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<blockquote data-quote="The Shaman" data-source="post: 5476595" data-attributes="member: 26473">Is there any reason why the surprise can't involve someone or something they've already encountered during the campaign?In my experience, the strongest connection between the events of the campaign, the adventurers, and the players is forged through shared experiences during actual play. Character backstory events never happened - they're whole-cloth fiction created before the game starts. (The same is true of the referee's campaign backstory, btw.) But the events at the table are shared by all, and they are real to all of the players and their characters, at least to the extent which anything can be considered 'real' in a roleplaying game. The real backstory begins on the first game-night.So, for me at least, pulling characters out of a fictional past that no one experienced, including the person who wrote it, is inherently weaker than pulling a character out of the past shared by everyone around the table. &quot;My character's sister was abducted by baron de Bauchery when he was a boy,&quot; is inferior to, &quot;That hot merchant's daughter my character has his eye on was abducted by baron de Bauchery last Saturday night.&quot; In both cases you get to call upon character background to create your surprise, but in the latter case this is background in which everyone at the table - all of the players and the referee - created in actual play, and to which, in my experience, they are more likely to have an emotional connection.I wouldn't see a problem rolling with the 'omen of impending catastrophe,' provided it's vague and non-specific as to the nature of the catastrophe. I personally would be cautious about introducing family for the fatherless child, but obviously you know your players better than I do.Now I need to visit the thrift store and see if I can find a Nehru jacket.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="The Shaman, post: 5476595, member: 26473"] Is there any reason why the surprise can't involve someone or something they've already encountered during the campaign? In my experience, the strongest connection between the events of the campaign, the adventurers, and the players is forged through shared experiences during actual play. Character backstory events never happened - they're whole-cloth fiction created before the game starts. (The same is true of the referee's campaign backstory, btw.) But the events at the table are shared by all, and they are real to all of the players and their characters, at least to the extent which anything can be considered 'real' in a roleplaying game. The real backstory begins on the first game-night. So, for me at least, pulling characters out of a fictional past that no one experienced, including the person who wrote it, is inherently weaker than pulling a character out of the past shared by everyone around the table. "My character's sister was abducted by baron de Bauchery when he was a boy," is inferior to, "That hot merchant's daughter my character has his eye on was abducted by baron de Bauchery last Saturday night." In both cases you get to call upon character background to create your surprise, but in the latter case this is background in which everyone at the table - all of the players and the referee - created in actual play, and to which, in my experience, they are more likely to have an emotional connection.I wouldn't see a problem rolling with the 'omen of impending catastrophe,' provided it's vague and non-specific as to the nature of the catastrophe. I personally would be cautious about introducing family for the fatherless child, but obviously you know your players better than I do. Now I need to visit the thrift store and see if I can find a Nehru jacket. [/QUOTE]

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