Good afternoon (Or appropriate time-thing) everyone! I know the question is rather vague, but I'll soon be starting a campaign that, to summarize:
Has the party starting in a world that is basically monster-free. There are certain outsiders because there is a heaven/hell setup, and dragons just because dragons.
Involves the party meeting up in the human capital of the continent they are on. They eventually meet some goblin merchants that have an artifact they took from a tomb a few days venture away that ends up unleashing a sealed evil that brings monsters into the world, and will eventually cause the party to be basically sealed in a crystal stasis that lasts 50 years.
The thing is, I was going to originally start it out that the reason they're in the city was for a giant festival. But it occurred to me, I start far too many of my campaigns in that way. Was looking into other starts, but didn't really like the idea of having the party being in jail, or arrive by ship for no real reason (then again, I could have them coming back from a job).
Was thinking of setting up a wedding, or having the party have a weird prophetic dream that they all shared and remember each other being in, or perhaps even a reunion at a school. But that would kinda pidgeonhole characters into having gone to school.
Just curious what reasons people have had before for their characters to all meet up in a specific city. I guess I technically also have to set it up so the group has a reason to join up together and meet up with the goblins...
Anyway, have a great day everyone!
You could have them as a bunch of caravan guards that are hired by a merchant and are in the city gathering.
You could have them as experienced adventurers (or if not adventurers, maybe wanderers or travelers) that happen to be in the city this day.
You could have them hijacked and put in as slaves.
They could all be serfs serving a lord who just happens to be in the city.
The merchant-guard seems to work the best :) It's a good thing for me to think on.
I've always wanted to start a campaign wherein the Player Characters are all members/associates of a minor noble family. Perhaps they are called to court in the city.
That works too! As silly as it sounds, I actually am thinking of making a character who is a Bard, class-wise, but otherwise, is a world-wide idol known for her great singing. She sends each of the party members backstage passes and tickets to her show in the capital.
As strange as it sounds, it IS unique haha. And I guess each member will have had some form of bond or tie with her before. Perhaps a previous body-guard, school chum, childhood friend, or even a person she just wants to rub her fame in the face of.
My game has my players start out in the gigantic central metropolitan city because it has the training facilities that exist for the characters to have their background stories come from. The martial academy, wizard's school, bardic college, psionic institute, all of it is right there in one district dedicated to education and enlightenment which is one large city that is part of the bigger city as a whole.
It's easy for the characters to all be in the same city if that's where they all went to college.
Ooooh! I really like the breaking out of jail together idea.
I once started a campaign by having the Player Characters awaken to find themselves naked and stuffed into sacks in a muddy field outside of a village during a rainstorm. They were strangers and when they went into town (after stealing some clothing) they discovered, through the reactions of the local populace, that their souls had been transferred to the bodies of some notorious bandits--who had recently been executed and dumped into a muddy field.
I might not suggest such a start, but it certainly got the ball rolling rather quickly.
Hahaha, that's actually a rather interesting one. Being in the bodies of some dead bandits and searching for your lost bodies is pretty cool. Gives a good "Why?" as to "Why would someone take our bodies?", and the obvious "Who?" and "Where?". Quite nice.
Aye. Metropolitan cities with colleges, business quarters etc gives a lot of options for people, whether it be work or school.
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Here's a few ive used or played in
I started off a party once with job interviews. I had a famous archaeologist that was hiring people for his latest expedition. Each player had to answer a bunch of questions and convince me to hire them. The interview is a great in game way to get the players to give you some background information.
There was this old (I think 2nd ed) module that used the kidnapped party intro. You are each traveling when a roc swoops down, snatches you up and dumps you in its nest atop a giant mountain, then flies off again. What do you do?
Another fun one is to pick one player, hire them for a job, and then they go around and put a crew together. Its the classic heist movie set up. Requires that your players be willing and interested in being a proactive part of the story so it doesn't work with everyone.
"I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure"
Here's another idea...DISASTER MOVIE...
Okay....not a movie, but you know how in the disaster movies you have people come from all different areas, but when the disaster strikes, somehow they all end up in the same place ready to go.
For example, rampaging armies are hitting the land they are in driving everyone towards the security of the nearby town. The players find their ways to the town for security, only to have the town blow up in a massive explosion!!!
Okay, maybe not so massive it kills them... but enough to create the scene...