Incredibly easy, deep, and interesting backstories rolled or determined. Great resource for any fantasy rpg!

This is a really heplful resource. We used it during our Session Zero to flesh out our characters. I had each player roll to be assigned a random question sheet and then let them opt to replace any questions that didn't apply to their character using the ramdom list of all the questions. It worked great! The questions are interesting and genuinely interesting. I'm making this part of launching any new campaign.

I love this release. When I start running a new game, I hand each player a random page from the book. These are simple questions that help players fill in some of their character's backstory. Great for use with new players, or players that always make Mary Sues. There's usually a question that makes an assumption about the character, such as, "Why are they afraid of the dark?" Many players won't think to give themselves a weakness, so these questions give them a good reason to think about it.

Although many companies over the years have attempted the systemless RPG supplement, few have succeeded. RPG players tend to want supplemental material that expands on all elements of the game, including the mechanics. Yet another fantasy world gazetteer tends to be pretty boring because without a clear understanding of how the characters (created and detailed by and through mechanics) will make their way through the world, it doesn't feel like something that can come alive at the table. You're better off reading even a third-rate fantasy novel, most of the time. In the past, companies often did this in order to dodge the litigious anger of T$R (remember that acronym joke? Come on, you know you loved it when you were fourteen in that AOL chat room). In today's more open world of open licensing, gamers have become more open to the concept of RPG supplements not tied to particular game material, but few products have really nailed it down. However, "5 Questions" accomplishes this in exemplary style, going far beyond the basics and relentlessly focusing on usability at the table in every aspect of its presentation.

"5 Questions" is, as advertised, 500 character creation questions, divided into 5 100-question categories, like "NPC Relationships" and "Character Secrets". What impresses me about 5 Questions is that it could just be a simple list, and if the questions were good, it would be worth it. But the format goes beyond that. It presents them as ready-to-print questionnaires, with one questionnaire containing one random question from each of the 5 categories. But that's not all! There are also "specialized" questionnaires. Say you're playing a game like Smallville/Cortex+ Drama, where NPC relationships are one of the key factors in the game. You can pull a questionnaire with just "NPC Relationship" questions. There are detailed instructions at the front of the document explaining different ways to use the questions to prompt character action and depth. And of course at the end of the document the whole list of questions is reproduced for the GM's reference.

What elevates "5 Questions" above the rest is its relentless focus on usability at the table, and a focus on something that every game needs - vivid, forward-moving player characters. Maybe skip "5 Questions" if you're the type of person who doesn't name their characters or if you're playing a game where you can just say "I'm a fighting man" and be done with it. But if you are playing a game where your characters are going to be anything more than that, "5 Questions" will knock your socks off. It's well worth the price and I'm giving it my highest rating.

An interesting supplement to spur creativity. Full review on my site: merricb.com

If, like most people, you are eager to find new and better ways to create compelling characters, this is a steal at the price! A single great idea for a character is, to me, well worth that price alone. The value (and star rating) will decrease the more you feel that your characters are as robust as you need them to be. Still, I found the ideas the book provided useful and I will continue to use this in my games (and I feel very good about my character background skills).

This book works well for different genres, extending its utility. The different ways the information is provided makes it fit more needs. For example, it is fun to read over the different ideas and tuck away a few for future use. Or, you can take just questions that are relationships between PCs and use just those in a game.

Many of my favorite RPGs have some system to encourage backstory. I find this product works well with those systems. For example, the book can give you ideas for the background, flaw, ideal, bonds, and personality traits for a 5E character. Or, some sections could help generate your 13th Age PC’s one unique thing.

Full review here. Disclaimer: I was provided a review copy and Brian is a friend. However, I am usually not particularly interested in these kinds of supplements. I was pleasantly surprised and can recommend this product.