D&D General Common gaming clichés (and how to subvert them)

[Charlaquin]

Nothing wrong with taverns. Mysterious strangers who want to meet the group (in the tavern) and hand out a mysterious quest - well that gets old fast.

Eh, I think it’s perfectly fine. Maybe not the most novel kickoff, but it gets the job done.

 

[R_J_K75]

Aw, man, don’t be messing with the classic meet-in-a-tavern campaign start! It’s a classic for a reason!

Because even imaginary people like to drink.

 

[Mort]

Eh, I think it’s perfectly fine. Maybe not the most novel kickoff, but it gets the job done.

One time perhaps. When it's the same group but doing a new campaign? Time to change things up.

Or if it's a veteran group in general, they've all seen this opening - change it up!

 

[R_J_K75]

Mysterious strangers who want to meet the group (in the tavern) and hand out a mysterious quest - well that gets old fast.

Where else are they supposed to meet? If mysterious stranger just gave out their name and address to any old group of adventurers they wouldn't remain mysterious stranger for very long.

 

[aco175]

You all start off as prisoners in an underground jail cell with no memory of how you got there....

Maybe to speed this up, have a drow lackey sneak some of the PCs equipment to them and aid them in escaping so they can overthrow the captors. Unknown is that the lackey wants to take over the slave ring at a later time.

 

[Stormonu]

Instead of starting in the tavern and no one knows one another...

PCs have all received engraved invitations to meet at a nearby manor house. The only occupant is a butler who leads them all to a decked-out drawing room. There they find starting equipment that is tailor-made for them.

At that point, the butler reads from a group will - the characters forebearers, who had adventured together have left instructions for these specific individuals to be found and brought together to seek out a threat that is destined to return from a hundred year banishment/sleep.

The house is a safe haven for the character’s use between adventures, the butler is knowledgeable and helpful in the character’s employ, and secret rooms/caches are hidden within that reveal themselves as the campaign plays out.

 

[Mort]

Yeah, starting with the PCs never having met before is generally ill-advised, whether you start in a tavern or elsewhere. (I’ll admit to it being a guilty pleasure of mine anyway though.)

I always start with a session 0 so players can brainstorm some ideas on their group - even if the idea is they don't know each other.

Also helps avoid the cliché of the "lone wolf who plays by his own rules..."

 

[Charlaquin]

One time perhaps. When it's the same group but doing a new campaign? Time to change things up.

Sure, variety is a good thing.

Or if it's a veteran group in general, they've all seen this opening - change it up!

Meh. Again, classic for a reason. If this veteran group is so jaded they object to classic D&D tropes like this... I dunno, I guess they can have fun however they like, but I don’t get it.

 

[Charlaquin]

I always start with a session 0 so players can brainstorm some ideas on their group - even if the idea is they don't know each other.

Also helps avoid the cliché of the "lone wolf who plays by his own rules..."

Absolutely. That way if not knowing each other is a thing the players want, they can decide that together. No one is forced into it.

 

[R_J_K75]

Also helps avoid the cliché of the "lone wolf who plays by his own rules..."

Cliche...lone wolf who plays by his own rules until they need healing.