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A Band's Purpose
A Band is drawn together for a specific purpose that thematically connects the characters and the game as a whole. The referee may choose a purpose when starting up the game, or invite the players to discuss and select one of their own. Either way, everyone should be aware of the purpose before creating a character, and everyone should create a character compatible with that purpose. Below are some archetypical campaign purposes. Different game worlds suggest entirely new purposes, or put distinct spins on those outlined here.
- Anomalies: The Band is different from everyone else. They come together for safety and company, and perhaps to unravel the mystery of why they are anomalies in the first place.
- Architects: The Band has allied with one another to build something: an organization, a faction, or a community. The architects' efforts will live on after them, affecting the game world and future characters.
- Avengers: A nemesis has done something horrible, and now every member of the Band has a personal stake in making it right. An army of lackeys and lieutenants stand in the way of justice.
- Family: The Band is bound by blood, history, and friendship. Sagas are often family affairs, even if the first generation starts with a different purpose.
- Pawns: The Band is drawn together by an outside force, and bad things seem to happen if they drift apart. The members face a choice: to embrace their destiny or rebel against it.
- Pioneers: The Band volunteers to go (boldly) where no one has gone before. The Band is always driving forward, either for the joy of exploration or from some dire threat looming behind them.
- Specialists: An important job needs to be done, and the Band is recruited to do it. Each member has a role to fulfill to get this job done.
- Celebrities: The Band seeks fame, fortune, and everlasting glory. Rivals are always competing for the same spotlight.
- Survivors: The Band is forced together just to survive a harsh world. Rivals are competing for the same resources, or trying to take what the characters have.
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Adventure Frameworks is played by a group of people, each with a character. Though each player's individual character is important, the collective entity created by the alliance of these characters has a life of its own, and is called your band. It is the band that earns a reputation and grows in power. And just like a character, a band has a name and a sheet to track accomplishments or properties.
Form a Band
You may form the band before the game even starts, potentially creating intricate stories about how the characters first met and decided to join together. You can just as easily note that they did join together and wait to explore the details of why and how later during the game. You can even form the band spontaneously during the first game session. But no matter how you choose to start it, the band will exist, and every player's character will be a part of it.
A band may have a specific purpose (see sidebar), but that isn't required. A band will have a name. You don't have to name your band immediately, but by the time you earn your first point of Fame if you haven't named yourselves then the prattling masses will choose a name for you. Don't leave your legacy in their ignorant hands. Likewise a band's name helps with your fame outside the game world too. It's much easier to invoke the adventures of the Crooked Corner Irregulars than that crew of robbers who occasionally got caught up in mysteries.
A band can be very loose and sketchy, but a strong central idea for a band can make a game extremely memorable. A good band automatically answers the questions that drive the game forward. Why do these characters continue to associate with one another? What motivates them to pursue an adventure? Individual characters can gain extra dimensions from their role and position within the band, whether they are embracing it or resisting it.
