09/06/2024

Every successful tabletop RPG campaign starts with a solid foundation, and that begins with Session Zero. This crucial meeting is more than just a preliminary gathering for player introductions; it’s an opportunity to align everyone’s expectations, establish boundaries, and set the tone for the adventure ahead. Here’s how you can use Session Zero to ensure your campaign gets off to the right start.

Campaign One-Sheet Summary: A Focused Guide for Players

At Session Zero (or even before Session Zero), the DM can deliver the Campaign Summary Sheet to the players. This brief, one-page document distills the essential information about your campaign into a concise format, giving players something tangible to refer to during character creation and throughout the game.

A well-crafted one-sheet should cover the most important aspects of your campaign, including:

• Campaign Rules Set
• Campaign Setting
• Campaign Theme and Tone
• Character Creation Guidelines
• Important Factions and NPCs

Once the sheet is delivered, the group should cover all sections and discuss each in detail. The sheet can then be updated after Session Zero as a reference for the future.

Setting Themes and Boundaries

Another key aspect of Session Zero is discussing the themes explored in your campaign. Are you aiming for a dark, gritty narrative or something more lighthearted and adventurous? Letting your players know the tone will help them create characters that fit the world you’re building together. If you are running a superhero game with a Super Friends tone, a character like The Comedian from the Watchmen would be totally out of place.

Alongside themes, it’s essential to establish boundaries. Every player has different comfort levels, and discussing topics that may be off-limits ensures that everyone can enjoy the game without discomfort. Whether it’s graphic violence, sensitive subjects, or specific phobias, setting these boundaries upfront fosters a respectful and inclusive gaming environment.

Character Creation Guidelines

During Session Zero, it’s essential to establish clear Character Creation Guidelines to ensure that all players build characters that fit well within the campaign’s setting and theme. This is the time to discuss any restrictions or preferences you may have for character races, classes, backgrounds, or alignments. By providing these guidelines, you help players create characters that complement each other and enhance the overall narrative of the campaign.

A campaign modeled after Lord of the Rings wouldn’t have any of the exotic species like dragonborn or tiefling in the setting. I have allowed players to bring unique species to the table (I once had a chameleon-like species played at my table), but you need to check that it is balanced and that the rest of the players are ok with it.

Important Factions and NPCs

In addition to character creation, introducing important factions and NPCs during Session Zero can deepen the players’ connection to the campaign world. Factions, whether they are powerful guilds, political entities, or secretive organizations, often play a significant role in the story. By discussing these groups in advance, you present your players the opportunity to craft characters with ties to these factions, adding layers of intrigue and personal investment to the game. Similarly, introducing key NPCs—such as mentors, rivals, or allies—can provide players with pre-existing relationships that add depth to their characters and create immediate hooks for the campaign. This not only enriches the game, but also helps players feel more integrated into the story from the very beginning.

(SPOILER ALERT!) During my Tomb of Annihilation campaign, a player asked if she could be a pureblood Yuan-Ti spy sent by Ras Nsi to keep an eye on the other party members. It was risky because the rest of the party could turn on her if they found out but we tried it out. She made it to the final conflict with Ras Nsi, then betrayed him since she had grown to care for the other party members.

Attendance Expectations

Attendance can be a major factor in the success of a campaign, so it’s important to set clear expectations from the start. Whether you’re meeting in person or playing online, discuss how often you’ll meet and what’s expected in terms of attendance.

Consider setting a policy for what happens when a player can’t make it. Will their character be controlled by the DM or another player? Will their absence be written into the story, or will the game be paused? Establishing these protocols ahead of time can prevent disruptions and ensure the campaign continues smoothly.

Since I ran most of my campaigns at a local gaming club, we always had players miss sessions. Since we had tables as big as 10 players, it wasn’t an issue of not having enough players but more of what happened to the characters. We usually never acted like they were not there but that did cause some problems. Fighting vampires and undead in Barovia is harder when the character with the Sun Sword is not there.

Conclusion

Session Zero is your chance to build a strong foundation for your campaign. By clearly communicating game rules, themes, boundaries, and attendance expectations, you set the stage for a successful and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Keep on gaming!