Let your player characters be heroes, not victims. I'd suggest something like:
- The PCs are in town to meet with a powerful NPC patron/teacher/ally when big bad shows up, escorted by a group of minions. A group of defenseless bystanders is also present in the area. Big bad orders his minions to secure the area and starts killing.
- The powerful ally tells the PCs, "Get those innocents out of here! This foe is beyond your power to defeat: I'll hold him off! Get the (McGuffin); I'll meet with you in _____ (etc.) "
- The villain's minions oppose the PCs leaving. Violence ensues. Their ally falls as the PCs finish off the minions. If they're going to save the innocent bystanders, they need to bolt. Give them something to keep them with the bystanders, such as a boat or wagon the NPCs can't drive effectively. Otherwise, they may be tempted to go back in to fight the big bad.
I'm late to this thread but I'll probably be the one player who actually likes the idea of making two PCs and having one get killed in the introductory adventure. I've actually done that very thing intentionally in a previous campaign and thought it was great.
But I'll admit, I'm weird. I also hate making optimized characters and prefer an adventure where there's a pretty good chance that my character will get killed if I'm not careful.
The immortal guy and the hollering about everyone being guilty of not serving him or whatever...that's the part I'm not so fond of. I wouldn't be so thrilled to know that there's one guy in the very beginning who I can't stop and will have to struggle for an entire campaign to kill. That just sounds...frustrating.
So here is where I need advice:
Is this a good idea?
As a player would you like this or would it piss you off?
Should I let the players know ahead of time that I will kill half of them off in the first hour of the game?
1. I wouldn't do it personally... could depend on your group of players. I generally lean toward bad idea.
2. As a player, it might annoy me, but I'm very agreeable to "unusual" scenarios or situations as a player.
3. You might warn them that it is going to be a brutal "campaign" - even out the door. Tell them when you say brutal, you mean it.
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I don't think it is a good idea.
Instead of having them make 2 characters. I would instead make a short adventure in a town. Have the PC's save it and hopefully become friends with a lot of the towns folk. During a celebration in their honor have it happen. Kill off most of the NPC's the players like best, do it in brutal ways. Like one PC likes a farm lass and tries to get her out a window. Have the thing throw a table leg at her just as she is jumping out running her threw with it etc.
BUT with that said make very very sure you tell your players up front it will be a dark and gritty game. They need to know that going in OOC or they will likely be very unhappy with you.
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I'm personally rather fond of the "Community defends to its last" motif. I've used it more than once to launch a campaign and it always hits an emotional mark. When a terrifying monster shows up in town and instead of running, the townsfolk do all they can to defeat the creature, its inspirational as hell, and gives the PCs a reason to adventure together, as they're one of the (very) few who survived the ordeal. Sure a level 1 commoner will rarely hit an illithid, but an illithid surrounded by 50 commoners is bound to get hit often enough to drop it before it kills EVERYTHING.
You want your PC's to fear something? Build a legend around it. Have NPC's talk about it. Have characters in game see one guarding something imporant. Never let them know what it is. Have them witness the power of this thing from the side lines. Have them fight a monster like a bugbear or an ogre and then have this bastard solo the same monster in front of them. Don't roll dice.
Tell them that this scary bastard eats rainbows and s&%@s lighting if there aren't any stats they don't know if that's true or not. When the time comes to fight one make the fight harder by adding minions or a handicap like terrian or poison. Have a fear aura break the line and let the soft target take the first hits.
No player is scaried of a monster that has stats. The unknow is frighting until you name it.
Call them something scary and never let the party get a good look at one. Instead of killing the party have it ignore them or throw them around the room less lethal more scary.
"Your sword slams into his side, the blade pulls free clean. He seems to notice the attack. His eyes never leave his target's face."
Thats more frighting than "He cuts off the fighter's head."
You want your PC's to fear something? Build a legend around it. Have NPC's talk about it. Have characters in game see one guarding something imporant. Never let them know what it is. Have them witness the power of this thing from the side lines. Have them fight a monster like a bugbear or an ogre and then have this bastard solo the same monster in front of them. Don't roll dice.
Tell them that this scary bastard eats rainbows and s%@&s lighting if there aren't any stats they don't know if that's true or not. When the time comes to fight one make the fight harder by adding minions or a handicap like terrian or poison. Have a fear aura break the line and let the soft target take the first hits.
No player is scaried of a monster that has stats. The unknown is frighting until you name it.
Call them something scary and never let the party get a good look at one. Instead of killing the party have it ignore them or throw them around the room less lethal more scary.
"Your sword slams into his side, the blade pulls free clean. He seems to notice the attack. His eyes never leave his target's face."
Thats more frighting than "He cuts off the fighter's head."
~bows before Mr. Fishy~
"I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy."
Glad to hear it. I'm even slightly sad I'm not a player there.