Introducing Session Zero: the What and the Why

Session Zero is one of those topics where you can ask me one question, and I will rant and monologue for hours. I am extremely passionate about session zero, I don’t understand why someone would not want to do one, and I vehemently argue that every GM should conduct a session zero, even if they think everyone already knows what they are getting into. Since I am incapable of making this a short post, it will be a series! That’s right, you’ll have the option to pick and choose what parts of a session zero you want to hear about, and I’ll get to pretend you’re absorbing every single thing I have to say. Win-win!

I adamantly claim, repeatedly, that TTRPGs are both collaborative storytelling, and a game. This means (to me, anyway), that the humans playing the game need to be having fun, and they need to be creating something together. If the GM is telling a story with no input from the players, they’re doing it wrong. If people are uncomfy instead of having fun, it’s going wrong.

What is a Session Zero?

This is the planning meeting. Sort of. From the players’ point of view, this is where expectations are set, backstories are invented, and characters created. From the GM’s point of view, this is where you figure out what game you are playing and how to make sure everyone is playing it. Yeah, that seems more complicated, right?

This is where you set the tone and decide the genre. Are you running a heroic high fantasy adventure, or are you all interested in a grim morally-grey dystopian potato farm scenario? If players are expecting one of these, but get the other, they will have whiplash and probably massive disappointment.

Session Zero is also where you should discuss table rules, safety tools, where and how often you will be playing. Some GMs will simply set the table rules and decide unilaterally what safety tools will be used, and that’s fine, as long as that is adequately conveyed to the players. Some groups will prefer to make these decisions together, and that is equally fine. If everyone is new, you might have to figure it out together.

Why Bother?

The Session Zero is not a legal obligation. You can skip it. You can also launch a ship without checking if everyone is on board, or if there’s a hole in the hull named “PvP Expectations”. I certainly recommend taking an afternoon to talk and plan in the name of campaign longevity and cohesion. It reduces the number of awkward moments where someone says “wait, your character is evil?”

Playing the Tutorial

You don’t really have to go into this with spreadsheets and law degrees. You don’t even have to sign a contract in blood. All that matters is that everyone understands what the hell is going on.

So grab your dice, your questions, and an enchanted pen. The story hasn’t started yet, but the story about the story is getting quite good.

Read the next post here.