What's the most amazing start to a new campaign you've ever done?
- Thread starter BlueBlackRed
- Start date
Orcus
First Post
First words out of my mouth in my most recent campaign as DM to the players:
"Roll initiative."
Clark
(they were on patrol outside the city when the kobolds attacked. but i didnt start by describing the set up, i had them roll initiative first. then i set it up. oh, and they met a beholder in the first encounter, though he was just watching from a distance.)
"Roll initiative."
Clark
(they were on patrol outside the city when the kobolds attacked. but i didnt start by describing the set up, i had them roll initiative first. then i set it up. oh, and they met a beholder in the first encounter, though he was just watching from a distance.)
Ry
Explorer
PCs were 12 year old Akavar children in the same Akavan (group of 4-6 children born in the same year and raised together). They and another Akavan were helping at a farm for the summer, and the other Akavan beat the biggest kid of the group senseless (that player wasn't able to make it that day). A challenge was issued. The rest of the session was preparing to go 3 on 5 in an all-out savage fight with sticks and rocks against known cheaters.
They were brilliant.
They were brilliant.
Calico_Jack73
First Post
I started a Midnight campaign where all of the PCs were part of a chain gang near Steel Hill.
One of the players had secretly been informed that his starting PC was going to be slain by one of the Orc guards to drive home the tone of the setting. He created an Orc character as his REAL character who after seeing this last senseless slaughter of a human prisoner decided he had enough and helped engineer the escape of the PCs. His Orc was seen aiding the prisoners so he too went on the run with the other PCs. They had heard some of the other Orc guards mentioning a nearby city of the dead which they dare not approach. Several Legates and numerous Orcs had died trying to eradicate the Undead within. The PCs decided to make for that city and try to lose the pursuing Orcs in it only to find that once within that one of their member was the decendant of the old ruling family of the city. The City had once been in league with Izrador in the 2nd age but fell under the siege of a Dornish warchief. The city had pleaded for aid from Izrador's forces but were told that the city was not enough of a "strategic" asset to warrant sending troops. The clergy and the city guard swore an oath of vengance against Izrador even as the Dorn warhost cut them down. Now, hundreds of years later, they would rise again to defend the city against Izrador's forces. They also exist to serve the heir to the city though they will not venture out of the city walls.
A nice way to give the party a home base in the Midnight setting.
One of the players had secretly been informed that his starting PC was going to be slain by one of the Orc guards to drive home the tone of the setting. He created an Orc character as his REAL character who after seeing this last senseless slaughter of a human prisoner decided he had enough and helped engineer the escape of the PCs. His Orc was seen aiding the prisoners so he too went on the run with the other PCs. They had heard some of the other Orc guards mentioning a nearby city of the dead which they dare not approach. Several Legates and numerous Orcs had died trying to eradicate the Undead within. The PCs decided to make for that city and try to lose the pursuing Orcs in it only to find that once within that one of their member was the decendant of the old ruling family of the city. The City had once been in league with Izrador in the 2nd age but fell under the siege of a Dornish warchief. The city had pleaded for aid from Izrador's forces but were told that the city was not enough of a "strategic" asset to warrant sending troops. The clergy and the city guard swore an oath of vengance against Izrador even as the Dorn warhost cut them down. Now, hundreds of years later, they would rise again to defend the city against Izrador's forces. They also exist to serve the heir to the city though they will not venture out of the city walls.
A nice way to give the party a home base in the Midnight setting.
InVinoVeritas
Adventurer
In one Alternity campaign, I had the PCs be the crew of Earth's first interstellar expedition. They were some of the best and brightest, selected from all over the world in an international mission. And so they left the gravity well of Earth, gave a quick nod to the earlier Mars colony, and took off!
They discover that tachyon-space (essentially hyperspace) is nothing like the featureless expanse theorized. Instead, it's filled with superhighways from other alien cultures. They barely navigate it and land at one alien world, which tells them that there are thousands of other worlds out there, all connected and controlled by a tyrannical alien species who controls the superhighways, and that they don't like competitors.
They rush back to Earth to warn them, but by then it's too late: The Earth is gone, removed from the solar system.
In a homebrew D&D campaign I had, one of the PC races were a drow-like people known for being slavers. One player loved the idea, made such a PC, and before the start of the game, claimed that he was going to have fun enslaving the other PCs. I figured I'd better nip that in the bud. So at the start of the campaign, that PC's father congratulated the PC on his coming of age, stressed the importance of wise leadership, and presented him with a gift: all the other PCs as slaves. Of course, that situation lasted about as long as it took the father to leave the room. The other PCs freed themselves, let the little slaver know that they can't just order him around or he's dead meat, and everyone quickly came to a compromise. The party bonded instantly as a result, and no more threats of enslaving PCs. At least, from the other players.
They discover that tachyon-space (essentially hyperspace) is nothing like the featureless expanse theorized. Instead, it's filled with superhighways from other alien cultures. They barely navigate it and land at one alien world, which tells them that there are thousands of other worlds out there, all connected and controlled by a tyrannical alien species who controls the superhighways, and that they don't like competitors.
They rush back to Earth to warn them, but by then it's too late: The Earth is gone, removed from the solar system.
* * *
In a homebrew D&D campaign I had, one of the PC races were a drow-like people known for being slavers. One player loved the idea, made such a PC, and before the start of the game, claimed that he was going to have fun enslaving the other PCs. I figured I'd better nip that in the bud. So at the start of the campaign, that PC's father congratulated the PC on his coming of age, stressed the importance of wise leadership, and presented him with a gift: all the other PCs as slaves. Of course, that situation lasted about as long as it took the father to leave the room. The other PCs freed themselves, let the little slaver know that they can't just order him around or he's dead meat, and everyone quickly came to a compromise. The party bonded instantly as a result, and no more threats of enslaving PCs. At least, from the other players.
Mathew_Freeman
Adventurer
I recently started a Planescape campaign (playing, not DMing) in which we had all been asked to play 'investigative' characters.
The first concrete fact we found out was that someone, or something, was killing investigators in the city. Specifically, investigators that were investigating the killings!
Eeeek.
The first concrete fact we found out was that someone, or something, was killing investigators in the city. Specifically, investigators that were investigating the killings!
Eeeek.
Hammer_of_Tyr
First Post
Funny how the best start-ups happen around slave ships.
On of the best was waking up chained in the hold of a Thayan slave ship heading to Eltabarr. (FRCS) Escaping from jail is always a great start up.
Our current campaign started around the sinking of a slave ship by pirates. On character was a slave, One was a crewman on the slave ship and one was on the pirate ship that sacked the slave ship. we all wound up in the same city looking for the same person. with a strange "common origin"
On of the best was waking up chained in the hold of a Thayan slave ship heading to Eltabarr. (FRCS) Escaping from jail is always a great start up.
Our current campaign started around the sinking of a slave ship by pirates. On character was a slave, One was a crewman on the slave ship and one was on the pirate ship that sacked the slave ship. we all wound up in the same city looking for the same person. with a strange "common origin"
Daniel D. Fox
Explorer
The best start we've ever had was during a d20 Fantasy war campaign. The players created their characters entirely independent of one another, and the game started during a beachhead raid (think storming Normandy beach). The majority of the soldiers were either killed or lost, and they eventually were pressed along the beaches and into the dense forest and joined up, in order to survive.
Of course, later on they found out one of the soldier player characters had taken the clothes of one of their soldiers and deserted his defending comrades because he's a coward. Made for an interesting campaign!
Of course, later on they found out one of the soldier player characters had taken the clothes of one of their soldiers and deserted his defending comrades because he's a coward. Made for an interesting campaign!
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The most interesting start to a campaign for me was several years ago, in D&D 2.0 edition days. I was part of a weekly gaming group that would play various types of games, including roleplaying and various board wargames. After a few weeks of "discussion", we were split 50/50 on either playing D&D or continuing to play a board game called "Dawn Patrol". This game involved World War I aerial combat, where individual planes were moved about a board attempting to shoot down each other.
It was decided to play "Dawn Patrol" one week, so we started our game. Half of us were playing Germans, and the others played Americans fighting against each other. In the middle of the fight, one of the players placed several plastic pterodactyl figures on the board and stated, "You all see these appear. On their backs are humanoids with large crossbows. They fly towards all of you, shooting their bows." We then played the game out, with these new "arrivals" having their turns amongst ours. All of us "ex-enemies" fought off the new arrivals, since they did not seem to favor one side or the other, and soon landed to find out what had happened.
As it turned out, the "Dawn Patrol" was actually the start of that person's homebrew D&D game! He had us roll up D&D characters, as represented by our pilots that we had been flying. We were able to keep whatever we arrived at, including our planes, and sidearms. We discovered that we had been transported to this new world by a high-level "Monster Summoning" spell that had backfired.
Lots of fun ensued over several gaming sessions. In particular, imagine the powerful druidical groups, who frowned on our technology "corrupting nature". "Heat Metal" spells take on a whole new meaning when gunpowder & gasoline get involved..
It was decided to play "Dawn Patrol" one week, so we started our game. Half of us were playing Germans, and the others played Americans fighting against each other. In the middle of the fight, one of the players placed several plastic pterodactyl figures on the board and stated, "You all see these appear. On their backs are humanoids with large crossbows. They fly towards all of you, shooting their bows." We then played the game out, with these new "arrivals" having their turns amongst ours. All of us "ex-enemies" fought off the new arrivals, since they did not seem to favor one side or the other, and soon landed to find out what had happened.
As it turned out, the "Dawn Patrol" was actually the start of that person's homebrew D&D game! He had us roll up D&D characters, as represented by our pilots that we had been flying. We were able to keep whatever we arrived at, including our planes, and sidearms. We discovered that we had been transported to this new world by a high-level "Monster Summoning" spell that had backfired.
Lots of fun ensued over several gaming sessions. In particular, imagine the powerful druidical groups, who frowned on our technology "corrupting nature". "Heat Metal" spells take on a whole new meaning when gunpowder & gasoline get involved..
JDJblatherings
First Post
Well I gave every player a reason for the PC being where they were and they just all happened to be in the same Inn whaen it was atatcked by a Horde of Zombies. A BIG horde. they all ended up pursuing their own goals, somewhat together, while they all dealt with the zombie problem. We had a large number of players at the tiem so it worked well and a fe wpeopel came and went over the several years of that campaign so I assume the inital scenario was effective.
A side note- only one character from that inital write scenario (which started before the DMG or MM was available for 3e) survived until the end of the campaign.
A side note- only one character from that inital write scenario (which started before the DMG or MM was available for 3e) survived until the end of the campaign.
