Has anyone ever come up with a good way to introduce NPCs at the beginning of the campaign? It always seems to be that you're just told that they'll be working with you, they just show up and start following you, however which way I always seem to see that the DM has characters who are sent along with the party because, because.
What are some good ways to avoid doing this? Cool ways that give a legitimate reason for an NPC to be there with the party.
I've found character backgrounds help with this sort of thing. Take a non-Diva player and tie the NPC to their background in some logical, non-intrusive, non-Mary Sue sort of way before beginning the campaign and with the players permission.
Are you referring to NPCs or GM character party members?
I try to make the meetings feel natural. For example, the characters may start the campaign by entering a small town. Describe the town but don't direct the players anywhere. After looking around a bit they will usually go talk to some guards, or look at the town bulletin board, or otherwise start looking for adventure. Now they are naturally following a "help wanted" sign, or something, to an NPC and an adventure.
I have also had some luck getting characters to invite NPCs into their group if they find some stranded individual. For example, the characters raid a dungeon, drug den, sweet shop, etc. and find some unusual person who has been held prisoner and has no one to turn to and no where to go. If the characters are reasonably good hearted, they will try to help this person and let them tag along, especially if they are useful. Try to set up a real tear jerker of a story for them; players love that.
I also agree with Da'ath; incorporating character back stories can help them get in contact with NPCs in a natural feeling way. You could offer the players a minor reward in exchange for giving you a brief written back story of their characters, such as letting them pick a single trait or letting you pick two trait for them based on their back story. You could require a back story to include at least two notable NPCs. Building a campaign to include elements of back stories can also help the whole game world feel more cohesive and engaging.
I've found character backgrounds help with this sort of thing. Take a non-Diva player and tie the NPC to their background in some logical, non-intrusive, non-Mary Sue sort of way before beginning the campaign and with the players permission.
Are you referring to NPCs or GM character party members?
GM character party members
I never suggest those, as too many GMs make them Mary Sue characters. I run two groups, one 8-person groupo (50%/50% male/female) and one for just my wife (she's a bit of a Diva, so it's easiest). Even for my wife's group, I don't add a GM player character. YMMV.
However, that's not my business and not what you asked. The easiest way would be to just introduce them when you start the party. They're just another party member anyway, so no less awkward than any other meeting.
Alternatively, you could introduce the individual as a bounty, which the PCs will need sufficient justification to not collect on; you can introduce them as a guide, a passerby who helps when they're being attacked, a victim they save, so on and so forth.
I hope that helps.
Generally I'd suggest using the same mechanic that get's the rest of the PC's together whatever that is so that the NPC feels like an equal member.
I've seen it done where the GM character is the one who is looking to form a party in the first place. Once a dwarf rouge had a treasure map and needed some help to slay the monsters guarding it and the other time a paladin wanted companions to help him raid some evil, of course the paladin became the party baby sitter in the second case.
If the party has already been formed make the NPC have something the party wants or needs.
I'm not running this campaign, I'm linking him the thread however so he can have some ideas. In the past we have had an NPC hire us for her mercenary group, we've hired NPC's in the past. But usuall they are there just like we are and join up.
In the campaign we'll be starting we're all going to be hired as an escort for a merchant ship convoy. I think the DM has about six or seven NPC's on board the ship that we'll be interacting with and for missions we pick which ones we want to go with us while the others stay with the ship.
It may be cliche but if it's a maritime campaign then the NPC's can all be introduced in a bar getting well and thoroughly drunk on their last night of shore leave. The DM could have a good old fashioned bar fight that showcases the abilities of the different NPC's. Though orchestrating a fight with 7 NPC's presumable 4 PC's and baddies could be difficult, maybe a scripted observation of the end of the fight would work better.
It may be cliche but if it's a maritime campaign then the NPC's can all be introduced in a bar getting well and thoroughly drunk on their last night of shore leave. The DM could have a good old fashioned bar fight that showcases the abilities of the different NPC's. Though orchestrating a fight with 7 NPC's presumable 4 PC's and baddies could be difficult, maybe a scripted observation of the end of the fight would work better.
That's actually a pretty good idea, I'll let him know, thanks.
If you want to start an NPC with the party from the very beginning, work with the background. Otherwise, I work them into the very opening of the campaign through jeopardy.
In one campaign the party began knowing one another but new to a frontier town. In episode zero as the players were making their characters I had them meet the blacksmith's apprentice; a deeply religious lad with a rebellious streak. Episode one of the campaign opens with the lad and his friends telling the PCs, newcomers to the town, to meet him at a ruined abbey at midnight. Its a coming-of-age rite that teens from the town head out there and get as close to the zombie caretakers who maintain the old abbey graves. So the party goes, predictably the kids have disappeared and the first adventure is finding them. The apprentice is the only one who makes it out unscathed but shaken by the experience, and he joins the team.
Another campaign idea I haven't used yet starts with the party all being in the market square at the same time when it is attacked by dire rats. The creatures corner a pair of little girls and the party has to fight their way over to save the kids. Once the fight is over they meet each other but also a slew of NPCs: the mother of the girls, a local militia captain, a shady ratcatcher and his creepy niece, a grippili beggar with ties to the fey and a conspicuous alchemist/herbalist type. Any of these NPCs then can become contacts and potential party cohorts as the game goes on.
I've named the prominent figures at the start of the campaign, since they are the founding families of a port city.
Should the party decide to visit them, their background can be written, though some deserve more than others.
As the story goes on they'll come to visit them and they'll (the party) have their contacts for missions, be they sidequest or storywise.
You can get a npc to be a recurring character, have rumors on said npc, giving him/her background.