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How else can a campaign be started besides the usual "we all run into each other at a tavern" or "we all answered the same call for help?" Given the range of political factions, races, geography, and everything else in Barsaive, there are many possibilities for how to start a campaign and what the central theme or driving element of the campaign will be. This article is a brainstorming of a few of them.
Some of these can also be integrated later to change the direction or focus of the game, either as a change of pace or just to mess with the characters' lives. Or they can be used to reveal what's really been going on all along (players just love that).
Who and what the characters are. For those groups that want the characters to be a "team" or a "group" of some kind beyond a generic band of adventurers.
This can take on two forms: either Theran ex-patriots who don't support Theran rule anymore or are unhappy about something in the island, or a mutinous military unit.
The ex-patriots could likely go on about their adventuring as most other groups would, but would have different encounters when it came to politics. They could be useful as informants for Throal or the Sky Raiders, provided they could prove their breaking with the Theran line. Depending on their positions and duties within the Theran empire, they could also be useful to anti-slaver groups or magicians and historians of various sorts.
The deserting soldiers could end up as mercenaries, or try to join up with Throal's forces. They would likely be wanted men, and if they were of any renown they would be recognized in areas of Theran influence. If they were from a garrison guarding a Theran outpost, the Sky Raiders would likely find them valuable.
This would be a great way to start out the characters with nothing. It may even be possible to link this in with the previous option.
You'd likely have very few, if any, magicians in a group like this, since the Therans probably wouldn't tolerate any spell casting from the slave pens. Perhaps this group will commit itself to freeing other slaves or to spreading anti-Theran propaganda. If they were taken from the same area, then the return trip home would make an excellent sub-plot.
Much like the above, except it's more likely that the characters will be hunted down, especially if their convictions were for serious crimes. The main problem with this option is that the characters may not have much of a reason to stick together unless there is some other force at work such as a false conviction, or they were part of a gang of thieves or raiders before being incarcerated.
An old stand-by, but a viable option nonetheless. A Throal or Sky Raider unit would have plenty to do. Another option would be to play the role of a group like the Grim Legion or a band of Ork Scorchers.
A mercenary unit would likely get to see more of Barsaive. A military unit may end up doing the same thing all the time. Then again, if they have some unique or powerful abilities, or are some type of special forces unit, they may be hired/assigned to take on the jobs the local forces don't want or can't handle.
How does eavesdropping on Theran or Sky Raider plans sound? The characters could be operatives or informants working for Throal in Sky Point to find out what the Therans are up to, or serving as an early-warning system for a Theran attack, or to make sure the Sky Raiders don't to get too greedy. They could also be spying on the mysterious rulers of Iopos, or trying to keep tabs on the movements of the players within Kratas.
There's also the whole range of political angles to be played. Not exactly James Bond, but the high level of magic and the numerous races and cultures interacting could make for a very interesting campaign.
For a novel twist, try reversing roles. That is, have the characters be spies in Throal working for someone else.
A good lead on what they do, and why they do it. A good bet on what the first adventures will cover.
The characters are accused of a crime they didn't commit, or did commit but don't feel they should be punished for it. The crime could range from freeing slaves, desecrating a temple, or killing a local adept in a duel and failing to realize that the locals wouldn't appreciate the outcome.
The characters are on the run and must stick together for survival. They have to learn to trust each other since they all know what happened and can't spill the beans without endangering the whole group. If they were falsely accused, then they need to find the real culprit so they can clear their names and get on with their lives.
After a while, the heat will probably die down, but the events that got things going can become a recurring subplot, likely emerging at very inconvenient times.
Depending on what they did, the characters may make some new friends that they probably would not have met otherwise, as well as a few enemies.
If the characters are all young, they could go out on their first adventure to a nearby "forbidden place" and end up being hurled into a series of adventures that prevent them from returning home or force them to group up very fast.
The basic premise is that the characters get in over their heads and end up starting their careers sooner than they expected.
Something terrible happened. It could be an earthquake, shipwreck, ship crash, flood, or invasion. The characters have to act quickly in order to survive. It may be that some of their abilities manifested during the disaster. The stress of the situation giving their magic that last little push it needed to awaken.
This is an option all groups should seriously consider. It solves some immediate problems. One, all the characters are in one place. Two, they likely know each other and may even be good friends. Three, it's easier to establish some background for the campaign and the group since everyone is working on building up the same area. Four, the GM can keep the scale of the campaign smaller for a while, until the characters get more powerful and start expanding their area of influence.
There are a few disadvantages. The racial and discipline selection may be limited, especially if the kaer hasn't been open very long or is still closed. Some of the variety in character backgrounds you may be used to in other campaigns may be lacking.
Starting a game in an unopened kaer, especially when the characters end up being the central figures in its opening, either as a test exploration, or as a driving force to get out, can provide great opportunity for the characters to bond and build up a powerful base of common experience.
Not everyone adventures for the same reasons. Individuals within a group may have different reasons for being out in the world risking life and limb. Very often this is closely tied in with any major subplot the character has going. While these usually focus on individual characters, they can be incorporated into the group as well.
Personally, I am wary of this one, since I usually find it to be very artificial and forced. It's one of those things that tends to work better in a novel than in a game.
One or more of the characters has a destiny to do something important (save the world, kill Verjigorm, slay a dragon that's been ravaging the countryside for centuries, etc) or to be at a certain place at a certain time and the outcome is dependent on the character's will, ethics, endurance, or whatever. The character can either know he has a destiny or not. The only difference being in some role-playing opportunities and possibly that the character knows he won't die until the situation occurs unless he does something really stupid. This can be good or bad, regardless of the role-playing ability of the player.
The trick is to not make the character with the destiny take over the whole story, unless that is how the group wants to run the campaign. The other trick is to come up with a good destiny and to gear events so fate does have its way without making it look that way.
Similar to destiny, but the characters are continuing a journey started by someone else. This can range from taking an item from a dying hero, to living out a family tradition.
The characters are the first generation to be born outside the kaer. Perhaps the community has placed some special significance on their lives and given them subtle pressure to restore some past glory.
This element could likely be part of another campaign element, but I think keeping in mind the significance of being the first generation in three or four hundred years to be born under an open sky and not underground could add something to a campaign.
The character is looking for something or someone in particular. You can use the quest for the Holy Grail or the search for the Fountain of Youth as a model.
The character may never find what he is looking for. This can be either up to the GM or the player/group. The point is the honesty of the quest, and the belief that the quest is worth the work of a lifetime.
It makes sense for several of the disciplines and cultures to have a testing period for new adepts. This could be the standard "go forth for a year and a day" journey, or just a directive to go out and do something really heroic and come back alive to tell the tale and to prove that you are worthy of the honor of being an adept.
The characters are going to everything they can to convince the world that are made of the right stuff.
They probably have a desire to become Lightbearers or members of a similarly legendary force. This could take on a form of arrogance or egoism. They may end up ignoring the little things or constantly take on bigger and tougher challenges, with all the necessary consequences.
The characters are out to find something or somewhere new. It doesn't matter what. This is different from seeker or exploration in that they aren't going to a specific place and may not be looking for a specific item.
Related to the subplots, but probably starting later in the game, and by default will involve the whole group.
The characters either are explorers or are hired by an explorer as extra help or for defense. This group could either explore a less well-known area of Barsaive, or roam all over the map looking for lost kaers, lost treasures, ruins, pre-Scourge landmarks, etc.
The characters might be working on assignment to complete a section of the Explorers' Guide to Barsaive for the Great Library of Throal. Or they could be hired by the Therans to survey the province (perhaps without their knowledge).
Perhaps a later development, but something to think about from early on. The party could be assigned to discover kaers, open them, and make contact, welcoming the inhabitants to the post-Scourge world.
This plotline can incorporate exploration, mystery, politics, Horrors, xenophobia, military, diplomacy, straight role-playing, and just about anything else.
I suppose it would be possible for the characters to do this on their own, but it would be much easier with sponsorship, particularly from a major government.
This could lead to some long-lasting subplots and springboards to future mysteries and adventures.
As you can see, there is a lot to do in Barsaive, and a lot of different ways to do it. FASA has provided us with a wonderfully detailed background for Earthdawn, use it any way you can.
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