The reincarnate spell can be… interesting at times.

What is the Reincarnate spell?

For those who don’t know, the reincarnate spell is a 5th level spell learned by Druids, that allows you to resurrect someone into another body of a randomized race.

On paper, this spell isn’t the best, as it might entirely mess up your playstyle depending on the race you are given.

But using this spell as a part of your backstory leads to all sorts of possibilities!

Why this concept could be good for a backstory

This backstory is good because it allows your character to start a campaign in a body not their own. For example, an elf who is known for hunting orcs is suddenly reincarnated into an orc herself when she died. Or a dying human striking a deal with an unknown being to start a fresh life in a new body, and then they get their wish.

Backstories like these can lead to all sorts of amazing character arcs.

Example character using this concept: Cornelius, the Elf Ranger reincarnated as an Orc

Backstory: Cornelius was an elf known for a great hatred of orcs, and has been hunting them for centuries. Eventually, however, the orcs managed to get to her, and in a cruel sense of irony, an orc druid casted Reincarnate on him, and caused him to reincarnate into an orc. Now in a body of his most hated race, Cornelius sets out as an adventurer, struggling to keep his hatred in check.

Hello! At this point in my blog, you should be complete with your own backstory and how you’re going to roleplay your character

Now, on to another point in D&D.

Combat. I don’t know if it’s just me, and not to point any fingers, but it seems that every time I play D&D with my friends when I’m the DM, and we wind up rolling initiative, the players never seem to roleplay DURING combat. They just say, “I roll to hit”, or “I cast insert spell here“. That’s it.

And that got me thinking: how can players roleplay DURING combat? Well, that’s what this blog is for! This blog will give you some ideas on how you can roleplay during combat!

1. Making the action more character centered through roleplaying

As a player, it’s understandable for you to act more strategic as combat goes on. After all, what good in roleplaying if you character dies due to a poor strategy?

But why not also focus on something important: “What would my character do?” instead of acting strategically

For example, Player A is playing Jorben the Orc Fighter, who has the protection fighting style. Perhaps Jorben has been getting along with the rogue of the party, so Player A has Jorben stick close to the rogue, and making sure to protect her from enemy attacks. Moments like these can help build comradery within a party, and turn a normal combat encounter into a memorable one.

2. Use every tool at your character’s disposal

This one requires a bit of homework on your part, but it is still important to understand you. You should know what your character has, as it could lead to clever moments, and you just be hitting things.

For example, Jorben has access to rope. Instead of killing that raging orc, he could instead knock him prone, then hogtie. What would’ve been a predicable combat now becomes an interrogation moment for the party.

3. Completely understand your character

This may ask a little too much, but this is good advice nonetheless

It’s a good idea to completely understand your character’s motivations during combat

Jorben’s motivations involving protecting others, which is his greatest strength and worst weakness at the same time. So he might protect civilians during a fight, but he himself might end up dying for the cause.

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Hello again! If you’ve been reading my blogs, you know I gave feedback on how to make your own backstories for your first characters.

From here on then regarding backstories, we will be talking about interesting backstory concepts that you could utilize for your characters. The first backstory concept will resolve around isekai characters for D&D.

What is isekai?

Isekai is a type of genre, typically found in anime and manga, in which the main character, who is usually from our own Planet Earth is transported into another world, and has to survive in it. These worlds range from a virtual world to a fantasy world

Why this concept could be good for Dungeons and Dragons:

This backstory is best for the newer players who don’t know how to roleplay and simply want to play themselves. Thus, having themselves be transported to the world of D&D would be a fantastic idea as a starting point. The motivation for the character would also be there: perhaps the motivation is the character is trying to find a way back home, or perhaps they died in the real world, and they mysteriously woke up in the current fantasy, with little memory as to what happened.

Example character of an isekai backstory: Melvin Muller

Melvin Muller is a Human Battle Master Fighter, whose main motivation is to defeat the villains who attack the party so that he can find a way home. Here is what his simple backstory would be using the isekai concept:

“When a violent earthquake rocks Southern California, hapless teenager Melvin Muller finds himself careening through a hole torn in the fabric of time. Melvin awakens in the Middle Ages, where he is recruited to rid Bant (the world the game takes place in) of evil. Melvin must use his 20th-century street smarts to outwit despicable villains.”

With this backstory, we have a character who has a very clear motivation, and there’s also a mystery aspect through the hole torn in the fabric of time that the DM could incorporate into the campaign to make for memorable moments.