There are two types of background to be discussed. The first is a mechanical one; the expenditure of Background Points to gain benefits for your character. The second is far more ephemeral, and requires players to exercise a bit of creativity.
Background points are a mechanic borrowed, almost completely, from MERP. These points allow you to gain certain benefits for your character, ranging from increases in stats to increases in social status. Each player character begins with five (5) Background Points to spend; refer to the individual descriptions under Peoples for more details.
Languages - for 1 Background point, the character canlearn another language to INTx2; if the character begins being literate, then they learn Spoken and R/W skills. Consult the GM for languages your character is likely to have access to.
Literacy - for 1 Background point, a character who otherwise would not be literate, is. All languages they learn are both Spoken and Read/Write.
Stats - 1 Background point can be used to purchase a 1 point increase in any one stat. Simple. Easy. Cheap.
Skills - 1 Background point can be used to purchase an increase in any one skill. Each background point expended adds the relevant Base Chance to the skill.
Status - in Tolkien’s quasi-feudal world, status is a serious issue. For one Background point, the character comes from a good family, and has learned their letters. For two, they may even have a title. Three or more merely add degrees of refinement. Each point also provides a 1d50 roll on the Wealth table below.
Money - each Background point, up to three maximum, allows one 1d100 roll on the following table:
| 01-02 03-05 06-15 16-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-70 | 10 sp 20 sp 50 sp 100 sp 150 sp 200 sp 300 sp 350 sp 400 sp | 71-75 76-80 81-85 86-90 91-94 95-97 98-99 00 | 500 sp 600 sp 700 sp 800 sp 1000 sp 1250 sp 1500 sp 2000 sp |
Well Made Items - these are not magical, just very well made. Up to three Background points can be spent on a single item; the exact effect depends upon the nature of the item.
| Weapons: each Background point either raises the damage done by the weapon by one point, or increases the chance of attacking OR parrying successfully by +5%; while these three can be mixed in any combination, no more than 3 Background points can be spent on one weapon. Armour: each Background point will purchase a one point increase in the protective value of one piece of armour. Shields: each Background point can purchase either a +5% increase in the chance of effectively parrying with that shield, or a three point increase in the armour points of that shield; again, as with weapons, these can be combined, but only three points can be spent on any one shield. Other Items: if the item can be used in conjunction with a skill(ie. a saddle, a smith's hammer, a sextant), then each Background point spent on the item will purchase a +5% bonus, up to +15%; for other items, exact effects are left up to GMs. |
Minor Magical Items - sometimes a character may have inherited an item that possesses some magical power of a minor sort. Such items are unlikely to be implements of war, and what powers are likely to be idiosyncratic. Exactly what they do, and how they do it, should be negotiated by player and GM.
Magical Powers - the abilities described in the Magic chapter may be purchased using Background Points. Refer to the descriptions of the Peoples for details on what is available to each People.
The second type of background, the one the player comes up with to explain why their character is adventuring and to lend them some motivation, is far more difficult to discuss. Typically, this is the section where the authors try to express some deeply helpful advice. Well, not me. I've been doing this for long enough to know better than to bother. It really is better if you learn to deal with it yourself.
Alternatively, there are a few good boolegged "lifepath generators" out the, mostly for R.Talsorian games. Try 'em if you like, but, as with all things, consult with your GM first.