Opening Campaign idea... (how to do this effectively)

[Master Elodin]

So I've been thinking of ways to avoid the cliche gathering together of PCs and after rewatching the anime Samurai 7, I thought it would be real cool to introduce one PC to the needy person having trouble back home (bandits,demons,etc) and then going out to recruit others to get the job done. This would include 3 other PCs plus choosing 2 of 5 or six NPCs to join their party.

So my question is...
How do I set up a scenario that would work for this. It seems a little more organic way to get the group together, but what would prevent the PCs from just saying, "No, I'm good. Good luck with the bad guys"

[karossii]

Essentially, nothing prevents them from bowing out - but if they are made to realize this is their main/only "in" to the party dynamic, they should be able to find a way to roleplay their way into the job.

[ClarkKent07]

I have used a similar approach in the past, RPing individual events with the PCs and slowly..one by one bringing them together. I unique way to do this is very carefully tie each PCs individual needs to the overall needs of the primary or lead PC.

For example...PC 1 has to stop bad guys from wiping out a village...and goes recruiting...

PC 2 is looking for his father's lost blade...and while being recruited by PC1 learns that an elder in said village may know about the blade.

ANd so on and so on