Not sure if you already explained this, - Ill look to see if you did - Im new to DnD and am trying to understand dice. What each dice does and when to use it.
I love how Ginny has gone from "the flow is probably better if I cut away to me reading aloud rather than do it in the same shot" to "Books is now a fully fledged character with her own motivations and personality!"
Something my group has is a "Focus Word". If the game devolves into jokes, cross chatter, or people being distracted by outside influences: Anyone seeing it can say the word, (e.g. "Rutabaga") and get the game back on track.
Yeah, actually that's a good idea. That's one problem my brother had at another table years back, derailed because of non-dnd interruptions would cause the table to be unable to get back to the game, leaving some annoyed that time was wasted.
I use safety tools for the two games I run for kids aged 9 to 14. People might say, "Why do you need safety tools for kids?!? You shouldn't be have that kind of stuff in your game if there are kids in it!" But you know what one of the biggest lines I have in one of the groups is? Zombies. One of the younger kids is really freaked out by zombies. That is his line, so, as DM, I know that while we can have zombies, their tokens (we play online) can't look like zombies. Another kids raised an X card because an NPC got hot sauce in his eyes. He really wasn't comfortable with that, so we retconned it. Safety tools cover anything that will make a player uncomfortable and no longer having fun. And this opinion is from an old school player - I survived THAC0, and lived to tell the tale. USE THE SAFETY TOOLS!
My kid is literally terrified of werewolves and zombies. He likes the goofy over the top monsters but anything that was once human but isn't anymore, that's a big nope from him.
@@ArtByKarenEHaley As Mr Beaver says in _The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:_ “[I]n general, take my advice, when you meet anything that is going to be Human and isn’t yet, or used to be Human once and isn’t now, or ought to be Human and isn’t, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet.”
As well as discussing things like lines & veils at a session zero, I think it's important to keep that conversation open and make sure players know they can come back with amended lines & veils if things change for them. For example, a party that has pets might usually be fine with those pets coming to harm, but this might change in the wake of someone's irl pet passing away. For long campaigns in particular, I think it's worth doing "top-up" sessions to review whether the ground rules set in session zero are still working for everyone-but this is a concept I don't really hear talked about.
We recently had another meta-talk after running for a year. Made sure our scheduling aligned more, backstories got incorporated more, and we agreed to get more dangerous foes in the future, due to relaxed how our storytelling usually went (and we wanted a bit more thrill). Now, there'll be a big boss battle in the future, and I can't wait to see my pacifist character pushed to his limits, hehe.
Absolutely, I should've made it more clear that when I saw you can have additional session zeroes at any time, it doesn't need to be a COMPLETE session zero - you can bring any single part of this process back to the table for an update or a refresher whenever makes sense for your group.
@@GinnyDi Agreed. I generally take 10 minutes once a month or so and dedicate that for player feedback time and make sure no one feels we've crossed any boundaries. Yesterday due to the holidays/winter it became more of an affirming conversation letting each other know we're here to help if anyone is having difficulties. I have a wonderful group.
I like to open with my lines as a GM, - what I definitely won’t include, - and ask if anyone has any others, or phobias. Extra important for horror games like Trail of Cthulhu. Also: X cards. And explain them.
City of Mist has a pretty good built in session 0. It asks the table what tone they want for the campaign and what kind of team are they, goes over character creation, and has something called "A day in the life" which acts as a kind of session 0.5 to establish things.
I'm a brand new D&D player, and just attended my first ever session zero yesterday. It's really helped make me feel more confident and prepared to start at the next session!
This all has really great advice, Ginny, including the advice about safety tools being for more than just trauma-based things. My fiancée has told she is genuinely creeped out by Mind Flayers. Naturally, she has not had a traumatic event in her past about being captured by aliens who tried to eat her brain, she just finds them really creepy and gets freaked out by them. So, I know when I DM games she plays in, I won’t be using Mind Flayers
Absolutely. I DM a game for a few work colleagues, and we've found that the most convenient place to meet and play is "in the office kitchen after hours". We have veils around any NSFW content, not because of trauma, but because we are literally playing in our workplace, where colleagues who are working late might wander in, and we want to keep things appropriate for the environment.
I generally tell players that if something could happen in a Stephen King novel or in Game of Thrones, it could well happen in my game. And King can get really, Really crazy in oh so many fun ways. That's my safety talk. The gloves are off and it's not going to be sanitary. Rhea of the Coos from the Dark Tower's Wizard and Glass leaps to mind. Randal Flag and and Pennywise aren't far behind. They can decide that it isn't the game for them. It's very simple.
Here's a fun Session 0 story. I recently joined a DnD group that was just beginning a DM's campaign that was intended to be a gothic horror "Curse of Strahd in Eberron" type campaign...but due to players leaving early, he decided to refresh it with the newer players and had a new session 0 to discuss the one-shot adventures leading up to the main campaign and mainly wanted us to figure out how our characters would have come together as a group. I suggested the idea of being pirates, and everybody got excited about that idea that essentially, we ended up retheming our upcoming adventure to be about Gentleman Pirates facing the supernatural in a very "Pirates of the Carribean" like way.
Gragnard here. I am extremely grateful for the younger players at my table that taught me about going over things that are allowed and not allowed in the game. When I was growing up we never did that, but now I do and it makes for such a more enjoyable experience.
As a new DM I brushed off the idea of a Session Zero, thinking I didn't need it because we weren't all that serious about D&D, and I immediately regretted it when I ended up with a group of Murder Hobos in a lighthearted RP adventure.
Share off-limit subjects with the whole table! I made the mistake of not sharing my players off-limit items with the group, thinking as DM I shouldn't out their concerns. A big mistake! Two of the players had expressed that child harm would be upsetting to them, and while I avoided that outcome in game, one of the other players made a tactical decision in a tricky boss fight that meant harming a child. That player, who has kids of his own so felt he knew pretty well where the line was on that subject, was then confused and upset with the intense reaction they got from the table for that decision. Everybody loses. I've since shared what subjects are off limits for our game, keeping the individuals who shared those limits anonymous, and there haven't been any similar incidents since.
In spite of myself I kept laughing at the banter between Ginny and The Books. "These are terrible. Did you just look up a bunch of book puns?" *crumples up paper and tosses it.* 🤣
The campaign I’m currently in has some mild horror elements, so the DM made a little form for Session Zero with checkboxes indicating how comfortable players would be with certain things (spiders, gore, hallucinations/dream sequences, etc.) The results set such a cohesive tone for the game that I now use the template for that form with the DM’s permission. (Also a fun little story: I’m running a game for some friends who are almost all new to D&D. At the end of our Session Zero, I invited them to introduce their characters thinking they’d simply say things like “firbolg fighter” etc. They were so excited to play that they introduced themselves in character and started some non-canon roleplay just for fun! I was so proud :D)
One of my go-tos for new players is a funeral for a character the party has in common. Give them a little prologue session with a likable NPC, then reveal next session that they're dead. Bonus points if you manage to get your players to like the NPC a ton, then get a villainous character to show up and talk badly or start something at the wake. Great way to set up a dynamic early, even for characters that haven't met each other!
When I started brainstorming for my new campaign, I actually went a little further and had a Session -1. This is where I outlined the rules of conduct (and accepted player feedback to revise said rules) and opened a poll to get ideas for game tone, areas of interest in the setting, what kinds of missions/quests people enjoy being tasked with, and what kinds of rewards people want to get. It's also where I worked with folks to brainstorm some of their backstory ideas and help them fit within the setting. Then at Session Zero, we went over boundaries, finalized character creation (I had asked them to pick one other party member to partner up with between Session -1 and Session 0), and settled on the low-level adventure I would run for them to get them up to Level 3 before sending them out into the world
About to start watching. Just wanted to submit my predictive summary: "try talking to each other" you'd think with so many high Cha characters that maybe at least one player would know how to use words and safety tools to avoid as much conflict as there is at table!
To be fair, interpersonal conflict is HARD, and sometimes communicating honestly (even with - or especially with! - your friends) can be really, really difficult. Most of us are socially trained to grit our teeth and survive discomfort rather than to request changes, and it can also be difficult to accept criticism on something that you're anxious or vulnerable about (like creative projects... like DMing, or creating a character!) While I know I say "just talk about it" a lot, and I stand by that, I also want to acknowledge that it's way easier to SAY than to DO. That's why I think session zero can be so immensely valuable: Because ideally you can address potential problems BEFORE they come up and become emotionally charged.
@@GinnyDi I don't disagree! Communication is much easier before things get tense, when you have a framework like session zero in which to address common issues. I love session zero for this reason as well as other reasons unrelated to this! But glib as it is, I do think "please talk to each other like the adults you are" is the single best (if not always easiest) trick to keep games humming along smoothly. ❤️
@@GinnyDiI wish YT had a way to pin this comment on a reply. I would think many people need to just hear it. (thank you for saying "out loud" the obvious that's not obvious)
Ginny, another GREAT video with PERFECT timing! Our campaign that we have been playing for 3 years (Curse of Strahd) is coming to an end within the next month and a half (end of January-ish, because Holidays, etc.), I am DEFINITELY going to send this video to my DM for his consideration before we start our new Campaign. Thx again, for putting out high quality, topical videos! You are the best!
I run games for folks with disabilities, and session zero is key to building positive group dynamics. Well done to Books for the groanabilty with their puns. Great video.
As someone who has had people in my life who weren't good at expressing boundaries until I had already crossed far over them, I absolutely LOVE when boundaries are clearly set and communicated upfront. Being able to trust that someone will let me know if I'm approaching a boundary means I don't have to tiptoe around anything that could ever possibly be a boundary in fear of hurting someone without realizing it (which has been my other defense mechanism, and let me tell you that is exhausting -- and it sometimes means I don't ask questions that someone WANTS me to ask, so they think I don't care). And as someone who has some very specific and unique triggers, I super appreciate highlighting that lines or challenge points don't have to be "typical" -- or even things that by themselves seem hurtful, but could be something that is associated with the hurtful memory. I don't expect people to predict that a particularly popular open mic song reminds me of my 4th grade teacher bullying me relentlessly for being a ten-year-old who experienced emotions, but if I tell them that I need this song to be skipped *right now* or I'm going to start crying and shaking, I *do* expect them to respect that.
I didn't really run my party's session 0 properly and ended up with drastically differing tone for each character and a member that straight up refused to join the party when the time came 😬 Always good to have a resource to fall back on for this kind of thing
Ugh big sympathies! Bc honestly like, refusing to join the party is honestly a player faux pas. Players have to find a way to make it make sense -- talk to the DM if they need to! I'm sorry you had to deal with that >.
Ah, talking to your players and communicating like grown-ups! Why are the simple things always so neglected? When I first started roleplaying with friends, we didn't yet have the language of "lines and veils", but we would roll up characters together and talk through what the game was going to be like, so we all knew what to expect. It didn't cover all of the same ground, but it was a good way to set expectations around theme and mood. More recently when I started running a dark fantasy game I made a deliberate point of doing an actual session zero, following the advice from one of Bob World Builder's videos. It was genuinely enlightening as a GM, not so much in terms of triggers and trauma, but just as a way of finding out what each player was actually wanting to get out of the game. From both sides, then - trigger situations and player goals - I would definitely recommend running a session zero, or introductory session, or whatever you want to call it.
That point about safety tools is so important. It's a shame some people get so defensive about it and can't just accept that they're super useful for making sure everyone has a fun, safe time. Great video, Ginny!
"It just needs what all of us needs. 2 triple A batteries and a little encouragement. " 🤣💀💀 You are a treasure Ginny Di! And your interaction with Books makes this so amazing.
Recently I replayed Dragon Age Origins and think it does offer a good example of what a session zero or one could look like. Each background has their own self contained story arc that leads into the main campaign. This is great as it introduces the player to the world without getting them involved in the main event right away. A player might have chosen to play druid but after that session they realize they don’t like playing that class. The DM could ether would with them so they understand the class better or they could just role up a new character.
Great video! I will stand by that Session 0 is mandatory for a good game. It doesn't need to be anything extravagant, it could be a group Zoom call or a text chat if that's more convenient. No matter what form it takes, it needs to happen. Something I need to start doing is writing down all my homebrew rules for session 0. I've been playing in a bubble for so long that I kind of forgot which rules I made up myself. In fact, writing down more material for session 0 is just something I need to do in general.
I very much appreciate this! I definitely fall into the third camp. Heck I wish videos like these were around when I first started D&D. We had no idea what the books were talking about half the time. We rolled a d20 to determine each of the players' stats, didn't understand spells so we made up our own, and the first combat encounter with a random man with a shovel nearly killed our Drow ranger in one hit as our opening to the campaign. It also didn't help that we all thought it'd be LotR right up until they approached a man in a hood in the starting tavern and opened with "Do you have any memes? Like pictures of cats?"
A lot of new players are coming into the game after watching streams like Critical Role or Dimension 20, so a Session Zero is also an excellent time to manage their expectations as to what the experience is like. Most DMs don't run games like Matt Mercer, and new players who expect that sort of experience can be disappointed if the game isn't like what they expect. The same thing can happen en regards to roleplay. The majority of players are there just to have fun, not put on a nuanced performance for the entertainment of an audience. So, a Session Zero can be a great time to let the players know that the game they'll be playing, probably won't be like the professional RPG shows they've streamed.
I always combine session 0 with character creation. Basically it's a time to establish what the world is and then I know what the characters are when planning session 1.... otherwise I could end up planning something everyone would suck at. If I am playing with new players I will set the "rating" of the campaign... basically outlining the level of violence and making it clear that I don't want any weird pervy stuff.
This is a beautiful video! I did a session zero for my first game, since my world was home brew I think it really helped my players understand the setting of the game. I wouldn't have had the comfort I had as a new DM without it. Also have to say every friend I've ever had vent to me about issues in their game has always said "no" when I ask if they've had a session zero. It's really one of the most helpful things, thank you for this great video on running one!
Hearing this is outlined in the Tasha's book, I grabbed my copy and found that section to learn about the sidekick option for running a game for one player. Such a great idea that I never thought about or heard of before!! Kinda wish I had a DM who could run a game for just me when having a monster be my buddy sounds like an idea that does not get enough respect/coverage. But I've had a Session Zero checklist in the past of things I thought were important (how much they want RP vs combat, level of gore they like, etc) but found watching this and reading in a book I didn't have back in my last campaign really help me feel ready for my next one that I hope will be starting soon. Am just doing starter sessions to help my newest best friend learn the game when they currently play Baldur's Gate 3 and the rules system in that game is almost identical and they have always wanted to play D&D but just never had a chance when they live in a country that nerds are most geeks who are into clubs versus gaming.
Thank you so much for making this video. If I had seen it 6 months ago, it would probably have prevented the end of my D&D campaign,the end of a friendship with close ones, and the nipping of my life partner's new love for RPG in the bud. After this trainwreck of a D&D game in August, this feels like some atonement and a new shot at making something better and more stable. I hope I can someday get back at DMing with my partner and do it right this time.
As gamemasters are rare and players aren't, at least where I live, I have the luxury to choose my preferred player type. When looking for players, I immediately state the gaming style, scheduling, what if someone is absent and so on. I get enough players that way, and they know how things are going to be, so that's not a part of our session zero. I must admit, I never heard the term session zero before, but with my newest group, we actually did that. We created the backgrounds of the characters together. To do this, I merged two mechanics and it was epic! One idea was adapted from a game called "Everway". It's an RPG from the 90's, when Wizards of the Coast didn't yet but TSR/d&d. Here, in your first meeting, what you call session zero, the players describe their character by showing specific fantasy illustrations and explaining and describing them to the others. The other mechanic is interactive. One player says something about their character, and the other players can respond to that, either by getting their own character involved with the described scene, or just as a deviation of the happenings. So I combined these, and it worked even better than I dared to assume. Result: quite a tight-knit group of characters. They all loved it!!! And they still do! Session zero? Big fan! I'm gonna use this every time now!!!
I usually never comment on any videos, but Ginny has been so extremely helpful towards my own complete homebrew campaign that I felt the need to! It's my first time attempting to create + run a game, and I was extremely nervous I'd fumble my first session 0. But thankfully, it went so well that we ended up from 2 players to 5! (Somehow convinced my mom and aunt to try playing for the first time.) If not by Ginny's guides, I wouldn't be anywhere near as knowledgeable as I am now. Sure I did have to create my own extremely simplifies system, but at least I'm trying! I'm not really sure how to end this comment, or why I really started it. But I just wanted to share my gratefulness and joy! I hope everyone is able to have a great campaign, regardless if you're a newbie like me, or if you're a veteran!
The pre-campaign connections can be a lot of other things too! What I did for my players, and what I asked the DM at another table, was to have everyone roll a d20. The idea is that you pick something from your backstory, be it good or bad, that the other character might have heard of. The highest roll tells their secret to the player with the 2nd highest roll, the 2nd player grabs something from their backstory and gives it to the 3rd highest roll, till the lowest rolled player which will give it to the highest roller to make it go full circle! Not sure if I explained this well enough, but I feel the concept is easy to implement and can help A LOT in establishing connections between characters right out of the gate. So instead of not trusting the Rogue for being a Rogue, you might feel different based on what they shared! Like maybe they wear the crest of a dead kingdom, and this makes you feel empathy for them instead. In the end I think it does not matter what is shared, as long as it gives reason for the characters to make an initial bond similar to what the Tasha rules try to establish! So get out there and find a way that you think is fun!
Thanks for making this video! I emailed you a while back to ask for insight about how to run a Session 0, and you gave me some great resources. Love your content!
Hands down, loved you explaining safety tools a bit more - more importantly that you are sticking to it, because people you are playing with matter! It might be worth a skit sometime, as if in actual session 0. I think it could work, with your original characters discussing it, because it seems like they would have hard and soft limits of a large variety. Not all filmed at once, obviously because that's insanity, but running some lines during other projects while you are already in cosplay seems like it'd be easier to shoot. Editing is still going to consume your soul though, I don't see a way around that - have a great weekend!
I recently ran a session 0 for my upcoming campaign and I included a question about "dm responsibilities" based off one of your videos, and it went so well!! All of my players wanted a hand in at least one aspect of running/creating a game like handling the music or making npcs :)
I like every once and awhile to have a one on one conversation with my players after a game to discuss background an what they think of the game, it keeps everyone one the same page.
It's mentioned, but often overlooked, that DMs need to have their needs met too. The game needs to be fun for the person running it as much as the players in it. A DM lovingly crafts a rich homebrew world with interesting NPCs, and all their players prefer just dungeon crawling, looting, and min-maxing without roleplay? That's totally fine for players to want that out of a game, but that particular DM will not have much fun and wouldn't be a good fit. DMs shouldn't feel like slaves to serve their players' desires no matter what. Hours and hours of prep for something you're not excited about? Everyone suffers in the long run.
This is such crucial advice. When my D&D game started, we were all entirely new to playing. We sort of had a session zero, but since none of us (including me as DM) had any prior experience, we weren't necessarily aware of all the things that should be discussed. As a result, a lot was left open, some of which did lead to some conflict at the table between players down the line (mostly concerning different views on what is considered respectful above-table behaviour). Now, our game is currently paused because I'm lacking the time to properly DM at the moment, but ngl, part of the reason I paused it is also because the constant low-key conflict between my players was stressing me out majorly, especially since they kept venting to me about it. If we ever take it back up, I'm definitely preparing a long-ass survey for my group on their expectations, needs and limits, and making them talk to each other about it. Game's only gonna be fun if everybody manages to get along.
I'd like to give you my unasked for advice. It's not the DM's job to resolve inter-player conflict. It's the job of the players involved. The only thing a DM needs to do is tell the concerned players they'll need to adult up and talk to each other, come to a compromise (nobody will get 100% what they want) - and move on.
@@TheK5K Thank you! I completely agree. I do believe it is my job though to a) clearly communicate my expectation that they need to sort it out somehow, and b) give everyone a chance to discuss their needs as a group so that hopefully we can all be a little more aware and considerate in the future. Seeing as the last and only time we've done that was over 2 years ago when none of us had any idea what we were getting into... ☺️
I love DnD, so I stay in touch with local clubs and stores for new groups that migh be starting new games because, good for me, I have more free time than my all-time group of friends and I like to play as well instead of only DMing for them. So I came across this group of people, the DM and 3 players that were looking for a fourth to start a new campaign. There was no session 0. So I brought to the table my old human male paladin, as generic as possible to stay cool with everyone new, but with the cool background I built around him over the years. Session 1 comes by and what I found was: -A guy running a female "custom" race which he didnt even know or cared to explain what background races were those, it was tiefling and something else. A warlock. -Another guy playing a female tiefling druid. -A girl playing a female half-orc barbarian. None of them gave any background or anything so straight up to the tavern we go. And from there, all was about sex. Players flirting around sometimes in character sometimes out of character, stating very vividly how their characters touch each other and stuff like that, sex jokes flying all around. An hour goes by and there I am waiting for something to happen. The DM seems cool about it and havent even given us an intro or an NPC besides the tavern keeper. Never made it to session 2.
Im glad she is an advocate for talking out personal limits. It helps to have good communication about what people are comfortable with. Like how some people dont like to interact with media or games where a dog dies. I recently ran a game where my players had to rescue many people who had been taken from their homes by a villain who has been kidnapping people for years. Imagine describing what such a prison would be like to a group of absolute strangers and not knowing how it will affect them. Luckily, i was with people i have known for a while, but i still told then "hey, this could get bad. Tell me if im going too far"
Advice from writing groups I've been in is discuss what's off limit but also what's on the table. Grief can be difficult for some but it might be a theme your team loves to explore, or perhaps nobodys been discussing sexuality because of assumptions but actually you'd all love to learn more about your characters and you all have fascinating ideas of romance subplots.
This is a great video. I really like the tips for the social contract portion. Here are some of the things I have always included in my Session Zero that hopefully help any DM's out there struggling: Context first My groups run our campaigns like TV shows. Each campaign is split into seasons which are about 10 to 15 sessions or Episodes at a time. Once we are take a break from that story and it goes into an "off-season" and either pull out one of our previous games that is in "off-season" or come up with a new one (decided in our "writers room" which is what we call our Session Zero). I only explain this context so that the specifics of our Session Zero go to's make sense. Stuff we always do 1 - We start by seeing if we need to update our safety tools (we have always called them limits but the same thing). This si sometimes done prior to the inperson session over chat so I have time to factor them into my number 2 but is a major step to make sure everyone is comfortable. 2 - We have a Pitch meeting section of the session zero where I as a GM pitch the kinds of stories I am interested in running. This way the players can have input on which ones they are interested in, themes they want to explore I have not thought of, and in general collaborate in the particular story they want to pick out of my pitches. I find it a great way to give players agency int he story by having them be a part of the world at creation. 3 - We always include charecter creation in session. This way people can huddle off in corners together if they want to have specific secrets between their characters, connection between characters, share secrets with me so I can incorporate them into the story , ask permission of me if something will be ok or fit, and share a copy of their sheet with me so I have it to make sure I can make them shine in the story while I am crafting the story. **side note for number three** I remember one player wanted to secretly be dying in our game and every time she used her abilities it killed her a little more. Her motivation for being on the adventure was to find a cure, and no players knew it. Since I did I was able to incorporate it into the story, build a death check system for her whenever she used her abilities with a secret roll), create scenarios that created powerful tension when she had to save the group, peek the other players curiosity when she was playing different than normal and not using her abilities (this player was known for going all out with her skills), and create an epic moment when everyone found out she was dying because she had to risk her life to save all of them with her abilities. 4 - That is it for Session Zero, but we also have a session 0.5 or what we call a Pilot session where we play what I am hoping to be the opening of the game to see if everyone is liking their characters, the story, and everything and give us a chance to make any changes before we commit to it. Hopefully this helps other DM's. Again AMAZING video.
I'm really grateful you brought up the point about sensitivities (hardline/softline) with context examples. While I tend to be sympathetic to people's life experiences IRL, in "game-mode" it's all fiction, so it's easy to explore possibilities or tragedies I'd never imagine bringing up out-of-game. A great, healthy reminder that just because *I* haven't experienced something doesn't mean *nobody* has.
I do not consent this abusive behavior towards our beloved Bookworm... She works hard! And she is prettier than that mean "Ginny"! She deserves more love! #FreeTheBookworm, #MeanGinny ... I wrote this comment, and I'm still processing how meta it is. Great video, Ginny! I'm always amazed by how you manage to identify the needs of the community so accurately. I'm part of that third group! That fact that you aim your videos so well is incredibly helpful! Did you pick Sharpshooter last session?... ... I'm gonna shut up now. Take care!
Aw, don't be so hard on Books. She's doing her best. I bet the next time you need a rules lawyer, you'll be PAGING her again. (Get it? Get it? Say you get it.) As always, great information in an accessible and entertaining format. "New Ginny Video Day" is my favorite day of the week.
I've probably seen most if not all of your videos at this point, but they're one of my favorite inspiration sources to replay in the background when working on my own dnd stuff for our sessions (I do my own character level-ups outside of our group, and use a lil character binder similar to what you've made, which takes time to add new pages/info to!), so thank you!
I have been DMing (and GMing) since 1985, and although I have never done an explicit "session zero," I long ago settled into the understanding that the key to a successful campaign is directly proportional to efforts made before the main game officially starts. There are a wide variety of things I do and have done before bringing a group together at the table, which may include some or all of these: - Share with any potential players the general concept and idea for my game - Get feedback on interest, and if they have any idea(s) for characters - Discuss scheduling plans out of the gate to ensure anybody interested could actually attend - I have put together 'primers' which tell a bit of story about the campaign setting and situation, setting the stage and backdrop for the game - I always explain my guidelines for character generation, what method to use, what races and classes are available, and what house rules or changes I will be using, before generating characters - I generally make clear that if a player has something outside my guidelines they want to use, bring it to me so we can discuss it (I know I can't always predict every possible scenario) - Recommend players think of at least two character ideas they would to play, to give options for party balance (though an all-paladin game might be fun, it might not fit the campaign) - Character backgrounds are created co-operatively with me in a one-on-one environment that allows the character to be integrated in the campaign arc in an organic way from the start - Sometimes actual role-playing will start one-on-one to set up the scenario that brings everyone together Work done with your players before the full party sessions starts pay huge dividends and lead to much longer lasting, enjoyable games.
Nice topic! It still might be a good thing to test certain boundaries, as long as everyone is on board. I used to hate the thought of a romantic subplot despite being a hopeless romantic myself. My bard is now embroiled in a love triangle between two women who could kill him quite easily if either had a mind to (Augury just might once she finds out he lost his soul in a card game to a devil). Any sex stuff is handled behind the scenes (and I prefer it that way). My wife wasn't on board with it at all at first, and now her priestess leaves most horny bards in the dust.
Sure, but I firmly believe that it is up to the person with the boundary to decide if they want to test that boundary - NOT to their DM or fellow players.
As a third type of person, this is indeed very helpful! Really appreciate it! You also highlight a big thing I feel the anti-session 0 folks miss. If most players want to play a game that includes things that may trigger someone for some reason (you want to tell as story about resisting slavery and oppression like Andor, or features racism and sexim like the Witcher, all of the messed up stuff in an A Song of Ice and Fire style story,) telling your players about it before hand can allow them to bow out from the start rather than them playing uncomfortably and leaving later on. Expectations aren't just "don't make me feel sad" the way they make them sound.
I've absolutely never played dnd before, nor has my party. Only the DM. We did a session 0, asking basic questions and learning how to make a character sheet. We also picked our campaign together (we're all friends but the DM is one's older sister. Also the session to get 3 characters sheets and other stuff together took 3 and a half hours, but it was so fun it felt like 30 minutes because we were able to communicate and we're all really excited (even the dm)
I'm deathly afraid of spiders and other creepy crawlies. Like, Kurapika level scared. I'd love to, when I get a chance to play, ask my DM to not use Giant Spiders and similar monsters. Safety tools are a thing that should exist in my humble opinion.
I not really done one but before we started I sent a info sheet and talk to each player before hand and I tell them before we start the first session but give the player as much freedom, but I like all the help and you give. Please keep doing them
Thank you for never backing down from your convictions about safety tools. I've been feeling pretty disheartened by D&D and other TTRPG communities lately, and I'm grateful that you take on the hard issues directly and in earnest.
Great Video! Particularly for younger and new players, after the game-session mechanics, people's availability, and ground rules are discussed, I've used this session as a character formulation tool (rather than try to explain what all the classes do..). Before anything is written down, there's more variability and it's more like a thought experiment. Without a character sheet and with minimal book-dealving, the session can more closely focus on the character's raw interest, attention to detail, and approach to problem solving. Of course, it may not go the way they want. They may go fishing, but that doesn't work out, so they may go another direction (e.g., falling in love with a mud-farmer). Chance, the GMs game concept, and the players expectations, can be blended to form a character acceptable to the player, good for your campaign, good for the party, and in alignment with however the die rolls go. The session represents the point their character goes from normal dweeb (e.g., on a camping trip) to a level 1 whateveritis. Issues like multi-class, ambidexterity, even their first feats - can be seen as special effects that are dressed out between the GM and player interaction in this session (heavy emphasis on GM or another party member figuring out the particulars since most new players will take some time getting used to all of the tables). Then any extras they want to make up or fill in, so long as it's consistent with the above is on them before session 1.
Nailed it on the boundaries advice. Boundaries are really important for me because I run a lot of public tables at cafes and stores so I don't know these people. Before every one-shot I give a brief synopsis and include genre, major themes, and an enemy list so players can look for another table or veto content discreetly with index cards before the session begins.
I’ve played D&D plenty of times in my life and not once have I had a session zero (because I didn’t know what one was until I started watching your videos and Crit Crab’s videos). I should start incorporating them more often into my games. Fleshing out those characters and getting everybody on the same page is not only a fun creative exercise, but it just might save the game for everyone involved. Thanks for the video, Ginny! You’re amazing! :)
For our campaigns, it's as follows -We use hero points and better crits in addition to quite some minor house rules -Everyone except the host (nearly always me and my brother) brings food. -Sessions will not simply be canceled for one player, it will be built in the story. -We only allow sourcebooks we physically own (Pretty much everything that isn't a campaign guide) -Character sheets stay at the hosts house in a binder with that players notes and other characters. -Safeguard tools are not necesarily needed, it's not that adult themed and the worst is maybe some creepy stuff, but I polled my players for that. That's about it.
Such an amazing, fun, and helpful video as always Ginny! I'm truly so thankful for all your hard work and experience in running TTRPGs. I'm a very new DM planning my first campaign with friends, and these videos are liquid gold. Thank you, keep it up!
Great video. And about the lines and veils - I think that’s something that can be discussed at any time because you never know what can trigger someone. They may not even be conscious of it. An old friend discovered he had issues involving drowning because a scene brought back memories he’d forgotten about someone in the Navy he knew going overboard. So we had that discussion when it came up and adjusted future things appropriately
9:52 This is such a key point. I'll be six years sober from alcohol this month, and I had a GM a year or two ago who was big on florid descriptions of drinks in taverns and stuff, which was, suffice it to say, frustrating for me. I eventually did say something, but I don't necessarily like revealing that this is a thing I've dealt with, and I suspect that to the people in the group that didn't already know, it hadn't at all occurred to them that these scenes could be uncomfortable for someone.
I used session zero many years ago and it has always been a great aide to facilitating fun. Kinda sad it took till Tasha's for the official word on "session 0"
This is super timely as I’m about to embark on a campaign in January with a bunch of new players! I’m very excited, and I am definitely having a session 0!
I'm gearing up to DM a Zelda themed campaign and will be having a session zero soon, this was very helpful and brought up points I hadn't thought to discuss with my players. Thank you!
I haven’t done a session zero but definitely want to next time I play. Definitely could have used one in the last game I played, where my character was out of step with the GMs ideas and although he knew and approved my backstory seemed to delight in pushing my characters buttons with NPCs and then being upset when I escalated based on that. Ultimately made a new character but the game was not the same after that and petered out shortly thereafter
This is SO helpful. I'm getting ready to GM for the first time (my friends usually do it, but asked if I wanted to try). We've all played together for a few years, but this is a new setting, so I didn't know how to broach some of these topics. Thank you!
I love that you are examples of styles of play are Terry Pratchett and George R.R.Martin. It’s a great contrast, but made better by the fact that both of those authors are/were also Dungeon Masters.
I have officially decided to run a D&D campaign! (Probably gonna start next year!) First time DM. Playing with one very experienced player (my boyfriend) 1 fresh player And 2 never played before players. All really good friends of mine I’m excited. I’m nervous. Coming back to revisit Ginny’s videos before diving in!
When I played years back, our session 0 was just character creation. I've been out of DnD for a long time and have been thinking of learning to DM because i miss gaming. Your videos are an incredible resource. Thank you 💜
One element you can add is small combat and feat rolls so everyone is familiar with how game mechanics are used and can be used. Anything from a group of mystery men attacking the new party, to a series of items found in the room being analyzed for game starting clues.
Just had a session zero last week. Looking forward to the new game. Still getting used to them but I'm I think session zeros are pretty great. They seem to always take twice as long as I think because my players and I just chat about their character ideas, and I answer any world/lore related questions they may have. Personally as a DM I like session zero because I like getting tid bits from them to build the world. I love having players create their home town/island sometimes even continent.
I'm actually planning my first session 0 for January, my first time DMing and none of my players have played before. Looking forward to a lot of character building and basic rule explaining, definitely going to take your tips into account
I'm starting my first campaign in about an hour. I hated the general "you meet in a tavern" thing so instead, I had my players split into 2 groups. One with 3 people, the other with 2. The second group are long lost siblings so a backstop was already started. The first group, however, I asked them to come up with a story of how they met. Then, I took each group separately onto a one shot which ended when the two groups meet. This gave me a way to see how each player plays together without worrying about tye entire group, and gives a unique start to the campaign.
This is so helpful!! Thank you! It's a great launching point-- like I am starting a campaign 2, and the players had some opinions about the end of the first campaign. I'm looking forward to having a better idea about their expectations (using some of these ideas) before launching into the next one. I love this!!
Get your own Critical Role Dice Guardians! www.diceguardians.com/?YT+Ad&Ginny+Di&YT+Ad&Ginny+Di #sponsored
Not sure if you already explained this, - Ill look to see if you did -
Im new to DnD and am trying to understand dice.
What each dice does and when to use it.
the fcg guardian is so cute oh my god 🥺
I absolutely love puns, and as someone who loves books and reading, I have a book bag for my local library that reads I have no shelf-control
I love how Ginny has gone from "the flow is probably better if I cut away to me reading aloud rather than do it in the same shot" to "Books is now a fully fledged character with her own motivations and personality!"
What alignment is books?
@@fireflam1682 She tries desperately to be helpful by, literally, refering to the rules. Lawful Good if there ever was one.
@@vincentwinqvist4023 I'd say lawful neutral, books doesn't care if it helps or hinders. rules are rules.
@@danielpower58she was threatening murder if Ginny didn't follow the rules. Definitely lawful evil.
That was always the plan
Something my group has is a "Focus Word". If the game devolves into jokes, cross chatter, or people being distracted by outside influences: Anyone seeing it can say the word, (e.g. "Rutabaga") and get the game back on track.
Nice move! This should have it's own video.
This is such a good idea, and something our table could definitely use 😅
Yeah, actually that's a good idea. That's one problem my brother had at another table years back, derailed because of non-dnd interruptions would cause the table to be unable to get back to the game, leaving some annoyed that time was wasted.
Ours is “pineapple.” It’s fun to say and we say it a lot. 😂
@@erc1971erc1971 A focus word is perhaps a bit less abrasive, but I like your style! 👍
I use safety tools for the two games I run for kids aged 9 to 14. People might say, "Why do you need safety tools for kids?!? You shouldn't be have that kind of stuff in your game if there are kids in it!" But you know what one of the biggest lines I have in one of the groups is? Zombies. One of the younger kids is really freaked out by zombies. That is his line, so, as DM, I know that while we can have zombies, their tokens (we play online) can't look like zombies. Another kids raised an X card because an NPC got hot sauce in his eyes. He really wasn't comfortable with that, so we retconned it. Safety tools cover anything that will make a player uncomfortable and no longer having fun. And this opinion is from an old school player - I survived THAC0, and lived to tell the tale. USE THE SAFETY TOOLS!
My kid is literally terrified of werewolves and zombies. He likes the goofy over the top monsters but anything that was once human but isn't anymore, that's a big nope from him.
@@ArtByKarenEHaley
As Mr Beaver says in _The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:_
“[I]n general, take my advice, when you meet anything that is going to be Human and isn’t yet, or used to be Human once and isn’t now, or ought to be Human and isn’t, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet.”
My wife gets spooked bad by undead. Pretty much fighting anything with a pulse is fair game.
As well as discussing things like lines & veils at a session zero, I think it's important to keep that conversation open and make sure players know they can come back with amended lines & veils if things change for them. For example, a party that has pets might usually be fine with those pets coming to harm, but this might change in the wake of someone's irl pet passing away. For long campaigns in particular, I think it's worth doing "top-up" sessions to review whether the ground rules set in session zero are still working for everyone-but this is a concept I don't really hear talked about.
We recently had another meta-talk after running for a year.
Made sure our scheduling aligned more, backstories got incorporated more, and we agreed to get more dangerous foes in the future, due to relaxed how our storytelling usually went (and we wanted a bit more thrill).
Now, there'll be a big boss battle in the future, and I can't wait to see my pacifist character pushed to his limits, hehe.
MUCH better to have a good session zero than the end up with zero sessions.
Absolutely, I should've made it more clear that when I saw you can have additional session zeroes at any time, it doesn't need to be a COMPLETE session zero - you can bring any single part of this process back to the table for an update or a refresher whenever makes sense for your group.
@@GinnyDi Agreed. I generally take 10 minutes once a month or so and dedicate that for player feedback time and make sure no one feels we've crossed any boundaries. Yesterday due to the holidays/winter it became more of an affirming conversation letting each other know we're here to help if anyone is having difficulties. I have a wonderful group.
I like to open with my lines as a GM, - what I definitely won’t include, - and ask if anyone has any others, or phobias. Extra important for horror games like Trail of Cthulhu. Also: X cards. And explain them.
City of Mist has a pretty good built in session 0. It asks the table what tone they want for the campaign and what kind of team are they, goes over character creation, and has something called "A day in the life" which acts as a kind of session 0.5 to establish things.
I'm a brand new D&D player, and just attended my first ever session zero yesterday. It's really helped make me feel more confident and prepared to start at the next session!
Wishing you the best.
This all has really great advice, Ginny, including the advice about safety tools being for more than just trauma-based things. My fiancée has told she is genuinely creeped out by Mind Flayers. Naturally, she has not had a traumatic event in her past about being captured by aliens who tried to eat her brain, she just finds them really creepy and gets freaked out by them. So, I know when I DM games she plays in, I won’t be using Mind Flayers
Unless you feel like sleeping on the couch that night
@@joshuadixon4090 or just don't be intentionally mean?
Absolutely. I DM a game for a few work colleagues, and we've found that the most convenient place to meet and play is "in the office kitchen after hours". We have veils around any NSFW content, not because of trauma, but because we are literally playing in our workplace, where colleagues who are working late might wander in, and we want to keep things appropriate for the environment.
I generally tell players that if something could happen in a Stephen King novel or in Game of Thrones, it could well happen in my game. And King can get really, Really crazy in oh so many fun ways. That's my safety talk. The gloves are off and it's not going to be sanitary. Rhea of the Coos from the Dark Tower's Wizard and Glass leaps to mind. Randal Flag and and Pennywise aren't far behind. They can decide that it isn't the game for them. It's very simple.
@@tiph3802Who wouldn't want to be intentionally mean? 🥺
Ginny, your nerdy friend's puns are delightful. Please tell her that if she's trying to make us laugh, she's on the _write_ track 🤓
I wholy agree with you, she shouldn't be judging that book by her cover!
Oh god that was very corny
Here's a fun Session 0 story. I recently joined a DnD group that was just beginning a DM's campaign that was intended to be a gothic horror "Curse of Strahd in Eberron" type campaign...but due to players leaving early, he decided to refresh it with the newer players and had a new session 0 to discuss the one-shot adventures leading up to the main campaign and mainly wanted us to figure out how our characters would have come together as a group. I suggested the idea of being pirates, and everybody got excited about that idea that essentially, we ended up retheming our upcoming adventure to be about Gentleman Pirates facing the supernatural in a very "Pirates of the Carribean" like way.
Gragnard here. I am extremely grateful for the younger players at my table that taught me about going over things that are allowed and not allowed in the game. When I was growing up we never did that, but now I do and it makes for such a more enjoyable experience.
As a new DM I brushed off the idea of a Session Zero, thinking I didn't need it because we weren't all that serious about D&D, and I immediately regretted it when I ended up with a group of Murder Hobos in a lighthearted RP adventure.
Share off-limit subjects with the whole table!
I made the mistake of not sharing my players off-limit items with the group, thinking as DM I shouldn't out their concerns. A big mistake! Two of the players had expressed that child harm would be upsetting to them, and while I avoided that outcome in game, one of the other players made a tactical decision in a tricky boss fight that meant harming a child. That player, who has kids of his own so felt he knew pretty well where the line was on that subject, was then confused and upset with the intense reaction they got from the table for that decision. Everybody loses. I've since shared what subjects are off limits for our game, keeping the individuals who shared those limits anonymous, and there haven't been any similar incidents since.
In spite of myself I kept laughing at the banter between Ginny and The Books.
"These are terrible. Did you just look up a bunch of book puns?"
*crumples up paper and tosses it.*
🤣
They sounded good on paper.
The puns were TEARable!
@@sullaford "Puns are like paper, they're tearable, make them stop they're unBEARable..."
If you know, you know ;)
The campaign I’m currently in has some mild horror elements, so the DM made a little form for Session Zero with checkboxes indicating how comfortable players would be with certain things (spiders, gore, hallucinations/dream sequences, etc.) The results set such a cohesive tone for the game that I now use the template for that form with the DM’s permission.
(Also a fun little story: I’m running a game for some friends who are almost all new to D&D. At the end of our Session Zero, I invited them to introduce their characters thinking they’d simply say things like “firbolg fighter” etc. They were so excited to play that they introduced themselves in character and started some non-canon roleplay just for fun! I was so proud :D)
That fun little story is the best!!
One of my go-tos for new players is a funeral for a character the party has in common. Give them a little prologue session with a likable NPC, then reveal next session that they're dead.
Bonus points if you manage to get your players to like the NPC a ton, then get a villainous character to show up and talk badly or start something at the wake. Great way to set up a dynamic early, even for characters that haven't met each other!
Oooh, definitely stealing this.
Ginny talking to 'Books' cracks me up cuz its just her giving herself a hard time
It's so funny to me when people comment stuff like "why are you so mean to Books???" as if it's not all just me 😂😂
@GinnyDi hahaha ikr?! You're just too good at roleplaying, I guess ppl forget what's really going on
and a good way to make it look like the jokes weren't really thought up by her :D
@@GinnyDi
Stop gaslighting us, Ginny. Books is real and she deserves better!
@@GinnyDi I love how you gave yourself a 'fall gal' to tell whatever puns you want, and have plausible deniability
When I started brainstorming for my new campaign, I actually went a little further and had a Session -1. This is where I outlined the rules of conduct (and accepted player feedback to revise said rules) and opened a poll to get ideas for game tone, areas of interest in the setting, what kinds of missions/quests people enjoy being tasked with, and what kinds of rewards people want to get. It's also where I worked with folks to brainstorm some of their backstory ideas and help them fit within the setting. Then at Session Zero, we went over boundaries, finalized character creation (I had asked them to pick one other party member to partner up with between Session -1 and Session 0), and settled on the low-level adventure I would run for them to get them up to Level 3 before sending them out into the world
About to start watching. Just wanted to submit my predictive summary: "try talking to each other" you'd think with so many high Cha characters that maybe at least one player would know how to use words and safety tools to avoid as much conflict as there is at table!
I was about to say this 😁
To be fair, interpersonal conflict is HARD, and sometimes communicating honestly (even with - or especially with! - your friends) can be really, really difficult. Most of us are socially trained to grit our teeth and survive discomfort rather than to request changes, and it can also be difficult to accept criticism on something that you're anxious or vulnerable about (like creative projects... like DMing, or creating a character!)
While I know I say "just talk about it" a lot, and I stand by that, I also want to acknowledge that it's way easier to SAY than to DO. That's why I think session zero can be so immensely valuable: Because ideally you can address potential problems BEFORE they come up and become emotionally charged.
@@GinnyDi I don't disagree! Communication is much easier before things get tense, when you have a framework like session zero in which to address common issues. I love session zero for this reason as well as other reasons unrelated to this! But glib as it is, I do think "please talk to each other like the adults you are" is the single best (if not always easiest) trick to keep games humming along smoothly. ❤️
@@GinnyDiI wish YT had a way to pin this comment on a reply. I would think many people need to just hear it.
(thank you for saying "out loud" the obvious that's not obvious)
Ginny, another GREAT video with PERFECT timing! Our campaign that we have been playing for 3 years (Curse of Strahd) is coming to an end within the next month and a half (end of January-ish, because Holidays, etc.), I am DEFINITELY going to send this video to my DM for his consideration before we start our new Campaign. Thx again, for putting out high quality, topical videos! You are the best!
I run games for folks with disabilities, and session zero is key to building positive group dynamics. Well done to Books for the groanabilty with their puns. Great video.
As someone who has had people in my life who weren't good at expressing boundaries until I had already crossed far over them, I absolutely LOVE when boundaries are clearly set and communicated upfront. Being able to trust that someone will let me know if I'm approaching a boundary means I don't have to tiptoe around anything that could ever possibly be a boundary in fear of hurting someone without realizing it (which has been my other defense mechanism, and let me tell you that is exhausting -- and it sometimes means I don't ask questions that someone WANTS me to ask, so they think I don't care).
And as someone who has some very specific and unique triggers, I super appreciate highlighting that lines or challenge points don't have to be "typical" -- or even things that by themselves seem hurtful, but could be something that is associated with the hurtful memory. I don't expect people to predict that a particularly popular open mic song reminds me of my 4th grade teacher bullying me relentlessly for being a ten-year-old who experienced emotions, but if I tell them that I need this song to be skipped *right now* or I'm going to start crying and shaking, I *do* expect them to respect that.
I didn't really run my party's session 0 properly and ended up with drastically differing tone for each character and a member that straight up refused to join the party when the time came 😬 Always good to have a resource to fall back on for this kind of thing
Session zero can be like trying to get 6 people to agree on "where would you like to eat".
Ugh big sympathies! Bc honestly like, refusing to join the party is honestly a player faux pas. Players have to find a way to make it make sense -- talk to the DM if they need to! I'm sorry you had to deal with that >.
Ah, talking to your players and communicating like grown-ups! Why are the simple things always so neglected?
When I first started roleplaying with friends, we didn't yet have the language of "lines and veils", but we would roll up characters together and talk through what the game was going to be like, so we all knew what to expect. It didn't cover all of the same ground, but it was a good way to set expectations around theme and mood.
More recently when I started running a dark fantasy game I made a deliberate point of doing an actual session zero, following the advice from one of Bob World Builder's videos. It was genuinely enlightening as a GM, not so much in terms of triggers and trauma, but just as a way of finding out what each player was actually wanting to get out of the game.
From both sides, then - trigger situations and player goals - I would definitely recommend running a session zero, or introductory session, or whatever you want to call it.
That point about safety tools is so important. It's a shame some people get so defensive about it and can't just accept that they're super useful for making sure everyone has a fun, safe time. Great video, Ginny!
"It just needs what all of us needs. 2 triple A batteries and a little encouragement. " 🤣💀💀
You are a treasure Ginny Di! And your interaction with Books makes this so amazing.
Recently I replayed Dragon Age Origins and think it does offer a good example of what a session zero or one could look like. Each background has their own self contained story arc that leads into the main campaign. This is great as it introduces the player to the world without getting them involved in the main event right away. A player might have chosen to play druid but after that session they realize they don’t like playing that class. The DM could ether would with them so they understand the class better or they could just role up a new character.
Great video! I will stand by that Session 0 is mandatory for a good game. It doesn't need to be anything extravagant, it could be a group Zoom call or a text chat if that's more convenient. No matter what form it takes, it needs to happen. Something I need to start doing is writing down all my homebrew rules for session 0. I've been playing in a bubble for so long that I kind of forgot which rules I made up myself.
In fact, writing down more material for session 0 is just something I need to do in general.
I would never run a game without a session 0 now. Using it for the first time was such a game changer
I very much appreciate this! I definitely fall into the third camp.
Heck I wish videos like these were around when I first started D&D. We had no idea what the books were talking about half the time.
We rolled a d20 to determine each of the players' stats, didn't understand spells so we made up our own, and the first combat encounter with a random man with a shovel nearly killed our Drow ranger in one hit as our opening to the campaign. It also didn't help that we all thought it'd be LotR right up until they approached a man in a hood in the starting tavern and opened with "Do you have any memes? Like pictures of cats?"
A lot of new players are coming into the game after watching streams like Critical Role or Dimension 20, so a Session Zero is also an excellent time to manage their expectations as to what the experience is like. Most DMs don't run games like Matt Mercer, and new players who expect that sort of experience can be disappointed if the game isn't like what they expect. The same thing can happen en regards to roleplay. The majority of players are there just to have fun, not put on a nuanced performance for the entertainment of an audience. So, a Session Zero can be a great time to let the players know that the game they'll be playing, probably won't be like the professional RPG shows they've streamed.
I always combine session 0 with character creation. Basically it's a time to establish what the world is and then I know what the characters are when planning session 1.... otherwise I could end up planning something everyone would suck at. If I am playing with new players I will set the "rating" of the campaign... basically outlining the level of violence and making it clear that I don't want any weird pervy stuff.
This is a beautiful video! I did a session zero for my first game, since my world was home brew I think it really helped my players understand the setting of the game. I wouldn't have had the comfort I had as a new DM without it. Also have to say every friend I've ever had vent to me about issues in their game has always said "no" when I ask if they've had a session zero. It's really one of the most helpful things, thank you for this great video on running one!
Hearing this is outlined in the Tasha's book, I grabbed my copy and found that section to learn about the sidekick option for running a game for one player. Such a great idea that I never thought about or heard of before!! Kinda wish I had a DM who could run a game for just me when having a monster be my buddy sounds like an idea that does not get enough respect/coverage.
But I've had a Session Zero checklist in the past of things I thought were important (how much they want RP vs combat, level of gore they like, etc) but found watching this and reading in a book I didn't have back in my last campaign really help me feel ready for my next one that I hope will be starting soon. Am just doing starter sessions to help my newest best friend learn the game when they currently play Baldur's Gate 3 and the rules system in that game is almost identical and they have always wanted to play D&D but just never had a chance when they live in a country that nerds are most geeks who are into clubs versus gaming.
Thank you so much for making this video. If I had seen it 6 months ago, it would probably have prevented the end of my D&D campaign,the end of a friendship with close ones, and the nipping of my life partner's new love for RPG in the bud.
After this trainwreck of a D&D game in August, this feels like some atonement and a new shot at making something better and more stable.
I hope I can someday get back at DMing with my partner and do it right this time.
As gamemasters are rare and players aren't, at least where I live, I have the luxury to choose my preferred player type.
When looking for players, I immediately state the gaming style, scheduling, what if someone is absent and so on.
I get enough players that way, and they know how things are going to be, so that's not a part of our session zero.
I must admit, I never heard the term session zero before, but with my newest group, we actually did that.
We created the backgrounds of the characters together.
To do this, I merged two mechanics and it was epic!
One idea was adapted from a game called "Everway". It's an RPG from the 90's, when Wizards of the Coast didn't yet but TSR/d&d.
Here, in your first meeting, what you call session zero, the players describe their character by showing specific fantasy illustrations and explaining and describing them to the others.
The other mechanic is interactive. One player says something about their character, and the other players can respond to that, either by getting their own character involved with the described scene, or just as a deviation of the happenings.
So I combined these, and it worked even better than I dared to assume.
Result: quite a tight-knit group of characters.
They all loved it!!! And they still do!
Session zero? Big fan! I'm gonna use this every time now!!!
The cosplay for the add break is genius considering it’s inspired by fresh cut grass who is from cr and who’s player makes the commercials in cr
I usually never comment on any videos, but Ginny has been so extremely helpful towards my own complete homebrew campaign that I felt the need to! It's my first time attempting to create + run a game, and I was extremely nervous I'd fumble my first session 0. But thankfully, it went so well that we ended up from 2 players to 5! (Somehow convinced my mom and aunt to try playing for the first time.)
If not by Ginny's guides, I wouldn't be anywhere near as knowledgeable as I am now. Sure I did have to create my own extremely simplifies system, but at least I'm trying!
I'm not really sure how to end this comment, or why I really started it. But I just wanted to share my gratefulness and joy! I hope everyone is able to have a great campaign, regardless if you're a newbie like me, or if you're a veteran!
The pre-campaign connections can be a lot of other things too!
What I did for my players, and what I asked the DM at another table, was to have everyone roll a d20. The idea is that you pick something from your backstory, be it good or bad, that the other character might have heard of. The highest roll tells their secret to the player with the 2nd highest roll, the 2nd player grabs something from their backstory and gives it to the 3rd highest roll, till the lowest rolled player which will give it to the highest roller to make it go full circle!
Not sure if I explained this well enough, but I feel the concept is easy to implement and can help A LOT in establishing connections between characters right out of the gate. So instead of not trusting the Rogue for being a Rogue, you might feel different based on what they shared! Like maybe they wear the crest of a dead kingdom, and this makes you feel empathy for them instead.
In the end I think it does not matter what is shared, as long as it gives reason for the characters to make an initial bond similar to what the Tasha rules try to establish! So get out there and find a way that you think is fun!
Thanks for making this video! I emailed you a while back to ask for insight about how to run a Session 0, and you gave me some great resources. Love your content!
Hands down, loved you explaining safety tools a bit more - more importantly that you are sticking to it, because people you are playing with matter!
It might be worth a skit sometime, as if in actual session 0. I think it could work, with your original characters discussing it, because it seems like they would have hard and soft limits of a large variety.
Not all filmed at once, obviously because that's insanity, but running some lines during other projects while you are already in cosplay seems like it'd be easier to shoot. Editing is still going to consume your soul though, I don't see a way around that - have a great weekend!
I recently ran a session 0 for my upcoming campaign and I included a question about "dm responsibilities" based off one of your videos, and it went so well!! All of my players wanted a hand in at least one aspect of running/creating a game like handling the music or making npcs :)
I like every once and awhile to have a one on one conversation with my players after a game to discuss background an what they think of the game, it keeps everyone one the same page.
It's mentioned, but often overlooked, that DMs need to have their needs met too. The game needs to be fun for the person running it as much as the players in it. A DM lovingly crafts a rich homebrew world with interesting NPCs, and all their players prefer just dungeon crawling, looting, and min-maxing without roleplay? That's totally fine for players to want that out of a game, but that particular DM will not have much fun and wouldn't be a good fit. DMs shouldn't feel like slaves to serve their players' desires no matter what. Hours and hours of prep for something you're not excited about? Everyone suffers in the long run.
This is such crucial advice. When my D&D game started, we were all entirely new to playing. We sort of had a session zero, but since none of us (including me as DM) had any prior experience, we weren't necessarily aware of all the things that should be discussed. As a result, a lot was left open, some of which did lead to some conflict at the table between players down the line (mostly concerning different views on what is considered respectful above-table behaviour). Now, our game is currently paused because I'm lacking the time to properly DM at the moment, but ngl, part of the reason I paused it is also because the constant low-key conflict between my players was stressing me out majorly, especially since they kept venting to me about it. If we ever take it back up, I'm definitely preparing a long-ass survey for my group on their expectations, needs and limits, and making them talk to each other about it. Game's only gonna be fun if everybody manages to get along.
I'd like to give you my unasked for advice. It's not the DM's job to resolve inter-player conflict. It's the job of the players involved. The only thing a DM needs to do is tell the concerned players they'll need to adult up and talk to each other, come to a compromise (nobody will get 100% what they want) - and move on.
@@TheK5K I'd say it varies. I was in one campaign where the GM kept fanning the flames of arguments, and it really annoyed me.
@@TheK5K Thank you! I completely agree. I do believe it is my job though to a) clearly communicate my expectation that they need to sort it out somehow, and b) give everyone a chance to discuss their needs as a group so that hopefully we can all be a little more aware and considerate in the future. Seeing as the last and only time we've done that was over 2 years ago when none of us had any idea what we were getting into... ☺️
6:50 You jest, but I have a pacemaker. I literally do need batteries and need to get them replaced. This joke came out of nowhere and killed me 😂
If Books appears to be threatening you, remember, you can take a page from her book and tell her to leaf.
I love DnD, so I stay in touch with local clubs and stores for new groups that migh be starting new games because, good for me, I have more free time than my all-time group of friends and I like to play as well instead of only DMing for them.
So I came across this group of people, the DM and 3 players that were looking for a fourth to start a new campaign. There was no session 0. So I brought to the table my old human male paladin, as generic as possible to stay cool with everyone new, but with the cool background I built around him over the years. Session 1 comes by and what I found was:
-A guy running a female "custom" race which he didnt even know or cared to explain what background races were those, it was tiefling and something else. A warlock.
-Another guy playing a female tiefling druid.
-A girl playing a female half-orc barbarian.
None of them gave any background or anything so straight up to the tavern we go. And from there, all was about sex. Players flirting around sometimes in character sometimes out of character, stating very vividly how their characters touch each other and stuff like that, sex jokes flying all around. An hour goes by and there I am waiting for something to happen. The DM seems cool about it and havent even given us an intro or an NPC besides the tavern keeper.
Never made it to session 2.
Im glad she is an advocate for talking out personal limits. It helps to have good communication about what people are comfortable with. Like how some people dont like to interact with media or games where a dog dies. I recently ran a game where my players had to rescue many people who had been taken from their homes by a villain who has been kidnapping people for years. Imagine describing what such a prison would be like to a group of absolute strangers and not knowing how it will affect them.
Luckily, i was with people i have known for a while, but i still told then "hey, this could get bad. Tell me if im going too far"
Advice from writing groups I've been in is discuss what's off limit but also what's on the table. Grief can be difficult for some but it might be a theme your team loves to explore, or perhaps nobodys been discussing sexuality because of assumptions but actually you'd all love to learn more about your characters and you all have fascinating ideas of romance subplots.
I swear Ginny can read my mind, always releasing videos painfully accurate to whatever I'm currently planning/thinking of for d&d.
I did a session zero for my game. It went really well and we were all on the same page, which was really nice
This is a great video. I really like the tips for the social contract portion. Here are some of the things I have always included in my Session Zero that hopefully help any DM's out there struggling:
Context first
My groups run our campaigns like TV shows. Each campaign is split into seasons which are about 10 to 15 sessions or Episodes at a time. Once we are take a break from that story and it goes into an "off-season" and either pull out one of our previous games that is in "off-season" or come up with a new one (decided in our "writers room" which is what we call our Session Zero). I only explain this context so that the specifics of our Session Zero go to's make sense.
Stuff we always do
1 - We start by seeing if we need to update our safety tools (we have always called them limits but the same thing). This si sometimes done prior to the inperson session over chat so I have time to factor them into my number 2 but is a major step to make sure everyone is comfortable.
2 - We have a Pitch meeting section of the session zero where I as a GM pitch the kinds of stories I am interested in running. This way the players can have input on which ones they are interested in, themes they want to explore I have not thought of, and in general collaborate in the particular story they want to pick out of my pitches. I find it a great way to give players agency int he story by having them be a part of the world at creation.
3 - We always include charecter creation in session. This way people can huddle off in corners together if they want to have specific secrets between their characters, connection between characters, share secrets with me so I can incorporate them into the story , ask permission of me if something will be ok or fit, and share a copy of their sheet with me so I have it to make sure I can make them shine in the story while I am crafting the story.
**side note for number three**
I remember one player wanted to secretly be dying in our game and every time she used her abilities it killed her a little more. Her motivation for being on the adventure was to find a cure, and no players knew it. Since I did I was able to incorporate it into the story, build a death check system for her whenever she used her abilities with a secret roll), create scenarios that created powerful tension when she had to save the group, peek the other players curiosity when she was playing different than normal and not using her abilities (this player was known for going all out with her skills), and create an epic moment when everyone found out she was dying because she had to risk her life to save all of them with her abilities.
4 - That is it for Session Zero, but we also have a session 0.5 or what we call a Pilot session where we play what I am hoping to be the opening of the game to see if everyone is liking their characters, the story, and everything and give us a chance to make any changes before we commit to it.
Hopefully this helps other DM's. Again AMAZING video.
I'm really grateful you brought up the point about sensitivities (hardline/softline) with context examples. While I tend to be sympathetic to people's life experiences IRL, in "game-mode" it's all fiction, so it's easy to explore possibilities or tragedies I'd never imagine bringing up out-of-game.
A great, healthy reminder that just because *I* haven't experienced something doesn't mean *nobody* has.
I do not consent this abusive behavior towards our beloved Bookworm... She works hard! And she is prettier than that mean "Ginny"! She deserves more love! #FreeTheBookworm, #MeanGinny
... I wrote this comment, and I'm still processing how meta it is.
Great video, Ginny! I'm always amazed by how you manage to identify the needs of the community so accurately. I'm part of that third group! That fact that you aim your videos so well is incredibly helpful! Did you pick Sharpshooter last session?...
... I'm gonna shut up now. Take care!
Aw, don't be so hard on Books. She's doing her best. I bet the next time you need a rules lawyer, you'll be PAGING her again. (Get it? Get it? Say you get it.)
As always, great information in an accessible and entertaining format. "New Ginny Video Day" is my favorite day of the week.
I've probably seen most if not all of your videos at this point, but they're one of my favorite inspiration sources to replay in the background when working on my own dnd stuff for our sessions (I do my own character level-ups outside of our group, and use a lil character binder similar to what you've made, which takes time to add new pages/info to!), so thank you!
I have been DMing (and GMing) since 1985, and although I have never done an explicit "session zero," I long ago settled into the understanding that the key to a successful campaign is directly proportional to efforts made before the main game officially starts. There are a wide variety of things I do and have done before bringing a group together at the table, which may include some or all of these:
- Share with any potential players the general concept and idea for my game
- Get feedback on interest, and if they have any idea(s) for characters
- Discuss scheduling plans out of the gate to ensure anybody interested could actually attend
- I have put together 'primers' which tell a bit of story about the campaign setting and situation, setting the stage and backdrop for the game
- I always explain my guidelines for character generation, what method to use, what races and classes are available, and what house rules or changes I will be using, before generating characters
- I generally make clear that if a player has something outside my guidelines they want to use, bring it to me so we can discuss it (I know I can't always predict every possible scenario)
- Recommend players think of at least two character ideas they would to play, to give options for party balance (though an all-paladin game might be fun, it might not fit the campaign)
- Character backgrounds are created co-operatively with me in a one-on-one environment that allows the character to be integrated in the campaign arc in an organic way from the start
- Sometimes actual role-playing will start one-on-one to set up the scenario that brings everyone together
Work done with your players before the full party sessions starts pay huge dividends and lead to much longer lasting, enjoyable games.
Nice topic! It still might be a good thing to test certain boundaries, as long as everyone is on board. I used to hate the thought of a romantic subplot despite being a hopeless romantic myself. My bard is now embroiled in a love triangle between two women who could kill him quite easily if either had a mind to (Augury just might once she finds out he lost his soul in a card game to a devil). Any sex stuff is handled behind the scenes (and I prefer it that way).
My wife wasn't on board with it at all at first, and now her priestess leaves most horny bards in the dust.
Sure, but I firmly believe that it is up to the person with the boundary to decide if they want to test that boundary - NOT to their DM or fellow players.
@@GinnyDi great point!
As a third type of person, this is indeed very helpful! Really appreciate it!
You also highlight a big thing I feel the anti-session 0 folks miss. If most players want to play a game that includes things that may trigger someone for some reason (you want to tell as story about resisting slavery and oppression like Andor, or features racism and sexim like the Witcher, all of the messed up stuff in an A Song of Ice and Fire style story,) telling your players about it before hand can allow them to bow out from the start rather than them playing uncomfortably and leaving later on. Expectations aren't just "don't make me feel sad" the way they make them sound.
Thanks!
I've absolutely never played dnd before, nor has my party. Only the DM. We did a session 0, asking basic questions and learning how to make a character sheet. We also picked our campaign together (we're all friends but the DM is one's older sister. Also the session to get 3 characters sheets and other stuff together took 3 and a half hours, but it was so fun it felt like 30 minutes because we were able to communicate and we're all really excited (even the dm)
7:17 I am so glad I wasn't taking a drink when you said this 🤣💀
I'm deathly afraid of spiders and other creepy crawlies. Like, Kurapika level scared. I'd love to, when I get a chance to play, ask my DM to not use Giant Spiders and similar monsters. Safety tools are a thing that should exist in my humble opinion.
I not really done one but before we started I sent a info sheet and talk to each player before hand and I tell them before we start the first session but give the player as much freedom, but I like all the help and you give. Please keep doing them
Thank you for never backing down from your convictions about safety tools. I've been feeling pretty disheartened by D&D and other TTRPG communities lately, and I'm grateful that you take on the hard issues directly and in earnest.
I just had a player DM conflict at my table a few days ago. this is perfect
Great Video!
Particularly for younger and new players, after the game-session mechanics, people's availability, and ground rules are discussed, I've used this session as a character formulation tool (rather than try to explain what all the classes do..). Before anything is written down, there's more variability and it's more like a thought experiment.
Without a character sheet and with minimal book-dealving, the session can more closely focus on the character's raw interest, attention to detail, and approach to problem solving.
Of course, it may not go the way they want. They may go fishing, but that doesn't work out, so they may go another direction (e.g., falling in love with a mud-farmer). Chance, the GMs game concept, and the players expectations, can be blended to form a character acceptable to the player, good for your campaign, good for the party, and in alignment with however the die rolls go. The session represents the point their character goes from normal dweeb (e.g., on a camping trip) to a level 1 whateveritis.
Issues like multi-class, ambidexterity, even their first feats - can be seen as special effects that are dressed out between the GM and player interaction in this session (heavy emphasis on GM or another party member figuring out the particulars since most new players will take some time getting used to all of the tables).
Then any extras they want to make up or fill in, so long as it's consistent with the above is on them before session 1.
Nailed it on the boundaries advice. Boundaries are really important for me because I run a lot of public tables at cafes and stores so I don't know these people. Before every one-shot I give a brief synopsis and include genre, major themes, and an enemy list so players can look for another table or veto content discreetly with index cards before the session begins.
I’ve played D&D plenty of times in my life and not once have I had a session zero (because I didn’t know what one was until I started watching your videos and Crit Crab’s videos). I should start incorporating them more often into my games. Fleshing out those characters and getting everybody on the same page is not only a fun creative exercise, but it just might save the game for everyone involved. Thanks for the video, Ginny! You’re amazing! :)
👍👍 great advice and insight, thank you!
Also, lovely to see The Book is growing a spine 😁
For our campaigns, it's as follows
-We use hero points and better crits in addition to quite some minor house rules
-Everyone except the host (nearly always me and my brother) brings food.
-Sessions will not simply be canceled for one player, it will be built in the story.
-We only allow sourcebooks we physically own (Pretty much everything that isn't a campaign guide)
-Character sheets stay at the hosts house in a binder with that players notes and other characters.
-Safeguard tools are not necesarily needed, it's not that adult themed and the worst is maybe some creepy stuff, but I polled my players for that.
That's about it.
Such an amazing, fun, and helpful video as always Ginny! I'm truly so thankful for all your hard work and experience in running TTRPGs. I'm a very new DM planning my first campaign with friends, and these videos are liquid gold. Thank you, keep it up!
Great video. And about the lines and veils - I think that’s something that can be discussed at any time because you never know what can trigger someone. They may not even be conscious of it. An old friend discovered he had issues involving drowning because a scene brought back memories he’d forgotten about someone in the Navy he knew going overboard. So we had that discussion when it came up and adjusted future things appropriately
9:52 This is such a key point. I'll be six years sober from alcohol this month, and I had a GM a year or two ago who was big on florid descriptions of drinks in taverns and stuff, which was, suffice it to say, frustrating for me. I eventually did say something, but I don't necessarily like revealing that this is a thing I've dealt with, and I suspect that to the people in the group that didn't already know, it hadn't at all occurred to them that these scenes could be uncomfortable for someone.
I used session zero many years ago and it has always been a great aide to facilitating fun.
Kinda sad it took till Tasha's for the official word on "session 0"
You and DM lair have been my DM academy, and this video is why I am so much more confident doing!
This is super timely as I’m about to embark on a campaign in January with a bunch of new players! I’m very excited, and I am definitely having a session 0!
I'm gearing up to DM a Zelda themed campaign and will be having a session zero soon, this was very helpful and brought up points I hadn't thought to discuss with my players. Thank you!
I haven’t done a session zero but definitely want to next time I play. Definitely could have used one in the last game I played, where my character was out of step with the GMs ideas and although he knew and approved my backstory seemed to delight in pushing my characters buttons with NPCs and then being upset when I escalated based on that. Ultimately made a new character but the game was not the same after that and petered out shortly thereafter
This is SO helpful. I'm getting ready to GM for the first time (my friends usually do it, but asked if I wanted to try). We've all played together for a few years, but this is a new setting, so I didn't know how to broach some of these topics. Thank you!
Thanks Ginny. This might just be the best all-around video I've "checked out" on when, why, what, and how to run a session zero.
I love that you are examples of styles of play are Terry Pratchett and George R.R.Martin. It’s a great contrast, but made better by the fact that both of those authors are/were also Dungeon Masters.
Books deserves to be a recurring character in all of Ginny Di's videos.
Loved how the video was structured. This dialogue style cracked me up! :D I think the puns where funny too.
I actually LIKED Miss Books' puns! XD
Love Books, hope she and her SO Tome have happy holidays.😋
Thank you! I'm new to being a DM/GM so this will help!
I have officially decided to run a D&D campaign! (Probably gonna start next year!)
First time DM.
Playing with one very experienced player (my boyfriend)
1 fresh player
And 2 never played before players.
All really good friends of mine
I’m excited. I’m nervous.
Coming back to revisit Ginny’s videos before diving in!
When I played years back, our session 0 was just character creation. I've been out of DnD for a long time and have been thinking of learning to DM because i miss gaming. Your videos are an incredible resource. Thank you 💜
Total third group here. Would love a session zero, and would love to be part of a long-enough game for that to matter, but so far no luck.
"All booked up" invoked a snort laugh from me.
One element you can add is small combat and feat rolls so everyone is familiar with how game mechanics are used and can be used. Anything from a group of mystery men attacking the new party, to a series of items found in the room being analyzed for game starting clues.
Please keep bringing back books, she’s my favourite character
Just had a session zero last week. Looking forward to the new game. Still getting used to them but I'm I think session zeros are pretty great. They seem to always take twice as long as I think because my players and I just chat about their character ideas, and I answer any world/lore related questions they may have. Personally as a DM I like session zero because I like getting tid bits from them to build the world. I love having players create their home town/island sometimes even continent.
I'm actually planning my first session 0 for January, my first time DMing and none of my players have played before. Looking forward to a lot of character building and basic rule explaining, definitely going to take your tips into account
glad to see your FCG costume again. part of me fears a day when CR ask you back but this time they ask you to dress sam up as pinup FCG
I love Safety Rules and how you addressed them!
I'm starting my first campaign in about an hour. I hated the general "you meet in a tavern" thing so instead, I had my players split into 2 groups. One with 3 people, the other with 2. The second group are long lost siblings so a backstop was already started. The first group, however, I asked them to come up with a story of how they met. Then, I took each group separately onto a one shot which ended when the two groups meet. This gave me a way to see how each player plays together without worrying about tye entire group, and gives a unique start to the campaign.
Puns and Dad Jokes are the highest form of comedy!
This is so helpful!! Thank you! It's a great launching point-- like I am starting a campaign 2, and the players had some opinions about the end of the first campaign. I'm looking forward to having a better idea about their expectations (using some of these ideas) before launching into the next one. I love this!!