I have a few starters on how to make the characters meet and introduce themselves, but i don't want it to be the typical "they met in a tavern" I'm pretty new to being a Dungeon Master. Just trying to make it a unique opening. I dont mind it being it in a tavern. i think i'm over thinking it
IDEA 1
The sun sets on the horizon as a group of weary travellers finds solace in the bustling town of Oakshayde. The smell of fresh bread and the sound of merry laughter fill the air, drawing their attention to a vibrant tavern known as "The Tavern of "The Tipsy Gnome and Wobbly Wand." Here, fate weaves its threads, bringing together a group of strangers who are destined to become allies in the face of impending danger. they are greeted by a lively atmosphere. The flickering glow of candlelight dances across the faces of patrons engaged in boisterous conversations. The room is filled with the aroma of hearty food and the clinking of mugs.
IDEA 2
The Mysterious Note: A gentle breeze rustles through the air, carrying with it the faint flutter of parchment. Curiosity piqued, each character discovers a weathered, rolled-up note in various ways. Unfurling it, they find that the message within is eerily identical, bearing an enigmatic symbol and a cryptic directive: "Seek the truth and embrace your destiny. Find the forgotten tower at the heart of the woods passing the town of Oakshayde, where your journey shall commence."
So, for idea one I see it going one of two ways. Either the party knows eachother pre campaign like Vox Machina sorta thing, or they each meet in the tavern at the same time. For possibility one, it is the easiest to work with, but takes a lot of work to build up a common rapport between the party, which would work if you all know eachother but would be otherwise difficult. For the second possibility, it can be very contrived to simply have "fate" bering them here at the same time and nothing else. My pointer would be have an in game reason. There is a call for mercenaries by the lord, there's a festival, or this area is or has been a nexus for "adventure types".
For the mysterious note, it can be very cliche if not handled with respect and care, and may be hard to fully immerse into getting a mysterious note claiming you to be the chosen one. However, if done right, I could only say the mystery this could breed is an amazing prospect.
I'd say if you want an easy way to introduce the party that feels real, go for the tavern. However, if you think you can handle the mysterious note, that is by far the better option. Either way, they are both very good hooks for the party to begin with, and as long as you can keep them there with a good story you've got the makings of a great campaign.
Honestly, not a fan of either idea but the wind blowing an adventure hook to the party sounds the worst. Please forgive me, I only want to help. I’m not saying every idea I have is unique or original. My current thinking was to have each party member in my own homebrew wake up in a prison cell or chained up in a wizards massive complex, for the purpose of unknown experiments. After exploring the fortress complex to find out why they were there, get an idea of what types of experiments were planned, etc. they would also get the surprise of finding out where the fortress was actually located. It’s not my best ideas ever but it’s what I’ve got. House of Lament suggested having 4+ strangers (or less if some knew each other) meet at a crossroads before finding a posting for a paranormal investigator that needed help nearby. There’s a million ideas for adventure books, I just don’t care for either of the ones you suggested. PURE OPINION, obviously, and I hope you don’t take it as an insult or meant maliciously.
I have no issue at all with helping you come up with more (slightly) unique and exciting intros, or just steal some of the best from other published adventures, if you’re up for it. I will say that the overused, “Everyone meets in a tavern,” is far too tropey for me to EVER consider using.
Ooh, here’s one I came up with but never used. The players start off in a small town (bigger than a village) and after a bit of “get to know you and the town” role playing, they came across a body, horribly mauled. At first the townsfolk assume it’s the result of some local rabid animal but after a bit of investigation it turns out that gasp! this was no boating accident. It was a werewolf. At this point they begin investigating and in the process find more bodies including some killed by local monsters or maybe someone killed or horribly assaulted by a spouse. Great option for a fight with those rats everyone loves at low levels (kidding). The murders add up and what becomes interesting is that attentive characters will realize there are subtle differences between the killings. The reality is that there IS a werewolf, but there’s also a serial killer disgusting their work behind the killings. Fully resolving things will lead to the capture / death of both, while failure might lead to one of them escaping with a taunting note left behind.
you said you didn't want "they met in a tavern" but that's what I'm reading in #1. I'd recommend you open the dbb play-by-post forums and read the beginnings of a few Waterdeep Dragon Heist campaigns. they're a great example of what it looks like when strangers come together to form a group (literally). some parties' members contrived a reason to share a bench and chat. others connected organically only when an encounter or two drew them together. take what works from the ones you like. figure out what the good dms do right and borrow borrow borrow!! it's great croud-sourced resource!
Can always do an in media res. The opening scene is when they are in the middle of a fight. Maybe they signed on to be caravan guards or something and they got attacked. They can meet afterwards after shedding blood together.
I don't like the presented options. (Nothing personal, not horrible, but just absolutely not my cup of tea.)
I'd pull something like this out of my DM hat of holding, feel free to dislike:
A person they know (can be anything from a loose acquaintance, a business contact, a friend of the family, to an uncle.) invited x of y players for one or multiple reasons. An other invited the rest for other reasons.
Person A knows Person B, Person B invited Person A (and any of his guests, because he/she's not rude) over for an entertaining dinner/celebrations/to show off his new (totally lame, fake or ugly) thingamajig plus snacks and drinks.
The players get to know each other, NPCs can ask further questions about them, you can introduce other relevant NPCs if you like/need to. Kerfuffle can now ensue during the event, or anytime after. The characters are now in the vincinity, probably started to bond and can be involved easily (Their hosts can even motivate them to work together.)
A couple of thoughts. First, if you're not already considering it, run a session zero (you can google it to get definitions). A session zero helps you and your players understand the type of game you're going to be playing, sets any ground rules, helps players build characters together and integrate them, defines safety tools to make sure everyone's having a good time, and can help you build in the theme of the campaign into the characters before they're built. There are a bunch of articles and videos on the topic. Take a look at them.
Second, you can always start "in media res". Instead of starting at a bar, put them right into an encounter. As they're walking to a bar, they see two figures hunched over a third, One turns around and its a zombie!! (or a ghoul!). Think about how you can throw them right into the action and let that action drive them towards the larger goals of the adventure or campaign. Lost Mine of Phandelver does a great job with this, as does Dragon of Stormwreck Isle.
After everyone has built up a character in session zero, I have them do a two-minute introduction to the character. This gets them to share a few ideas about who the character is and what their visible manners and appearances are. After the entire table does that, I tell them I'm counting down from three, and when I say one, they need to point at one other player. Their character now knows that character with the caveat that each person can be pointed at just once (ensuring everyone has someone pointing at them).
Once it's settled I ask them why, and they use what they learned from the intros to describe why their character knows that character quickly.
This creates instant relationships in character, sometimes fun ones, and lets them have the agency to sort out how. It gives everyone a friend to support, defend, and call on and kickstarts some of the roleplay.
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I have a few starters on how to make the characters meet and introduce themselves, but i don't want it to be the typical "they met in a tavern" I'm pretty new to being a Dungeon Master. Just trying to make it a unique opening. I dont mind it being it in a tavern. i think i'm over thinking it
IDEA 1
The sun sets on the horizon as a group of weary travellers finds solace in the bustling town of Oakshayde. The smell of fresh bread and the sound of merry laughter fill the air, drawing their attention to a vibrant tavern known as "The Tavern of "The Tipsy Gnome and Wobbly Wand." Here, fate weaves its threads, bringing together a group of strangers who are destined to become allies in the face of impending danger. they are greeted by a lively atmosphere. The flickering glow of candlelight dances across the faces of patrons engaged in boisterous conversations. The room is filled with the aroma of hearty food and the clinking of mugs.
IDEA 2
The Mysterious Note: A gentle breeze rustles through the air, carrying with it the faint flutter of parchment. Curiosity piqued, each character discovers a weathered, rolled-up note in various ways. Unfurling it, they find that the message within is eerily identical, bearing an enigmatic symbol and a cryptic directive: "Seek the truth and embrace your destiny. Find the forgotten tower at the heart of the woods passing the town of Oakshayde, where your journey shall commence."
I've got some ideas, feel free to disregard.
So, for idea one I see it going one of two ways. Either the party knows eachother pre campaign like Vox Machina sorta thing, or they each meet in the tavern at the same time. For possibility one, it is the easiest to work with, but takes a lot of work to build up a common rapport between the party, which would work if you all know eachother but would be otherwise difficult. For the second possibility, it can be very contrived to simply have "fate" bering them here at the same time and nothing else. My pointer would be have an in game reason. There is a call for mercenaries by the lord, there's a festival, or this area is or has been a nexus for "adventure types".
For the mysterious note, it can be very cliche if not handled with respect and care, and may be hard to fully immerse into getting a mysterious note claiming you to be the chosen one. However, if done right, I could only say the mystery this could breed is an amazing prospect.
I'd say if you want an easy way to introduce the party that feels real, go for the tavern. However, if you think you can handle the mysterious note, that is by far the better option. Either way, they are both very good hooks for the party to begin with, and as long as you can keep them there with a good story you've got the makings of a great campaign.
Honestly, not a fan of either idea but the wind blowing an adventure hook to the party sounds the worst. Please forgive me, I only want to help. I’m not saying every idea I have is unique or original. My current thinking was to have each party member in my own homebrew wake up in a prison cell or chained up in a wizards massive complex, for the purpose of unknown experiments. After exploring the fortress complex to find out why they were there, get an idea of what types of experiments were planned, etc. they would also get the surprise of finding out where the fortress was actually located. It’s not my best ideas ever but it’s what I’ve got. House of Lament suggested having 4+ strangers (or less if some knew each other) meet at a crossroads before finding a posting for a paranormal investigator that needed help nearby.
There’s a million ideas for adventure books, I just don’t care for either of the ones you suggested. PURE OPINION, obviously, and I hope you don’t take it as an insult or meant maliciously.
I have no issue at all with helping you come up with more (slightly) unique and exciting intros, or just steal some of the best from other published adventures, if you’re up for it. I will say that the overused, “Everyone meets in a tavern,” is far too tropey for me to EVER consider using.
Ooh, here’s one I came up with but never used. The players start off in a small town (bigger than a village) and after a bit of “get to know you and the town” role playing, they came across a body, horribly mauled. At first the townsfolk assume it’s the result of some local rabid animal but after a bit of investigation it turns out that gasp! this was no boating accident. It was a werewolf. At this point they begin investigating and in the process find more bodies including some killed by local monsters or maybe someone killed or horribly assaulted by a spouse. Great option for a fight with those rats everyone loves at low levels (kidding). The murders add up and what becomes interesting is that attentive characters will realize there are subtle differences between the killings. The reality is that there IS a werewolf, but there’s also a serial killer disgusting their work behind the killings. Fully resolving things will lead to the capture / death of both, while failure might lead to one of them escaping with a taunting note left behind.
you said you didn't want "they met in a tavern" but that's what I'm reading in #1. I'd recommend you open the dbb play-by-post forums and read the beginnings of a few Waterdeep Dragon Heist campaigns. they're a great example of what it looks like when strangers come together to form a group (literally). some parties' members contrived a reason to share a bench and chat. others connected organically only when an encounter or two drew them together. take what works from the ones you like. figure out what the good dms do right and borrow borrow borrow!! it's great croud-sourced resource!
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
Can always do an in media res. The opening scene is when they are in the middle of a fight. Maybe they signed on to be caravan guards or something and they got attacked. They can meet afterwards after shedding blood together.
I don't like the presented options. (Nothing personal, not horrible, but just absolutely not my cup of tea.)
I'd pull something like this out of my DM hat of holding, feel free to dislike:
A person they know (can be anything from a loose acquaintance, a business contact, a friend of the family, to an uncle.) invited x of y players for one or multiple reasons. An other invited the rest for other reasons.
Person A knows Person B, Person B invited Person A (and any of his guests, because he/she's not rude) over for an entertaining dinner/celebrations/to show off his new (totally lame, fake or ugly) thingamajig plus snacks and drinks.
The players get to know each other, NPCs can ask further questions about them, you can introduce other relevant NPCs if you like/need to. Kerfuffle can now ensue during the event, or anytime after. The characters are now in the vincinity, probably started to bond and can be involved easily (Their hosts can even motivate them to work together.)
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InsiderWelcome to this awesome hobby!
A couple of thoughts. First, if you're not already considering it, run a session zero (you can google it to get definitions). A session zero helps you and your players understand the type of game you're going to be playing, sets any ground rules, helps players build characters together and integrate them, defines safety tools to make sure everyone's having a good time, and can help you build in the theme of the campaign into the characters before they're built. There are a bunch of articles and videos on the topic. Take a look at them.
Second, you can always start "in media res". Instead of starting at a bar, put them right into an encounter. As they're walking to a bar, they see two figures hunched over a third, One turns around and its a zombie!! (or a ghoul!). Think about how you can throw them right into the action and let that action drive them towards the larger goals of the adventure or campaign. Lost Mine of Phandelver does a great job with this, as does Dragon of Stormwreck Isle.
Hope that helps!
After everyone has built up a character in session zero, I have them do a two-minute introduction to the character. This gets them to share a few ideas about who the character is and what their visible manners and appearances are. After the entire table does that, I tell them I'm counting down from three, and when I say one, they need to point at one other player. Their character now knows that character with the caveat that each person can be pointed at just once (ensuring everyone has someone pointing at them).
Once it's settled I ask them why, and they use what they learned from the intros to describe why their character knows that character quickly.
This creates instant relationships in character, sometimes fun ones, and lets them have the agency to sort out how. It gives everyone a friend to support, defend, and call on and kickstarts some of the roleplay.