Aust Diamondew
First Post
They usually run into each other (while traveling, in a dungeon, or literally while they are both running away from some 7ft tall orc whom they pissded off) find out they have common goals and band (or run) together.
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How do you get your 1st level PCs together?
- Thread starter dreaded_beast
- Start date
In my current campaign, only two characters started out knowing each other. The two were
from the local area, the rest were passing through a small village. They all met at the local tavern.
My last campaign the party started out as stone statues, found in the ruins of an old tower. When they were returned to flesh and blood they had no memory of thier former lives, just a vague knowledge of thier abilities and a feeling that they somehow knew one another.
from the local area, the rest were passing through a small village. They all met at the local tavern.
My last campaign the party started out as stone statues, found in the ruins of an old tower. When they were returned to flesh and blood they had no memory of thier former lives, just a vague knowledge of thier abilities and a feeling that they somehow knew one another.
DragonLancer
Adventurer
I like the characters to know one another before hand, whether they worked together (caravan guards, for example) or have spent time together (the old "you start in a tavern").
It makes the game so much smoother when the party already know one another.
It makes the game so much smoother when the party already know one another.
In my current game the 1st level PCs were brought together by a common interest in exploring/looting/rescuing somebody from the Lost City of Barakus, with MonsterMash's Cleric PC as the recruiter. Of the 6 PCs, 2 groups of 2 already knew each other and have specific reasons for exploring Barakus and banding together to do so, with the other 2 PCs not having prior links to anyone else and being interested in it for the excitement & loot.
In my previous game all PCs served a local lord and the scenarios involved running errands for him. I found that with level 10+ PCs this didn't work so well...
In my previous game all PCs served a local lord and the scenarios involved running errands for him. I found that with level 10+ PCs this didn't work so well...
Ed Cha
Community Supporter
I try to tie them into the history of the campaign. Someone they know is somehow related to someone else who plays a role in the world or the world's history. Connections make connections and somehow they all get together in the first session. It takes a while to integrate some PCs though (like maybe a couple of hours or so).
DragonLancer said:
I agree... The most disastrous games I have ever played in both began like:
"You meet the other party members along the road, and decide to travel together (safety in numbers, and all that)! After making camp for the night (something magical happens, transporting the party elsewhere)!"
Grrr! I hate that so much, my PCs refuse to party with other folks met along the road! (There is always a back-stabbing Half-Orc in those parties, anyway!) NEVER AGAIN!
It makes life so much easier (for the GM, as well) if the PCs all have reasons to trust one another. Knowing each other, and being friends, helps with that.
Last edited:
Brund the Decrepit
First Post
Well I guess it would depend on the campaign setting and what the character races are. I too like to have the characters know or know of each other to make things easier and whatnot. Recently I have been toying with an idea that was 1st mentioned on the NG boards. (sorry I forget who's idea the dream battle was)
I am possibly considering at our 1st session for the campaign I am working on (using C&C
) that without any introduction I have the party roll initiative and start a combat that will just about be unwinable. After the combat ends each of the player's characters wakes up in a pool of sweat and rumpled blankets, trying to catch their breath from what was the most realistic dream they have ever had and with a vivid reccollection of the location where the dream took place and of the others that they were fighting along side. I want to use this to bring the characters together at the starting point of the adventure. They will somewhat know each other from the dream and also have a direction in which to begin as they all gather at the location that was seen in the dream.
Anyway, that is just an idea that I need to refine but I thought that the "Hello everyone, ok I need an initiative roll from all of you as all around you goes dark................" would be a rather fun way to get into it.
-Brund
I am possibly considering at our 1st session for the campaign I am working on (using C&C
) that without any introduction I have the party roll initiative and start a combat that will just about be unwinable. After the combat ends each of the player's characters wakes up in a pool of sweat and rumpled blankets, trying to catch their breath from what was the most realistic dream they have ever had and with a vivid reccollection of the location where the dream took place and of the others that they were fighting along side. I want to use this to bring the characters together at the starting point of the adventure. They will somewhat know each other from the dream and also have a direction in which to begin as they all gather at the location that was seen in the dream.Anyway, that is just an idea that I need to refine but I thought that the "Hello everyone, ok I need an initiative roll from all of you as all around you goes dark................" would be a rather fun way to get into it.
-Brund
Steel_Wind
Legend
I think this is campaign dependent. It depends on the kind of campaign you run and the story arcs you develop.
It also depends on the expectations of the players. There are a some players who hate the idea they are part of a pre-planned advanture and want to be wholly controlling their own fate. Being forced into an "artificial" situation (as they see it) is just another aspect of railroading.
Most player groups prefer (or at least willingly accept) a more metaplot themed campaign.
In general: if you have a planned story arc and your players enjoy that sort of game, plan your players' backgrounds and reason for being together and work it into the plot.
If your players are master of their own destiny, we want free-form roleplaying or we-are-going-home types, put them in a bar or some other social situation and let the players work it out.
It also depends on the expectations of the players. There are a some players who hate the idea they are part of a pre-planned advanture and want to be wholly controlling their own fate. Being forced into an "artificial" situation (as they see it) is just another aspect of railroading.
Most player groups prefer (or at least willingly accept) a more metaplot themed campaign.
In general: if you have a planned story arc and your players enjoy that sort of game, plan your players' backgrounds and reason for being together and work it into the plot.
If your players are master of their own destiny, we want free-form roleplaying or we-are-going-home types, put them in a bar or some other social situation and let the players work it out.
just__al
First Post
My latest idea is that I ask the players to try to work each other (or at least some of each other) into their backstories. With that done, I'll generally start In Media Res with a reason they are all where they are that makes sense to their backstories
Nothing starts out a campaign better than some combat that foreshadows things to come.
The last campaign I started features many, many Rakshasa as the key bad guys. The campaign started with a battle between the 2nd level PC's a small contingent of goblins and their Barghest leader. The combat featured a shape shifter so it was minor foreshadowing. Besides, the players thought the battle was a route until the Barghest shifted out of goblin form then they crapped their pants. They were second level and only had one vial of magic weapon oil and no other magic weapons.
The campaign before that, I had 7 PCs, 3 of which were built as savage species monsters. I started the group out with the monsters under the control of an expert with a charm monster wand and the PC's under the hire of a man seeking to retrieve a family heirloom which was hidden in the mountains and he finally got a map to it.
The groups set out seperately and finally met up in a shelter that the kingdom built in the mountains. Battle erupted immediately and the expert was killed and one of the non-monsters and the centaur were almost killed by the frost giant (the only one who spent the entire battle still charmed). With the battle over the human explained that the expert was the one who hid the heirloom and was obviously trying to keep him from getting it. The monsters joined the group out of gratitude for being freed and they eventually find the "heirloom" which was the Human's vampire father who was staked. The Human pulled out the steak, got away thanks to expeditious retreat and the father gasseously escaped since the Paladin was able to keep him at bey with his holy symbol.
That campaign ended with a series of show downs between the son (a sorceror), and his father the vampire cleric who used to be a vampire hunter. Songs will be sung for the PC's that gave their lives to finally put the poor soul to rest in that final showdown.
Nothing starts out a campaign better than some combat that foreshadows things to come.
The last campaign I started features many, many Rakshasa as the key bad guys. The campaign started with a battle between the 2nd level PC's a small contingent of goblins and their Barghest leader. The combat featured a shape shifter so it was minor foreshadowing. Besides, the players thought the battle was a route until the Barghest shifted out of goblin form then they crapped their pants. They were second level and only had one vial of magic weapon oil and no other magic weapons.
The campaign before that, I had 7 PCs, 3 of which were built as savage species monsters. I started the group out with the monsters under the control of an expert with a charm monster wand and the PC's under the hire of a man seeking to retrieve a family heirloom which was hidden in the mountains and he finally got a map to it.
The groups set out seperately and finally met up in a shelter that the kingdom built in the mountains. Battle erupted immediately and the expert was killed and one of the non-monsters and the centaur were almost killed by the frost giant (the only one who spent the entire battle still charmed). With the battle over the human explained that the expert was the one who hid the heirloom and was obviously trying to keep him from getting it. The monsters joined the group out of gratitude for being freed and they eventually find the "heirloom" which was the Human's vampire father who was staked. The Human pulled out the steak, got away thanks to expeditious retreat and the father gasseously escaped since the Paladin was able to keep him at bey with his holy symbol.
That campaign ended with a series of show downs between the son (a sorceror), and his father the vampire cleric who used to be a vampire hunter. Songs will be sung for the PC's that gave their lives to finally put the poor soul to rest in that final showdown.
Rel
Liquid Awesome
I've decided that from now on, unless and until I come up with a better idea, I'm starting every campaign with the words, "Roll Initiative!"
If you think about it, lots of our favorite movies start in media res. All the James Bond movies have a brief "encounter" at the start showing him wrapping up his last mission and Indiana Jones is the same way. So I've decided that to start things off with a bang I'll begin with combat. Then, through the course of the battle, I'll give brief snippets as to how they got in this situation and let things evolve from there.
My current (Eberron) campaign started when the party came to Sharn, all aboard the same ship, all for different reasons. Having met and formed acquaintences aboard the ship they decided to have one last drink together before parting ways. Then a fight broke out in the bar and it turned deadly. After several rounds of battle the city watch broke it up and questioned the PC's. After determining that the fight was started as part of a "gang war", the PC's were offered a chance to make a few bucks by doing a "repraisal raid" on the gang that started it.
And we were off to the races from there.
If you think about it, lots of our favorite movies start in media res. All the James Bond movies have a brief "encounter" at the start showing him wrapping up his last mission and Indiana Jones is the same way. So I've decided that to start things off with a bang I'll begin with combat. Then, through the course of the battle, I'll give brief snippets as to how they got in this situation and let things evolve from there.
My current (Eberron) campaign started when the party came to Sharn, all aboard the same ship, all for different reasons. Having met and formed acquaintences aboard the ship they decided to have one last drink together before parting ways. Then a fight broke out in the bar and it turned deadly. After several rounds of battle the city watch broke it up and questioned the PC's. After determining that the fight was started as part of a "gang war", the PC's were offered a chance to make a few bucks by doing a "repraisal raid" on the gang that started it.
And we were off to the races from there.
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