You guys, I’m so excited to start our new
campaign.
It’s going to be great!
Yep, I’ve been looking forward to giving
my career a fresh start after my last less
than stellar performance evaluation.
All right, your new characters all meet up
at the Sloshing Boot Tavern featuring Lyr
the Bard playing a musical number in the corner.
Really?
We’re starting in a tavern?
Yeah, I kind of had higher expectations.
And a bard playing music?
Yeah that’s not cliched.
Well at least we get have a tavern brawl!
Yeah, but that’s not exactly the sort of
innovation that going to drive us to outpace
our competitors.
Look you guys, there’s nothing wrong with
starting in a tavern.
I agree.
I’ve been playing this game since secondary
school, and always started in taverns.
It is a beautiful and wonderful tradition,
and there are many fine reasons for doing
so.
You know…
Since we’ve killed you in the last three
videos, you’d think you’d shut your mouth
already.
Yeah, Old Man Commoner, it’s not that starting
in a tavern is BAD exactly, it just that,
well, it’s kind of boring.
And being like every other 9 to 5er who just
keeps their head down and puts in their time
is NO WAY to jump start our career tracks.
We need to do something to get the boss’s
attention!
Come on, be reasonable.
How long does the tavern scene even last?
Is it really worth our dungeon master’s
time think of a different way to begin the
campaign?
I’ve had about enough of this.
Yep, stabby stabyy time!
Yeah, killing the old man commoner is fun!
True, but don’t forget about all the paperwork
our VP is gonna want from us.
You guys, you can’t just kill him at the
end of every video.
You know I’m just going to bring him back!
It’s – It’s okay, I got this.
There, now where were we?
Yeah, huh, you start in a tavern.
Welcome to the DM Lair.
I’m Luke Hart, and I’ve been a dungeon
master since the very first campaign ever
began in tavern.
On this channel I give practical dungeon master
advice that you can implement at your table.
Today in the Lair, we’re going to talk about
starting your campaign in a tavern – OR
NOT.
You see, lots of folks like to get down on
starting a campaign in a tavern, talk about
how it’s all cliched and lame and boring
and all that jazz.
And they’re kind of right…
But the fact is there are LOTS of good reasons
taverns make great starting points.
And there are lots of good reasons you might
want to start your campaign someway else.
So, today we’re going to delve into this
topic, talking about what makes taverns good
starting points and then alternative ways
to start your campaign.
And on this Friday’s live stream, here on
YouTube, we’re going to brainstorm together
a massive list of alternative ways to start
a campaign, besides in a tavern.
So come hang out and contribute some cool
ideas.
Also don’t forget I steam over on Twitch
Mondays and Wednesdays, so give me a follow
over there for more chill live streams where
we hang out, answer questions, and even paint
minis together.
Why Taverns Make Great Starting Places
Now, before we crap all over starting in a
tavern, let me be clear: there is NOTHING
wrong with starting your campaign in a tavern.
They are the default starting place for a
slew of reasons, and I myself usually use
a tavern to kick off a campaign.
In fact, I just did so for my Curse of Strahd
campaign which you can watch over on my second
YouTube channel, The DM Lair Streams.
I’ll throw a link to that video below if
you’re interested in checking it out.
First reason to start in a tavern: it makes
sense and it’s not forced.
Historically taverns have been the main gathering
area in societies for people of all types
and backgrounds.
The bard is there plying his wares.
The priest is spreading her faith.
The barbarian is getting sloshed after a deadly
rampage.
Taverns also give players a general feel for
the culture in the area, any conflicts that
might be present, or any important historical
events characters might know about.
For instance, in my Curse of Strahd campaign,
I emphasized that the tavern was in New Rasslantar
that had been rebuilt a couple decades ago
after being razed to the ground by an army
of giants.
You see, the players previous characters in
my Sword Coast Guard campaign had failed to
prevent that army of giants from destroying
the original Rassalantar.
So, this was a great opportunity to show the
players how the world had progressed since
their last campaign, and tie together those
two points in the campaign’s timeline.
I also set the stage and tone for the current
campaign by explaining how a thick fog was
creeping over the land, almost forcing them
to flee into the safety of the tavern.
Conversations also flow naturally in taverns,
which makes them a great place for the dungeon
master to deliver plot hooks to the players.
You overhear a conversation between two shadowy
figures at the table over.
They mention a street corner, a time, and
a “package.”
It’s in taverns that news and gossip makes
it way around the game world.
It’s in taverns that mercenaries can be
found and thus where jobs can be doled out.
It’s also quite easy to introduce important
NPCs to the players while they are sitting
in a tavern sipping cold ones.
While my Curse of Strahd players sat around
a table, having just met each other, the door
to the tavern banged open, and a man dressed
in lively color strode in as though just escaping
the veritable wall of thick fog just outside
the door.
I have a message for you from my master.
He bids you come to Barovia at once and promises
great treasure as a reward.
Heck, yeah, baby!
Uh, doesn’t this kind of seem like a trap?
And there you go.
The characters meet an important NPC, learn
of a quest they might go on, and get a foreshadowing
of events to come.
The bottom line is that starting in taverns
is fairly easy, it helps the dungeon master
to accomplish lots of key objectives in the
first game session, and it doesn’t seem
nearly as forced or contrived as alternative
methods.
So, if you want to start your next campaign
in a tavern, you have my blessing.
Not – not that you need it.
Now, before I discuss alternative ways to
start a campaign, I want to turn it over to
the Old Man Commoner for a special announcement.
Yes, yes, thank you, Luke.
I’d like to take a moment to thank all the
wonderful patrons who helped me blast into
oblivion the other characters at the table:
CandySora
Meepy670
Deto Fox
Nathan
Dead Lucky
Timothy T
Ed R
Normal Bard
Rhanwen
Luke Gray
Senjugiku
Karen D
Drake H
Trevor M
Lord Humungus
John K
Daniel B
and PenguinButt
Now, time for a nap!
And if you’re interested in becoming a patron
and supporting all the free D&D content I
create, there’s a link to my Patreon below.
Alternative Ways to Start a Campaign
All right, folks, let’s do this.
If you want to start your campaign in a way
that’s NOT a tavern here are some general
suggestions.
Now it’s going to be up to you to flesh
out the details, but this will get you started.
First, important events and large gatherings
in the game world.
Is the mayor of Rassalantar giving an important
announcement to the entire town about the
toxic fog in the woods and increased wolf
attacks on the outlying farms?
Is there a festival, celebration, or masquerade
ball happening in the town?
Events like these simulate many of the ideal
circumstances that make meeting in taverns
convenient and useful without the downfall
of it being cliched.
Any heavily populated area or common meeting
place, such as a town square or market, could
serve equally well, too.
Next, start your campaign with ACTION and
an exciting event, even combining it with
an important event or public gathering.
While the mayor is giving that important announcement
in the town square, wolves howl from close
by and fog begins to seep out of the sewers
and nearby buildings.
Suddenly the characters are forced into a
dramatic and interesting event.
They must either flee (hopefully not) or try
to save the terrified townsfolk from whatever
is happening.
The masquerade ball is progressing quite nicely
when several of the masked attendees strip
their masks away and transform into werewolves,
servants of Strahd, sent to terrify the villagers
of Rassalantar and engulf more of the land
into the demi-lane of Barovia.
The heroes are traveling down the Long Road,
when large numbers of colorfully clothed bandits
spring from the forest and attack.
Despite the characters’ valiant struggle,
the bandits take them captive in short order.
The smiling leader cackles at them before
knocking them out, and then the PCs all regain
consciousness in the partially submerged prison
cells of Castle Ravenloft.
Crap, now that I’m thinking this through..
Why did I start in a tavern?
I mean, these campaign starts sound a lot
more interesting, don’t they?
Just a quick note to my Curse of Strahd players…
Yeah, sorry.
Now, do these approaches possibly have the
downfall of feeling contrived by the dungeon
master?
Does it feel like a set up?
Does it feel like a little player agency may
have been “borrowed” by the DM?
Sure, OF COURSE!
But holy crap, is it not a lot more exciting
than “You all meet in a tavern.”
Don’t forget to follow me over on Twitch
for some chill live streams where we hang
out, talk D&D, and even paint minis together.
Let me know how you started your last campaign.
Next week I’ll be rebooting my entire Curse
of Strahd campaign because I totally pulled
a boring “start in a tavern” scene.
But until then click here to learn how to
make a dungeon.
And until next time…
Let’s play D&D!
