How should I handle this?

[magictiger]

Hi Guys,
I have this idea of starting a TMNT game with all the mutant animal characters starting off imprisoned somehow with no starting equipment. They have to find a way to escape their captors.

Should I tell the players beforehand as to how Im starting them off? Im afraid if I do they wont want to play it. What do you think?

Thanks guys.

[hollowecho]

I did this as a one off at a con. I placed it on a orbiting space station. We played for 8 hrs only one escaped on the pod. But it was a con. I think if you tell them you should be ok.

[hollowecho]

I did this as a one off at a con. I placed it on a orbiting space station. We played for 8 hrs only one escaped on the pod. But it was a con. I think if you tell them you should be ok.

[Fubarius]

I did a "you start with nothing" game once, as a bit of a surprise to the players. Basically they were all assigned to a remote guard post at the end of a big war. Surprise, their side lost, and now they are on their own, with only the clothes on their backs and a few pieces of personal gear. No cash left.

This ended up pissing off a few players. Not the setup itself, but during character creation they had intentionally saved some starting money for use later and were not pleased to have it suddenly vanish. So you might want to give them a little warning.

[flatline]

Definitely tell them before character creation.

Something as simple as "don't bother with equipment, you'll use what you can find" should be enough. This should give them enough of a heads up to not build characters where the character concept is married to a particular piece of type of starting equipment and is, perhaps, a bit more self-sufficient.

--flatline

[Pepsi Jedi]

It's a viable start, but yeah many players have very strong mental images of their character and what they start with. If you're up front with them it should be ok. Espcially if you sort of ask around about what sort of characters they're making.

Say if one of them is a ninja Squirrel who likes swords, then you make sure one of the guards of the prison has a sword. if one of them is a massive Bull that prefers axes, well there could be a guard who's prized possession is a battle axe.

You don't have to give them every wish and desire, but it helps that when they escape they get a few bones.

Another way to do it is to have them make their characters, complete with equipment. Then start them in the jail with out it. In the course of the escape they could access the 'Prisoner's possessions' locked room on the way out and get their gear. Sounds crazy but even Palladiums HU Super Being prison... keeps all the super villains' weapons and gear, right there on the island with them. Just waiting for a break out. lol

Another way is to have them start with out gear but have them access the prison's armory before departing. Might be some general weapons but it'll let you equip them before they go.

[glitterboy2098]

and it doesn't have to be a prison..early Halo games generally start this way. Halo 1 you just got thawed out and have to find weapons as you escape the ship. Halo 2 has a peaceful event crashed by an enemy invasion, leading to a similar situation.