Character Archetypes

Adapted from a guide found here

A Little Extra Motivation

A lot of players want to create an interesting backstory. The problem is that many tend to go overboard–the ever-memed ten-page-backstory that doesn't contain any obvious character traits. Worse still, there isn’t much of a shorthand language for DMs to discuss Character Archetypes–at least, not as much as we understand Class Archetypes (the Bard) or Player Archetypes (the Powergamer). So when we try to collaborate with other DMs, we need to dump out 500 words of backstory context before we can start sharing ideas. To that end, I've catalogued the 12 or so most common types of backstory archetypes, as a way to help organize plots and solutions for DMs who want to engage players with key backstory hooks.
For Players: Browsing this list fulfills the same goals as the backstory-builder in XGtE or the Heroic Chronicle in EGtW: use the information presented as a jumping-off point to inspire a new character, then take that inspiration to build a cohesive backstory. Unlike those guides which detail events, this guide focuses on your character’s motivations. For DMs: This list captures the essence of PC goals and motivations–giving you a common language and guidelines for building plots. Obviously, characters are more complex than an archetype, and there are layers that can be added through class, relationships, and choices made throughout the game. But archetypes are a useful guidepost.

The Archetypes

For a well-rounded character, choose 2-4 of these archetypes and mix them together to achieve your PC’s main motivations.

d12 Archetype

1. The Professional
2. The Haunted
3. The Runaway
4. The Amnesiac
5. The Chosen
6. The Faithful
7. The Tempted
8. The Committed
9. The Seeker
10. The Inquisitive
11. The Ingenue
12. The Stranger

1. The Professional

This is a character who’s fundamentally adventuring because they’re good at fighting. They could be a mercenary, a gladiator, a bounty hunter, or a duty-bound champion; regardless, fighting is the name of their game. Typically, they seek wealth, fame, or glory–but they may have other backstory hooks based on the other archetypes they embody.

2. The Haunted

This is a character whose backstory is dominated by a single momentous (often traumatic) event in their lives. Examples include watching their home burn down, escaping a shipwreck, or gazing into the maw of an aberrant beast just before it swallowed a city. Nine times out of ten, this involves some dead parents.

3. The Runaway

A subtype of Haunted. As the name suggests, this character is running away from the big event in their backstory. A Fighter guilty of murdering an innocent man, a Monk who escaped a shadowy order, or a noble forced into hiding–a runaway’s motivation is defined by the thing they’re trying to avoid while they adventure.

4. The Amnesiac

A pretty obvious one; this is a character who has lost their memories or simply doesn’t know their origins. Often, but not always, they want to get those memories back (see Seeker). A player who makes an Amnesiac may want to give the DM hints to the PC’s past–such as a mysterious tattoo or the memory of a single name.

5. The Chosen

A character who has been selected, either by magic or by society, to bear a particular responsibility. Sometimes, the character embraces the mantle; other times, they become a Runaway. Regardless, this role represents something more than the character themselves; it’s a symbol, an ideal, or a curse that must be faced.

6. The Faithful

This character is motivated by a devotion to their art. While the archetypal example is a Cleric or a Paladin, this could also be a Wizard seeking to grow in power or a Bard trying to become a master musician. This character’s progression is built into the game; each level they take in the class represents further development in their field.

7. The Tempted

This is a character tied to dark powers. More often than not, this is a Warlock, although you might see this as a Death Domain Cleric, a Spore Druid, or a Necromancy Wizard. At their core, this character’s story focuses on their relationship with the darkness–whether they succumb to the temptations of power or whether they’ll be able to stay the course.

8. The Committed

This character wants something very specific. This may take the form of Seeking an object, or it may be more abstract: a Rogue who wants to get revenge on an old boss or a paladin dedicated to destroying all evil. Their story revolves around exploring the depth of that commitment–and what they’re willing to give up in its pursuit.

9. The Seeker

A common subtype of Committed. This character seeks a person, object, or piece of information. For example: Inigo Montoya hunting the six-fingered man who killed his father, a rogue seeking her long-lost sibling, or a wizard seeking the true name of a devil who wronged him.

10. The Inquisitive

This character wants to know everything. It might be about a particular domain of expertise, of course, but it might also be everything. Whether hungry for book knowledge or for ferreting out secrets, this character lives and dies by information.

11. The Ingenue

In the theater, this term refers to a young woman who’s exceedingly wholesome and innocent. I’m applying this term to any and all genders and ages. This is a character who hasn’t seen much of the world; often, part of their motivation is to see more of it. See: Jester Lavorre of Critical Role, or even Bilbo Baggins of The Hobbit.

12. The Stranger

The stranger is foreign to the central location for one reason or another. They may be a traveler from a foreign country, a planar refugee, or a Captain-America-esque Man Out of Time. Regardless, this backstory choice often has a huge effect on roleplay as this character learns to deal with the customs of the world around them.

Putting It Into Practice

All right, let’s roll some dice and see what kind of characters we can make. I even randomized the race and class, although I decided upon a different class if I thought something jumped out at me based on the backstory.
Amnesiac Professional Inquisitive Gnome Rogue. A gnomish detective (Inquisitor Rogue) who travels with an adventuring band, solving mysteries. The only problem? He can’t solve the most important mystery as all: what caused him to wake up one morning, naked and alone in an alleyway with a mysterious phrase–“seek the leaping crow”–tattooed on his forearm.
Chosen Ingenue Stranger Half-Orc Bard. A half-orc war caller (Valor Bard) born under an auspicious star and hailed as the hero who would unite the orcish tribes under one banner. When her tribe was viciously slaughtered by another, she narrowly escaped–and now hopes to gain enough power to fulfill her destiny, unite the tribes, and take revenge on those who took her family away.
Runaway Professional Ingenue Goblin Monk. A goblin raised to be a ruthless mercenary (think Cobra Kai), they knew of no world outside the walls of the monastery–until they were ordered to murder an innocent, at which point they escaped. Now, the goblin knows nothing but fighting–and so they fight with an adventuring team to see the world, all the while looking over their shoulder to see if the monks ever come for them.
Why Do This? Like so many creative tools, this is just that–a tool. If backstory archetypes don’t help, then ignore them! I find that simplifying a character to an archetype helps me to identify the key promises that I want to make and fulfill. The archetype is the skeleton on which the meat and flesh (specific character traits, goals, mannerisms) can hang to make a full, fun story!

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