I’ve heard about this thing that some groups use called a 3 by 3 or sometimes a 3×3x3. I’m calling it the “3–by” as a shortcut. Plus the other descriptions are confusing. It’s an interesting system used in character creation to flesh out character backgrounds and give GMs ideas for campaign story arcs.

The 3-by system apparently came out of a Serenity RPG online forum but I first heard it being used by the Rolemonkeys although it wasn’t until a recent Game Master Show podcast on character creation that I picked up enough details to fill in the rest.

The 3-by system is for enhancing character backgrounds. Those of you familiar with Firefly and Serenity know that the characters are the show and that everyone has a history. So it is only natural that Serenity RPG players would concoct a system to develop this in their characters. The 3-by system uses the old adage “A man is best known by the company he keeps” as a tactic for character development. Here is how it works. Once you have made your character you then design NPCs that have been important in your characters life. You want to make 3 allies/friends, 3 rivals/enemies, and 3 contacts. You don’t need to make full characters in fact you shouldn’t make any stats or anything like that. You’ll leave that up to the GM as he decides to incorporate them into his game. For each non-player character, you should answer the following questions:

What is their name?

Sometimes the hardest part. Often a nickname will do fine. This also gives the GM a chance to make the NPC more than they seemed with a scary name. After all that nice elf over there who everyone’s been calling “Dom” might actually be Dominic Michael St. Montroc Diego of the St. Montroc aristocrats and the Diego crime family.

Where are they from?

In some campaigns you can be specific like “He has a shop on the corner of Sulmoor St and Whaelgond Way in Waterdeep’s North Ward” while in some worlds you might have to be vague “He’s from back home.” This is also an opportunity to include racial and nationalistic information. “He’s a French Elf who served Napoleon and now sells cell phones out of a cart in the mall.”

What do they do?

In most settings this will be a profession “He’s a Lawman” but sometimes it will be more exotic. “He’s a collector of secrets.” This is a good time to mention organizations they are affiliated with; especially ones that could end up helping or hindering the PCs. Especially if said organization includes Ninjas.

What is their relationship to your character?

This is where you can elaborate on what makes them an ally or an enemy. It can be defined by one incident, “I killed his brother and now he’s out for revenge,” or by a pattern of behavior, “We constantly pull pranks on each other. It’s how we express our affection.” This one really defines the NPCs role in the PCs life so it is the most important.

Where was the last place your character saw them?

It could be something dramatic “We just had a fight and I walked out on him” or mundane “I saw him just last night at the pub.” This is a good clue for how the GM can use the NPC. It could be something happening at the place where the PC last saw them but it would also allow for a surprise if the NPC shows up far away from there.

What mannerisms or quirks do they have?

This is a good way to make the NPCs distinct. It could be prop based “He always has a coin that he does tricks with when he’s nervous” or it could have something to do with the way they talk “He speaks only in Iambic Pentameter.” The trick is to make it distinct and not too bizarre (like that last example.) It also gives a way for the PCs to pick up on their involvement. Either recognizing it from another NPCs description or seeing it first hand it is a great way to get the PC hooked. Just remember that if it is somehow speech affecting the GM is going to have to represent that. Make it easy for them and they are more likely to try it.

You don’t have answer all of these questions immediately. Take your time. You can start with just a few and then as you flesh out your characters background you can fill in your 3×3. But once you are done you’ll have given the GM 9 NPCs that are important to your character. Not only that but by showing the GM what is important to your character you are showing him/her what is important to you and what you want to get out of the campaign. It gets the players thinking about their characters backgrounds and personalities. They have to decide where they came from and who is important to them.

As someone who always tried to make elaborate back stories for my characters I think the 3-by system is excellent. It makes it more accessible to those who might be intimidated by the freeform “write a paragraph” systems I’ve seen before. It gives some structure and breaks it up into manageable chunks. It also contributes more directly to the future of the campaign; much more so than the 20 or 30 character background questions that White Wolf used to encourage in their systems.

Oh and since this system came out of the Serenity RPG, that’s an excuse to include this pic of the Babes of Serenity: