I had an idea to play a couple of sessions of Ghost Lines as a prequel to a Blades game. Say it was 5 or 10 years ago to give the crew some time to grow into their new roles when we start the Blades game, but give them a reason to be together beyond “Well, you’re all PCs”
Anyone else do this?
No. I had no problem giving them a reason to be together. I just said “So, as a group, decide on what sort of a crew you want to be. Here are the sheets, assassins, thieves, smugglers…”
and then the players discussed what they’d find fun. They decided to be thieves. Then they made their characters with “I’m going to be part of a group of thieves” in mind, so they all fitted together.
I also see it as the player’s job to make a character that fits the game, not the GMs job to make them fit. By all means, help out the players, but at the end of the day I just say “I’m running a game about doing X. Make a character who wants to do X.” and it’s their job to do that.
What, you want an orphaned noble who was forced into becoming a thief? OK, I’ll help you out, and help support you playing the “I never wanted to be a thief” character, as long as it’s understood that while the character is resisting, the player is helping make their character fit in as part of the group.
Not as you describe, but I did run it as a prologue (not with the same PCs) to preview some of the characters and themes.
We kept the reasons for them being together loose and entirely up to the PCs – looking back on this as and when is a feature of the flashbacks rather than something you need to decide in advance (can do though). Backfilling is what Blades is all about.
Sounds like it might work best as a series of session long flashbacks between scores? That would be a nice way to explore it.
As always talk to your players about what and how much they want to explore that.