Adding Players after initial character/city creation?

[Frauki]

I recently started a DFRPG with myself and 3 players. We finished the whole city and character creation in one session and now we have 2 more people interested in playing.

Now I don't recall if the book has any suggestions on this but what do you all think is the best way to add players once the initial setting/characters have been created? I want the new players to be able to be as much of a part of the game as the initially created ones.

Your thoughts?

[gojj]

The group I play with is the personification of this problem. We have lots of people who like playing, but only about 4-5 are at a season at any one time and every once in awhile someone comes up with a new character. How we handle this is by having several subplots (based on who is playing) and then tie them all together at the end in some epic battle. If all six of you are planning on playing together, then just make up some story that includes them. If Dresden has taught me anything it's that everyone needs to be flexible and occasionally have to suspend their disbelief. As I assume you're the GM and that you at least have ideas about how the original three will be incorporated into the plot, just make something up including the other two. Hope this helps.

[Frauki]

Story wise its not really a problem. Its more specific to the DFRPG. The character creation system makes it so that each other character has a role is each other character stories as well as the setting itself. The question is more should I try to work the new characters into the old characters stories? or just have the new players just  be connected to each other and let them each add a location/face to the setting?

[Haru]

Adding a new character to another characters background is really not that much of a problem. It is sort of like a declaration: it has always been like that, it just hasn't come up.

Show the new players an overview of the faces and locations you already have. Often enough they will find a way to tie their character into it. Or you can simply let them add their own, or maybe they have an interesting twist on one of the existing locations and faces. Pretty much everything that enriches the story should be allowed, I would say.

[gojj]

And if all else fails have your new characters just happen to be in town (let them justify it themselves; following someone, running from someone, chance, etc.) and then the events of the first game they are in will compel them to stay for some reason.

[noclue]

We've done this in two separate occasions. Each time disrupted the rhythm of the game briefly, but turned out awesome. We started with two wizard types framed for murder and out in the cold, added a vanilla mortal vampire hunter out to avenge his wizard uncle, then added an emissary of the Mesopotamian god of death and bureaucracy (yes, that is a real god).

The trick is to really focus on the phases during character creation to tie the new character into the existing PCs, NPCs and the Situation.

[TheRealMe]

Here is a suggestion:

When the new players are designing their characters, have the old player characters in the mix for Guest Star slots.  All the new characters should get a Guess Star slot to generate the correct number of aspects.  At least some of the old characters should get a Guest Star slot to generate connections to involve them with the new characters.  You may or may not decide to let the old characters change an aspect.

Also, I would suggest that each new player get to add to or elaborate on a city face and / or location.

[EldritchFire]

The way we've been doing it in my group is that each new character needs to have an aspect that includes one or more other characters. Go through chargen as normal, just only include one or two other characters.

Remember, you an change an aspect during any milestone, so just because you have an aspect pointing to another character doesn't mean it has to stay that way.

-EF

[Leatherneck]

I had a player join after everyone else participated in the group character creation, and another player decided to change characters after five sessions.  For the new PCs I insisted that they have their High Concept and Trouble.  We then worked on the first three phases, even if it was just coming up with the Aspects.  I let them decide the last two Phases/Aspects latter; because by this time the other players were getting antsy to start playing.  In each case the first adventure was the established characters saving the new PC from some sort of trouble they got into.

There is one more player that wants to change his PC.  It will be the same model, but will involve the death of his old character this time.