New Erik Mona Column: "New Beginnings"

[MichaelSomething]

Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a foolish Samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law! Now the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku!

A link to the opening that this is quoted from.

Samurai Jack

 

[Blair Goatsblood]

3d6 in order
str
int
wis
con
dex
cha

it ain't hard to start a set of PCs on the right path to adventure in OD&D(1974).

You forgot the hexmap and matrix detailing the lairs, dungeons, ruins, settlements, etc...

 

[Greg K]

My favorite campaign (and that of the players) is still the one where only two of the characters (the barbarian and the druid) knew one another at the start (they were from the same clan). I took elements from each of the five character's background/goals to create the first adventure and bring them to an island ruled by wizards. Then, I let the players come together on their own through roleplaying after the rogue set things in motion as the other PCs disembarked (the rogue's player stated in the character background that he made his living pick pocketing new arrivals to the island).

The rp sequence when all the characters first met one another was priceless as was the rogue offering to aid the others and gain their trust (his earlier attempt to pickpocket one of them had failed). Thankfully, for the rogue, being a native of the island and the city provided him knowledge of both the island itself and the location of the person the barbarian and druid were seeking (a good bluff attempt to seem repentant and hide ulterior motives for helping didn't hurt either).

 

[FireLance]

In the Eberron campaign I just started, I dumped the problem on the players:

"A village in the Eldeen Reaches has been experiencing an unusually hot and dry summer. A Raincaller from House Lyrandar has been hired to perform a ritual to bring rain to the village. Your character is present at the ritual. Why is your character there, and what is his interest in the situation?"

The PCs were a goliath barbarian who was the Raincaller's bodyguard, a kalashtar bard who had a dream vision of this event, a human invoker of Balinor who was investigating the cause of the strange weather, a warforged fighter who was looking for adventure and thought the situation looked promising, and a halfling wild magic sorcerer who had also experienced some bouts of unusual weather in the past and was curious about the phenomenon in general.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Travelling pilgrims and traders heading to some important distant city, such as in Cantebury Tales.

 

[jmucchiello]

Personally, I don't like the idea of *requiring* PCs to know at least two of the others. The exception would be characters from the same clan, tribe, monastery, etc. where it would make sense for two character to know one another.

However, I do believe it is a good thing to ask the players if they want their character knowing any one else as part of their back story (of course, the other player(s) must also agree).

You make it sound like that have to like each other. Oh, no, no, no, there is no such limitation. You require that each character know 2 other PCs. The context of the knowledge is entirely up to the players. Similarly, it is possible for character A to know B and C while B and C don't know A. A could be a member of the thieves guild who spent time keeping tabs on the town guard's favorite hang outs and reporting that information to his superiors.

I don't (always) require that they be willing to go adventuring with one another happily. Just that they would respect the other PC enough to go adventuring with them if they had to.

 

[Hussar]

Yeah, insisting that backgrounds be made as a group is SOP for me now. No more "go home and bring your characters to the next session" for me.

Using Magic Cards to create parties is a system I used to great effect.