So, you all meet in a bar and decide to start adventuring together...

[Gnome]

I'll be starting a new campaign soon, and need clever ideas on how to get a group together. All I have now are some vague not even half-baked ideas. Tell me the clever ideas you have used, and it may inspire me.

What's floating in my head at the moment is that a bad guy wants each of the PCs killed for some reason, and does something to lure them all to the same spot, and then tries to have them killed there. This will have the advantage of starting off with action right away, and having the PCs have a common cause of finding-out why they were singled-out like that to begin with.

The problem is, I can't think of a good reason why a diverse group of 1st-level nobodies would be considered a threat to anyone so as to cause anyone to setup a trap for them like that. Hmm...

 

[TheYeti1775]

I'll be starting a new campaign soon, and need clever ideas on how to get a group together. All I have now are some vague not even half-baked ideas. Tell me the clever ideas you have used, and it may inspire me.

What's floating in my head at the moment is that a bad guy wants each of the PCs killed for some reason, and does something to lure them all to the same spot, and then tries to have them killed there. This will have the advantage of starting off with action right away, and having the PCs have a common cause of finding-out why they were singled-out like that to begin with.

The problem is, I can't think of a good reason why a diverse group of 1st-level nobodies would be considered a threat to anyone so as to cause anyone to setup a trap for them like that. Hmm...

The Prophecy of course is the reason.
To bad the BBEG set it in motion by bringing them together.

Yeti

 

[BiggusGeekus]

The best start of campaign I've heard of was that the PCs were all beneficiaries at a funeral.

The Dead Dude was killed by your Bad Guy. The PCs all show up to the reading of the will. The Bad Guy doesn't know if the PCs have the Vital Information That Could Spell His Doom, so now he wants the PCs dead.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

It was Col. Mustard, with the candlestick, in the common room...

 

[TheYeti1775]

The best start of campaign I've heard of was that the PCs were all beneficiaries at a funeral.

The Dead Dude was killed by your Bad Guy. The PCs all show up to the reading of the will. The Bad Guy doesn't know if the PCs have the Vital Information That Could Spell His Doom, so now he wants the PCs dead.

Had this one not too long ago in my group by a DM.

Yeti

 

[BiggusGeekus]

It was Col. Mustard, with the candlestick, in the common room...

Dang.

Now I'll have to think of something different. Maybe the players each own properties with houses and hotels. They are each competing to have a monopoly on property. How does that work for you?

 

[kenobi65]

I once ran a campaign where all the PCs were the children of an older, retired adventuring party. So, they had built-in relationships, as they'd known each other since childhood (about half were brothers).

This could fit your campaign, as the Bad Guy is looking to exact revenge on the parents, who had somehow thwarted him before they retired, by wiping out their progeny.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Adventurers' children is good, so is all the beneficiaries of the last guy the BBEG bumped off, but there's also the classic "they saw something important, even if they don't realize it (yet) and must die before they put two and two together."

If you got the latter route, you might want to play a one hour (or so) solo prologue session with each of them, where they see the important-but-not-obvious clue and the BBEG first becomes aware of them, either by himself, or through a proxy.

 

[Oryan77]

Your BBEG is a mad scientist type of character. He's well known in town because he owns the Ale Factory just outside of town. Noone has seen him in years and all of a sudden there are flyers around town about a tour he will be giving of his newly improved factory. Only 4 winners will be invited inside (or the amount in your party). The winners will be the ones who find the Platinum tickets inside his jugs of ale. The PC's are the lucky winners!

Big day of the event, the PC's are all waiting to go inside the factory. BBEG greets them and brings them inside for the tour. Room by room, the PC's greed lures them into traps. What the town didn't know is that the BBEG is trying to kill the PC's during the tour by playing off of their greed for ale & wine. What the town also doesn't know is that his ale & wine is made of PEOPLE! Bet you never saw that coming!

Ok, so this idea could use some work, but at least I tried. If anything, the beer waterfall should be a big hit with the players.

 

[kenobi65]

What the town also doesn't know is that his ale & wine is made of PEOPLE! Bet you never saw that coming!

You can name him Willy Soylent. That won't be obvious, at all.