Five tips on how to bring disparate characters together

By Jonathan Hicks

Games and campaigns revolve about a core group of player characters all working together to either complete their own agendas or a larger quest. Usually, when the players are creating their group, they share out careers, abilities and skills to make a balanced bunch of PC’s that can handle almost every eventuality thrown at them by the GM. However, this may not always be the case.

Players can work as a team and design their characters that way but they have almost total control over the creation of the PC, as far as personality, trade and background is concerned. In some cases, GM’s may ask the players to create whatever they like and then bring the PC’s together in the first game. This gives the players free reign as to how they want their PC’s to be, but can create a problem as to how these PC’s come together.

So, let’s say the players have designed a group of PC’s that comprise of a baker-turned-mercenary, a nurse, a noble from a high-born family and a horse thief. What do these PC’s have in common? At first, nothing. So how on earth do you bring them all together?

1. Because they were ordered to

There’s nothing more decisive than the Queen/Emperor/Ruling Faction pointing a long bony finger at the PC’s and saying, for example, ‘I command you to walk to the Ring of Fire and defeat this evil!’ Already the PC’s have been given a good reason as to why they should adventure together – they’ve been given their orders!

Of course, you have to ask the question, in some respects, as to why a certain PC should agree to such a thing. Let’s take the example group; the mercenary might go because that’s his job, the nurse might go because the group might need aid on a perilous journey. The noble might go because, as a relation to the ruling body, it might be a requirement, a proving of the ability to defend the family/realm. The horse thief might have to go to pay for a crime – ‘You will prove your loyalty or you will hang, horse thief!’ – so there you have it. The group have been given their orders by their ruler and will do all they can to win through, even though they are a mismatched group of PC’s from very different backgrounds. It makes for excellent role-playing. It’s also an excellent way to bring the PC’s together and keep them together.

2. Because they are friends

Even though PC’s may come from such different backgrounds it is still possible they may be friends. Although there may be a class system in force in your game world it is still possible that certain people might go against the grain and mix with whoever they wish and not their social class or kind. The noble in our example group might be a man who likes to ‘slum it’, a PC of great esteem who dresses down and walks the lower streets of the city, mixing with what he would usually see as undesirables. In this group he finds new friends; a mercenary, a nurse from a local physicians and (unknown to him) a horse thief. Alternatively, the mercenary could have gotten a job as a guard at the noble’s castle, the nurse could work as a surgeon there and the horse thief could ‘work’ in the stables. As the three mix on a daily basis they get to know each other.

So, when disaster does strike or one or more of the PC’s are drawn into a quest, the others are motivated or bound by loyalty to help. Something might happen to them all when the whole group are together and this gives them impetus, as the group, to set out on their quest. So let’s say the PC’s are all together in the Great Hall when an attempt is made on the life of the Queen. As they were the only witnesses then they are sent to track down the enemy. This can also be mixed with tip 1 ‘Because they were ordered to’, as they are now a close group and it’s best to keep them together.

3. Because they are involved for different reasons

The reason why the PC’s might come together is because they are all after the same thing but for a different reason. They may be searching for a murderer, or an enemy who has affected their lives in some way, or an item that has the ability to solve their particular problem, anything. Each PC has their own agenda and reason as to why they are on the quest, and they come together to benefit each other.

This may be tricky. Of course, if they are all after the same thing then when they do finally achieve it they will all have their own claim to it, especially if it involves an NPC. Unlike an object, which may be shared between the PC’s, they will all want their own revenge or justice against the enemy – and there is only one of them to go around. This could make for a fantastically charged role-playing opportunity at the end of a long campaign, but it may be best to split enemies up and have them all part of a greater threat so that each PC has their own closure at the end of the game.

So, for example, the mercenary may be after a man who killed his father, the nurse might be after the same man because he stole her family heirloom, a Pendant of Healing, the noble might be after him to stop him from threatening his borders, the horse thief might be after him because he has been hired to. Each PC has a different reason to go on the quest but, ultimately, they are after the same thing.

4. Because they are involved for the same reason

A simpler way to get the PC’s together is to have them all go on a quest for exactly the same reason, so then they can work together and reap the rewards at the end. This can be anything from ‘stop the bad guy’ to ‘find the treasure’. They all believe in the same thing and that shared belief brings them together. It could be a loyalty to a religion or figure of importance, or the y know that there is a lot of gold to be made and it serves them all to work together and split the booty. A shared goal, especially when each player is aware that there is more chance of success in greater numbers, is a fine reason for them all to come together.

For example, the PC’s hear in a tavern that there is gold in them thar hills. The mercenary is up for a quest because he knows his sword may be needed and wishes to make sure his skills are justifiably rewarded. The nurse might want money for her hospice and joins the quest to help finance it. The noble might join to increase the wealth of his coffers, or maybe because he’s a little bored of the whole high-born responsibility thing and wants a little excitement, and the horse thief might join because, hey – it’s money, and it sure beats stealing horses.

5. Because they have been thrown together by fate

Wouldn’t you believe it? The PC’s are all in the same place when – bang! - something terrible occurs and they are all forced to work together to solve the problem. Don’t you just hate it when that happens? Doing it this way gives the PC’s something to focus on almost straight away and also provides an excellent reason as to why they are required to work together. Each player has their own reasons and agenda, that much is sure, but when events transpire against you and you have to rely on those around you then they will still have their illusion of free will but know they have to team up to survive or overcome the immediate problem. Once that problem is solved or avoided, then the PC’s, with their knowledge of the threat or problem, can continue to work together. They could be arrested together as scapegoats on a drummed-up charge, be in the same village when it is attacked, be in the same castle when it is besieged.

So, let’s say the PC’s are all journeying across an ocean on a huge passenger ship when suddenly they’re attacked by the forward ships of an invasion fleet. The PC’s, close together in a confined area, had to fight side-by-side to defeat the threat. The mercenary will fight because that what he does. The nurse will fight to defend the wounded. The noble will fight because it might be his ship the raiders are attacking, and the horse thief might fight because where there are bodies, there’s looting. Saving each other’s lives or aiding in battle will introduce the PC’s to one another and strengthen their new relationship.

Postscript- Common problems with running disparate groups

Although complete player control over the creation of a PC may be great for the dynamics of the character, it may present some problems the GM may have to overcome.

The player runs the PC by the letter – As the game progresses, the player may decide to run their new PC as designed. Therefore, when certain things happen, the PC might not get involved because ‘it is not in their nature to do so’. Playing so closely to the letter can slow a game and create a huge problem for the GM. To combat this, ask the player two questions – first of all, what can you do as a GM to get the player involved a little more. Secondly, ask the player what they are playing the game for. It is a game of high adventure, after all, unless the group has something else in mind. If the player is going to refuse every road, avoid every danger and otherwise do the opposite of what is required to complete the quest, then there’s not much point in that PC being present.

The group does not get on in part or as a whole – Bringing such different PC’s together may present the players with some great role-playing opportunities. Certain PC’s from certain backgrounds may not get on for one reason or another. This may be fun but may also slow the game as PC’s bicker and argue. To combat this, throw in a scene where two or more of the arguing PC’s rely on each other to complete a task or save each other’s lives. This will change the attitude somewhat and make for a great story.

Fresh ideas - As campaigns come and go and new PC’s are created the reasons as to why disparate PC’s should come together may grow thin. Be careful not to repeat yourself or go over old ground. On the flipside, it may not be important to the plot – the players may just say ‘yes, we’re all different, but we’re mates so let’s get on with the game’. Which would be nice!

Complicated plots – Don’t try to be too clever when designing the plot threads as to how the PC’s are part of the bigger picture. Complicated reasons will slow the game, as each PC will want time spent on their own dilemma independent of the group. This depends on the size of the group, of course, but it’s best to try and keep it as simple as you can when first trying out this method of PC introduction.

Introducing PC’s – The problem with concentrating on new PC’s, especially when they are so different as to warrant special attention, is that time will have to be spent building up their role. This can be done in two ways. You could run a single game for each player independently to get to grips with the PC’s role and position – this takes up a lot of time and may be difficult to make sure every player ends in a position where they will serve the plot or even meet up with the rest of the group. This is the trickiest of the two and contains the most work for the GM. Or, spend a game or two actually introducing their characters and getting them entwined with the others before the big picture actually starts. This is easier and establishes a sense of group dynamic before the game starts proper.

At the end of the day, the players are all at the table for the same reason – to take part in an adventure and have a good time. Considering the social aspect of the role-playing hobby they’ll probably want to just get involved and game together. Adding the reasons as to why the PC’s have come together will help enhance the atmosphere and will also help as a backup in case the PC’s don’t mesh as well as you’d like.