While I work on Part 2 of Session 3, here’s a little thing I made for all you beginner Game Masters out there! This was originally supposed to be a top tips for beginner game masters, when I started talking about Session 0, it took over the whole post, which makes sense. It’s a very important topic that deserves a post of its own.

Introduction

I know, I know. You are excited to delve into dungeons and fight yourself some monsters with your party. However, there are a lot of things that need to be done before you start your game. Your players need characters, expectations need to be established, and boundaries need to be set. That is what a Session 0 is for. Why do a Session 0, though? Why is it so important?

What is Session 0?

A Session 0 is where you gather your group together and you, as the DM, explain the game you are running. You get the chance to introduce your world and give your players an idea of what to expect. Rules questions will come up during play, it happens. Even I find myself double checking the rulebook from time to time, but Session 0 is the time to explain the basic mechanics of your system, or, if you are all familiar with the system, address any questions or even give a refresher to those who need it if it’s been a while.

Session 0 and Expectations

Another reason why Session 0 is so important is because every table is different. Even if you’ve been playing with the same group for years, people’s tastes and behaviors might have changed over time. During Session 0, it’s important for expectations to be communicated between the GM and the Players. Players need to know what to expect from you, and you need to know what to expect from the players.

Players will need to know the tone of the game, any homebrew rules you have in place, and how the world operates on a basic level. On the other hand, you will need to know what your players want out of the game, what their schedules look like, and what they do or do not want to see, which brings me to my next point.

Session 0 and Establishing Boundaries

In Game

The biggest reason why a Session 0 is so important is it gives the table a chance to establish boundaries. There may be topics that you or your players are not comfortable with. It’s important that everyone knows what these topics are so that they are avoided entirely or handled with care/warning. The last thing you want is for someone at the table to become upset or uncomfortable.

In my experience, the best way to go about this is to use an RPG Consent Checklist. You can find them all over the internet. Once you find one that works best for you, give them to your players to fill out. Usually, these checklists use a color system. Red means avoid, yellow means handle with care or provide warning before the session, and green means it’s fine. Once you get the forms back, make a list of red topics and yellow topics and communicate them to the player. That way, they know what to avoid and what to handle with care.

Out of Game

You might also establish some house rules, especially if you’re playing, well, in your own home. Or, if you’re using someone else’s, ask the homeowner to set those boundaries. Finally, be sure to communicate any rules regarding play. For example, if you or a player are sensitive to loud noises, you might want to ask your table to keep the volume down. Or, you could ask your group to stay off of their phones unless it’s important or to keep the off-topic conversations to a minimum. These rules and boundaries will help ensure that the game is enjoyable for everyone.

A big thing, especially for adults, is alcohol. You might allow it within reason or you might ban it all together. Whatever you decide, you and your players’ safety needs to come first in that regard. Be sure to come up with a plan to ensure everyone gets home safely.

Session 0 and Logistics Galore

Scheduling

We all have lives outside of our Tabletop Games and those lives can be chaotic at times. You might have already established a schedule for your game, but always double check and make sure that the set time works for everyone with the understanding that one day, it might not. Life happens. People might have to miss a session or even step away from the game for a bit, and that’s okay. The question is, what happens to their character in the meantime? If the player is going to be out for a session, would anyone be comfortable taking over? Or perhaps they are off doing their own thing during that session. Heck, they can even be in another dimension! We do that in one of my games, due to my character’s inexplicable ability to teleport themselves or others into other dimensions during random times.

If your player has to take a leave of absence, find a way to temporarily write them out of the story. (Don’t kill the character though, not unless the player requests it.) Having this backup plan in place will help ensure that your players can comfortably miss a session or take a break without worrying if they will be able to return to the table after.

Food and Drink

Another important thing, particularly for in-person games, is food and drink. You’ll more than likely have your sessions in the evenings and they can last for hours. Food and drinks are nine times out of ten an absolute must. Session 0 is a good time to make sure you know what everyone’s dietary restrictions are, as well as figure out how refreshments will work. Will everyone bring a dish? Are you going to take turns ordering food? Is someone willing to cook? Who will bring drinks? This is all very important. No one wants to play while hungry or thirsty.

One final thing logistics-wise is communication. At this point, you likely already have a way to contact your players, but if you don’t, now is the time to set up a group chat, be it via text, Discord, WhatsApp, or whatever you prefer. You will need to be able to communicate with your group in order to keep things running smoothly. For example, if something comes up and you need to cancel, it’s easier to send a single message in a group chat than to try and reach out to everyone in your group one at a time.

Session 0 is Perfect for Character Creation

Now for the fun part: character creation! Session 0 is the perfect time for your players to make their characters because it allows them to be able to ask you questions, bounce ideas around the table, and ensure that the party meshes together in the way everyone would like. Everyone is readily available, so take advantage of that! Not to mention making characters as a group is a lot more fun than doing it solo.

Now, character creation does take a while and your players might not have a solid idea yet, and that’s okay. It’s important that your players have a character that is combat-ready, meaning their name, species, class, ability scores, skills, saves, and inventory are all ready to go. The backstory is important, but it doesn’t absolutely have to be done during Session 0 if the player can’t think of anything. If it helps, I have a house rule where players can make changes to their characters up until the first roll of the game. If you have a player who is struggling, help them out, but also give them wiggle room to decide later if they need to sleep on it.

Conclusion

It is very important that everyone in a TTRPG game is on the same page. Bad cohesion can kill a table quickly if it’s not addressed. By having a session 0, you’re establishing expectations and boundaries and addressing potential issues before they can become a problem. It’s a lot easier to take care of this during a session 0 rather than have something bring the game down later on. It may not be the most entertaining thing in the world, but it does make sure that you and your players are able to better collaborate and most importantly, have fun! I really hope that these five tips will help you whenever you want to start your own game.

Did you like these tips? Do you have anything to add? Like and comment below, and be sure to subscribe for more guides and the next part of Archipelago Adventures (Find Session 3 Part 1 here!), which should be coming out within the next few days! Be sure to check out my Tumblr or Instagram for updates!

Happy Gaming!