D&D 5E character campaign themes

[GlassJaw]

There was a cool thread not too long ago called A Party of One Class.

I may be starting a new campaign soon for a small group (3 players + DM) and I want to expand on the ideas in the One Class thread for the basis of the campaign. However, instead of focusing on a single class, I want to open it up slightly to a specific "theme". I'm defining theme here as a something that brings the characters together instead of simply being "adventurers".

For example, the players could all start off as members of a thieves' guild (or ex-members!). This wouldn't limit choice of race or class per se, but the players would know that their character had to have a skillset that would allow them to be members of a thieves' guild.

Some other ideas:

• All members of a school of wizardry.
• Dwarves lost in the Underdark.
• Acrobat troupe that moonlights as burglars.
• Gnomish bard traveling musical group.

You get the idea. Any other ideas? I love the idea of this but I haven't decided yet so still looking for inspiration. Has anyone done anything like this before?

Also, the main reason I'm thinking along these lines is because the group will be small (3 players), at least at the start, with the possibility of adding a 4th (TBD). So if the theme is specifically suited for a small group, all the better. Thanks!

 

[Nailen]

A group of 13 dwarves heading back to reclaim their mountain home from a big, bad dragon..?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using EN World mobile app

 

[pogre]

A trio of young barbarians looking for their tribe's stolen totem.

 

[Blue]

I would steal an idea from various monoculture games (like heist games) and automatically give everyone competence in their basic shared theme. This serves two purposes - they know they can rely on everyone being able to do it which leads for some unusual party tactics (compare vs. only one character has stealth), and it prevents builds that would have no way of getting those skills or really need to sacrifice something core to get them. (For example if everyone needs physical skill X, a knowledge based character may be giving up one of their few skill proficiency to get it.)

This doesn't stop someone from being better, just lets them all be both competent in the same thing while still being well rounded and not having a lot of gaps to have their overlap.

 

[Guest 6801718]

Here are a few ideas off the top of my head:

-An order that seeks out and protects arcane secrets.
-A band of mercenaries looking to get by after their country lost a war. They could be similar to Robin Hood or Firefly in theme, living in the outskirts/wilderness to stay off the radar.
-Shipwrecked sailors in a strange land
-An organization of monster hunters, seeking out a powerful and ancient evil
-Falsely accused prisoners who escaped during a natural disaster
-Opposite of one of the above items, soldiers in a conquering army who learn that they may be on the wrong side of the conflict.

 

[Shiroiken]

During the playtest, I saw a group that was all wizards. One was the professor, the rest his students, who was teaching them how to use their magic to overcome challenges. While the professor was older, he was the same level mechanically. Everyone had a lot of fun.

 

[BoldItalic]

You could ask the players all to take the same background, then develop the theme from that.

For example: Acolyte. The PCs are all priests from the same temple which is ransacked by thieves. A holy item is stolen and they become adventurers to track down the thieves and recover it. They can travel from city to city, with free lodging at the local temples in exchange for undertaking "rats in the cellar" side quests. Turns out the thieves are part of an evil conspiracy ...