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Rules (wip):
I'll soon start my next #DnD campaign, and I've decided to start with a classic - the PCs all meet in a tavern. Now, the PCs intended to meet in a tavern and have plans to go elsewhere (the city of Ptolus, if it matters), but I want to start the campaign to start in a lively manner.
Which means populating the tavern with all sorts of weirdos for some good role-playing opportunities. Any suggestions?
Colville suggests that starting in a tavern is a chance to show off the setting in a microcosm. Put folks there that represent various factions or attitudes prevalent in the setting. When I ran a Savage Pathfinder game and had my players start in a tavern, I had some incurious off-duty town guards, the dillettante son of the mayor. I couldn't figure out a way to work in the diabolist church (I set my game in Cheliax), but I did have a choice of several "first jobs" for them to take.
As usual, don't forget to discuss plot hooks in session zero, and make sure that the PC have an in game reason to work together. We all have heard the horror story about the party of a chaotic evil, a lawful good hating each other while the stict neutral robber has a not my problem attitude which basically makes the whole game a hell.
Knowing how player behave, I would expect that some of these "weirdoes"will be recurring NPC. Some thoughts though
Just a couple of locals, you know the farmer complaining that there was too much/not enough rain, the other ones thinking that adventurer are crazy and badluck, the tavern maid who wish to marry a rich adventurer to get out of that shitty town, the farmboy who dreams of becoming an adventurer.
The recruiting sergent escorting a couple of young enlisted to the next-town, and trying to find some others, it's a great way to tell A war is ongoing
The travelling merchant with tons of wonders, tales from the town, and potentially a recuring NPC
The doom prophet, like the half-crazy priest who comes to the town to talk about a great evil coming (a Great way to tell something bad is awaking)
If the campaign is more fun, the Mysterious and darkly dressed person who in fact is just a teenager in their "all black phase"
For a mini scenario in the tavern, add a ghost
The local noble, who pretend to be more important than they are, but you need to deal with them to do anything in that viallage
The mage and their apprentice travelling for a strange reason in aotally differnet direction
Oh, we've already had Session Zero and agreed on the overall campaign premise. This is just the introductory evening before the PCs travel to the Big City for the main campaign.
Use this as an opportunity to set the tone for your campaign and introduce the players to the world. What sort of races/professions/attitudes are common? Have your initial NPCs representing them.
This looks fun ! Here is my try: