So if you’re like me you may have a simple problem. You want your players to have previous relationships or bonds, and you can’t find what you want on google. So now you have to make questions or tables. Here I will save you the work! These are lists of a variety of questions that can help make your players build unique D&D character bonds!
The Big Three
We will be going over bonds of friendship, siblings, and group dynamics. We will briefly touch on romantic bonds, but not in the depth of the others. All of these can be used as rolling tables with 1d6 if you so wish, but I recommend answering all of them.
Friends
A funny moment the two of you shared.
The time a tavern brawl started while you were drinking together.
A secret you’ve only shared with each other.
Some way you helped each other break a comfort zone.
A job the two of you have pulled off.
The time one of you saved the other’s life.
Simple questions like this were used for my campaign. This allows the players to add in backstory and refer to previous events in character much easier as they made them. These questions are geared towards making people think about the memories they shared. This should start to inspire your players to begin building a deeper bond between the characters.
Siblings
A treasured moment you shared with your parent(s).
The story behind overcoming a childhood bully.
A sweet treat native to your home you loved eating together.
The time one of you broke a bone.
A moment one of you took the blame for something the other did.
When one of you first had a crush, and how the other helped/hindered you when you talked about them
Some of these can work for friends to, feel free to interchange them. This should be a decent start to helping your players start a sibling relationship. If you need to replace these questions with some of the friend ones to better fit the characters that are an option as well. A sibling bond can either be powerful or weak. Pick and choose or change the wording to match the characters. The point of all of this is to make you think about it more than you normally would.
Building a Group Relationship
This can be a bit more complex, some dynamics form with a group that has traveled together for a while. The easiest way to do this is to allow the players to build it themselves, or use some of the ideas above in concert to make an interesting dynamic. A few questions can be unique to groups, however.
Who is the one who manages the money?
Which member are you are closest to?
What is the adventure that brought you together?
When did all of you meet?
Where have you mainly operated from?
Why did you stay together for this long?
If you want a more unique group dynamic, you can add in previous questions about friends and make everyone answer them. I also avoided mentioning a de-facto leader as my groups usually talk things through. Leaders usually emerge in-game anyway. This is a fun way to spend character creation, and even a session zero.
The Natural Dynamic
If once a group starts running you feel the dynamic shift a bit, that’s ok. Do what feels natural for the players, even if it means changing the backstory somewhat. If your players feel like they can roll with it and make it an ever-changing group dynamic. This can add a level of realism to a game. It’s up to you and your player’s to decide what you want from the game.
Romantic Relationships
This is the section I will have the least to say about. My characters have had characters be romantically involved with each other. But I have always let them figure out how far they are willing to go in each situation. Never force romance on your players, and respect their comfort zone. If you are unsure if something will make them uncomfortable, then don’t do it.
Broken Bonds
An idea I, and I’m sure many others, have tinkered with is a traitor in the party. This is something I still have to implement, and I’m waiting for the next campaign that it fits into. But if you want the advice from someone who did it watch this video from Matt Colville. The point is to make a believable enough D&D character bond and then break it believably.
The True Extent of D&D Character Bonds
D&D character bonds, simple to make and simple to implement. A bond can translate outside of a game, it’s rare to find a D&D game where most of the players aren’t friends. Even if you start out complete strangers your life can change from just a simple friendship started from D&D. Its the purest form of a group game, and many bonds formed in and out of the game last forever. I will end this article how I usually do, by encouraging you to go out and play D&D! If you have somehow stumbled across this with little to no knowledge of the game then go out there and play!
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