyone finding out?
*Who is currently sitting in a cell, awaiting execution, and why are you planning on breaking them out?
*What has only recently been declared illegal, and how are you planning to take advantage of this fact?
*Someone in a position of power is a despot who needs to be brought down. How do you plan on doing that?
*It looked valuable when you stole it, but it’s only brought you misfortune. What is it and why can’t you get rid of it?
*You could have sworn you slit their throat. Who are they, and do you have any idea why they seem so happy to see you?
WIZARD
*What was the first time you cast a spell, and why do the repercussions still haunt you?
*You have trafficked with dark forces in order to attain some of your knowledge and power – what were these forces, and why must you never let your companions find out what price you paid?
*What kinds of magic are punishable by death, and which one of them have you performed?
*In order to progress further in your studies, you’ll need something almost impossible to obtain. Which one of your companions do you believe is the only one who can get it for you? Why?
*None of the others can read the ancient script in which the words are written. What do they actually say, and what did you tell the others when you lied to them about it?
*It drove you former mentor mad when he dared try to control its power, and you assumed that it killed him. What is it, and what will you do now that your old master has returned, and is completely under its influence?
*The stars are right. This only happens once in an eon. What will occur, and what are the dangers of trying to capitalize on it?
*What’s the matter with all the children, and why do you think you’re the only one that notices?
*There a multitudinous theories about the makeup of the various planes, and you’ve studied most of them. Based on your readings,, where do you think this glowing portal leads, and what do these strange creatures who just emerged from it want?
*Why don’t you want to cast the spell this person is asking you to, and why will it be so dangerous if you refuse?
