Do your pcs start out knowing each other

[dontpunkme]

Do your pcs start out knowing each other or are they all strangers?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

It depends. Usually, its easier for me as a DM if they have characters that know each other but sometimes its nice to watch them meet for the first time and get the whole 'first impressions' thing to cloud thier opinions of each other.

 

[dontpunkme]

I'm asking this because I usually prefer the last option of starting out with a limited number of pc's who bulk up their numbers by befriending npc's (who sometimes turn out to be other players' pcs). This creates interesting plotlines as usually the npc in question is played the first session or two by me to keep the characters true player a secret and to discourage metagame thinking (i.e. John's our friend and he's playing this fighter, obviously we should ask him to join us) I really love using this technique to trick my players into befriending someone who is in all reality a villain who usually leads them to a tpk the first chance he gets.

 

[ackron]

Generally I go with no, but they are united by an outside force for a specific goal. The only exception is if players want to come up with specific complamentary backstories together, then they can start out knowing each other.

 

[Zappo]

It depends a lot on the specific campaign. Generally speaking, a campaign designed to be short tends to start with characters that already know themselves, to save time and get started as soon as possible; for a long campaign, instead, I prefer to roleplay how the heroes met each other the first time, though for practical reasons I make sure that the party doesn't stay separated for long. There are exceptions to these cases though... it really depends on what I'm planning.

 

[nHammer]

Most of the time I prefer to have some connection between a few of the characters.

 

[Bagpuss]

Usually although they don't all know each other, say a couple will know each other and there would be one loner, then another 2 or 3 that know each other. It depends on the back stories the players come up with.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Usually, we have some loose affiliation (a.k.a. lame plot hook) before an adventure starts.

The nice little twist last time was that we all ended up playing humans or elves, so the DM started us as two different groups and we met "on the road" - at least it wasn't in the inn!

 

[Kalendraf]

I voted loose affiliation, as it's the general mode that a majority of my campaigns have started under. In general, most players seem to find that way fairly easy to go with, and from a roleplaying standpoint, it cuts down on long lengthy introductions and awkward periods of getting to know each other.

When using the options where they don't know each other, I've actually seen characters fight one another in the very first session, or just refuse to team up, calling it "in character". Not a great way to start a campaign, when it degrades into a pissing contest between PCs.

At least I don't resort to the "you meet at the tavern" cliche intro. Instead, I usually have the characters share some element in their recent past or present such as sharing the same employer, customers of the same shop, friends of a missing person, etc. While those can be equally simple, it's at least an improvement, IMHO.

 

[Tonguez]

Yes 1 friends from the same village, orphans raised by the same Church hospice
& Yes 2 members of the same religious order, performers in a Circus troupe