Session Zero Questionnaire

[GMMichael]

Starting a new game (like me)? Use this list to find out what your players really want. If you don't see an important aspect, add it. That's how wiki threads work!

Note that much of what follows would in fact occur before getting together for the actual Session 0, where you roll up characters and the DM gives you the background info, houserules, etc. Perhaps think of this as "everything up to and including Session 0".

• What game or system are we playing? What edition? What if anything is allowed beyond the game's core rules (i.e. expansions, splat books, etc.)?
• Are players expected to own or have independent access to the player-side rulebooks?
• Setting time
• Setting place
• Technology level
• Magic level
• Action level
• Drama level
• Campaign meta-considerations:
• - - Sandbox/railroad ratio
• - - Intended duration of campaign (open-ended forever, open-ended limited duration, a single adventure path, a one-shot?)
• - - Number of PCs per player - are you allowed to play more than one at a time? And-or, are you allowed to cycle through a stable of PCs?
• - - Number of players (directly ties into number of PCs - if there's only 2 or 3 players then running multiple PCs each might make more sense)
• - - Player turnover and how it will be addressed (if Joe and Mary move away does the campaign end there or do we find new players and keep going?)
• Awkward themes (horror, romance, mortality)
• Miniatures/accessories required - and who provides them (e.g. are players expected to provide minis for their PCs?)
• Session logistics (duration, meals, breaks...)
• Phone usage (I guess it has come to this)
• Missing sessions, also whether guest players are allowed/encouraged
• Metagame roles (chronicler, wrangler, treasurer, mapper)
• In-character / out-of-character expectations (includes joke tolerance)
• Metagame tolerance (can players use knowledge their PCs don't or can't have, and to what extent?)
• Treasury division method (this one can be left for an in-character discussion among the PCs but laying out some options now can save serious headaches later)
• ???

 

[Riley37]

Whether sessions include eating together
Whether sessions include breaks
Use of phones or other devices
Relative roles of host and of DM
Appropriate ways to raise concerns

Sandbox-to-Railroad Ratio
Who sets the pace of the session
Consequences for misbehavior: to character, or to player?

 

[ccs]

What (system) do we want to play?
Who' going to host it?
What day/evening & what time?
Length of sessions?
Do we want to invite anyone else?
Are there any specific miniatures/terrain pieces/etc that we know we'll want for this game?

 

[Lanefan]

I won't edit this into the OP without permission but I'd actually phrase this as "Pre-Session-Zero Questionnaire", as just about all of this needs to be at least vaguely nailed down before the real Session 0 (char-gen, setting and houserule outline, etc.) can occur.

 

[GMMichael]

I won't edit this into the OP without permission but I'd actually phrase this as "Pre-Session-Zero Questionnaire", as just about all of this needs to be at least vaguely nailed down before the real Session 0 (char-gen, setting and houserule outline, etc.) can occur.

Permission granted. I was just thinking that several of ccs's concerns were pre-session-zero, like what the game is, and where/when it will be played. I'd call that, maybe, the Announcement phase: "hey potential players, I want to play Zweihaender on Saturdays at midnight. My place. Who's interested?" Then everything between that and the first game is session zero.

 

[The Monster]

Starting PC experience level?
Expected advancement rate?

 

[Chad Hooper]

Multiple GMs with an Alpha, traditional single GM, or full-on Troupe style play?

Maybe more pertinent in an Ars Magica group than with other games but I have at times past allowed a player to run a one-shot in my world. I enjoy my role as DM (or I wouldn't have started back up after 15 year hiatus!) but a break on the other side of the screen is nice occasionally.

 

[Lanefan]

Permission granted.

Thanks, and done.

I was just thinking that several of ccs's concerns were pre-session-zero, like what the game is, and where/when it will be played. I'd call that, maybe, the Announcement phase: "hey potential players, I want to play Zweihaender on Saturdays at midnight. My place. Who's interested?" Then everything between that and the first game is session zero.

I also added a small boatload of things to the list, some of which had already been hit by other posters but not yet put in the main list.

 

[Wulffolk]

Who cares what the players want??? They are here as the DM's play-things, food for our egos and subjects to talk down to while we lord our immense power over them.

Session Zero = sit down, shut up, and listen to my hours of exposition.

NOTE: The above statement is the opinion of just one of the many voices in my head and should be interpreted with a very sarcastic tone. ;-)

 

[KenNYC]

Phone usage (I guess it has come to this)

Cell phones are the bane of D&D They have no place anywhere near a table but in 2018 it is impossible to get people to leave their phones alone. I am just old I guess, because I have no idea why people are desperate to read what their friends had for dinner or what they think of politics when there are actual breathing human beings sitting right beside them wanting to play D&D if only they would put the freaking phone down.