Where to start off?

[Bluewolf]

I have players…. I have ideas for my campaign…. But I don’t want to start off the campaign in an inn. It’s far too vanilla and the realism of all the players suddenly meeting in an inn is unlikely, yet very convenient.

Since this is my first proper campaign I want to start things off with an exciting beginning.

The beginning of anything is really important, especially with a campaign. It sets the opinions of the players of how good the campaign will be.

Any ideas, as long as they are sensible, will be much appreciated.


Bluewolf

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

Well the characters could be brought together by a third party of a paticular reason.

You could also start the group off with one or two characters together and slowly work the other players in when it seems to feel right.

 

[Buttercup]

Give a mini-quest to one character, that they can't possibly handle alone, and have them advertise for companions. The other characters can answer the ad.

Or, have them all hire on as guards in the same caravan. They can either make freinds along the way, or the caravan can be attacked, or they can find themselves at loose ends at the end of the line....

 

[Ravellion]

Weddings and funerals: You just hook up with the only other guys who also have the nerve to show up armed and armoured

Rav

 

[alsih2o]

the p.c.'s don't kow each other yet when-

the ferry they are all crossing a river on has it's rope snapped by aquatic baddies.

they are all included in an old adventurers will

they are seperately hired to thin the thieves at a carnival

a contest is held between localities, the city/towns can send teams...the team that returns the largest rack of horn, gem and pack of herd animals wins

a halfling caravan with some gnomish goods comes thru for a shopping day, and is attacked

each needs the local swamp (for spell materials, training, furs or such) and it starts to dry up

they are brought in from different areas for militery service, but the war ends as they arrive at a staging point

shipments stop from the local mine, where the dwarven fighting trainer and the local wizard who sells material components live, each feels the need to investigate

5 drunken barbarians who met at said inn sart trashing the place...for days

several (gnollish, orcish, kobold, mad gnomish, etc, etc) whole up in the town center tower with bows, someone has to remove them

the local monastery sends a monk to hire a crew to help him deliver a message of importance...and dies of a sucking chest wound after 1 days travel


and the solution seems easier if they just work together.

 

[Richards]

The local Adventurers Guild sponsors a contest and the PCs each sign up individually. Since the contest consists of four-person teams, they band together for the contest but decided to hang around together after it's over.

See "Challenge of Champions IV" in issue #91 of Dungeon for details on running the contest. I've heard of several adventuring bands that got their start this way.

Johnathan

 

[Kyramus]

have one small group get ambushed, and the others come in to the rescue.

 

[Wicht]

You know what you want from your campaign and the beginning should suit that concept.

Do you want each PC to already know the others or for each one to be gradually introduced to each other? Perhaps you want a scene of action to tie them all together at the beginning (i.e. a fight) and someone viewing them fighting offers them a job as a team.

Do you want them freelance or working for some entity?

Do you want the beginning to foreshadow the end of the campaign or not?

Really only you can answer these questions. Once you have answered them, then ask this question again, giving a bit more to go on and you will get ideas better suited to your campaign.

 

[John Crichton]

current campaign

There are only 2 characters as of yet:

One was traveling to the local town. The other is a ranger out patrolling. One spots orcs. The other is tracking orcs. They meet in the middle to combat orcs. Instant companions.

 

[Mahiro Satsu]

I always start with the party leader (usually a cleric or paladin) being given a job of sorts and then roleplay him running around town looking for people. The others in the party then pop in when they feel the leader has found them. Its like D&D improve.