[Crazy Ivan]

As a player in any system, when designing background for a character, it is something that is nice to be used by the GM for something somewhere in the plot/storyline/campaign..

But how much is the right amount?

Primarily, there is the elements of
-How much effort did the player put into it?
-How much does  the GM do to even look at it?
-Are there any hooks, feasible to the system?
-How does the rest of the party feel about surrendering spotlight time to another characters plothook?

I'm just curious how different groups handle it. Personally, I will create a background, but I try to resolve it where it fits certain criteria-
-Hooks are easy to throw at the character, but not exclusively obvious.
-I should be able to play the character effectively without having to read a small novel to the other players so they 'get' the backstory.
-Character should be believable. A person, not just a collection of numbers. Upbringing, goals, rise and falls, and mentality are all important.

[GiraffeShaman]

Generally, a good background is a reason to reward someone by incorporating it into the campaign, if at all possible. It doesn't need to be over a page or two to be good though, and going over that often means it's padded with stupid stuff.

The typical player I found you have to push a bit. And the old 20 questions is a good way to go about it. You can literally force players to have a background with this device, by putting them on the spot, even if they don't want a background. I haven't met a player yet who will refuse to answer the questions, even if some of them will be grudging about it.

[All4BigGuns]

Honestly, I think the bare skeleton that comes from having a character idea at all is plenty. Anything more runs too much risk of the effort put into it being completely wasted.

[raggedhalo]

I think that the "right amount" is something to negotiate between the GM and the player - unless you particularly enjoy doing it, there's no point writing stuff that the GM won't use.  So talking about it first and establishing what's appropriate prevents both the GM being frustrated that the player didn't contribute anything and the player being frustrated that the GM didn't use their 500-page novel.

[raggedhalo]

I haven't met a player yet who will refuse to answer the questions, even if some of them will be grudging about it.

I offer my players 5 Karma for completing them.  Works every time!

[Irian]

Honestly, I think the bare skeleton that comes from having a character idea at all is plenty. Anything more runs too much risk of the effort put into it being completely wasted.

As the background helps me understand my own character, I pretty much do it anyway. If the GM uses it, great, otherwise I can still use it myself. Of course, during the first seasons, I will probably continue to work on it, include things that suddenly developed in the game (because I always see my characters' backgrounds evolving when starting to really play them).

[emsquared]

Primarily, there is the elements of
-How much effort did the player put into it?
-How much does  the GM do to even look at it?
-Are there any hooks, feasible to the system?
-How does the rest of the party feel about surrendering spotlight time to another characters plothook?

Personally, I think it's more important to have a well developed character than a well developed background.

You can write 10 pages about a PC, but if you're just "RPing" yourself, what have you really done? You might as well just bullet point a bunch of random thoughts and be done with it. Similarly, if you only write a paragraph about your PC, but have a well defined notion of how they look, think and conduct themselves, it can say so much about the PC that the background writes itself.

I'll usually develop my PCs background in a couple of sentences and provide the DM/GM with 1 "hook" about my PC, because that's the most I'd ever incorporate from any single PC as a DM/GM myself. Much more than that and you're getting into the realm of mental masturbation, IMO. You don't need to be able to recite your PCs hometown, date of birth, and blood type and all that rot to know who they are. Which isn't to say that sometimes it's appropriate, but it's not needed for every PC or even most.

[martinchaen]

Forgive my ignorance, but what are "the 20 questions"? I like the 5 karma idea, neat!

[RelentlessImp]

Forgive my ignorance, but what are "the 20 questions"? I like the 5 karma idea, neat!

They were a questionnaire included (at the very least) in one 4E book (and I believe in books in earlier editions, not sure which ones).

They consist of:

1) What's your heritage?
2) What would your parents say about you?
3) What historical events does your character remember?
4) How did you get into shadowrunning, and why?
5) What is your living space like?
6) What are your beliefs / convictions (if any) and why do you hold them?
7) what do you think is your most annoying / worst trait?
8 ) What megacorp do you like the most? the Least? Why?
9) How did you come to know your contacts?
10) What do you do on a day off?
11) How did you come to learn your skills at your present proficiency?
12) Are there any moral limits on what jobs you take or things you'll do?
13) How do you view magic / technomantic abilities?
14) How do you view augmentation / implantation?
15) What do you think of ordinary life and those who live it?
16) What would be a bad nightmare for you? Any deep-rooted fears? Why is it so frightening to you?
17) What is your 'sacred object' or 'close one', and how did they become so important to you?
18) What did you want to become as a child, and what are your goals now?
19) What does your character look like, and what inspired her choices?
20) How did you get your street name?

[martinchaen]

RelentlessImp; Thanks!

[Irian]

Similarly, if you only write a paragraph about your PC, but have a well defined notion of how they look, think and conduct themselves, it can say so much about the PC that the background writes itself.

Ok, how they look, sure,  but how they think and conduct themselves... Personally, I made the experience, that my characters never seem to survive the first session without changing at least a little bit from their concept. So I don't try to fix it extremely, just the generic direction and then see how he really is when playing him.

I'll usually develop my PCs background in a couple of sentences and provide the DM/GM with 1 "hook" about my PC, because that's the most I'd ever incorporate from any single PC as a DM/GM myself.

Personally, as a GM, I would like more than one, but that's probably personal choice.

[GiraffeShaman]

As the background helps me understand my own character, I pretty much do it anyway. If the GM uses it, great, otherwise I can still use it myself. Of course, during the first seasons, I will probably continue to work on it, include things that suddenly developed in the game

Yes, I find my best characters from a good background, as it tells me why they act like the act, and sometimes gives me ideas how they will act. And that's all it needs to do really, and so it can be quite short if it's serving it's function. It's other function is to give the GM hooks, but this is a secondary function and an optional one.

My shaman character Skyscraper was a Salish kid that ran away from a rich boarding school in Seattle where he was being harassed due to his race and extreme height and skininess. He was also nearly killed by a dog pack at one point, which is how his Awakened powers manifested. These events pretty much guide how the character interacts with the world and lead to a skittish nature. Skyscraper didn't become a coward because he was a Giraffe shaman. The Giraffe totem found him because his had this skittish nature already, which fit in with the totem's belief system. He doesn't trust predators of any kind, which all metahumans potentially are. (Giraffe shamans fear confrontations of all kinds, to a greater degree even than Rat shamans for example)

Because I view background as important is why I harass my players about it sometimes. I'm not a dictator about it though. I don't require them to write even a sentence down. I just grill them a bit verbally and I have a fairly good memory about such things. I don't require hooks either, that's optional. I just want to know a bit about who the hell this is.

Keep in mind you don't have to stick with the traditional and official 20 questions. In fact, I haven't read them in quite some time and I just ask whatever comes to my mind. I usually start like Sigmund Freud, and have them tell me about their parents.

[emsquared]

Similarly, if you ... have a well defined notion ... it can say so much about the PC that the background writes itself.

... my characters never seem to survive the first session without changing at least a little bit from their concept. So I don't try to fix it extremely, just the generic direction and then see how he really is when playing him.

A "well defined notion" is not "immutably fixed in stone". I would agree that it usually takes me a few sessions to really find my PCs "voice". I just use my PCs characteristics to tell his story instead of a story, that's all.

[TsuiPen]

What has not been mentioned: I think it is very important to make players choose names for those background connections (loved ones, enemies, etc)! Not just like "this corporate asshole framed me", make them choose a name (using celebrity names helps if they struggle to come up with ideas, even using random name generators is fine) - it gives the GM the opportunity to just let the name appear somewhere... it will ring a bell... and a player at your table suddenly sits very upright!

[Ghoulfodder]

I create a character background for the sense of the character and the fun of it. By its very nature there'll usually be a hook or two either for the GM to work in, or for the character to try to pursue in game. I tend to keep things fairly broad with a couple of specifics, because the character tends to develop a little as the group gels and I find out more about the game.

It's a good idea to know what your GM is trying to do, in a broad sense, as any background needs to be compatable with their game plan.

I wouldn't put anything in a background I wasn't  happy for the GM to use. Or at least if you want to have it stay background say so and they can tell you if that's cool.

As an example, here's my current character's background:
Jack is bland. He has no distinguishing features and is just an average looking Ork. Even his tusks are remarkably average. He wears a dusty trench coat over cheap work shirts and jeans. He wears scuffed work boots.

Originally known as Doug Lomax, Jack started out as a comfortable security guard for Minutemen Security at a bank. He volunteered for a pioneering new procedure for giving people Orthoskin being tested by a Mega Corp. It was designed to be both quicker and cheaper. Unfortunately, about two thirds of the way through the treatment there were complications which resulted in a sideaffect removing all blemishes and distinguishing marks from Jack's body and leaving him looking like a symmetrical and perfectly average Ork. 
When investigating this sideaffect the Corp discovered that Jack had been buying Cram from a street gang and blamed the effect on the drug. They also sacked him for using unlicenced and illegally obtained substances. Down on his luck and hopped out of his head on Cram, Jack decided to get revenge by holding up the delivery truck to his former work place. In his drugged state he believed that his new Orthoskin made him bullet proof. This wasn't entirely true, although it did save his life when the security guard shot him with her Colt Manhunter. Once he got out of hospital, he was prosecuted for robbery and sent to prison for two years. 
When Jack got out, he immediately began creating a new identity as Jack Blackstone P.I. who makes most of his nuyen running the shadows.

Jack's card says
"Jack Blackstone. Private Investigator.
Lost Found. Surveillance. Critters Gone. Wrongs Righted. Bounties Hunted. No Abductions."

His contacts include a KE Det Sgt, who used to be his boss at Minuteman, but moved over to Lone Star to do law enforcement and then got transferred to KE.  And a Ganger who acts as his dealer. He got off so lightly, because he also has a pal at K-SAF who was asking awkward questions, so he got a small severance package and only short Time. He really dislikes ARES, who were developing the new Orthoskin treatment and so he believes screwed up his life. He's a bit of a rip off of Dresden, but without magic.

It's not much, but it gives me and the GM a sense of where the character's come from, what he wants, how he acts and where he's going. And it's expanded in my head as things go.