Whining about roleplaying character additions
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Barendd Nobeard
Explorer
Party defeats bad guys (in encounter X).
In going throught the loot, they find two people (elves/dwarves/whatever) tied up in the next room.
Voila! Instant travelling companions.
At least, that's how my party found my druid character the last time our group had this problem.
In going throught the loot, they find two people (elves/dwarves/whatever) tied up in the next room.
Voila! Instant travelling companions.
At least, that's how my party found my druid character the last time our group had this problem.
Let's see, my campaign has added characters by:
1. At a bar.. 'I couldn't help but overhear...'
2. Converting a captured enemy into an ally
3. Catching the new PC spying on the party
4. Teleportation into dire straits with the party
5. New PC was part of adventuring party which was nearly TPK'd, was rescued, but the rescuers were ambushed, at which point the PC's stepped in to save them.
6. Happens to be travelling to the same place
7. Commended to the party's cleric by one of her priests (at higher levels, substitute 'one of the god's celestials', 'vision', etc.)
If you're in a truly remote location, item 5.) seems like your best bet. Come up with a legitimate reason, perhaps even a side-quest, which explains why your new PC would be out here in the hinterlands. If they wouldn't come here alone, give them some mythical NPC companions. Encounter the new PC for the first time fighting desperately against somebody your existing party would instantly recognize as an enemy.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," as the saying goes.
Item 4.) offers some plausability but is cliched.
Out of Baldur's Gate, you could offer the party the 'you find a statue'... which turns out to be the new PC, turned to stone, and there's a scroll which can unlock them... Significantly out-of-time, the new PC has little to do but join the party; the question is, will they accept her?
"Vision" offers some really good explanations for why the party might accept the new PC - "The paladin had a dream last night, in which you were fighting a black dragon, and though he recognized all of the current party, there was one warrior with you he did not recognize. The dragon was winning, and several of the party had fallen, but then the strange warrior dealt it the death blow... then the dream shifted, and he saw a stone statue, and the cleric stepped forward with a scroll, and as she read the scroll, the statue turned into the strange warrior..." ... the next day, when they encounter the statue, the paladin recognizes the face of the stranger...
Was it a true vision? Is there really a black dragon the party will encounter? Maybe.. but maybe not. Perhaps the only intent of the vision was to get the party together with the stranger, or perhaps the dragon was symbolic rather than literal.
1. At a bar.. 'I couldn't help but overhear...'
2. Converting a captured enemy into an ally
3. Catching the new PC spying on the party
4. Teleportation into dire straits with the party
5. New PC was part of adventuring party which was nearly TPK'd, was rescued, but the rescuers were ambushed, at which point the PC's stepped in to save them.
6. Happens to be travelling to the same place
7. Commended to the party's cleric by one of her priests (at higher levels, substitute 'one of the god's celestials', 'vision', etc.)
If you're in a truly remote location, item 5.) seems like your best bet. Come up with a legitimate reason, perhaps even a side-quest, which explains why your new PC would be out here in the hinterlands. If they wouldn't come here alone, give them some mythical NPC companions. Encounter the new PC for the first time fighting desperately against somebody your existing party would instantly recognize as an enemy.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," as the saying goes.
Item 4.) offers some plausability but is cliched.
Out of Baldur's Gate, you could offer the party the 'you find a statue'... which turns out to be the new PC, turned to stone, and there's a scroll which can unlock them... Significantly out-of-time, the new PC has little to do but join the party; the question is, will they accept her?
"Vision" offers some really good explanations for why the party might accept the new PC - "The paladin had a dream last night, in which you were fighting a black dragon, and though he recognized all of the current party, there was one warrior with you he did not recognize. The dragon was winning, and several of the party had fallen, but then the strange warrior dealt it the death blow... then the dream shifted, and he saw a stone statue, and the cleric stepped forward with a scroll, and as she read the scroll, the statue turned into the strange warrior..." ... the next day, when they encounter the statue, the paladin recognizes the face of the stranger...
Was it a true vision? Is there really a black dragon the party will encounter? Maybe.. but maybe not. Perhaps the only intent of the vision was to get the party together with the stranger, or perhaps the dragon was symbolic rather than literal.
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
I remember a really disastrous one where the DM had the new character show up as one of a group of bandits who we were supposed to negotiate with and get assistance in the form of the new PC from. Well, we killed all the bandits (including the new PC) instead of negotiating. We didn't realize we'd killed the new PC until it was already done. (Then, being the practical sort, we took his stuff so it didn't go to waste. It was NOT a good introduction to the group).
More successful ones I've done:
1. The price of assistance. Says the orc leader to the mage: "I'll get your spellbook back for you if you promise to take my brother and teach him to control the magic that runs in his veins". Hello orc fighter/wizard.
2. Sister of a former party member. Had followed, hoping to speak with her brother only to find that he died the session before she arrived. (What a coincidence).
More successful ones I've done:
1. The price of assistance. Says the orc leader to the mage: "I'll get your spellbook back for you if you promise to take my brother and teach him to control the magic that runs in his veins". Hello orc fighter/wizard.
2. Sister of a former party member. Had followed, hoping to speak with her brother only to find that he died the session before she arrived. (What a coincidence).
FireLance
Legend
1. The party arranges to meet an old friend and ally. When they arrive at the meeting place, the ally does not not show up, but a mysterious stranger who claims to know the ally is there instead.
2. One member of the party is severely injured in a fight, and the party rests and heals at the home of a local lord. While there, the local lord calls for a council that is attended by many heroes. Some of the heroes agree to assist the party in their quest.
3. A mysterious stranger stalks the party and attempts to steal an item from one of the PCs. The party captures him, and he agrees to work with the party in exchange for his life.
4. The party visits the home of another local lord and frees him from a spell. The neice of the local lord falls in love with one of the party members and decides to join the party.
2. One member of the party is severely injured in a fight, and the party rests and heals at the home of a local lord. While there, the local lord calls for a council that is attended by many heroes. Some of the heroes agree to assist the party in their quest.
3. A mysterious stranger stalks the party and attempts to steal an item from one of the PCs. The party captures him, and he agrees to work with the party in exchange for his life.
4. The party visits the home of another local lord and frees him from a spell. The neice of the local lord falls in love with one of the party members and decides to join the party.
The 'I like you' - great for the low INT score, attachment to party member, character follows the party about and helps out. This also works for the, oh, but we are meant to be together. Bards can use it also, I am writing the great song, I needed some heros and look what came along, the muses were smiling on me, oh the song is basicly a comedy.
Not a best intro, but a worst (much more amusing).
In an Ars Magica campaign, we were a grog and a companion (a couple of non-wizard types) prowling through a village late one night, hunting for demons we suspected were harrasing it. The GM took that moment to attempt to introduce a new PC, who was a werewolf (you can play a lot of strange things in Ars Magica). So, we're hunting demons and meet a talking wolf, with a bad attitude no less. Naturally we killed it.
Then harvested the vis (magical energy - very valuable) from it's corpse. 
It's hard to get a new PC into an existing group if the PC's don't want to co-operate, and very easy if they do. One of the good ways a character left a campaign (retired) was to have his secret (he was an elven prince) be out-ed by a retinue of knights turning up to take him home as there was a family problem he had to take care of. If the party have an NPC mentor then it can be easy to insert new characters - the mentor sends a message along and asks the courier to assist the PCs for a while: instant new pary member!
Dan
In an Ars Magica campaign, we were a grog and a companion (a couple of non-wizard types) prowling through a village late one night, hunting for demons we suspected were harrasing it. The GM took that moment to attempt to introduce a new PC, who was a werewolf (you can play a lot of strange things in Ars Magica). So, we're hunting demons and meet a talking wolf, with a bad attitude no less. Naturally we killed it.
Then harvested the vis (magical energy - very valuable) from it's corpse. It's hard to get a new PC into an existing group if the PC's don't want to co-operate, and very easy if they do. One of the good ways a character left a campaign (retired) was to have his secret (he was an elven prince) be out-ed by a retinue of knights turning up to take him home as there was a family problem he had to take care of. If the party have an NPC mentor then it can be easy to insert new characters - the mentor sends a message along and asks the courier to assist the PCs for a while: instant new pary member!
Dan
Kugar
First Post
I always wanted to intorduce a new PC having the party wake up together, thinking it's been like this for years - except one PC who remembers things the way it happened in game.
Edit to use the real english language - Kugar should not post before his morning caffine.
Edit to use the real english language - Kugar should not post before his morning caffine.
Last edited:
Psychic Warrior
First Post
Possibly the most screwed up character introduction I've ever heard of happened to a firend of mine who was DMing.
The current group was on the run hold up in a cave in the wilderness. They are tired and very suspicious. Along comes the new guy - a ranger - looking for a safe place to wait out the rainstorm. He finds the PC party's cave (natch) and, when the PCs draw weapons and demand to know who he is and what he is doing here, he gets offended and, after harsh words are exchanged, leaves. So the new guy never actually joins the party and the player is left sitting on the sidelines for the next 3 hours of play time. He follows the PCs but never talks to them and flees from any attempts by them to involve him with their group
:\
I really felt for my friend as this same player is in my group and he has behaved like this to me on several occasions. I am not nearly as lenient or forgiving as my friend (and I'm a jerk ) and have dubbed him the 'angry loner' of my group. When one of the other players tried to make a 'loner' type PC I had to veto it saying that 'that position is already taken'.
Now to actually help with your problem my personal favourite is the old 'rescue the new guys' bit. I also helps the new players realize how helpless the two of them are travelling the wilderness without a big party to back them up. No heroic party could refuse them and the new guys will realize you'll just have them captured again if they don't join the group
The current group was on the run hold up in a cave in the wilderness. They are tired and very suspicious. Along comes the new guy - a ranger - looking for a safe place to wait out the rainstorm. He finds the PC party's cave (natch) and, when the PCs draw weapons and demand to know who he is and what he is doing here, he gets offended and, after harsh words are exchanged, leaves. So the new guy never actually joins the party and the player is left sitting on the sidelines for the next 3 hours of play time. He follows the PCs but never talks to them and flees from any attempts by them to involve him with their group
:\
I really felt for my friend as this same player is in my group and he has behaved like this to me on several occasions. I am not nearly as lenient or forgiving as my friend (and I'm a jerk
) and have dubbed him the 'angry loner' of my group. When one of the other players tried to make a 'loner' type PC I had to veto it saying that 'that position is already taken'.Now to actually help with your problem my personal favourite is the old 'rescue the new guys' bit. I also helps the new players realize how helpless the two of them are travelling the wilderness without a big party to back them up. No heroic party could refuse them and the new guys will realize you'll just have them captured again if they don't join the group
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