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Post by Admin Pete on Jun 10, 2016 9:55:51 GMT -5
How do you start your players off in their first game? Do you have them all meet in a "tavern" or do you do something else? I would like to hear from as many of you as possible about how you start a new campaign. Here is how I started one campaign off.
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Post by bestialwarlust on Jun 10, 2016 10:45:01 GMT -5
I'm gearing up to start a new game. The group will start off as local village militia. The village requires 3 days out of the month you serve active duty. Otherwise I require the players to come up with why they know each other as a DM I have enough work to do so I leave that on them.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2016 10:47:54 GMT -5
I once started all the players chained together in a slaver's wagon ... camaraderie was built almost immediately.
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Post by tetramorph on Jun 10, 2016 11:35:55 GMT -5
How do you start your players off in their first game? Do you have them all meet in a "tavern" or do you do something else? I would like to hear from as many of you as possible about how you start a new campaign. Here is how I started one campaign off. Perilous, your link isn't working for me. So far, most of the time, the tavern still works for me. Part of my whole vanilla bean approach! Start with something familiar -- let the weirdness grow! |
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Post by Admin Pete on Jun 10, 2016 11:56:40 GMT -5
erilous, your link isn't working for me. So far, most of the time, the tavern still works for me. Part of my whole vanilla bean approach! Start with something familiar -- let the weirdness grow! Hmm, it works for me, I just clicked it. If you go down to the Campaign forum into my folder and then into the (II) The Redwall inspired campaign subfolder and then to the first thread titled "(II) The Redwall inspired campaign" you will be in the right place. |
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Post by smubee on Jun 11, 2016 0:52:53 GMT -5
I typically start it differently every time, the people who have played before love the "You're all in a tavern..." cliche. Some say that it's not D&D if you don't start it in a tavern.  When I start one even if it's just one session, I do a bit of recap of information about the world and what the characters have been up to before the adventure takes place, this helps set the tone as well as gives players the chance to instantly know how the world works without thousands of questions during gameplay. For example, I was running an adventure for my Uncles and sisters, and gave some background information about how Orcs are slaves and how a recent ship bringing hundreds of them over had supposedly gone missing. This is knowledge that the characters would probably know, not necessarily every detail, I wouldn't say "The crew was killed by Orcs, forcing Captain (InsertNameHere) to abandon ship while the Orcs took over and are headed back to their homeland." because that would be boring. The fun of D&D is not knowing where the monsters are. So if I open with a description about how an Orc ship has maybe gone missing, players are scared shitless right off the bat because they're constantly worried about when the Orcs will attack their village. Or another example was an OD&D session that I ran for my 19th (alcohol was involved because it was my 19th birthday and 19 is legal drinking in Canada, and most of my cousins had never played before, so all of this preparation fell flat on its face). I started them out in a small town, they had all known each other because they all worked for the same Trading Outpost. One of the deliveries had not come in, so the players were sent out to investigate. I like to give brief information which can be expanded upon by searching for information if they decide to pursue it. |
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Jun 11, 2016 1:06:10 GMT -5
Used to permit players to buy unlimited amount of equipment, weapons, and armor as long as it was not magical. And then begin "You awaken wearing only a loincloth. It is pitch dark and you have no equipment, weapons, or armor. You are wrist-cuffed to a stone wall and your toes can't reach the floor - if there is one. Somewhere you hear a monotone voice - '25. 24. 23. 22...' What do you do? "
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2016 13:25:44 GMT -5
You know, in 42 years I've NEVER started players in a tavern. Nor have I ever had a mysterious stranger approach them.
Nowadays I cut to the chase and simply start with the TPK.
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Post by Von on Jun 20, 2016 14:56:46 GMT -5
I once started all the players chained together in a slaver's wagon ... camaraderie was built almost immediately. This is my preferred starting point too - "you're all incarcerated, get out" and variations on that theme. I did once start a game off in Constantinople, right as the Fourth Crusade were battering down the gates, but the circumstances there were... exceptional. |
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Post by hengest on Jul 3, 2016 22:58:08 GMT -5
I say slam 'em together and let the players sort it out in character, if character is so important! No explanations, no nothing. Here's where you are and who you see there, don't even say who's a PC. Just have everyone play their own character ("the filthy elf", "the sneezing human") and you do the NPCs and let it work itself out.
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Post by Crimhthan The Great on Aug 3, 2016 11:30:16 GMT -5
My players started out back in the day as a group of friends who went off to adventure together, since that time as death occur, replacement are recruited from the brothers and their family, the sisters and their families, the cousins, neighbors, et. al. So there are no strangers getting together, it is always, friends, relatives and acquaintances. They normally meet at the most central location and start off from there.
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