deleted by creator

Sounds fun!

As DM it’s exponentially more work to incorporate player backstories into campaigns. I try to do it because I think it’s more fun, even if the current adventure has no tie-ins the characters can sometimes receive updates from back home via messages or letters, telling them about their siblings taking an exam or finding work, or the leaves at home changing colours and Nanas leg is on the mend, or possible hooks for future adventures like most crops to the west unexpectedly failing or tensions building near the border. Or maybe a market in this unknown land will hold a PCs favorite type of sport/show, and going there they’ll find a clue or hook or boon or ally for the current adventure which they would’ve missed if that character didn’t insist on going (nothing story-critical of course, just an extra bit of help)… but this only works if you have players who it works for, and I’ve also had players who doesn’t really care for personalized story arcs - and have played in games where the story was intriguing enough that I could take or leave any personal tie-ins for my character.

So it depends in the DM, the players, and the story.

You can always talk to your DM about this. Ask if they are willing to work more of your backstory into the campaign and suggest ways to do so (dont make them do all the work). Check in with the rest of the group if they also want to weave into the story or are fine adventuring for the sake of adventuring, so you dont all of a sudden get “perks” because you were the only one to ask.

But remember that DMing is a LOT of extra work as it is, and if they dont have the time or energy or enjoyment to work characters into the story, it wont happen (or it will but they’ll burn out, and the campaign will fizzle out).

Check your local library (if you’re lucky enough to have one). Mine didn’t have any rpg adventure books in stock but they let me search their online database and I found some that looked interesting. They shipped them in for me to borrow, at no cost to me. Amazing service!

It’s a great way to try different adventure books before buying the ones that suit your style. Some adventures are quite fleshed out and some are bare bones with plot holes you can fill however you want.

Another thing that can help is to bounce ideas with other DMs or players that aren’t in the campaign: give one a call if you know them irl, or make a post online, if you get stuck and need inspiration. Two heads together are greater than five heads alone, believe me.

Finally, take notes. Inspiration can come from the oddes sources, so write down anything and everything that might be usable at some point in the future: talk during the campaign, overhearing gossip about a stranger, books, movies, poems, games, dreams, working on a problem at work/school. Reading the notes back later can either be gibberish or lead to an idea to use.

It’s pretty well established knowledge not to feed random cats, and the more people who know not to, the better.

Do you feel blamed by people informing each other about this? If so, why? I didn’t see anyone assigning blame here besides you.

That’s crazy. Maybe that’s why my work computer doesn’t have an option to hibernate… Thanks!

How do you restart it wrong? And more importantly - what’s the correct way to do it?

It’s so annoying (and slightly embarrassing, and funny how often it happens), to restart it myself to no avail… then have it work after a second identical restart just because someone else is spectating.