How can I add a player to a 3.5e D&D campaign that I've already been running?

[warmaker]

I need a few ideas.

I've recently began a campaign levels 1-20...Players are only level 2 at this point.One player asked me if he could re-roll a character from an Oriental Adventures setting. (A Samurai). I was not opposed to it because of the fact that I knew he was interested in playing that kind of character from the beginning. He was playing a barbarian until the end of a mini adventure I created.

The campaign I'm running is set in the Forgotten Realms and I would like to get a few ideas on how to implement a character like this (Oriental Adventures) into my current campaign set

I know all the stats and requirement of the character but I'm having the hardest time trying to create a backstory as to how his character actually wound up here and weaving him into the group.
:smallconfused:

[Crinias]

Well, what is the story of the campaign you've been doing so far? Can you give us more details?

Start with that and incorporate it with the new character's story.

[Immabozo]

I did a neat trick. I had a character drop into a fight unannounced and then had to avoid being killed themself and then left it up to the player to explain. Was funny to watch

[roguemetal]

This is a very common problem among DMs I find. It's not easy throwing a character into an ongoing plot, especially one that has already started without them. Really, they need a motive to be involved with the current group, whether they join as assistance, or as a double agent.

You haven't included any information about what has happened in the plot so I unfortunately cannot give a good plot-related response.
What I can do, is give a few suggestions based on the Forgotten Realms setting.

- The character has been ordered by their daimyo to cross the ocean and recover information or some item which is relevant to the plot.

- The character has orders to seek out certain individuals for one reason or other, but bound by their code of honor they will get wrapped up in something less relevant to their cause that they cannot deny.

- The character leaves their home of Kara Tur on a quest of spirit.

- The character seeks redemption for their actions, and is currently in exile from their homeland, a ronin.

- There is a supernatural being or beings pulling the strings on the character.

- The character is hired specifically because he is an outsider, and is being paid to spy on the rest of the group while acting as an ally.

[Phelix-Mu]

- The samurai character was sent to oversee the opening of a new trade or diplomatic office in a local city on behalf of his patron. Now that this is complete, the character has time to spare and falls in with the party members.

- The line of lords that the samurai served has died out, after the death of a young daimyo/w/e. Now the samurai is uncommitted, and wanders the land hoping to continue to uphold his code in the greater world. This is good if the character wants to be a kind of conflicted samurai, as the loss of their patron is emotionally and psychologically devastating for many samurai.

- The samurai's lord has been stripped of rank and lands due to some transgression, or invasion has made the lord take flight. Now the samurai accompanies the lord as the lord lives a smaller, more private life in a foreign city. This may result in the samurai being given more personal freedom, as the lifestyle of his patron no longer demands armed attendants and full-time retainers. This is good if you want to incorporate the samurai's patron into the plot of the campaign (which might be difficult, as the plot already has started out for a bit).

I believe that there are established areas on the Forgotten Realms planet that have an "oriental" culture.

[warmaker]

This is a very common problem among DMs I find. It's not easy throwing a character into an ongoing plot, especially one that has already started without them. Really, they need a motive to be involved with the current group, whether they join as assistance, or as a double agent.

You haven't included any information about what has happened in the plot so I unfortunately cannot give a good plot-related response.
What I can do, is give a few suggestions based on the Forgotten Realms setting.

- The character has been ordered by their daimyo to cross the ocean and recover information or some item which is relevant to the plot.

- The character has orders to seek out certain individuals for one reason or other, but bound by their code of honor they will get wrapped up in something less relevant to their cause that they cannot deny.

- The character leaves their home of Kara Tur on a quest of spirit.

- The character seeks redemption for their actions, and is currently in exile from their homeland, a ronin.

- There is a supernatural being or beings pulling the strings on the character.

- The character is hired specifically because he is an outsider, and is being paid to spy on the rest of the group while acting as an ally.



Well here's a short synopsis...I wrote the story myself...Basically the group was investigating on a series of events that led them to an abandoned fort that had been left for ages. They encountered skeletons pieced together and an armored necromancer who's essence had been absorbed by the weapon he used, essentially making the armor he wore, aguardian (2 monsters). They basically have been hailed by tghe town for discovering the source of mutilated animals and I am trying to set them up on a new adventure that will lead them into the cold and winter mountains to the north. The group has banded together by being sole travelers at one point to perfect they're personal standing.

The group consists of a Paladin, Rogue, Illusionist, Monk, Druid as of right now. I like the exile idea but I need to be able to tie it in to the story. Maybe a promise of visiting a shrine of his god later?

The shards of a stronger Necromancers essence have been scattered across the land and bring great destruction and I am trying to lead them up to the plot without giving away to much.

[navar100]

The fort was an ancient outpost belonging to the samurai's lord's ancestors. It was long forgotten. A traveling bard had told the lord of stories of undead in a fort, the location of which could be his ancestors'. The samurai is sent to investigate to learn if the fort is the lost outpost. The proof would be finding a family heirloom, a katana. Unfortunately, the katana had been corrupted to absorb the essence of its wielder . . .