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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Camelot" data-source="post: 5319280" data-attributes="member: 82617">You All Start in a Tavern...Again... We are all familiar with the fantasy adventure trope of <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YouAllMeetInAnInn" target="_blank">starting the story in an inn or tavern</a>.  It's before the adventure has started, maybe even before the characters have met.  From there, they begin their character development from scratch, and they can hear about problems that need heroes to solve.  This sounds like the perfect start to an epic journey, but in practice, it doesn't always work out that way. The Problem with an Open-Ended Beginning When you put RPG players into that scenario, there's only a slim chance that they'll all follow along until they find the main plot.  Some will be distracted by pretending to drink and hit on barmaids in order to cause the real life friends to laugh.  Others will not understand when the GM is trying to give them plot hooks, and will end up heading off in the wrong direction or spending way too much time in that goshdarn inn, until the GM has to break the suspension of disbelief and push them in the right direction.  You might even have a player who actively tries to derail the game from where the GM intended. The problem is that, for some players, there is such a thing as too much choice.  They don't know which way to turn.  Some games are meant to go that way, but if the GM has a plot planned out, it can be a great disappointment when the players decide that they want to go somewhere else. The Solution...Or Is It... So, a clever GM will come up with the idea to have the adventure start <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_medias_res" target="_blank">in medias res</a>.  It's what all creative writing teachers will tell you whether you're writing a poem, a short story, or a novel.  The characters start already in the dungeon, so they can only go forward towards the plot. For the story, such a technique is a good way of holding the reader's attention.  They don't know who the characters are yet or why they're here or what they're doing.  It makes them want to keep reading.  For a game, such a technique can give the players just as many problems as starting in a tavern.  They don't know who the characters are yet or why they're here or what they're doing.  And while a short introduction from each character and a brief explanation of the recent events from the GM may be the solution for some players, other players will still be confused because it's a lot harder to remember details that are told to you rather than details you experienced. Your Mileage May Vary <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YourMileageMayVary" target="_blank">Every gaming group is different.</a>  Some people prefer using the first method of experiencing the adventure's background.  Some people prefer the method of starting in medias res.  When a group is made of players who all prefer one method, this problem is not noticed.  It's when players with mixed desires and play styles play in the same adventure that the conundrum reveals itself.  Starting with a talk with the baron will upset Jack and Jill, because they want to get into the action; however, starting in the goblin burrow will upset Mickey and Minnie, because they want to know the details of why they're there. In the Middle of the Beginning... Can you combine the "tavern" introduction with the "in medias res" one?  Here are some possibilities... The Tavern Becomes The Dungeon What makes "in medias res" interesting is the excitement of being thrust into this adventure without the nitpicky details of where you are or who you're with.  To introduce those details without getting rid of the excitement, have an introduction adventure.  Instead of meeting in a tavern, the players can meet in the middle of the woods during a heated chase by wolves and wild elves.  The unlikely heroes must band together to defeat this minor threat that's unrelated to the main plot (or is it?).  When the action dies down, the introductions begin.  The players then get to explain why they're all together.  But they don't have much time, and have to keep moving towards the Great Tree Tower... One Detail at a Time You can start in the middle of a dungeon, as a normal in medias res would be, but bring along an additional NPC run by the GM.  This character can be the players' employer, guide, or anyone else who knows the details that the players don't yet.  If the players start to make a decision that they probably wouldn't if they knew more details, this character can speak up and tell them about the details.  This way, the players get to start with excitement but won't end up making hasty decisions that they'll later regret.  Once they have learned all they need to know from the NPC (except maybe one crucial detail...), he or she can leave or even be killed for added excitement. Your Stories I'd like to hear how other GMs start their adventures, and how they worked out from both the GM's and the players' perspectives.  I hope you enjoyed my geeky musings.</blockquote>

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