So a while back my friends and I were sitting around with nothing to do for an evening, and someone suggested we bust out D&D (3.0 edition, way back when). I volunteered to GM, having cursory experience in the past, and I was given explicit instructions not to use the “you all meet in the tavern” shtick.
So during the thirty minutes it would take for them to roll up characters, I had to come up with an intriguing, non-cliche adventure hook. As they made their characters, I asked them about their backstory and how they generally go about things. Shortly thereafter, we began.
The Sorcerer, who professed his wanderlust and vagrant nature, has spent the last few days on the road, headed towards a small town, hoping to find a soft bed after so long on the trail. He spots smoke on the horizon, and as he crests a rise, he sees that the town is on fire, and there seems to be some commotion going on.
He hurries into town, and he passes the City Guard building, from which he can hear someone shouting. Upon investigating, he finds the Barbarian, locked up.
Barbarian: Let me out! I can fight!
Sorceror: Why are you in there?
GM: Well, last night he had a bit too much to drink down at the tavern and caused a ruckus, so the City Guard came down and put him in the drunk tank to cool off.
Sorceror: Okay, I let him out.
While they figure out how to open the cell, we cut to the Rogue. He awakens with a start, just in time to see a small figure leap out his window with a sack of all the stuff he spent last night acquiring. Then a bottle of something with a flaming rag comes in through the window and lights the room on fire.
GM: Someone just ripped off the stuff you ripped off!
Rogue: The knave! I go after him!
One successful tumble check later, he’s in the street, spiked chain at the ready (yes, really).
The Cleric, who is actually a member of the City Guard, is already in the street. A group of goblins have cut him off from the rest of the Guard and are closing in for the kill, but then the Rogue, smoking slightly, hits the street ready for action.
A round of combat later - in which the spiked chain proves to be a deadly menace to both the goblins and its wielder - the Sorcerer and the Barbarian roll up.
Combat ensues.
Shortly thereafter the Captain of the Guard arrives. He explains that he does not know why the goblins attacked the city, but they made off with several captives. He wants the Cleric to lead a party to go find the goblin’s lair, kill them, and bring back the captives, and whoever goes will be richly rewarded upon success.
The Rogue, not having been able to recover his stolen and re-stolen goods, volunteers immediately - on the condition that he gets to keep whatever loot the goblins might have. The Barbarian, always ready for a fight, goes along with it. The Sorcerer, who was seeking adventure to being with, has now found what he was looking for.
Unfortunately, we were never able to continue this campaign, but I think I did a good job of pulling a party of disparate individuals together on the fly. It’s an example of how to flaunt cliches and provide a more interesting hook than meeting in a tavern. Feel free to use it or something similar in your game!
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