GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

[Alverant]

I'm working on my own campaign and I'm looking for ideas on how to bring the PCs together initially. Unfortunately I don't have any details about the campaign ironed out, about all I can say is that the PCs should be normal people who go out and fight crime to make life better in The City. The "why" is still up in the air. So how did you GMs do it?

[Shoutybloke]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Just gave the players an individual reason each to be doing survailence on the Satanic Skulls motorcycle gang, then told them that they had noticed the other pcs and made their rep rolls.

[jtelson]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Put them all at the same fund-raiser, party or the like in their secret id's; either because their day job puts them there, are contributors, or are investigating something unrelated. Then have the place robbed, preferably by a villian you hope to be recurring.

[Vulcan]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Recurring villians can be kinda tough in Dark Champions... GM: (sighs) "Okay, you shot him through the heart, he's dead too." Thinks to self, 'So much for my master villian, shot down in the first advenure. Now what do I do?'

 

Having the agents of a mastermind villian attack should work though.

 

Another good possibility it to let the players come up with reasons they know each other. Shared hunted/huntings make good 'pre-game' PC connections, so do shared contacts. Ok, sometimes you get 'Bob's character is the third cousin of my college roomate, and so we leared to shoot together...' Which can sound kinda cheezy, but as long as it gets the PC's together go with it.

 

This is the lead-in for a game, not a scholastic project. Have fun with it. In the above example, have the college roommate/third cousin show up semi-regularly (not so much as to be a DNPC - unless someone took him as one ) and cause some minor trouble. Perhaps there's a family/college class reunion that he's organizing that will go occur in the middle of a stakeout, or just as a major drug deal is going down...

 

The PC's will give you a lot of little ideas this way, which will integrate them even more into your world, making it all the more real to them.

[jtelson]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Recurring villians can be kinda tough in Dark Champions... GM: (sighs) "Okay' date=' you shot him through the heart, he's dead too." Thinks to self, 'So much for my master villian, shot down in the first advenure. Now what do I do?'[/quote']

 

A major or planned recurring villian in DC shouldn't be so easily killed particularly in a situation where he'd be prepared/expecting gunfire and the players, in-theory, wouldn't. This should be the case when they are at some kind of fundraiser. It can happen but it shouldn't be likely.

[Manic Typist]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Not to mention that master villain can suddenly become just a front, with the REAL power being this guy over here... way away from the shooting... this is exactly why he set up the DECOY.

 

I would say it depends in large part upon the characters and the game you are going for. Some of the players might decide to work out a shared backstory in advance. Some others might need intro to each other, whether it to be to the larger group or everyone.

 

Give us some more info. How "normal" is normal? Will they be gun toting? Martial arts? Any elements of the strange? Lethality, morality? Or will the be average Joe Citizen? That last one is a tough sell, I won't lie, but it can be done.

[Vulcan]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

A major or planned recurring villian in DC shouldn't be so easily killed particularly in a situation where he'd be prepared/expecting gunfire and the players' date=' in-theory, wouldn't. This should be the case when they are at some kind of fundraiser. It can happen but it shouldn't be likely.[/quote']

 

Trust me. The players will find a way.

 

Besides, unless you plan on just proclaiming "You can't bring guns to this event," the PC's will. And if you insist, at least one (and possible all) of them will say, "Then my character just doesn't go," or "My character waits a block away with his full armory in the van."

 

And on the off-chance that they all go along with you and don't bring any guns, when the trouble starts, they'll fight back, BANG BANG BANG, half the party's dead, the other half in the hospital, and the whole group muttering 'killer GM' as they walk out the door...

[Vulcan]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Not to mention that master villain can suddenly become just a front, with the REAL power being this guy over here... way away from the shooting... this is exactly why he set up the DECOY.

 

I would say it depends in large part upon the characters and the game you are going for. Some of the players might decide to work out a shared backstory in advance. Some others might need intro to each other, whether it to be to the larger group or everyone.

 

Give us some more info. How "normal" is normal? Will they be gun toting? Martial arts? Any elements of the strange? Lethality, morality? Or will the be average Joe Citizen? That last one is a tough sell, I won't lie, but it can be done.

 

Especially since average Joe Citizen might be retired military, a martial arts instructor, or a guy who's really good at boffer combat who is upgrading to real weapons to fight crime.

 

Or even Casey Jones.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Welcome aboard moquif, You present a tough question. First you need to Brainstorm with your players about what kind of Campaign the Players want to Play in and you want to GM.

 

Once that is decided Brainstorm with your Players about what kind of character they want to play. Knowing what role that everyone is playing and what their shtick is can help you work out how to bring them together.

 

One way to bring the PCs together is to have their Enemies/Targets joining forces. In which case the PCs are drawn by their own interests together to defeat a foe more powerful than they could ever defeat alone.

 

Another way is to have a mutual acquaintance (a Contact, a Arms Dealer, or a Government Agent) offer to put the PC together with other of like interests.

 

Your first adventure should also set the theme down for how the rest of the Campaign will progress. Your Players and you the GM guide the Campaign together.

 

Vigilante - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigilante#In_comic_books

 

Espionage - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Espionage_television_series

 

 

IMOHO

 

 

QM

[jtelson]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Trust me. The players will find a way.

 

Besides, unless you plan on just proclaiming "You can't bring guns to this event," the PC's will. And if you insist, at least one (and possible all) of them will say, "Then my character just doesn't go," or "My character waits a block away with his full armory in the van."

 

And on the off-chance that they all go along with you and don't bring any guns, when the trouble starts, they'll fight back, BANG BANG BANG, half the party's dead, the other half in the hospital, and the whole group muttering 'killer GM' as they walk out the door...

 

Wow, I thought my group was dysfunctional.

[Vulcan]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

The current group isn't too bad. But we've had a LOT of other players go come and go for a reason... and that (being sheerly uncooperative for no particular reason) is usualy the big one.

[Manic Typist]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Especially since average Joe Citizen might be retired military, a martial arts instructor, or a guy who's really good at boffer combat who is upgrading to real weapons to fight crime.

 

Or even Casey Jones.

 

Let me clarify:

 

Are you dealing with characters who already have motivations and likely modus operandi for dealing with crime? Are they already active?

 

Or as Joe Citizen (be he a standing member of the SEALS)- are they living normal lives until your game starts out with something that draws them out of the routine of everyday life and into the world of vigilantism (be it through a personal tragedy or any other sort of catalyst)?

[Psybolt]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

I had a Dark Champions vigilante adventure where I had them recruited by a wealthy businessman who wanted to "make a difference". Of course, the businessman turned out to be a vicious killer himself.

 

That was my favorite team name of all time. The group of vigilantes were called

"Body Count."

[Barton]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

I had a Dark Champions vigilante adventure where I had them recruited by a wealthy businessman who wanted to "make a difference". Of course, the businessman turned out to be a vicious killer himself.

 

That was my favorite team name of all time. The group of vigilantes were called

"Body Count."

 

Or course the group could be recruited by a mystery benefactor and brought together and only MUCH later does the group find out how he/she is.... and why the need to fight the forces of darkness in secret....

 

I have used this in PulpHero.

[Manic Typist]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

If you have characters that are already active as vigilantes, I'd recommend a partial in medias res action sequence.

 

Essentially, one or more of them is swept up into a massive firefight, and the rest stumble upon the scene.

 

Let's say you've got four characters-

1) Gun bunny Punisher type seeking to exact vengeance against the gangs that destroyed his family in a drive by shooting.

 

2) Martial Artist trying to reclaim the neighborhoods by cleaning the city one street at a time.

 

3) Ex-military/secret agent who's working his way through the links of a shadowy organization that has connections to organized crime, the government, the private sector, and foreign interests... all to take them down. No red tape, and a chance to get back at those who cost so many lives of his good friends from his days "back in the service."

 

4) Private investigator who does things her way and damn the consequences. She takes jobs that might not result in court convictions, but do result in people getting their family heirlooms back and their children returned to them, and likely one or two fewer bad people terrorizing the innocent.

 

All the characters are made, and you're about to do your first session. Take a look at their back histories and work with those. Here's my suggestion for an intro-

 

GunBunny hears about a drug lab for Los Feos (one of his Hunteds) that is lightly guarded, a prime choice target to be hit and crimp their money supply (and the flow of poison onto city streets). He decides to firebomb the supposedly abandoned house in the slums, and things go well at first. Too well. Right as he manages to work his way in to the innards of the building, cutting his way through light resistance, he realizes there are no drugs. That's when a series of incendiaries scattered throughout the house go off, and light the building up while he's still in it. Trying to escape, he becomes pinned by heavy gunfire from the hit squads of Los Feos gangers who circled the building after he went inside. Time's running out before the smoke, fire, or bullets get him.

 

Now Los Feos have been circulating false information to their grunts to draw the attention of GunBunny, and it worked. Unfortunately, Detective Lass was also roughing up some low level Los Feos and she hears about this place as well. She's currently investigating a missing person's case for some distraught parents whose daughter has been taken/coerced/seduced into the lifestyle of prostitution for Los Feos. Knowing that this sort of den is a perfect place to either find the girl being given/forced to take drugs, or encounter someone a little higher up she can try to weasel information out of, she decides to go and observe the place. Watching from a her parked car at the end of the street, she sees GunBunny assault the building, and then the dozens of gangers that show up from nearby buildings and cars parked a few streets down. She knows it's a trap before he does, and she sees how dire his situation is. Being a courageous sort, she decides to intervene.

 

SpyGuy is also on the scene, observing in his own way (binoculars? Telescopic sight on a high powered rifle? Who knows). Unlike the others, he had better intel. Small time production houses aren't his primary interest. What IS of interest is the fact that Los Feos have been drawing in their muscle and hiring extra guns, and operating in an unusually coordinated and strategic fashion. SpyGuy finds out that their are planning on taking out someone who has been a thorn in their side. SpyGuy decides to be there for several reasons. He wants to see if he can perhaps spot some of the shadowy figures that are directing and otherwise controlling this unusual behavior from Los Feos, and he also wants to find out more about their enemy. Who is this person who has been such a nuisance to the underworld that he has drawn the ire of some of the real players behind it all? Seeing how things go down, surely he's going to intervene so he can get some information out of GunBunny... and perhaps make a new ally in the process.

 

Martial Arts Dude was just patrolling the street/driving back from the dojo when he sees a red glow lighting up part of the horizon a few blocks away, and hears what sounds like a massive gunbattle. Knowing that the police won't show up in THIS neighborhood until well after it's all over, he takes off to set things to right.

 

When Martial Arts Dude shows up and gets a description of the scene (and hence all the characters are in the same one block area)... that's when you say "OK, Phase 12 guys. What are you doing?"

 

 

 

...now I REALLY want to run a DC game...

[Alverant]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Welcome aboard moquif, You present a tough question. First you need to Brainstorm with your players about what kind of Campaign the Players want to Play in and you want to GM.

 

Once that is decided Brainstorm with your Players about what kind of character they want to play. Knowing what role that everyone is playing and what their shtick is can help you work out how to bring them together.

 

One way to bring the PCs together is to have their Enemies/Targets joining forces. In which case the PCs are drawn by their own interests together to defeat a foe more powerful than they could ever defeat alone.

 

Another way is to have a mutual acquaintance (a Contact, a Arms Dealer, or a Government Agent) offer to put the PC together with other of like interests.

 

Your first adventure should also set the theme down for how the rest of the Campaign will progress. Your Players and you the GM guide the Campaign together.

 

Vigilante - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigilante#In_comic_books

 

Espionage - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Espionage_television_series

 

Actually I have a poll for the players that I was getting a peer review here.

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66429

 

I tried to set up a campaign setting but I realized I would need to get the group's input. I'm going to post the poll to the group and get their opinion and describe their character. From that point I'll set up the campaign.

[Eosin]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

1. You can pull a little out of Hudson City Blues... The players have all done some vigilante stuff which brings them to the attention of Optic. He'll get them together and then you can segue right into HCB or travel another pathway with the option to always drop back if you want to turn the city into a war zone.

 

2. A single player takes down a memeber of Card Shark or Viper or any nasty group. That runner had a list of names .... all the players. The bad guys are gunning for them. The intro guy rounds up everyone and they all go deep cover (for free - 1 fake ID). They have to find out who, how, and why they ended up on a hit list.

 

3. The Harbinger is down and out. Big gunfight in the middle of HC. The next day the players all receive a Fedex package - the blue moon card with a time and coordinates. The card is immaculate, no fibers, prints, or even a clue to where it might have been produced. The players show up and find each other and a jump drive.... Harbingers files. Time to make HC safe.

[Vulcan]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Ooooh. I like #3!

[bubba smith]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

Ooooh. I like #3!

same here if a known lethal vigilante is risking sending his files no non-leathal heroes he MUST be down and out or calling his carrer a day

[Alverant]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

same here if a known lethal vigilante is risking sending his files no non-leathal heroes he MUST be down and out or calling his carrer a day

 

I agree. It's a great idea, but something similar has been done with Libra. Not that recycling the idea is a bad thing. Unless all the PCs have backgrounds and personality he thinks he can mold to his image I can't see it happening unless he was desperate. Plus what happens if the PCs are completely new? How will the HoJ even know about them? I'll keep that idea in mind until the players send me their character concepts.

[Vulcan]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

I think the point of this idea is that HoJ is dead. 100%, here's the body, yeah he's really, dead.

 

[Alverant]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

I think the point of this idea is that HoJ is dead. 100%' date=' here's the body, yeah he's really, dead.[/quote']

 

There's no such thing as 100% dead in comics. If someone liked him existed, I wouldn't believe he was dead until at least 5 years without a sighting after the "death".

[Vulcan]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

You have a vaild point there. On the other hand, if the GM wanted it to be so, then he could use this 'party hook.'

 

Heck, even if the GM intended to brign him back, this could be an even better 'party hook.'

[bubba smith]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

on maybe its not the REAL harbinger but a fake duping newer heroes to hudson

[Remjin]

Re: GMs how did you bring the PCs together?

 

I'm a big advocate of the players being presented an overview of the world and having them work out back stories and such with you to connect all the characters together. It makes for interesting stuff in the beginning, leaving things a tad vague to allow room for your meddling.

 

However... here's an idea... perhaps not as dramatic, but certainly entertaining, and it allows for players to get into the character a bit before blazing away or skulking about or ranting on his past pains...

 

Start it at something nicely generic if they have any sort of normal lives.... like a barmitsfa (no idea how to spell that), wedding, or other social gathering. Place them at the same table or close tables and allow mutual interests in mingling to get them to know each other. Then bust it up with something nicely criminal or sensational like sending a lot of mooks in. Works best if a DNPC or something is the one being married or whatever.

 

Even better is a bachelor party if its all male characters, as any bachelor party movie can show, much criminality or contact with such elements is simple and it adds tension as others in the party aren't quite so prepared for such events.

 

Either way, it can set up characters to have lighter resources on hand. If the players play stubborn and need their entire armory and such, then its just not worth the effort to put a good game together anyway... just kick that guy in the nuts and tell him to go play a video game.