Session Zero Tips?

[Malimar]

I've long known of the value of a Session Zero in theory, but never actually done one.

I'm starting a new D&D campaign for new players soon, and I intend to start with a Session Zero, covering at least the conceptual basics of the game, ground rules to agree upon, and character creation.

Does the Playground have recommendations for things (any level of specificity) that should be touched on in Session Zero?

[Composer99]

Not going into any great detail, but here are some things to touch on:

Content - Want/Don't Want
- What content do the players want to see?
- What content do the players only want to see if handled with care?
- What content are the players okay with being implied as long as it's more or less "off screen"?
- What content do the players absolutely not want to see or have anything to do with?

Gameplay Preference
- Whether you use the sort-of-player profiles in the DMG, or some other resource on players' gameplay preferences (I can't remember the link, but there's an Angry GM essay that touches on this) - things like exploration, fighting, instigating, etc. - can the players articulate what they like or don't like? Can the DM?

Setting
- Published or homebrew?
- If published, any deviation from setting default?
- If homebrew, how does setting deviate from the D&D core rules or assumptions for the edition being played?

House Rules & Table Rules
- House rules as your table's modifications to the rules of the game (whether contingent on or independent of setting considerations) - what are they?
- Table rules as your table's rules for OOC conduct at the table/in the context of the game - what are they?
- Any rules or at least conventions about handling stuff like food (if you're playing together)?

Some of this stuff is more important to go over if you're running a new table - if this is a table you've been gaming with for a while, you probably have a pretty good read on a lot of it.

[Yora]

I always try to get at least a little bit of playing done right after the players all got together and decided on the characters they want to play. Saying thanks and until next week and leaving things hanging like that seems like it would be really disappointing when everything's just been set up and ready to go.

The things I try to get across before starting with character creation is that the players have to make characters that want to engage in the kind of activities that the campaign will be about, and that they all want to travel and face deadly dangers together with the other PCs. I've seen way too many cases where players made "cool and edgy" characters who right from the start made it clear they didn't want to be part of the adventure and had to be forcefully coerced by the other PCs to comply. I get why new players might think that seems like a cool idea, but it's not fun for any of the other players. I also don't see why the other players would have to tollerate the presence of a character who is a liability and threat to the rest of the party because they assume the GM is making them to. I would recommend to other players to kick such characters from the party, but it's really just much easier to tell everyone from the start that such characters don't work as party members for the campaign.

Another thing I find really useful, and that really comes before getting to character creation, is to let the players know about the structure and procedures of the game that is being played, if it has any. Let players know what kind of people common PCs in the game or campaign are, which things will advance their character progression, and what a typical gameplay loop generally looks like. Many games don't really have such a thing and could be just whatever, but most really good games do. (Which I think is the secret ingredient that makes them good.)
Players need to know what they are supposed to be doing in the campaign to be able to take real innitiative and do things without being told to. Trying to figure out what the GM wants them to do in the current scene does not enable them to plan ahead or set any goals for themselves.

[Anonymouswizard]

Players should have input on the setting and story. This doesn't have to be to the Fate level of deciding the big conflicts the game revolves around, but they should definitely feel free to name characters, places, and organisations they want to feature prominently, as well as things they want to avoid.

Session zero is also great for tying characters together. I like asking each player of some important connection they have with another PC, and then asking that player how it isn't the whole story. Get PCs connected to each other, to the setting, decide on a goal the players can agree on.

Plus set boundaries. Things like PC and NPC morality, what is completely off limits, what can be referred to but not acted out, and what's completely fine. If you think it's going to come up definitely do this with sex and relationships, not everybody is comfortable roleplaying flirting, romance, or private times.

Otherwise get in plenty of tea and some good nibbles, a fruitful session zero can last for four hours.

[Composer99]

Also, if you don't want to do a full session, you can break it up - themed group chats or something, maybe half an hour long, starting a couple of weeks before the previous campaign wraps or so.

[KorvinStarmast]

Have you figured out who is bringing the pizza yet?
Let's get our priorities straight, man!

[Yora]

Players should have input on the setting and story. This doesn't have to be to the Fate level of deciding the big conflicts the game revolves around, but they should definitely feel free to name characters, places, and organisations they want to feature prominently, as well as things they want to avoid.

Also, if you don't want to do a full session, you can break it up - themed group chats or something, maybe half an hour long, starting a couple of weeks before the previous campaign wraps or so.

I think any discussions about what to play need to be done well in advance of making characters. I'll need at least two to four weeks of preparation before we can start to actual play. And what I'll come up with will greatly influence the kind of things that players should know before making their characters.

[Anonymouswizard]

I think any discussions about what to play need to be done well in advance of making characters. I'll need at least two to four weeks of preparation before we can start to actual play. And what I'll come up with will greatly influence the kind of things that players should know before making their characters.

Nothing says you can't have your session zero a month before actual play. But doing a full on session zero that includes game/world creation has, in my experience, caused characters that are significantly more tied to the world than otherwise, because of the presence of things they want to be a part of.

Plus I like player driven and improv-heavy games.

[Vahnavoi]

"Session zero" is just a fancy way of saying game set-up, so let me quote myself from the "how to start a game" thread:


For conventions, there's a standard form that fits on A4, telling name of the scenario, date, time and duration of a game, what ruleset is being used, what's the genre and themes of the game, a five word synopsis, a four-hundred character description of what the scenario is about, some boxes to tick concerning who the game is suitable to (kids, beginners, foreign language speakers etc.), how many players are required and contact information of the game master. So when going to a convention, filling up that form is what I do first. Potential players read the form and sign up to a game based on that.

If I am home or visiting friends, I pull a book or boxed set from my big container of games, hand it to people present and ask "does this look like a game you want to play?" They take a good look and then either agree or not.

This then seques to game start-up. First question I tend to ask is if all the players have played roleplaying games before. If someone hasn't, I follow it by brief explanation: assume viewpoint of a character in described situation and decide what to do, how and why. This is followed by rest of the rules or statement that rules will be explained as they become relevant, depending on complexity of game. Then the typical sequence is character selection, description of initial situation, equipment selection, first moves, and it goes from there.

Depending on how much prep work I've done for the specific game, there may be some extra set-up between pitching the game and players coming to the table, mostly laying out writing and drawing equipment, dice, game forms, organizing folders etc.

I'll leave scenario and game design out of this, because I don't have one method for doing that.

[Kurt Kurageous]

https://theangrygm.com/simple-campaign-characters/

Some good advice there. I am reluctant to add more that that and what is/will be posted here.

[Anonymouswizard]

https://theangrygm.com/simple-campaign-characters/

Some good advice there. I am reluctant to add more that that and what is/will be posted here.

I recommend avoiding any advice given by The Angry GM, he engages in aggressive One True Wayism and occasionally advocates adversarial practices (notably offering psionics as an option and kicking any player who decides to take up the offer). **** his advice and have a ten hour session zero if everybody in the group is fine with that, his advice is only really applicable for a very narrow scope of game.

Like, just try following that advice for Unknown Armies and you essentially have to throw out half the system. Including Obsessions and Objectives, which kind of breaks the way the latest edition is meant to be played.

The good advice in that article can mostly be summed up as 'be part of character creation, advise against making personality traits too solid'. Pretty much everything else can be thrown out as unnecessarily adversarial for a session zero. If a player has a very specific character in mind feel free to work it in, ask if they can summarise their backstory as bullet points, let them actively change bits of the campaign premise if the group agrees and the rest is salvageable. Make sure the game is something everybody wants to play, not just they person running it.

[Easy e]

#1 thing to discuss, the schedule and the importance of being at the game!

#2 thing to discuss, what to do if you can not be at the game and what happens.


Other things as needed...... :)

But all that other stuff doesn't matter if the people can not be at the game session.

[Quertus]

The things I try to get across before starting with character creation is that the players have to make characters that want to engage in the kind of activities that the campaign will be about,

As good as that sounds, it isn’t actually a hard requirement - at least, at all tables. For example, I ran Balteus Battlerager (“Rage” for short (darn short jokes)), a Dwarven Berserker. He opened every encounter with Diplomacy and open arms. In Ravenloft. Yeah. When Diplomacy inevitably failed, he charged into combat (or combat charged into him), and he definitely contributed his fair share. But combat was the last thing he *wanted*.

So (maybe not at yours, but at least at most tables), it’s a little more nuanced than just the character wanting the premise of the game.


and that they all want to travel and face deadly dangers together with the other PCs. I've seen way too many cases where players made "cool and edgy" characters who right from the start made it clear they didn't want to be part of the adventure and had to be forcefully coerced by the other PCs to comply. I get why new players might think that seems like a cool idea, but it's not fun for any of the other players. I also don't see why the other players would have to tollerate the presence of a character who is a liability and threat to the rest of the party because they assume the GM is making them to. I would recommend to other players to kick such characters from the party, but it's really just much easier to tell everyone from the start that such characters don't work as party members for the campaign.

I blame the hobbit, and its protagonist, Bilbo, personally.

And, maybe not at your table, but players *can* enjoy getting to know other characters well enough to understand what makes them tick, to be able to motivate reluctant PCs (or NPCs).

I can certainly see wanting to skip that step, though. It’s… overdone, and not the optimal vector for learning about other PCs in character.

[Composer99]

Have you figured out who is bringing the pizza yet?
Let's get our priorities straight, man!

I don't get the sarca - wait, are you saying pizza isn't automatically the top priority? :smalleek:

[Telonius]

In session zero, I usually try to set up expectations for the players. Figure out the general tone the story is going to take.

I usually try to contact the players before session zero, individually, to see if there are any topics that they really don't want to get into. (Basically, seeing if they've got any triggers that they don't want to play around with). No explanation required, just let me know if there's a topic to avoid, and we'll avoid the topic. I do that beforehand so they don't have to share with the whole group if they don't want to. If anything comes up, I present it in session zero as something we're just not going to deal with in the campaign.

As part of that, I ask if the campaign were a movie, what's the rating you'd be comfortable for it to have (separate for sex and violence). Getting a consensus on that can head off some problems before they start.

Depending on the system, figure out how the party's going to divide loot, if there's going to be a party fund, and who's keeping track of it if so.

Hash out schedules as much as we can, and figure out what's going to happen if somebody has to miss. (Does another character play them, does the DM take control, are they off in a protective bubble, do we just reschedule the session, play another game, etc).

If I'm using any houserules that differ from the standard rules, everybody gets a copy of them.

[KorvinStarmast]

I don't get the sarca - wait, are you saying pizza isn't automatically the top priority? :smalleek: I may need to recalibrate my expectations. :smallconfused: And make sure I have a coupon


As part of that, I ask if the campaign were a movie, what's the rating you'd be comfortable for it to have (separate for sex and violence). Getting a consensus on that can head off some problems before they start.

Hash out schedules as much as we can, and figure out what's going to happen if somebody has to miss. (Does another character play them, does the DM take control, are they off in a protective bubble, do we just reschedule the session, play another game, etc). I like your movie rating thing, and of course schedules is a huge aspect.

[Anonymouswizard]

I don't get the sarca - wait, are you saying pizza isn't automatically the top priority? :smalleek:

Bringing the pizza is priority number two.

Top priority is working out what toppings you're getting. Duels to the death happen if I call for anchovy and pineapple pizza.

[Pauly]

For the GM
- Setting expectations about the world and plot.
- Letting players know of important societal issues in the world that affect gameplay. EG discrimination against race [X] for [reasons] or all magic is considered evil and NpCs will react negatively to magic cast in their presence.
- Letting players know of any house rules, optional rules being included/excluded or any other deviations from RAW.
- Getting feedback from the players as to what they want.

For the players
- How their characters fit into the party from a mechanical perspective. Who does healing, who does diplomacy etc..
- How the characters know each other and are willing to risk their lives together. - what anonymouswizard said about tying the party together. You don’t need every party member to know everyone else since childhood, but to have a solid link to at least one other character.

I normally give my players a heads up a few weeks before the actual session zero, with the elevator pitch of the world and system being used. Then a week before the session zero give them a one page background on the setting and a blank character sheet and a quick play version of the rules to read. I will skip the second part if the group is already familiar with the rules, but for players new to the system I think it’s important.

Finally I think it's important to finish the session with a James Bond style pre-credits scene for the players to give their characters a quick test run before the actual campaign proper starts. This gives the players an opportunity to fix any ‘I done and goofed’ errors in character creation and I allow edits to the character to be made, but the player has to tell the table what they’re doing. Also this is an edit not a re-write or opportunity to create a new character.

[Zhorn]

Session zero goal: establish expectations

What to expect of the game system (rules, house rules)
What to expect of the DM (game running style and philosophy)
What to expect of the players (table and session etiquette)
What to expect of the characters (campaign and party fitness)
What to expect of the story (objectives, scope, themes)

lots of these have been well covered above by other posters already so I'll avoid repeating too much (go read them again, lots of valuable perspectives)

On house rules, be sure to explain the reasoning behind certain choices, and for the sake of my players and the DM, make sure there's a written record.
Also, be clear on how players are expected to go about with challenging the DM on rulings (both RAW and homebrew). Not all rules are good (this goes for both types), and being able to come to an agreement on which rules are to be strictly adhered to vs what is played more loosely is for the betterment of the table.

Make it clear to the players on the style of DMing you are using. How much agency do you afford the players, where's the line between being on their side versus playing their antagonists. What assumptions will you be making on behalf of the players versus what you expect them to input

Players will need to know the stance on cross talk, devices, attendance, food, hygiene, behaviours, do's/don'ts

Do the character of the style of game, do they mesh with the story and other party members. Reasons can vary wildly, but the big ticket items are: have a reason to participate in the adventure, have a reason to want to be with the party, have a reason why the party wants your character to be with them.

Is the story going to be a sandbox, or a railroad? Is there going to be focus on character driven goals, or is it all module restricted? Is it a wild west of unrestricted themes, or are there agreed upon red card items that are not to be brought into the game.

Go over the things the players AND DM want to see in the game, and what they want to not see.