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A curious occurrence has been made far too apparent during past and recent sessions: a character begins and ends with the combination of his or her race and class.  While such an identity may help the player create an outward appearance, voice, and scant mannerism, it leaves a great deal unsaid and unfulfilled.

In looking at the characters, I've come to understand that there's a missing piece to each puzzle.  Race, Class, Alignment, Background, and Theme are great for fleshing out a character, and learned Skills further focus a character's efforts, but something must come before even these choices.

The concept of a character is a great opportunity to tie the various choices together while providing a key motivation throughout the character's adventuring career.  This idea must...

A campaign is a shared story.  The premise of the fiction is determined by the DM, and the page-to-page action is determined by the player characters.  Like all good fiction, a good D&D campaign should strive, at every turn, to move the story forward in much the same manner as a short story or novel.

Novels usually begin one of two ways: a prologue introduces a primary character at a dramatic point, or the story begins in the middle of an event.  Unless a gaming group is keen to role-play their characters' backgrounds--which should already be in place when the game starts--the campaign should start in the middle of things.  

I know I am taking a divergent tone here, but the staple campaign begins in an inn or tavern.  While such an introduction eases players into

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