D&D 5E Wait... why are we adventuring together?

[Afrodactyl]

My group always sits down and works out character links during a session zero. Usually it's that each character knows at least one other character through whatever means and the others know each other through their common acquaintance.

Or we do that they're all part of the same guild or something similar, and they're all working for the same people. Or divine prominence or guidance or something.

We throw it all out the window when we do one shots though and they're just there because why not.

 

[seebs]

My group and I are about to start a new 5e campaign. We were talking about our old 4e game, and the problem we had of the characters being so different in their motivations that there was no real good reason for them to travel together. Why, exactly, is the dwarf paladin still traveling with the gnome sorcerer who sold his soul to a literal devil?

Thinks the gnome was a gullible fool who got tricked and is planning to save him.

 

[Sunseeker]

Typically I go with the "We're all broke." bakground, so the start of the game is essentially the party standing in a job-line and when the guy in charge there separates the line out into groups, boom, the party is made.