Don’t get us wrong; starting a D&D campaign in a tavern is an age-old tradition at this point.
No player would really have to bend over backwards to come up with a reason for their character posting up at the local watering hole, and it makes for the kind of place where talking with strangers isn’t all that abnormal.
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But it is kind of done to death, and if you’re the kind of DM that wants to creative a memorable and unique D&D experience for your players, you may be brainstorming alternative options for the start of Session 1.
Well don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.
Here are 5 places that you can start a D&D campaign that are not in a tavern, inn, or bar:
On the road
Whether the party has already formed to take on some mercenary work a la Lost Mines of Phandelver, or they all just happen to be travelling along a busy roadway when a wolf starts attacking the farmer’s daughter just beyond the path, putting your players out in the open off the get go gives the DM a chance to set the worldly scene right off the bat.
It also gives your characters some base motivation off the jump — ie. why there were travelling to wherever it is the road leads to — which will likely align with their soon-to-be party travel companions.
In prison
Another great way to add some spice to each character’s backstory (ask each of them what they think they would have been arrested — falsely or otherwise — for) as well as a way to get the players working together off the jump to free themselves from the clutches of law enforcement.
This one may not work if you’ve got a lawful paladin in the party who may not agree with a jailbreak, so keep that one in mind.
As pre-hired mercenaries
On the flip side of the previous point, you could start your entire party out as a pre-formed group of mercenaries that have been hired by the local town guard to investigate a murder, destroy a goblin camp, or simply guard a building for the night.
Most players won’t be too rattled about the seeming lack of agency — the DM did decide that each of the characters chose to take on whatever the task may be, after all — and it avoid the awkward situation of one of the players stubbornly refusing to bite onto the first plot hook because “it’s what my character would do.” Blegh.
As refugees of war
If you want to establish some big world-building off the bat, this one wouldn’t hurt. Start all your characters off on the outskirts of some destroyed city or town, watching as the huge army of some ruler disappears over the horizon. This gives all the characters a communal sense of urgency that could be key to a party’s foundation.
Lacking memories
Another classic way to start a D&D campaign (and ensure that your characters form a party on their own) is by stripping all the characters of their memories and having them wake up at some random location; in a room, laying on the forest floor, in the middle of town, etc.
Obviously you’ll want to let them have their long term memories so that they can have some fun with their backstory info, but the reveal of the previous day, or week, that they could be missing off the get go gives the DM a chance to build the story of how they got there as the first few sessions progress.
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