Bringing Player Character Together

[Gallahan]

Someone in another section of the message boards wanted to know how other people brought their characters together ---beyond the standard "okay, you met in a tavern or bar..."

Here's how I bring mine together in a BTS campaign... Keep in mind, that this is for long-term games, not just one nighters, although it works for them as well...

I generally have my players write down a background for their character which includes occupation, family, etc. This usually gives me time to piece together a "novel-like" story arc that weaves everyone together.

Using this kind of separate introduction for each player's character adds SO MUCH depth, that I think it really lets the players get to know each other. Many times, players who don't happen to be playing at the time (because with this kind of intro, they have to wait for a tid bit until their scene is up again) simply sit and watch, enthralled... as if watching scenes from movie that skips from one story to another (like how Independence Day starts out).

Example: I have 4 players characters...
1. Wedding Videographer
2. Deputy Sheriff
3. Fast Food Employee
4. Truck Driver

Okay, how do you get these people into a story... TOGETHER?!!

Think spooky. Say there's a werewolf...

1. The truck driver is on a lonely interstate highway; a large dog (werewolf) jumps out in front of him; the truck crashes dramatically; gas leaks all over...
2. The deputy sheriff is eating a burrito on a lonely stretch of country road; he/she spills salsa on his/her uniform; looking down, away from the radar gun, he/she might see a form (werewolf) run across the road; as he/she opens door and draws gun to investigate, the police band CB blares that a terrible accident just happend; being the closest, he/she responds first...
3. The car behind the truck witnesses the accident; the wedding videographer just left a gig and is tired, maybe had a little to drink; he stops to assist the driver, to SAVE him; as he's pulling the incoherent trucker from the wreckage, a werewolf snarls a gumline of teeth at them, preparing to attack!
4. The deputy shows up just in time to pump rounds into the beast, which turns to attack him; the sheriff may or may not get bitten (try not to kill him at this early stage if possible, but hey if it happens then oh well); the werewolf might get knocked back, slipping on the gasoline; it rolls, HATING the smell...
5. Either the trucker or videographer flicks a cigarette at the beast, which lights up (yeah, the players probably WILL think of that trick; if not, then you tell them the truck sparks and... POOF!)
6. ALL players have a chance to run to the woods, for cover, while the werewolf struggles with the fire... and once to safety, the entire scene BLOWS UP!!!
7. A fast food restaurant crew is having a hard time with a smelly customer who wants his burgers RAW; the manager tries to soothe the man, but the man attacks him! There's a fight in the kitchen involving the crew (and the one fast food character) who beats the man off with a deep fat fryer French-frie scoop loaded with hot oil; the man struggles to the floor, laughing... and passes out, the stench of booze on his breath; just then, the other 3 PCs make it to the restaurant
8. They meet, they talk, they call for help... just when the ragged customer snaps eyes open... glowing werewolf yellow... and changes right there, in front of them. The werewolf jumps drunkenly to the countertop... eyeing them dangerously...

...and then you finish it from there. Keep in mind that killing the characters right now would NOT help your story. The purpose of this INITIAL encounter is NOT to play PRECISELY by the rules; the purpose is to weave the characters into a single story from very different beginnings. Usually their occupations dictate how you'd do this. If you get stumped, simply try making them relatives. Use your imagination. It might mean skipping here and there (at the beginning only) and segueing a bit, but man, it really comes together. And use adventure/horror/sci-fi music if you can.

Chai

[Gallahan]

Library is a grat idea!

Hah, here's anohter idea:

Have the PCs role up their characters' occupations. Then tell them that they role-play together. In other words, the characters are all members of the same role-playing groupl.

1. During a break in their normal gaming session, they order pizza. The delivery boy turns out to be a GIRL. OBVIOUSLY, we know how these people would most likely react to a gorgeous female specimen. She's invited in, joins in the fun... and attempts to seduce the *most likely* candidtate (every gaming group has one). Of course, she's a vampire. Or something else that's bad. Battle ensues. They take her out and if they investigate... discover that her franchise is owned by a vampire (or demon baddy) who uses it as a front to find those lonely, sad hearts that no one will miss if they end up dead or missing.

[Gallahan]

Hahahaha... I KNEW someone would bring in clowns!

[Sentinel]

Hahahaha... I KNEW someone would bring in clowns!

You'd prefer Floopers?

[Gallahan]

Okay, this might sound naive, but I've gotta ask: what/who are Floopers!?

I've heard of the Flippers, Flappers, Zippers and Zappers, but not Floopers...

[Bill Scott]

Sometimes the hardest way to start a campaign is set up how the characters got together. The most common way is to have them meet at the local bar or tavern, but that is so cliched that I refuse to use it. Here are some of the ways I've got the characters together in my past campaigns.

1, In a GURPS zombie campaign I ran several years ago, I had a couple police types escorting a crook to a different county for a trial when the outbreak happened. They ran across this female paremedic who helped them out after their vehicle crashed. They survived and found another few survivors, as more players came in, and established a base on a yacht

2, In a old Dragon, they had a Dark Matter adventure where the players met at a snowed in truck stop. I have used this beginning in both a Gurps and Modern game and it worked well

3, The characters could be on a train or charter bus, or school bus if they're younger, when the adventure starts.

4, The characters are members of a music group and the adventure starts when they are on the way to a gig. When I used this, the characters were hired to play at a vampire club.



1

[demos606]

I got lucky, our group all picked stuff thats easy to link together.

(Physical Psychic) CSI - Criminal Profiler specialty
(Fire Walker) Firefighter
(Ghost Hunter) Bounty Hunter
and the 4th wants something in the SWAT field for either another Ghost Hunter or Physical Psychic/Fire Walker

Planning on having the CSI (my character, nominal NPC) by the common link for the other 3 though its not unrealistic that they would all know one another casually thru work related contact.

[gaby]

My P.C group are College freshman.

Ther powers Manifest in ther teens.

the Group is made up of a Male Physical Psychic,A Female Psi-mechanic, A Male Psi-Healer,A Female Latent psychic, A Female psychic sensitive and a Male Diviner.

Do you think College makes a Good seting?

[demos606]

I got lucky, our group all picked stuff thats easy to link together.

(Physical Psychic) CSI - Criminal Profiler specialty
(Fire Walker) Firefighter
(Ghost Hunter) Bounty Hunter
and the 4th wants something in the SWAT field for either another Ghost Hunter or Physical Psychic/Fire Walker

Planning on having the CSI (my character, nominal NPC) by the common link for the other 3 though its not unrealistic that they would all know one another casually thru work related contact.

wow... looking at the PCCs and all but one (the CSI thing) of the occupations, I have to say... I predict massive amounts of collateral damage in your campaign...

I have much the same expectation, Im not overly concerned though, theres a reason I encouraged law enforcement type professions