Johnny-come-lately

[Felix]

At the moment I'm in a campaign the major plot arcs of which have been moving since we began. So we know there is some malignant force out there working for Evil, but we just don't know who it is. And by this point our party has developed some interesting and complex relationships.

The average party level is 10 or so, and we are just cresting into the area where there are very few NPCs (relatively speaking) as high a level as we are. When we gain a few more levels, there will be few NPCs indeed that match or surpass us (likely under 150 in the world).

This campaign is fairly letheal, and I wouldn't be suprised if we suffer another PC death in a level or so. So that begs the question: if there are so few NPCs in the world that are that high a level, then is there any way to introduce a new PC that doesn't have some kinds of strings attached?

By that I mean it is easy for 1st level characters to join up for simple reasons; greed, wanderlust, protect the villiage. It is less easy for powerful people to be motivated by such simple things. And nobody wants an agent of the BBEG in the party, which is always a possibility when the BBEG gets a whif of the potential the party has for destroying all his nefarious schemes.

I guess the question is, how do you introduce characters in high-level play?

Discuss.

 

[Vaxalon]

This is a very good question. It does kind of "snap the suspenders" for a person to just suddenly show up who's competent to fill in for the fallen hero.

What I recommend is that the party cultivate relationships with people and organizations that could plausibly be the source for these replacement heroes.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

There's several ways I can think of. It's always going to be a little difficult as by that level most groups are really meshed into the campaign, IME.

Simply introduce them... they were one of those 150 most powerful. Players just hadn't heard of them up until that point - you guys probably don't know more than half of them? Or, for some reason they are not famous or go out of their way not to be known.

If it's a replacement character the player could choose to roleplay them tied to a particular faction? If that's not good, perhaps they've left, been thrown out or had their group destroyed/imprisoned/etc. Background like that can make for a nice way to introduce them and can come with as much or as little baggage as required.

A redeemed badguy. Not to be overused and probably not right for everyone, but it could be fun.

Figure those are good if players want reasons for working together.


An outsider:
Thrown through a dimensional rift. Fleeing from Sigil. Memory wiped. Resurrected ancient hero. Sent by their god. Farmboy who found magic armour that gave him the soul of a hero. Traveler from a far off land (TM), with Katana and Nin-jaaw powerz!

Probably the easiest no/little baggage routes, but could be weird if they end up forming the whole party.

A lot of the groups I've been in take to new characters really quickly and 'just because' is easier than thinking about reasons why they'd all work toghether. Everyone can 'get on with the plot' as it were...

 

[jmucchiello]

Have every player create a replacement character now. The newPC doesn't have to be fully statted or equiped. He just needs a name and a background. Have the DM work all of the newPCs into the story as individuals whose goals are similar to the party but whose current plans keep them from joining the group. Ultimately, they should be friends with some party member not played by the player who created them.

Now, when a party member is lost, the newPC can arrive and be someone 1) the party knows 2) potential trusts 3) and is not out of the blue.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Since you're playing a good party, there's a built-in explanation for new party members: need. I'd imagine that some of the 150 are retired adventurers, who left the adventuring life for one reason or another. A wizard who wanted to concentrate on his studies. A fighter who had grown weary of dealing death. A paladin who wanted to start a family. But when your party, or an ally of your party, calls on them, telling them of your party's need of their help to stop Evil, they will have to answer the call.