Quote Originally Posted by Wintermoot View Post
DM: "Okay, as you guys are preparing to set off for the dungeon of Blex, PC receives an emergency message. The orphanage you grew up in was attacked and Mrs Gubersmith, the kindly old cook of the orphanage, and the only person who ever showed you any love when you were growing up has been kidnapped by evil wizards."

PC: "God dammit!"
I've gone the other way and made my character's family powerful paladins in their own right, so "your family is in danger!" plots don't work on them. DM will at least have to get creative.