Introducing new characters

[rgard]

With the over-the-top evil game we just wrapped up (two sessions, three PC deaths, one unfinished module and a relieved DM -- me!) I actually encouraged one of the players to do worse than that. His evil stonechild had been slain, and the PCs had no diamonds and no way out of where they were.

Me: "Why don't you make a pacifist character whose entire worldly possessions consist of diamonds?"

He wound up with several thousand GP of diamonds and black onyx, and the rest of his possessions as outfits -- he was a travelling merchant who was trapped in the same place as the party, and he lasted just long enough to fail his fortitude save.

Needless to say, we were really not taking it seriously.

Seriously or not, it's still fun!

 

[DreadArchon]

I prefer to introduce statless NPC's during the game, such that if PC's die I can say "Okay, stat the guy you were getting directions from, he's joining the group."

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

My first post really didn't answer the OP's question. Just confirmed what he was already concerned about. Let's try it again.

From my recollection of new characters joining the party, one of the most welcomed was a halfling that the party found in a dungeon they were trapped in. They were approaching a pile of rubble in a cave. The new PC was hiding behind the rubble from the nasty monsters in the dungeon. I let him know that he could see the PCs and described each of them from his hiding place to which he tells me he jumps up on the pile of rocks in front of him and shouts, "Happy day! I'm saved!"

The rest of the players just started laughing. The character had such an open, friendly demeoner that they were immediately taken with him and welcomed him into their party.

Just an example of one way of going about it. Try the direct opposite of sneaky and secretive and you're on the right track.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Eh, to me it really doesn't matter. At the table top, the players mostly want to get on with the adventure. I have no problems with a bit of metagaming where the players say, "Okay, our characters can all trust one another" and they are willing to suspend reality in that regard. They don't remember how they joined the group ... the memories are made after they join. So get to the important part.

However, not all games are like that. Some groups cannot suspect that aspect of reality. If that's the case, then take some of the advice above. Additionally, not all groups want to play characters that work together as a team. If that's also true, then take some of the advice above.

 

[Shadowslayer]

We had a new guy come in right in the middle of I6 Ravenloft. The DM ruled that his character was in one of the holding cells in the lower catacombs, and that he didn't remember how he got there. We had to play it out when we found him.

"Oh, ya don't know how you got here eh? Do you even remember what you look like? HERE!" (mirror is shoved in his face)
Cleric: "hope you don't have a problem with my GOD!"
(holy symbol forcefully thrust at him...he's still locked in the cell at this point)
Group has a huddle.
Goes back to prisoner.
"Suppose you wouldn't mind chowing down some of this garlic, huh?"
(munch munch)
"Hm. Here's some water to wash it down"
(holy water is produced...glug glug...character (not player) is in tears by now)
"Ok guys, I think he's clean. Trin, (me) pick that lock and get him out of there."
I blew my lockpicking roll.

I don't remember how we eventually got him out of there.

Anyway, thats nothing about nothing, but it was pretty funny at the time.

Now my rule is that if there's a logical insertion point, fine, but if not, just introduce the character and get on with the game. If you're the kind of player where this approach would blow it for you, then the game's probably been blown for you ten times over, up to this point. So what's the diff?

 

[hafrogman]

I'd suggest working with the DM on that question. I assume he asked you to prepare a background story, if so you could perhaps discuss with him how your background could have some quest linked to it that would merge with the party's quest.

Better yet, if at all possible, link your new character into someone already in the group.
Random stranger in the bar asking to join? Trouble.
Bob's semi-forgotten half-brother asking to join? Mom would be pissed if you told him to shove off.

 

[painandgreed]

I'm a player in a campaign, and I'll be switching characters soon. The problem is, the party is extremely suspicious of new people they meet, so how can I join the group?

We metagame it with the understanding that none of the players are going to actually screw eachother over, otherwise, it'll be an entire session questioning the new player and eventually deciding they'd never let them in the party anyway.

 

[OfRiceAndHen]

Ok, some details that'll help:

The group travels the world in a flying ship (however, countries are really separated from each other)
One group member is from 130ish years in the past, so no real friend or relative tie there
Another is a mysterious elf who has become a friend of the cleric (shadowdancer with a cleric of a sun god?)
The cleric worships the god of sun/travel/light (most likely candidate of being a friend of his)

The gnome (time-distressed person) is the most distrusting of the bunch, but they're all pretty much paranoid. We're currently traveling to the Island of Time in order to see if it's possible for the gnome to go back to his own time (also, a previous character went missing and they have evidence that he went back in time and died, so they're hoping to catch him before he dies).

The campaign has become very convoluted. I was hoping instead of a specific way to go about it, instead to just glean general tricks that more experienced players have discovered over the years.

 

[iwatt]

The campaign has become very convoluted. I was hoping instead of a specific way to go about it, instead to just glean general tricks that more experienced players have discovered over the years.

Well, from that dscription you could have your GM have the Players find your new character unconcious. Your character is wearing some symbols of the sun god very prominently. when awoken he has a message for the cleric.

 

[loki44]

Ok, some details that'll help:

And the character who will be joining the party?