Adding a PC? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Adding a PC? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Slobad_the_rogue
01-30-07, 08:59 PM basicly, I have a group of 2 4th level PCs (human (custumised)knight and human wizard) and a elf cleric is going to join them. They are in a dungeon about to go to a lost citadel, they dreamed about. I am trying to find a way to incorporate the elf cleric without having to recur to one of the following scenarios :

1. DM : Ok Leseal (knight) you turn around and see an elf is following you, she joins you and your cause.

2. DM : Suddenly a giant eagle drops from the sky and you see an elf is on her back, she miraculisly survives the 400ft drop and joins you

3. DM : You open your backpack and see a box. You open it, inside is an elf!

So... any ideas...
TheDarkLord
01-30-07, 09:05 PM She had the dream as well and arrive at the temple at roughly the same time?

Also she might have some extra info from her dream because of her connection with the Divine?
HerbalTea
01-31-07, 04:50 AM She is getting attacked by a group of <insert name here ;) > and she cries out to the PCs to help her. Now....how could she repay them? (and no, not by the method that you're probably all thinking)
Archmage Atrus
01-31-07, 07:46 AM Shared quest is probably your best bet. (She's going to the citadel, too, for her own purposes.)

If your campaign plans on going to a city anytime soon, you can have an urban miniadventure which introduces her as sort of a new main character. (IE, the players pass through a city on their way to the citadel in which they must rest. Unfortunately, there are evil devil/demon worshipers which the church is currently on its way to track down and Inquisit. PCs, being the heroic bunch they are, get involved by circumstance when they notice some suspicious activity of your own devising [I'm not writing your adventure for you, dammit], and join up with the crusading elven priest.)
pres_man
01-31-07, 09:27 AM My favorite is the scene of a recent battle with several dead ogres and elves, as the party starts looking at the scene, they notice a leg moving under the body of an ogre. Under it is an elf. When asked, "How did you get here? Or Why are you here?" The elf responds, "I can't remember", and rubs their head. They remember everything else.

Insta-Party Member.
TwistedPuppy
01-31-07, 12:36 PM There's always the old standby- the characters come to a pit trap and hear the elf calling for help from inside... add fluff, such as the dead rogue the cleric landed on top of, as desired.
hedgeknight
01-31-07, 12:50 PM I like #3 option the best - that's as funny as hell. :rofl:
-g-
Gottwick
01-31-07, 01:23 PM As TwistedPuppy said, finding the new PC in the dungeon works well. Dungeons are after all basically prisons.

If they can get out of the enclosed environment, life is easier. And clerics are even easier to direct. They have a god they directly get power from, so just tie in the cleric's religion.
ccerose
01-31-07, 03:13 PM I'd also go with shared dream. It keeps the players on an even footing.
pres_man
01-31-07, 05:04 PM I might point out the ability to add a PC at random is one of the most important skills of a DM. There have been situations where an entire party turns on a character and kills him because the DM did a poor job of trying to introduce the character. Also remember that when a PC dies you will probably have to introduce a new character then for that player. Of course much of this requires a bit of (good) metagaming on the players part to accept the new character sometimes.

The only skill almost as important, is the ability of a DM to have a character fade out when that player is not present. The less cheesy you can make it the better (or course some cheese is to be expect, especially if it is on pizza).
Ace_of_Diamonds
01-31-07, 06:48 PM I might point out the ability to add a PC at random is one of the most important skills of a DM. There have been situations where an entire party turns on a character and kills him because the DM did a poor job of trying to introduce the character. Also remember that when a PC dies you will probably have to introduce a new character then for that player. Of course much of this requires a bit of (good) metagaming on the players part to accept the new character sometimes.

I disagree, generally. I've always asked my players to decide the why and how of introducing a new character to the party. Requires a bit of metagaming to smooth over, but I find it's a better approach.
Tony Vargas
01-31-07, 07:11 PM Since you've already used a shared dream as the lead-in to the next adventure, it's an obvious way to bring in the new PC, who shows up and recognizes 'the two humans in that dream about the lost citadel.'

Of course, a cleric can always be sent to join a party that is working, knowingly or otherwise, towards an important cause - either sent by superiors in the church, as a result of divination, or by direct divine mandate.
gamerlamer666
01-31-07, 07:45 PM basicly, I have a group of 2 4th level PCs (human (custumised)knight and human wizard) and a elf cleric is going to join them. They are in a dungeon about to go to a lost citadel, they dreamed about. I am trying to find a way to incorporate the elf cleric without having to recur to one of the following scenarios :

1. DM : Ok Leseal (knight) you turn around and see an elf is following you, she joins you and your cause.

2. DM : Suddenly a giant eagle drops from the sky and you see an elf is on her back, she miraculisly survives the 400ft drop and joins you

3. DM : You open your backpack and see a box. You open it, inside is an elf!

So... any ideas...

I Like number three.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Slobad_the_rogue 01-30-07, 08:59 PM	basicly, I have a group of 2 4th level PCs (human (custumised)knight and human wizard) and a elf cleric is going to join them. They are in a dungeon about to go to a lost citadel, they dreamed about. I am trying to find a way to incorporate the elf cleric without having to recur to one of the following scenarios : 1. DM : Ok Leseal (knight) you turn around and see an elf is following you, she joins you and your cause. 2. DM : Suddenly a giant eagle drops from the sky and you see an elf is on her back, she miraculisly survives the 400ft drop and joins you 3. DM : You open your backpack and see a box. You open it, inside is an elf! So... any ideas...
TheDarkLord 01-30-07, 09:05 PM	She had the dream as well and arrive at the temple at roughly the same time? Also she might have some extra info from her dream because of her connection with the Divine?
HerbalTea 01-31-07, 04:50 AM	She is getting attacked by a group of <insert name here ;) > and she cries out to the PCs to help her. Now....how could she repay them? (and no, not by the method that you're probably all thinking)
Archmage Atrus 01-31-07, 07:46 AM	Shared quest is probably your best bet. (She's going to the citadel, too, for her own purposes.) If your campaign plans on going to a city anytime soon, you can have an urban miniadventure which introduces her as sort of a new main character. (IE, the players pass through a city on their way to the citadel in which they must rest. Unfortunately, there are evil devil/demon worshipers which the church is currently on its way to track down and Inquisit. PCs, being the heroic bunch they are, get involved by circumstance when they notice some suspicious activity of your own devising [I'm not writing your adventure for you, dammit], and join up with the crusading elven priest.)
pres_man 01-31-07, 09:27 AM	My favorite is the scene of a recent battle with several dead ogres and elves, as the party starts looking at the scene, they notice a leg moving under the body of an ogre. Under it is an elf. When asked, "How did you get here? Or Why are you here?" The elf responds, "I can't remember", and rubs their head. They remember everything else. Insta-Party Member.
TwistedPuppy 01-31-07, 12:36 PM	There's always the old standby- the characters come to a pit trap and hear the elf calling for help from inside... add fluff, such as the dead rogue the cleric landed on top of, as desired.
hedgeknight 01-31-07, 12:50 PM	I like #3 option the best - that's as funny as hell. :rofl: -g-
Gottwick 01-31-07, 01:23 PM	As TwistedPuppy said, finding the new PC in the dungeon works well. Dungeons are after all basically prisons. If they can get out of the enclosed environment, life is easier. And clerics are even easier to direct. They have a god they directly get power from, so just tie in the cleric's religion.
ccerose 01-31-07, 03:13 PM	I'd also go with shared dream. It keeps the players on an even footing.
pres_man 01-31-07, 05:04 PM	I might point out the ability to add a PC at random is one of the most important skills of a DM. There have been situations where an entire party turns on a character and kills him because the DM did a poor job of trying to introduce the character. Also remember that when a PC dies you will probably have to introduce a new character then for that player. Of course much of this requires a bit of (good) metagaming on the players part to accept the new character sometimes. The only skill almost as important, is the ability of a DM to have a character fade out when that player is not present. The less cheesy you can make it the better (or course some cheese is to be expect, especially if it is on pizza).
Ace_of_Diamonds 01-31-07, 06:48 PM	I might point out the ability to add a PC at random is one of the most important skills of a DM. There have been situations where an entire party turns on a character and kills him because the DM did a poor job of trying to introduce the character. Also remember that when a PC dies you will probably have to introduce a new character then for that player. Of course much of this requires a bit of (good) metagaming on the players part to accept the new character sometimes. I disagree, generally. I've always asked my players to decide the why and how of introducing a new character to the party. Requires a bit of metagaming to smooth over, but I find it's a better approach.
Tony Vargas 01-31-07, 07:11 PM	Since you've already used a shared dream as the lead-in to the next adventure, it's an obvious way to bring in the new PC, who shows up and recognizes 'the two humans in that dream about the lost citadel.' Of course, a cleric can always be sent to join a party that is working, knowingly or otherwise, towards an important cause - either sent by superiors in the church, as a result of divination, or by direct divine mandate.
gamerlamer666 01-31-07, 07:45 PM	basicly, I have a group of 2 4th level PCs (human (custumised)knight and human wizard) and a elf cleric is going to join them. They are in a dungeon about to go to a lost citadel, they dreamed about. I am trying to find a way to incorporate the elf cleric without having to recur to one of the following scenarios : 1. DM : Ok Leseal (knight) you turn around and see an elf is following you, she joins you and your cause. 2. DM : Suddenly a giant eagle drops from the sky and you see an elf is on her back, she miraculisly survives the 400ft drop and joins you 3. DM : You open your backpack and see a box. You open it, inside is an elf! So... any ideas... I Like number three.