DMs, Help Your Players Create an Identity For Their Party as a Whole

We've all been there. You're gathered round the table, ready to start off a new campaign. Your character sheet is smooth and unblemished, your dice are fresh, and an entire tale stretches out before you waiting to be written.

Then the DM clears their throat and says, "So, you're all at the tavern..."

Gods above, pour me something strong...

While it's become something of a trope, this kind of introduction is usually a symptom of a game where the party is just expected to come together on a whim in order to participate in the plot. And while good players may bite that lure in order to get on the plot bus, it can result in a lot of serious problems before the game even gets rolling.

This is why I would recommend that all the dungeon masters out there try something new for your next game. Rather than just collecting a bunch of individuals and slapping them into a situation where you hope they form a party, actually work with your players to create a party identity and structure before the game ever gets started.

Who Are You, as a Party?

Generally speaking, players know who their characters are as individuals. Sometimes their characters know each other, or have background ties, but that's not the same as being a party with its own unique identity that character can be a part of.

The black flag approaches. That can only mean one thing...

The easiest example in this scenario is to think of your party as a unit of mercenaries; not 4-6 individual sellswords working together, but as an actual unit who sells their services collectively (or as part of a larger free company, like the ones I mentioned in 100 Random Mercenary Companies).

Some of the things you should ask are:

- What is their collective name? (The Companions, The Black Ravens, etc.)
- What are they known for?
- What are their uniforms like (if any)?
- Who or what are they associated with?
- What are their colors, banner, symbols, etc.?
- What are their traditions? (particular salute or battle cry, tattoos, rite of passage, etc.)
- Do all members boast a particular skill set, weapon, etc.?
- Do you have a creed, a ship's code, or something similar?

Even if the party is just a small group, giving them a name, a shared ideal, and a purpose can make a big difference in how the players think of the party as a whole. Because at that point the idea takes on a life of its own, and it becomes a part of every individual character's story. They now need to know not just who they are, what they do, what their goals are, things like that, but also how they came to be a part of this fellowship, and what it means to them as a member.

For those who are looking for some inspiration for the above categories, you might want to check out some of my other supplements for examples:

- 100 Fantasy Battle Cries (and Their Histories)
- 100 Knightly Orders
- 100 Gangs For Your Urban Campaigns
- 100 Fantasy Guilds

You Can Do This With Practically Anything

Whether your party is a group of bandits or a crew of pirates, a squad of special investigators for the town guard, a gang of thieves who commit daring heists, or something more akin to the Justice League or the Legion of Doom, giving the party a real identity can make a big difference when it comes to cohesion and teamwork.

The important thing to remember is that you can make this as big, or as small, as you and your players want it to be.

Welcome to the Reapers, kid.

If you want your party to be one small part of a nationwide order of knights, or one of a dozen squads of troubleshooters who serve a particular guild, that offers a lot of opportunities. Your players can work on gaining notoriety, increasing their rank, moving up within the organization and rising along the corporate ladder, as it were, in addition to just traveling the countryside, slaying monsters, and looting tombs. They might be member's of an explorers' society, or one of a dozen gangs who all serve the same, shadowy masters, and who are folded deeper into the syndicate as they prove their worth.

On the other hand, you could go small. The party could be a bunch of freelancers out for themselves, banding together against a greater threat. Perhaps they pick up the banner of a mostly defunct order, each of them knighted by the last member of the order who now lies on his deathbed. Perhaps each of them has earned a reputation in their own right (check out Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend for more on this), and so they come together in order to be more than the sum of their parts. Perhaps they take some kind of blood oath, or make a vow before one another and the gods, and this binds them together.

Whether you go big or small, though, let your players know you want this kind of bond in-game, and if it has to take a particular form. Some players might want free rein to create their own miniature council of vigilante heroes, while others might prefer something more generic like, "Please design characters who can fulfill the role of watch detectives," but without specifying what class they should use, or skills they should take, to fill that role. You could do the same thing by asking your players to put together a fantasy band (like one of those found in 100 Fantasy Bands by yours truly), without dictating class and skills one needs to round out this group of entertainers!

In closing, this strategy is not universal. There are going to be some tables who don't like it, or some games it actively won't work with. However, if you've noticed that players have trouble remembering they're part of a team, or if after the initial adventure the PCs all scatter to the winds because there's nothing binding them together, I'd recommend giving this approach a try.

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That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

What Organizations Does Your Character Belong To?

When most of us make characters, we focus on who they are as individuals. Krogar the Brute, with his thick mane of black hair and massive great ax, for example, is a feared mercenary and a native of the Western mountains to judge from his accent. Brisheen Fairhair, veiled in silks and able to twist the mind with no more than a glance and a whisper, has a past shrouded in mystery. Hadrick Coster, a light-fingered dwarf with a knowing smile, and a touch of mischief in his one, remaining eye.

No man is an island, though, or so the old saying goes. Every character has someone who raised them to adulthood (whether it was a parent or not), everyone has had friends (or at least casual acquaintances), and most folks had a mentor or teacher of some kind to help them master their particular skill sets. Whether your relationships with these other character are good, bad, or complicated is up to you, but those characters should exist in some capacity.

There is another aspect of who a character is that we often overlook, as well... what groups or organizations they belong to.

Knights of Columbus, perhaps?

While there is no rule in a game saying your character can't fly solo, you can get a lot of mileage out of asking what groups they owe their allegiance to... and if they've turned their backs on those groups, why they did so.

Born, Sworn, and Otherwise

One of the most basic ways that a character ends up becoming a member of a particular group is that they're born into it. If your parents are nobles, then you're a noble as well... whether you like it or not. If you're part of a hill clan of barbarians, or the child of an infamous bloodline, then you have a birthright that sticks with you. Maybe you embrace it, maybe you run from it, but it's there and should contribute to your character's history.

Valgard, what's this symbol on your ring mean?

There are also organizations you find yourself part of that you didn't choose to join, but which you weren't exactly born into. A good example is if your character was taken for mandatory training when they were young. Whether it was like the Spartan agoge, or simply a requirement that all children who show magical talent be trained in its proper use in your home nation, that organization was a huge part of their early life, and likely shaped them in important ways. Alternatively, if your character was taken in off the streets by a gang, or shanghaied onto a pirate ship that acted like a surrogate family, then that will also give you some experiences and allegiances you didn't exactly choose, but found yourself stuck with.

Sworn allegiances, on the other hand, are any groups that you voluntarily chose to join (though in some cases you may have been pressured due to circumstances). Whether you served with a particular military unit, fought beneath a mercenary company's banner, you were a graduate of an arcane college or tradition, or you were a member of a particular religious sect or esoteric order, all of these can play into who you are, how you act, what your goals are, and most importantly what your place in the world is.

If you're looking for inspiration for some groups you could work into your character's history, you might want to check out:

- A Baker's Dozen of Noble Families: From the swamp-dwelling clan fam of the Dredgers, to the deep pockets of High Hall, these 13 noble families are fleshed out enough that you can easily make your character a member.

- 100 Nobles to Encounter: For those looking for siblings, cousins, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and rivals, there are all kinds of nobles in this one. Some of them even go outside traditional aristocracy, such as elven High Boughs, or orcish war dukes.

- 100 Random Mercenary Companies: From the warrior wizards in the Acolytes of Arannis, to the black-clad battalions of the Harbingers of Sorrow, each of these companies offers unique ties for those who signed up for a tour of service.

- 100 Random Bandits to Meet: Filled with gangs, brigands, thugs, and blackguards, this collection is ideal for those who lived that bloody life. Maybe you're still in it, maybe you're trying to get out, but either way there's plenty to work with here.

- 100 Pirates to Encounter: The same as bandits, but on the high seas! With dozens of captains, ships, and odd crew members from the Skull Island Coven, to the galley known as the Floating Forest, this will certainly help spice up your back story.

The important thing to remember is you don't have to have just one of these allegiances throughout your character's history, either. You may have been born a noble, and trained as a knight, only to be on the losing side of a war. Stripped of lands and title, you joined a mercenary unit where you flew your old banner and family colors, defiantly refusing to admit that the past was truly dead. Perhaps you lost your parents early in life, and were adopted by a gang of street thieves. You picked up some skills here and there, but when your talents for magic manifested you used them as your ticket out of that life. While you might be a respected scholar of the arcane now, that tattoo on the inside of your wrist reminds you that once a Red Brand, always a Red Brand... and some of the cutthroats you once called friends haven't forgotten the promises you made to each other more than half a lifetime ago.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Organizations can say a lot about characters, and often enhance (or deplete) their social currency. If you wear the armor of a Genarian Templar, people may overlook your ill manners and poor hygiene. Even if you left the brig behind years ago, and you've totally reformed, those who see the brand of piracy on your arm beneath the blag flag tattoo of the Blood Tide may fight shy of you. Whether you're up-front about which organizations you belong to (or used to belong to, in case you're trying to keep it on the down low), think about why and how you made those allegiances in the first place.

The results might surprise you!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. If you've used this strategy in your games, leave a comment below and let us know how it went for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!