One Big Problem

One simple way to encourage roleplaying and story development in a campaign is to give each character a “big problem” that they must deal with. You should assign this problem when the character is created, with it representing an aspect of their past that actively impacts on the present.

The problem might initially have little impact on the game but, as the campaign progresses, it should impose itself more and more upon the character until it demands a resolution. Following is a list of 100 such problems for the player to choose from. These are only outlines, and the player should work with the DM to flesh out the details.

1. A powerful and persistent fey prince wishes to marry me but I neither desire nor consent to this union.

2. My family was murdered, and I must bring their killers to justice.

3. I was cursed by a fiend and I need to learn how to break the curse.

4. I was once a powerful mage, but I've lost my magic; I must find a way to restore it.

5. My guild is embroiled in a dangerous power struggle and I have become a target.

6. I failed some kind of divine test and must somehow regain the favor of my god.

7. Some calamity caused my people to scatter. I must find the remnants and reunite them.

8. I am searching for a cure to the illness that is slowly killing me.

9. A rival inflicted some kind of disgrace upon me, and I must restore my honor before I can return home.

10. A monstrous being is tormenting my village; I must find where it lives and kill it.

11. My god gave me a prophecy that I don't understand; I must find out what it means.

12. I accidentally unleashed a powerful evil and now must figure out how to stop it.

13. I carry a powerful magic item that I don't understand and I must discover its secrets.

14. I somehow learned that I am an ancient hero reincarnated, and I must live up to my past life.

15. I owe a large amount of money to a ruthless criminal and now they want to collect.

16. My House was implicated in a terrible scandal and I must somehow clear its name.

17. Through carelessness, I lost a treasured family heirloom and I must recover it to restore my honor.

18. My dreams are haunted by strange visions that I need to interpret and act upon.

19. I am slowly, day by day, turning into a monstrous creature. I must learn how to reverse the process.

20. I'm the rightful ruler of my House, but was outed by an usurper. I must reclaim my place.

21. I am the heir to a large fortune but must prove myself worthy before I am permitted to claim it.

22. My mentor disappeared under mysterious circumstances and now I must find them.

23. I am the last member of an ancient, secret order and I must find a worthy successor.

24. I accidentally awakened a power within me that I cannot control. I must learn to master it.

25. A fiend has kidnapped a beloved friend and now I must rescue them.

26. I committed a grave sin against the gods, and now I seek redemption.

27. A fey lord cursed my family and I need to somehow break the curse.

28. My homeland is engulfed in a Terible war, and I must somehow find a way to end it.

29. I have regular visions of the coming apocalypse and I need to learn how to prevent it.

30. I discovered the corruption of a high-ranking official, and they forced me to flee.

31. My greed led to some terrible tragedy, and now I must make amends.

32. I am hunted by some kind of relentless stalker and I must learn how to overcome it.

33. I am driven by the need for revenge against the faction that wronged me.

34. I woke up with no memories of my past, and I must discover who I am and what happened to me.

35. I've inherited a property that is infested with fiends and I must learn how to overcome them.

36. My home is threatened by some natural disaster and I must learn how to avert it.

37. I somehow came into possession of a sacred weapon, and the divine owners want it return.

38. A loved one was taken to the underworld and I must figure out how to rescue them.

39. I am bound into the service of a powerful entity and need to earn my freedom.

40. My own shadow has turned against me, and I must find out who did this and why.

41. A reputable prophecy foretells my doom, and I’m now trying to outrun my fate.

42. I owe a life debt to a powerful fiend and now it wants to collect.

43. My people or clan are dwindling and I must find them a new homeland or they will perish entirely.

44. I have learned that House has a dark secret that threatens our future. I must resolve it.

45. I have a reputation for cowardice, and I need to prove my courage so I can return home with honor.

46. I recently learned I was separated from my twin at birth and now I must find them.

47. I am a dragon who was cursed and changed into human form. I want my true form back.

48. I attempted to start a revolution in a nearby land. It failed and I fled.

49. My home was destroyed in a great catastrophe and I am one of the few surviving refugees.

50. I have been an outcast for my entire life and I need to find my place in the world.

51. I recently fled from a secret academy for gifted people. I know they will come after me.

52. I stole a powerful relic from a holy place and now its guardians chase me.

53. I have been having strange dreams about a great treasure, and I must learn where it is.

54. I was given a new ancestry by a trickster god and I want to get back to normal.

55. My family is held hostage by a powerful sorcerer, who forces me to obey their will.

56. I was once the trusted servant of a cruel overlord but I escaped, and now I am a target.

57. I am a member of the ruling family, but there was a coup and I was forced to flee.

58. A weird cult believes I'm their prophesied savior, and they won’t leave me alone.

59. Whenever I see my reflection, there is a different world in the background. I need to find out why.

60. I have a doppleganger who commits crimes, and I have been getting blamed for them.

61. A beautiful celestial being has starting visiting my dreams, begging for freedom.

62. I am the guardian of a magical forest that's is slowly dying, and I must save it.

63. My feelings can sometimes alter reality, but I can’t control this power.

64. I have a tattoo that can move and change, and it gives me glimpses of the future.

65. A prophet says that the fate of the kingdom depends on my survival, but I don't know why.

66. I am somehow bound to a mythical beast, and I must find a way to sever or strengthen our shared bond.

67. A ghostly figure sometimes appears to warn me of danger, but I’m not sure what it’s motive is.

68. I was once an important member of the ruling elite, but I was falsely branded a traitor. I must restore my honor.

69. My soul is bound to an ancient artifact, and if I lose it I will die. Several people are purusing it.

70. I was once part of a strict religious order and I broke my vows. They now pursue me relentlessly.

71. I carry a strange magic item that's said to be the portal to a hidden realm.

72. Every day at dusk I see a strange and marvelous city hovering above the horizon. No one else can see it.

73. It is said I have inherited a strange and terrible power, and I must learn to master it.

74. When I was born, a prophet said I would one day participate in a battle between the gods.

75. I have learned I am the living key to a magic portal that someone now wants to open.

76. I share my body with the spirit of an ancient warrior who sometimes takes over.

77. A formidable stranger once gave me some cryptic advice, and I want to understand its meaning.

78. I am bound service to a vile being, but I am secretly undermining their grim agenda.

79. My destiny is linked to some upcoming celestial event, and I must prepare myself for it.

80. I possess a rare ability or skill that marks me as a target for various factions.

81. A sorcerer has captured my soul and keeps it imprisoned. I must reclaim it.

82. My beloved has been transformed into a ghostly apparition that is visible only to me.

83. The scions of a forgotten empire are purusing me, since they believe I am the key to restoring their glory.

84. A legendary beast believes I am the reincarnation of its ancient enemy. It is hunting me.

85. I am the servant of a wise and ancient being that is dying. I must find the cure.

86. I died but was brought back to life to deal with some unfinished business.

87. I am destined to face a terrible enemy, but first, I must learn how to defeat them.

88. I discovered that my family owes an ancient debt to a powerful being and it is my responsibilty to repay it.

89. My closest friend betrayed me. I must track them down and discover why.

90. A ghost claims that I am its descendant and must fulfill a quest it failed many years ago.

91. On my birthday each year, a stranger leaves me a cryptic message nudging me towards a mysterious fate.

92. My childhood friend was thought lost but has reappeared, though changed. I must learn why.

93. I come frome a place where time has frozen, and I must learn how to restore things to normal.

94. An old seer foretold that I would bring together two warring clans. I must learn how to fulfill this destiny.

95. One day I woke up and no-one knew who I was; it was as if I were erased from existence.

96. My dreams are tormented by a haunting lullaby. I must find out what it means and stop it.

97. A long-forgotten god has chosen my as their champion. I must learn what this being expects of me.

98. Every evening, I see the stars rearrange themselves into a message, guiding me to an unknown fate.

99. My life is somehow bound to a magic hourglass, and the sands will soon run out.

100. An ancient tapestry shows my likeness as a hero in an unknown war. I must discover what this means.