D&D 5E Goals for a party - why should they even go anywhere together?

[Magzimum]

I'm a newbie player in D&D, and I just started writing some scenarios/quests for fun.

I notice everywhere that typical parties are formed by a real ragtag of characters (because everybody just chooses whatever they want), ranging from chaotic to lawful and from good to evil. What could be some good examples of ultimate goals for a quest that would unite a random selection of players? I cannot come up with a single goal...

Currently, I am thinking of an evil character who is also really rich and in possession of some powerful items. That should attract the good guys to kill him for reasons of justice/honor/etc., and the neutral/evil ones to get the loot and the powerful items. How do the more experienced DMs solve this obvious problem? the two solutions that I can think of have obvious disadvantages:
1. Limit the alignments that are allowed in a quest, so that everyone has the same or comparable motivation: not nice for the role-players.
2. Work with multiple parallel goals for all players so that completely different characters will at least go the same direction, and fight the same monsters: not nice for the DM, it's complicated enough as it is.
3. (is there a 3rd way?)

I searched online, but I probably did not figure out the currect keywords because I didn't find an answer.

 

[iserith]

I start by communicating two very simple premises to the players while they are thinking up their characters:

1. Your characters all know each other, have history together that we will flesh out, and trust each other at least enough to go on dangerous adventures together. They don't have to be best friends, but they've got each other's backs. Establish your character ties accordingly.

2. Regardless of alignment, class, background, backstory, race, or personal characteristics, your character has a reason to engage with the content that I am presenting. You are free to establish what reasons those are.

Then, I provide a list of "character ties" taken from Dungeon World for the players to establish with the other PCs. In some campaigns, playing up those character ties is worth Inspiration. Alternatively, if the PCs are starting at a higher level than 1st level, I ask them to choose two other PCs and briefly describe an adventure they undertook together in the past.

If you do this, everyone's goals will be in line with the adventure scenario or campaign you're presenting and the characters will have reasons to work with each other. A side benefit is that it also creates a lot of context that the players can use to make decisions for their characters and interact with the other PCs more smoothly.

 

[KahlessNestor]

Isterith gave some great ideas. Work them up in a Session 0. You can also do what Organized Play does and have all characters as members of an organization. They may or may not know each other, but all share the goals of the organization and go one the mossions it sends them to.

Sent from my SM-G900P using EN World mobile app

 

[ad_hoc]

They work together because that is the game.

Typically the only rule you really need to have is to not have any evil characters in the party. The players all know it is a cooperative game about going on adventures. They should make a character compatible with that.

 

[GMMichael]

1. Your characters all know each other, have history together that we will flesh out, and trust each other at least enough to go on dangerous adventures together. They don't have to be best friends, but they've got each other's backs. Establish your character ties accordingly.

This. Characters who have no relationships have no obligation to each other. They don't all need to be part of the same group, but at least there will be relationships tying the small groups together. It's one thing to hang out with complete strangers at a party, and a Completely Different Thing to expect complete strangers to stick their necks out for each other.

Some players say, "hey! I'm a loner! You can't force relationships on me!" These players should probably be playing video games instead.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

In my games its not really an issue, the players can make up some grand reason if they want, or they are a bunch of adventurers and tomb robbers who met at a bar and got drunk and decided that going into the Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun is a good idea. They sure wouldn't go in there sober after all.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Oofta]

I'll just echo the session 0 statements and throw in some of my own.

Do you allow evil?
Decide whether or not you want to allow evil characters. Some people enjoy playing and DMing for them, but I don't so I don't allow them. I also know that one of my players (my lovely wife) will always want to play a good character and it's not fair to her to force her character to play with someone her character would never associate with. If you can't decide have a secret vote. If even one person doesn't want to allow evil characters, don't allow them. I keep hearing about these amazing groups that were all evil, but I've never seen it work. Your mileage may vary.

Don't be a jerk.
Never assume that someone isn't going to bring a narcissistic, chaotic character who's only goal seems to be causing disruption in the group. If you want to be a griefer, play a video game. Along these lines, I simply don't allow PVP theft, murder or other shenanigans (unless someone is being controlled). I've seen hurt feelings between players (not just their characters) because the party rogue decides they're a kleptomaniac. Just say no.

It's all about relationships.
Everyone in the party should know at least one other person in the party. They don't have to all know each other, but usually they should know at least one other person even if only as a distant cousin or someone they know by reputation. I have occasionally thrown people together by having them being raw recruits in a nation about to be invaded but I'm more likely to have a couple of sessions of them as children.

Why are you an adventurer?
Every PC should have an answer for this. Gold? Glory? The greater good? Because you ran away and you need to do something to survive?

Set the scene.
As a DM, you need to give your players a broad overall picture of the type of campaign you're envisioning. Don't write a novella on your background (or if you do, don't make it required reading) but give them a rough idea. "It's a time of war, when orcs threaten to destroy your peaceful kingdom..." is enough. It should be a paragraph or two at most. I give information I think the commoner on the street would know, which often isn't much.

Listen to your players.
I'm not talking about just listening to feedback when you explicitly ask for it, but also pay attention when they chat among each other. I've gotten some of my best ideas from players when they say things and think I'm not paying attention.

Have fun, and don't sweat the small stuff
Different groups game for different reasons. For some it's just an opportunity to roll some dice while eating junk food and talking about their daily lives. For others it's about building a deep fantasy world where when you are at the table you are Torg the Barbarian who has never heard of this "football game" of which you speak. Let the group guide you as much as you guide them and try to find a balance.

Just remember that nobody is a perfect DM. If people are engaged and having fun you are doing it right. Good luck!

 

[Kalshane]

While I don't require all the characters to already know each other, I do ask the players to work together so each character has something in common with at least two other characters: that can be anything from a shared background, to a shared interest or goal or even a hobby.

One thing that's nice about the Pathfinder APs is they have either campaign traits that the PCs have to take that tie them to the start of the adventure (and also give some minor perks) or set things up to bring the disparate characters together, or both.

Ultimately though, it's a matter of talking to your players and making sure they buy-in to the fact that it's a team game and are also willing to make a character that has some sort of stake in the adventure/campaign you are planning. Nothing is more frustrating then spending half of every session trying to convince the "I'm a loner" or "I'm only in it for myself" character to go on the adventure.

There's no problem with saying as a DM "I don't want characters like that at my table." Especially since that's a pretty selfish thing for a player to do. Knowing it's a team game and therefor the other characters are required to bring their stick-in-the-mud/backstabber along even if their characters would likely decide that person wasn't worth the bother and go recruit someone that actually aligns with their party goals.