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View Full Version : Ragtag bunch of misfits begins



Hyena
2012-08-14, 11:16 AM
We've got threads about funny moments of our games, scary moments of our games, the best DMs, the worst DMs, but not this? I need to fix it right now.
So, how do you assemble your parties? PCs are so different and it's so hard to make them one team. How do you manage to do it?

Gamer Girl
2012-08-14, 11:23 AM
Lots of ways

1.The Classic is that they just all get hired for the same job and are forced to work together. All the characters see the sign ''dragon killers needed' and go to the mayor at about the same time.

2.i've always been a big fan of chance: ''Suddenly each of you appears on a small rocky island floating in a massive lake of lava in an underground cavern somewhere. with each of you on the island are five other people you don't know or recognize at all.''

3. The other classic is Childhood Pals If you grew up together your not 'misfits' to each other.

4. All part of a same group. So they are forced to work together for a common goal.

5 The Drama meet is fun, where each character is part of the plot and each one joins the group to further the plot. But this one takes a lot of time and good players....

Eldan
2012-08-14, 11:35 AM
I've sometimes gone with quite literal recruitment posters:


"Stonehammer & Blake,
Consulting Detectives
to
Her Azure Brilliance,
the Empress of Ember

Are offering to hire
A number of between
2 and 5
Gentlemen of
B R E E D I N G
and
S O P H I S T I C A T I O N
Not to forget various
S K I L L S & T A L E N T S &c.

Inquire at
Messrs. Stonehammer & Blake
Blackmist Way
The Undertow
Caligo

nedz
2012-08-14, 11:39 AM
Some I've done:


You all grow up in the same village and team up to solve some local threat
You all grow up in the same village when everyone else is killed by a plague
You are all sent by your relevant churches/guilds/etc. to recover a great ankh which has been stolen
You are all Dwarves who have been drafted into the Army and are assigned to a scout unit

Orran
2012-08-14, 02:34 PM
Growing up in the same village can sometimes be an issue for characters of different races or ages.
Getting a party together takes a little meta-gaming in my experience, so long as everyone handles it maturely, it's not much of an issue.
That said, I like the idea of being a team put together by a superior of some fashion. It can also give an opportunity to use a corruption or betrayal plot later on.

NikitaDarkstar
2012-08-14, 02:40 PM
Some I've experienced:

* All part of the same mercenary group

* All hired by the king/queen to do the same job.

* Suddenly appeared out of nowhere, need to work together to survive.

* Slowly introducing everyone one by one. It takes a while, but it does feel more natural.

Knaight
2012-08-14, 03:01 PM
Generally speaking, I find interweaving back stories to work well. Sometimes I do it as a GM, sometimes the players do it on their own. An easy way to do this is to overlap ambiguous characters - the bar that a PC works for is owned by another PC's uncle and is a front for criminal activity that another PC works for. There is also this (http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/wp-content/uploads/resources/2_GroupTemplate.pdf) resource, which is quite useful.

Gamer Girl
2012-08-14, 03:10 PM
Growing up in the same village can sometimes be an issue for characters of different races or ages.

Not if you have a multicultural game :)

Roguenewb
2012-08-14, 03:23 PM
For level 1 games, I prefer to have the party consist of everyone in the small hometown who is at the cusp of maturity. Yes, this means that players can't play ancient dudes (but level 1 venerable? sigh). And most backstories can be written to allow for a month of country living. In an all human town, it would be that the town has 6 18 year olds. 5 PCs, and the one NPC member of the cohort.

Works well for me