ZEITGEIST [Zeitgeist] Session Zero Questions?

[Shimrath]

Hello there,

I wanted to thank all of those currently posting about their Zeitgeist campaigns, and ask for some input. Several of the threads pointed toward a Session Zero where the players answer questions about their characters. I was able to find the original list of questions that inspired all of this, and listed them below, but was curious to hear what other questions DMs might have included specifically for a ZG campaign.

ORIGINAL QUESTIONS:

How long has the group been together?
Who in the group do you trust the most?
Who in the group do you trust the least?
What is the scariest situation you've ever been in?
Describe the situation when you had to save "INSERT OTHER CHARACTER HERE".
What secret do you keep that no other player knows?
Who is the leader of the group?
TO LEADER OF GROUP: Why do you *not* want to lead the group?
What's the one thing you're really good at that has nothing to do with your adventuring career?
What are you most ashamed of?
Do you lean toward any particular faith?
Why is "INSERT OTHER PLAYER HERE" in need of redemption?
What is your main goal?
What was the last encounter your group was involved in and how did it change your outlook on the group?


I was planning on adding the following:

With which of the major faiths/philosophies do you most strongly identify? (Which, now that i've listed the originals, isn't really an addition!)
Were you born in Risur, or did you come from elsewhere?

And these were suggested by other users:

How did you get in to the Royal Homeland Constabulary? (Credit to Siberys.)
What did you do during the last Yerasol War? (Siberys)
Describe a contact in Flint? (Siberys)
As a constable in the RHC, you are granted great leeway in the manner in which you perform your duties. What boundaries do impose on yourself? Does the end always justify the means, or are your actions tempered by some greater sense of morality? (d20KC)
What are your attitudes toward technology? (d20KC)
What are your attitudes toward magic? (d20KC)


All ideas welcome! I will add them to the list as they arrive.

-Shimrath.

 

[Siberys]

I ran a Session Zero last night, actually. My last game fell apart, so I'm trying again.

Anyways, Colmarr was the one who first suggested this WRT Zeitgeist. The original blog post he referenced is here.

I formalized the 'describe your character' portion with questions about how the PC got into the RHC, what they did during the war, and who their contacts were. Then I did the party-building bit. This is all before any stats have been put to paper - I want the stats to reflect the character, not the opposite, so last night's session was all 'write character backstories together', basically. We're doing statting and the opening scene of the adventure next week.

 

[d2OKC]

I did a pretty straight-up Adventure 0 where they had to do an investigation, instead of the question method used by some others. I'm glad I did, because it better prepared them for the beginning stuff in Dying Skyseer, but I kind of wish I had done both methods. Although my players are having a good time, I'm having trouble connecting their characters with the world and the storyline.

I think your question about the faiths/philosophies is a good one.

Maybe also something about whether their character believes the ends justify the means, and why? There are several times where they may have to compromise what is "right" to do what is best for Risur.

Maybe also something about their views of magic. Three of my five players are arcane characters, so magic has come up a lot in our game. This might be different in a group with all martial characters, or more primal characters or whatever, but we've had several discussions about the nature of magic in this world, and why it is even necessary with the tech that is present.

 

[Shimrath]

Maybe also something about whether their character believes the ends justify the means, and why? There are several times where they may have to compromise what is "right" to do what is best for Risur.

Maybe also something about their views of magic. . .we've had several discussions about the nature of magic in this world, and why it is even necessary with the tech that is present.

d20KC,

I like these ideas, since they really dig a bit deeper in to personal philosophy (and alignment). How exactly would you phrase each question?

-Shimrath.

 

[d2OKC]

For the first one, I'd ask "As a member of the RHC, do you believe that the ends justify the means? Will you do anything you can for the greater good, or is it more important to always do the right thing, even if the immediate results are bad for Risur and it's people?" Not very succinct, sorry.

I like this one, because it really gives them the impression that their job is important, and that their decisions will make a difference on the world they are playing in. And, it let's you know what kind of group you'll be working with. You know a paladin isn't going to agree that the ends justify the means, but what if that paladin is teamed up with an assassin? Gives them a bit of intra-party conflict right off the bat (just, you know, don't let that become the main focus of their relationship, just a part of it).

For the second, maybe something like "Would you rather use magic or technology to perform everyday tasks? What do you believe is the role of magic in a world that is becoming more and more technologically advanced? What is the role of technology in a world that has such strong magical traditions?"

Obviously, technology is a pretty important part of the world they are about to play in, and magic and tech do not always have to be opposed to each other. However, from the very beginning of the campaign, on the Coaltongue, they'll have a chance to either reinforce their opinion of tech or have to rethink it.

I really wish I had thought to make these themes more prevalent from the beginning of the campaign. I'm already thinking about running this with my other set of players, when I have the time to do so, and I'll have to do more of this stuff beforehand for that one.

Hope those help!