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Message: <blockquote data-quote="vagabundo" data-source="post: 5298003" data-attributes="member: 55864">I've had this problem and I've come to the conclusion you need to start the campiagn with how you wish things to be.So the very first session should have very little combat (combat is always easy to add). Mostly character roleplaying (maybe a fight at the end or skill challenge). And, if your players are anything like mine, you need to engage them with some structure and lots of story hooks that for their characters backgrounds. I think the reason a lot of players like combat is that it is very structured.There are people on these board who can give some advice to getting this structure, but it involves lots of DM questions or activities (it sounds like some training excercise, but it can be fun).- Give a very brief summary of the setting and some background - do not overload, keep it simple and to the point.- Do a round table and get a concept/race from each of the players that they would like to play. Make suggestions here about race combos or concepts and how they fit in the setting, but don't say no unless you really have to.- Do another round table and get them to create a for name their character and create a connection to another players character. Do this three times, each time the player must pick another players character. BAM they have a shared history.- Have some prepared hooks ready and connect into the new story the players have created.- Now play out a scene from their history and use iconic elements from the setting. The scene should be mostly role playing and, occasionally roll dice, allow the players to have a +1 or +2 if they say they have a high score in something (make them make a note of it). Set your DC's to stun ^H^H err low for this level 0 scene. The 4e DMG2 have some premo advice from robin laws on doing these types of scenes, but if you don't have access to 4e I'm sure there are some good blogs articles around.- Now do character creations and get all your stats.- Then do the opening scene of the adventure or role play some more random scenes with strong links to the iconic bits of the setting and hopefully everyone has a nice idea of the links that bind them as a group and to the setting. Remember there needs to be conflict, but this does not mean just combat. You cant just have them wander about aimlessly.*- End this session on a nice plot hook cliff hanger and hopefully they will want mOAR PLZ.***Do another round table and get them to create a backup character concept here, somehow linked to the first character, but keep it vague. So maybe a sibling or close friend who is also an adventurer, maybe in a different class. But do not spend too much time on this concept so as not to take away from the main character. This backup character will only be wheeled out if the grim reaper has his dirty, little way.** Before the next session you can start an email thread with them and drip feed some setting information related to the cliff hanger and plot. Hopefully they will be invested in their characters and see them as living, breathing things. Anyway just some idea's that have been poking around in my head the last few weeks. I've done something like this on a smaller scale before and it worked well, but this is much grander. I'm sure there are other good round table questions you can ask:- What does your character wear when not in armour and wearing his 6ft greatsword. Does he have a dagger in his boot?- What hobbies, professions does your character have before becoming an adventurer.And then the dreaded:- What are your character long term, short term goals? Traits, blah blah..</blockquote>

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