Mazes & Mondays: First Step Together
The First Step Into Adventure
By T. Glenn Bane
There’s a moment in every campaign—right before the dice hit the table—when the world is still unwritten. The players are staring at you, character sheets in hand, and you’ve got to answer the most important question in fantasy gaming:
Why are these people together, and why should they care?
Starting a campaign isn’t just about maps and monsters. It’s about momentum. You’re not just launching a game—you’re lighting a fuse. And if you want that fuse to burn bright, you need three things: a strong starting condition, a reason for the party to stick together, and a motivation that kicks them into motion.
Let’s break it down.
Starting Conditions: Where It All Begins
The first scene of your campaign sets the tone. It’s the opening crawl, the first page of the pulp novel, the moment the camera pans across the misty moors. You want it to be evocative, but also functional—it needs to bring the party together now, not three sessions from now.
Here’s a little table to help you get started:
2d6 Starting Conditions Table
| 2d6 | Starting Condition |
|---|---|
| 2 | The party awakens in a ruined temple with no memory of how they got there. |
| 3 | All characters are passengers on a ship that is attacked by sea raiders. |
| 4 | A royal decree has summoned them to court for an unknown task. |
| 5 | They are the only survivors of a village destroyed by mysterious forces. |
| 6 | The party is hired as caravan guards and begins on the road. |
| 7 | They meet at a festival where something goes terribly wrong. |
| 8 | The group is trapped in a collapsing mine and must work together to escape. |
| 9 | A shared dream leads them to the same ancient ruin. |
| 10 | They are all bounty hunters after the same target. |
| 11 | The party is accused of a crime they didn’t commit. |
| 12 | They are the last line of defense in a besieged frontier outpost. |
Party Bonds: Why They Stick Together
You can’t build a story if the players are constantly threatening to walk away from each other. You need glue. Not just “you all meet in a tavern” glue—real glue. Something that makes them feel like they’re in this together.
Here’s a table to help you bind your party with purpose:
2d6 Party Bonds Table
| 2d6 | Party Bond |
|---|---|
| 2 | All characters are members of the same secret society. |
| 3 | They were the only survivors of a failed expedition. |
| 4 | They share a blood oath to protect a sacred relic. |
| 5 | They are all apprentices of a missing master. |
| 6 | They were cursed together and must find a cure. |
| 7 | They are hired by the same mysterious benefactor. |
| 8 | They are all fugitives from the same corrupt regime. |
| 9 | They are bound by a prophecy none of them fully understand. |
| 10 | They are the last heirs of a fallen noble house. |
| 11 | They all owe a life debt to the same NPC. |
| 12 | They are magically linked—if one dies, all suffer. |
Motivation: Why They Move
Now that they’re together, you need to give them a reason to do something. This is where a lot of campaigns stall—players are waiting for a reason to act, and the GM is waiting for the players to act on their own.
Don’t wait. Give them a push.
2d6 Motivation Table
| 2d6 | Motivation |
|---|---|
| 2 | A loved one has gone missing in a dangerous region. |
| 3 | A powerful artifact must be recovered before it falls into the wrong hands. |
| 4 | A town is plagued by unnatural horrors—and the party is blamed. |
| 5 | A map to a lost treasure has just surfaced. |
| 6 | A rival group is already on the move—beat them to the prize. |
| 7 | A mysterious benefactor offers a fortune for a simple task. |
| 8 | A local leader begs for help against an overwhelming threat. |
| 9 | A divine vision commands them to act. |
| 10 | A magical storm is spreading, and they may be the only ones who can stop it. |
| 11 | A villain from one character’s past has resurfaced. |
| 12 | The party is the only hope to stop a world-ending prophecy. |
Final Thoughts from the GM’s Chair
You don’t need a 300-page campaign bible to start a great game. You need a spark. A reason to care. A reason to act. And a reason to stay together when things get weird—which they will.
So roll some dice. Pick a starting point. Give your players a reason to trust each other, and a reason to run toward danger instead of away from it.
Because once they take that first step into adventure, the story writes itself.
Forever in game,
T. Glenn Bane
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