What do you do when you need to introduce a new character, but the game’s been running for a while? Try these tricks!
Hey we’ve all been there. You had a character die, or someone new joined the group, and now you have to figure out why there’s a new face in the party of reluctant hero, found-family misfits who have all trauma-bonded over the “kobold incident”. And not only that, you also have to figure out how they fit in with the group dynamic.
It can be a tricky thing from a narrative standpoint. But here are five things to try the next time you need to introduce a new character to your ongoing D&D campaign.
Knows Something About The Quest
Sometimes the friends we make along the way are the real friends we make along the way. And to that end, one great strategy for introducing a new player character to an existing campaign is to give them some meaningful role to play in the unfolding story.
Is the party on a quest for a missing artifact? Maybe the new PC knows something about it. Or if they’re tracking down an ancient treasure, the new PC could have a map!
The Enemy of my Enemy
Another great way to bring in a new PC is to have them be driven to stop the same villain. Having a shared adversary is a fantastic reason to team up. Especially if that villain is the reason for the death of a previous character, yet to be revived.
This often helps reinforce to players that the world is bigger than you might think. You can use the new PC to highlight some other scheme of the campaign villain. Maybe a kingdom was conquered off-screen, and this character is from there, trying to liberate their homelands.
Local Flavor
One of my favorite techniques for introducing a new character is to have them be someone from wherever the party is now. Especially if the party is somewhere remote where it doesn’t make sense for a new character to be.
In an ancient ruins? Maybe the new PC is someone who was trapped in magical stasis! Exploring the ruins of a sunken kingdom? Maybe the new PC is an aquatic noble of the civilization that inhabits it now. Either way, you get to use this as a reveal about the world.
Help The Party Out Of A Jam
Another tried and true method for introducing a new party member is to have them show up just in time to help the party out of a jam. They could come crashing in mid-fight. Or maybe if the party is stuck somewhere, the new PC has the key (literal or metaphoric) for getting the party out of their current predicament.
This technique has the advantage of immediately putting the PCs together. You might have to do a little bit of work to make it make sense. But that’s what roleplaying is all about.
Deus Ex Machina
If it’s good enough for Greek theatre, it’s good enough for D&D. Especially since this is a world inspired by myths and legends, and where the gods often meddle. Have the deus ex machina moment, where a god shows up and is like, “hey take this guy with you on your quest.” Or maybe the party has a vision or some other portentous sign that hints that they need the aid of this new party member so that you all can keep playing Dungeons & Dragons together instead of spending three hours trying to interrogate the new character played by one of your friends whom you’ve already been gaming with for months and now the session prep has all gone to waste.
Not that that’s ever happened to me.
But, hopefully these tips can help you keep your game moving when you have to bring in a new character midway through your campaign.
Happy adventuring!
Don’t Miss:
Read more at this site