Favorite way to begin a game?

[Wombat]

Backgrounds, families, reason for the group to be together, favourite tavern, etc. -- all of this is created before the game even begins.

Probably my favourite way to start a game is with minor "flashbacks" to earlier times when the characters have gotten together in the past (run small schticks to get everyone in the "feel") and then move to present time, when they all know each other, and have them brought together by some authority figure for a specific purpose.

[Yeah, both "authority figure" and "specific purpose" are vague -- alters radically depending on the game used and the setting]

 

[Liolel]

Spoiler for anyone playing in the cithen islands (not that I think any of my players browse these boards_

My next adventure is going to start in a inn in a city. But not in the typical way. The party is sleeping, when they are awakened by a trap going off in the course of a robbery of a nearby wizards tower. The party may just go back to sleep or they may run out to investigate where they end up battling some thugs the thieves hired to guard their escape.

Once the scene is done, the wizard in the tower will hire their help to retrieve what was stolen whether the party came to the wizards attention because they battled the thugs, or the party was just nearby.

 

[Crothian]

I perfer everyone already knowing each other or at least a few PCs like that. It seems doubtful that so many people would risk their lives adventureing with complete strangers.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Do you prefer to have the characters meet one another at the start or start already knowing one another?

Both methods work all right, I have a D20 Modern campaign planned where the PCs all are random people who responded to a focus group ad for a company. After their first weird experience, they are hired by a company to investigate strange things that happen on company property and provide security for company operations.

 

[nopantsyet]

I have one rule about how I start a new campaign: Something different every time.

 

[Glyfair]

I do have a favorite method for starting a campaign. Unforunately, it is very hard to arrange and I've never been 100% successful in doing so.

What I like to do is get the basic backgrounds of the characters in advance. I encourage the players to create characters that have ties to other characters (a brother & sister, for example), but it's not necessary.

Once I have the characters, I engineer a beginning encounter where the group as a whole meets for the first time. The encounter introduces and important campaign element and give the players a reason to be together.

Having the backgrounds in advance lets me customize the reasons they work together. For example, two characters might be bounty hunters hunting down a criminal. They find the criminal assaulting another character and get involved there. After apprehending the criminal and trying to take him to justice they are arrested by a corrupt official and meet another character in jail. Within the first half hour I gradually, but quickly, work in the characters and their motivations for working together.

Unfortunately, I've been unable to get a group where I've been able to get all the backgrounds in advance. Still, when it comes close to working, it's magic.

 

[Nifft]

Something different every time.

Okay, but which did you like best so far? (which is your favorite?)

-- N

 

[Mark]

I ran a large group one time (nine players) where I had each character know only two of the others at the beginning so that it was an actual "circle of friends"

 

[Mark]

I have one rule about how I start a new campaign: Something different every time.

If you don't have a favorite, give us a list of some of the ones that the players seemed to like best. This is becoming a good DMing Advice thread to help people get their games started.

 

[DragonLancer]

What is your favorite way to begin a game?

Do you like the "You're all in a tavern" scenario?

Do you prefer to have the characters meet one another at the start or start already knowing one another?

Do you like the characters to be fairly fleshed out at the beginning or to build them at the first session or to build them as you progress through a campaign?

Other options?

To begin a campaign I like to have everyone know one another. It makes it much simpler that way, even if the players are told that they have known each other for only a couple weeks. It saves the hassles of players trying to awkwardly roleplay a first meeting.

I am also in the minority, as I like the start in the tavern for a campaign. I don't use it all the time but its something that players (especially newbies) can pick up on easily.

I like to have a character background, but only the basics. I don't like characters having personal plot up the wazzo which is what usually happens in my experience.