“You meet in a tavern” is the “It was a dark and stormy night” of TTRPGs. Cliches have their place, and people who work hard to subvert cliches are often missing the point by prioritizing novelty over usability. So naturally I will now subvert this famous cliche.
A group of strangers, by virtue of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, are cursed. The source of the curse is incidental to this campaign premise. The important thing is that they don’t know each other before they are cursed, and perhaps don’t even get along. But the curse prevents them from leaving each others’ general vicinity for long. They are stuck together.
Shortly after coming to terms with their circumstances, the players learn (through villain monologue, friendly NPC expert, downtime spent on research, whatever) that the only way to break the curse is to find the mystical Tavern of Fond Farewells. This location is famously difficult to find, but is sought by those who need to truly let go; the grief-stricken, the lovelorn.
How far apart can the characters get? What happens if they are forcibly separated? It could vary depending on the system and style of play. If I were to run such a game, I would investigate this question with the players at session zero.
Speaking of cliches, this is a tried and true gimmick in fiction. “People from different backgrounds are thrown together by fate; they dislike each other or come into conflict at first; but eventually come to like/respect each other despite their differences.” Genre-savvy players can steer into these vibes. Bonus points if two or more characters, at the end of the story, decide they actually want to remain friends (or perhaps more?) Audiences love that kind of twist.
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