C is for Character Background Generator!
I have always tended to enjoy the more random nature of some RPGs that generated a character completely randomly. To me it was the most exciting way to generate a character. No archetypes, no point pools, no character theme. This was especially true in classics like Villains &Vigilantes, but also in Traveller (a real revelation) and in the new Warhammer 40k RPG as well. So to go along with my posts on cobbling ideas together for a sic fi campaign, I thought I would write a completely random character background generator to put some umpff in each characters story. It doesn't take the burden off the player and the GM from working together on the players background, but it does fill in some high level background of where the character came from, and its a jumping off point for the player to fill in some of the grey areas of the distant past of a character. And it will help the younger players grasp on to the fact that there is a background to every character that lead them to the point of their first adventures.
Birthplace (roll d100)
01-75 Planetary
76-98 Space
99-100 Other
Planetary
World Type (d100 roll)
01-60 Terran(earth like)
61-65 Aquan (water planet, less than 2% land)
66-70 Semi Arid (less than 50% surface water)
71-75 Arid ( less than 25% surface water)
76-81 Frozen (water at surface is frozen)
82-85 Tropical/Jungle (high water,humidity, temp, and fertility, lots of jungle/forest vegetation)
86-90 Islands/archipelagos (>75% water, no continental sized land masses, many islands)
90-91 Techno/Archology (extreme population has covered over 50% of land surface in heavily built up cities/archologies, nature is an oddity)
92-96 Moon or Atmosphereless (only fully enclosed habitation is possible)
97-100 Heavy Gravity (mineral rich, higher temperature, higher water content in atmosphere)
Civilization Level/Type( d100 roll)
01-05 Nomadic hunter/gatherer (pre history, pre permanent dwellings, pre metal)
06-10 Tribal (community groups, gathered for mutual reasons, riding animals, rudimentary farming, both seasonal and permanent dwellings)
11-20 Ancient/Medieval (villages, towns, cities, metal working, stone etc buildings, armies, government, religion)
21-35 Low Tech (industrialized, dense population centers, transportation systems, high quality agriculture, high output resource gathering)
36-50 Mid Tech (tech level for basic computers, micro technology, high end ballistic weapons, instant cellular communications, medical advancement)
51-70 High Tech (tech level for solar travel, instant planetary communications, fire and forget weapons, robotics, nano technology, biotechnology, computer environment emersion, energy weapons, artificial intelligence)
71-100 Stellar Tech (tech level for interstellar travel and colonization)
Region Type (roll 1d100)
01-40 Temperate
41-50 Tropical
51-60 Coastal
61-65 Mountains
66-70 Desert
71-80 Grasslands
81-85 Forest
86-95 Jungle
96-100 Snow/Ice
Community Type (roll 1d100)
01-40 Traditional Mixed Community
41-50 Farming Community
51-60 Mining Community
61-65 Technology Center
66-70 Manufacturing Center
71-75 Higher Education Center
76-85 Governmental Center
86-90 Transportation Center
91-100 Military Center
Community Size(roll d100)
01-20 Nomad/Solitary
21-30 Village
31-50 Town
51-80 City
81-100Archology
Governmental system (roll 1d100)
01-35 Democratic (citizens have rights and vote for their leadership and laws)
36-50 Oligarchy (religious institution(s) are the outright rulers and law makers)
51-60 Republic (elected senate representatives make law and rule for their people)
61-70 Dictatorship (supreme control rests in hands of singular ruler, board, etc)
71-80 Feudal (Lords, barons, princes, family lineage rules, most are not a part of the ruling class)
81-90 Collective (everybody equal, everyone works for state, state owns everything for people)
91-100 Corporate (Corporations rule, employer is the government, company policy is law)
Space
Location Type (roll 1d100 for birth location, roll 2nd 1d100 for where you were raised)
01-50 Spaceship
51-60 Space Station
61-75 Asteroid Farming Base
76-90 Manufacturing Base
91-100 Military Outpost
Spaceship Type (roll 1d100) (roll 2nd and 3rd 1d100 for mother and father position on ship)
01-05 Luxury Liner (cruise ship for vacations or travelling in luxury, could be crew (01-75) or passenger (76-100))
06-10 Slave Ship (slave haulers to sell people to far off worlds, crew (01-10) or slave (11-100))
11-15 Penal Ship (prison ships idling around galaxy, no destination, crew(01-10) administration (11-20) or prisoners (21-100))
16-35 Research/Explorer (science and exploration ships, highly educated,well rounded crew, crew (01-25), admin(26-35) scientists(36-85), marines/security/away teams(86-100)
36-45 Military Ship (Frigate(01-10), Destroyer(11-20), Cruiser (21-30), Dreadnaught (31-35), Battleship (36-40), Carrier (41-50), Flagship (51-55), Support Ship (56-100))
45-55 Freighter (Bulk Freighter (01-25), Hospital Ship(26-35), Trader (36-75), Passenger Hauler(76-100))
56-75 Colony Ship (crew (01-10), admin(11-20) scientists(21-35), marines/security/away teams(36-50), engineers and constructors (51-75), other colonists(76-100)
76-92 Corporate Ship (crew (1-10), admin (11-30), security personnel (31-60), specialized personnel (61-100))
93-97 Refugee Fleet (crew (1-10), specialists (11-15), refugees (16-100))
98-100 Pirate/Raider Ship (crew (1-35), raiders/assault teams (36-60), specialists (61-80), labor crews (81-100))
Space Station (roll 1d100) (roll 2nd 1d100 for type, if needed)
01-35 Trading Hub (crossroads for travel, trading, etc.)
36-60 Research Station (Private stations paid for by national (01-35), corporate (36-75), or military interests (76-100))
61-75 Customs/Diplomatic Station (control points for legal immigration, goods traffic, diplomatic relations, etc.)
76-80 Military Station (forward operations station (01-10), system station (11-35), major operations station (36-60), support station (61-97), top secret station(98-100))
81-90 Mining Station (processing station (01-35), mining operations station (36-60), transportation/hauling hub (61-75), material storage station (76-90), entertainment station (91-100)
91-100 Agricultural Station
Asteroid Farming Base (roll 1d100)(see previous post A is for Asteroid Farm)
01-30 Family Farm
31-75 Corporate Farm
75-90 National Farm
91-100 Bandit Lord/Pirate Farm
Manufacturing Base (roll 1d100)
01-25 Processing Base
26-40 Shipyard
41-60 Storage/Hauling/Transportation Hub
61-70 Arms Manufacturing Hub
71-80 High Tech Manufacturing Hub
81-95 Corporate R&D base
96-100 Secret R&D base
Military Outpost (roll 1d100)
01-20 Fueling/Armament Base
21-40 Training Base
41-45 Repair Depot
46-60 Minor Outpost
61-75 Major Outpost
76-95 HQ Base
96-100 Specialty Service Branch Base
Other
01-25 Unknown – you just don’t know anything
26-30 Alien and Human mixed race
31-35 Found floating in a capsule in space
36-40 Found on an abandoned/destroyed ship
41-45 Found on an abandoned /destroyed outpost
46-50 Raised feral with animals
51-55 You have no knowledge of your birth except for a series of strange tattoos
56-60 Vat grown by a National Power
61-65 Lab created by a Corporate Power
66-70 You may be a synthetic organism
71-75 You have amnesia and a sack full of random objects for clues of your past
76-80 You are the only surviving member of your race
81-85 You are the surviving member of a failed colonization
86-90 Pick any Planetary Background
91-95 Pick any Space Background
96-100 Pick Any Background
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