A Brief Respite: One Way to Start your Game.

    Frinain sat down near the fire and spoke to his companions, "To tell ye the truth I didn't much think about coming with ye until the Thane showed up missin' his arm- no slight ever goes unpunished against a dwarf, and that goes double for a Thane."

    Sigurd smiled and took a seat next to the Dwarf . "I'm glad for your people's grudges Frinain. Your marksmanship proved invaluable against the Goblins in that canyon. I wonder what they were doing there...they fought as if protecting something..."

    The two looked to their third, Leo, snoring  just inside the warmth of the fire. A goblin arrow had pierced his mail and a fever was already setting in- he collapsed into sleep as soon as they'd made camp.

    Sigurd and Frinain let the conversation die as they stared into the fire, oblivious to the scatter of pebbles on the rocks behind them. 

    Like a man possessed, Leo sprang up and fumbled frantically for his weapons to the bewilderment of his companions. He tucked behind his shield and pointed his spear beyond Sigurd- "make ready" they heard him cough out.

    Frinain was forming an expletive-laden question until Sigurd turned and scrambled to his feet too. The dwarf glanced over his shoulder and chose a different target for his curses- there was an imposing feline approaching from the shadows.

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    The problem: Your players don't know anything about each other's characters or the world and you might die if you hear another go-around the table of player's describing their characters (You see a hooded man and can make out a faint scar on his cheek. His distrustful eyes glance at you as he...PLEASE NO MORE)

    The solution: At your first session the characters will start in some form of rest situation like refueling the ship, around the campfire, or browsing wares in a shop. Each player draws and answers one question from a selection. Whatever their character says to answer the question is truth and after it's answered, the next character answers their question. This goes on until all players have answered their question.

    Some example questions:

- Who is counting on you to get this done?

- What is something that happened recently to the group?

- When did the group start their journey? 

- Where is somewhere that you passed that you'd like to investigate later?  

- Why are you exhausted?

    Potential Issue: You're counting on players to be spontaneously creative and not step on each other's toes. Everyone has to be willing to run with the ideas others create.

    The intended effect: GM and the players skip physical descriptions, boring GM exposition, and questions of how they all know each other. Instead the information emerges within the game and gives the GM material to work with for this session and following sessions. The GM could even use this to inform whatever action happens after the last question is answered.

    A jump signature is detected at the edge of sonar range- it's the pirates that John Spaceman was just talking about!

    A ghostly wail pierces the night confirming Urlak's suspicions that this region is haunted. Either break camp and move through the night or brave what horrors might await.

    An officer approaches and asks Sam seemingly innocuous information until you see the outline of your wanted posters poking out of his pocket. Time to get out of dodge!

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    The new miniatures in this post are Sigurd from the Reaper Bones line and a Displacer Beast (though I call them Purple Growlers) that I made through some kitbashing of a Thanator toy from Avatar and some other bits.