campaign starter... [Archive] - Wizards Community

campaign starter... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
invisble1
09-16-04, 10:47 PM Okay; so I'm getting ready to start another campaign with some of my usual players and a few new ones. Basically I have my premise and my outline and the like, my thoughts are, how to introduce the characters to each other w/o the 'you wake up and are the only surviving people in the inn' type situation. what thoughts do you have?
FrostyObsitnic
09-16-04, 10:57 PM Start them all out in the midst of a drug-induced hallucination (don't tell them they're hallucinating) and then wake them up at a certain point just as they are thrown in jail for public nudity and the consumption of illegal drugs. Then let the players try and break out of the prison.
Dash Branaghan
09-16-04, 11:03 PM OH lord.....I think we had a recent thread on this one but here goes:

Smoke - Where there is smoke, there are invariably PCs. The smoke can be anything...a burned out caravan, a burned out village, a burned out monastery, a burned out brothel, or just a big bonfire. Either way, PCs are curious creatures that are generally drawn to the unknown. You could have the survivors see the hardy adventuring types, and ask them to escort them to the nearest large settlement. Voila, PCs united.

Merchant Caravan Guards - Instead of "You wake up the only survivors in the Inn," try, "You wake up. It is day three of the merchant trip. Each of you has come on this trip for whatever reasons. The head merchant, being a festive sort, has asked that each person tell two tales on the way, and two tales back. Whoever tells the best tale, he will double his wages. There have been some good stories, some good drinks, and some good comraderie." *note: my apologies to Chaucer now* Voila, PCs united.

Slave Ship? When the Hell Did I Become a Slave? - This is always good. It creates that sense of trust that only slaves have, and can explain their attitude towards authority much later when they constantly flout it. There are many ways to go with this, including, but not limited to, a slave revolt, the ship crashing in a storm with subsequent slave revolt, pirates attacking the ship which leads to slave revolt, and a plague that infests the slaves, leading to a slave revolt.

Welcome to Your New Life as a Gladiator! Wait a Second...When the Hell Did I Become a Slave? Gladiators are cool. Playing one is cool. Earning your freedom is cool. Leading a Spartacus style revolt (or Maximus Desmus Meridius if you prefer) is cool. Yep, this helps get the characters together. Especially if they don't earn their freedom, are treated really horribly, have the slave revolt but down in a brutal and bloody fashion, and must escape using sneaky means (with a couple of DMPCs, one of whom is selling them out for his own freedom...be sure to slit that guys throat when they are all captured, but before the PCs escape).

Schoolmaster Always Said - Yep, you used to be schoolmates. Welcome to the reunion. Wait a second...who stole the cheer out of our town? Why is there a feeling of repression? Who took the roast beast and last can of Who Hash? We have to stop this...

Well, you get the idea. There are tonnes of way to keep the party together, and tonnes of way to set them off based on each option. Obviously you already have your adventure in place, so hopefully these ideas can be melded together with what you already have.

Dash
ECOM
09-16-04, 11:46 PM Get the pc in the same place in or something. have an npc (no stats) stick out (bait) let the pc interact with the npc. then have the bbeg or one of his cronies come in a kill the npc then flee. (generaly the players jump up and start working together before they even realize it. and if this does not work let the guard come in and arrest everyone they will get to know one another in jail.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
invisble1 09-16-04, 10:47 PM	Okay; so I'm getting ready to start another campaign with some of my usual players and a few new ones. Basically I have my premise and my outline and the like, my thoughts are, how to introduce the characters to each other w/o the 'you wake up and are the only surviving people in the inn' type situation. what thoughts do you have?
FrostyObsitnic 09-16-04, 10:57 PM	Start them all out in the midst of a drug-induced hallucination (don't tell them they're hallucinating) and then wake them up at a certain point just as they are thrown in jail for public nudity and the consumption of illegal drugs. Then let the players try and break out of the prison.
Dash Branaghan 09-16-04, 11:03 PM	OH lord.....I think we had a recent thread on this one but here goes: Smoke - Where there is smoke, there are invariably PCs. The smoke can be anything...a burned out caravan, a burned out village, a burned out monastery, a burned out brothel, or just a big bonfire. Either way, PCs are curious creatures that are generally drawn to the unknown. You could have the survivors see the hardy adventuring types, and ask them to escort them to the nearest large settlement. Voila, PCs united. Merchant Caravan Guards - Instead of "You wake up the only survivors in the Inn," try, "You wake up. It is day three of the merchant trip. Each of you has come on this trip for whatever reasons. The head merchant, being a festive sort, has asked that each person tell two tales on the way, and two tales back. Whoever tells the best tale, he will double his wages. There have been some good stories, some good drinks, and some good comraderie." note: my apologies to Chaucer now Voila, PCs united. Slave Ship? When the Hell Did I Become a Slave? - This is always good. It creates that sense of trust that only slaves have, and can explain their attitude towards authority much later when they constantly flout it. There are many ways to go with this, including, but not limited to, a slave revolt, the ship crashing in a storm with subsequent slave revolt, pirates attacking the ship which leads to slave revolt, and a plague that infests the slaves, leading to a slave revolt. Welcome to Your New Life as a Gladiator! Wait a Second...When the Hell Did I Become a Slave? Gladiators are cool. Playing one is cool. Earning your freedom is cool. Leading a Spartacus style revolt (or Maximus Desmus Meridius if you prefer) is cool. Yep, this helps get the characters together. Especially if they don't earn their freedom, are treated really horribly, have the slave revolt but down in a brutal and bloody fashion, and must escape using sneaky means (with a couple of DMPCs, one of whom is selling them out for his own freedom...be sure to slit that guys throat when they are all captured, but before the PCs escape). Schoolmaster Always Said - Yep, you used to be schoolmates. Welcome to the reunion. Wait a second...who stole the cheer out of our town? Why is there a feeling of repression? Who took the roast beast and last can of Who Hash? We have to stop this... Well, you get the idea. There are tonnes of way to keep the party together, and tonnes of way to set them off based on each option. Obviously you already have your adventure in place, so hopefully these ideas can be melded together with what you already have. Dash
ECOM 09-16-04, 11:46 PM	Get the pc in the same place in or something. have an npc (no stats) stick out (bait) let the pc interact with the npc. then have the bbeg or one of his cronies come in a kill the npc then flee. (generaly the players jump up and start working together before they even realize it. and if this does not work let the guard come in and arrest everyone they will get to know one another in jail.