5 Tips to Having the Best Session Zero - Great PC

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

0:24 - Find your Player Character 2:35 - Try the Opposite 5:39 - Help Other Players 7:33 - Focus on Party 10:09 - Talk to Players

[@trollartist6664]

Thanks to you I was able to actually manage a session 0 for a 5 player campaign (my first campaign that ill be running as a DM). It took about an hour and a half or 2 to get everything done but afterwards everyone was so excited to play the campaign i had pitched with the characters we helped each other create that we had an unexpected session .5 as we are calling it. The session between a session zero and session one. A prologue you could call it and I improvised almost the whole thing. Created a few npcs while they created characters and they were really interested in them too and honestly you were the biggest influence on how things got done. I spent like 2 weeks watching your "how to" videos on playing as a GM and when to do certain things and not do othet things and your videos have been a really great help so thank you for what you do and keep it up.

[@wuzzy41123]

I did a much different type of "session 0" for the campaign I am running. I pitched the idea of the campaign to my players, telling them that their characters signed up for a guild that just opened up in the small village that they resided in, which they were happy with. I gave them a few prerequisites that needed to be in their backstory/character. The first being a reason why they joined the guild, a reason for teaming up with other people and a personality that isn't going to be overly antagonistic to the rest of the party. Even though there are 8 PC's, all of them had different motivations for joining the guild, some more different than others, and surprisingly none of which were wanderlust. I sat down one-on-one with each player as they pitched their character. Together, we would flesh out the backstory to help it fit better within the world, and so I could take their ideas and weave them into the world and narrative. My main job was to ask them "what was the motivation behind your character's actions?" and "how did that affect your character and/or the people around them?". This really helped flesh out the character's backstory, personality, motivations, goals, faith, and points of view on the world around them. Doing this, I found that all of the Player Characters ended up being very different from each other. The campaign was a long time in the making (we weren't in a hurry because we had another campaign going at the time). So over the course of about a year, I spent a good 20 hours with each player discussing their backstories. Between all 8 players, there are about 12 pages worth of fairly well-detailed backstories. Our 7th session is this upcoming Monday, and I am really excited to see where the players go with their characters.

[@JakeofallTrades3]

Reading the comments from your last few videos and watching this one, I can tell right away that you have been listening to your audience and making sure that they are happy. I for one immediately noticed the classic-style thumbnail, and had to check out this video! Excellent content (as always) and thank you for your dedication! I look forward to your next Game Master video!

[@nickwilliams8302]

I'd say one thing - for a GM - that's essential to a Session Zero is getting player buy-in for any element of the campaign that restricts their characters' choices. For example, if you are going to run Tomb of Annihilation, you need to make sure that the players are cool with the idea that they're going to be travelling to the jungles of Chult to stop a sinister curse. If the PCs all need to be working for the same organisation, you need to make sure they're cool with that. If you're running a homebrew campaign of intrigue set in one city, you better make sure the players don't want to explore the entire world. The advice to players that comes out of this is to decide if you're actually cool with this, to negotiate with the GM if you aren't and _don't lie._ Don't tell the GM in Session Zero that the pitched campaign sounds great, then start trying to derail it as soon as play starts. If your DM has bought ToA, then "Do you want to play D&D?" _means_ "Do you want to play ToA?"

[@williamoswald6623]

True. I'd also say it's valuable to talk about players expectations for their characters abilities. Especially if they're new to 5e spell mechanics.

[@nickwilliams8302]

@@williamoswald6623 Definitely, start with what the player wants, then show them how the system can make that happen. For total newbs, I tend to approach this issue by asking, "What do you want your character to actually _do?"_ rather than trying to explain the entire PHB. The class summaries on p.45 of the PHB are good for this. Go from general ideas (magic or mundane; ranged or melee, etc.) to specific choices.

[@johnharrison2086]

I am running TOA soon with some variations. Once players get on the boat to Chult that is the buy in. No turning back. I will make this very clear at the start. It should be fun.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Great video, Guy! Only thing I could add is "Talk to your GM"... AND for more than "asking for arbitration". Sure, it's assumed that you've interacted with the GM even just getting invited to the game or showing up with a PC-sheet... BUT too many Players seem to avoid discussions directly with the GM as if he's some "big-boss" rank over the whole table, ONLY to expect him to "magically" have the greatest and most epic ideas for a story based on their characters. GM's are still Players... They're work is like a Lynchpin, but they're certainly NOT psychic or mind-readers. Talking to the GM can generate ideas for him/her to tweak the campaign with subplots, hooks, and interactions that can draw the party closer together, help build the dynamic, and generate awesome RP moments as the "regular plot" progresses. Just thought it worth the mention... Other than that, you seem to have everything covered. ;o)

[@captainmanx5615]

"I'm a deaf and dumb human fighter with a GREAT BIG FRICKING SWORD!! Hmm? No, I don't know what a murderhobo is." The Five Things that usually happen: 1. Wait an hour for Steve to show. 2. Wait 20 minutes for Steve to find his character sheet (in his car.) 3. Decide what to put on the pizza that Carol's not "allergic" to. 4. Argue over who paid last. 5. Play scrabble, because Bob forgot his campaign notes.

[@larsdahl5528]

And... Lemme guess... Bob is most likely to become the GM... Ok... You can keep your SWORD.... And... Then the Astrogator, the Xenoarchaeologist and the Planetologist each get a stun pistol.

[@LightingInvoker]

We also have a guy who always comes to session without his character completed. He's also a guy we don't always ask to join our games.

[@MrRourk]

Bust out Maze Rats and have a new game going in 10 minutes.

[@ahoy1014]

I often enjoy writing little pieces of flash fiction in different situations, be it unique or mundane, to finalise how my character would act in general. For example, in one D&D campaign I have this very bureaucratic law enforcer who does things very by the books, so I wrote a small tidbit with him encountering a violent Ogre in a town, while he was on a mission for his kingdom. He tried to inform the Ogre about the fact the giant was harming others and attempted to tell him he would be arrested. It wasn't until the Ogre knocked the manacles out of my character's hands that he finally decided to engage the opponent with magic to restrain him. Another piece was simply him walking into a tavern and ordering a drink. It can really help to know how your character acts in niche situations to inspire you to act in other scenarios.

[@nickwilliams8302]

It can be useful for you personally to have these "snapshots", but keep things simple as far an info you hand to the GM and other players. Three punchy paragraphs will stick in their heads much better than a novella.

[@jamesbates9038]

I like to write letters and a character journal in my characters voice. It helps me get into their head as well as take notes on important things that have happened since the beginning of the campaign and how they feel about these things. It helps me keep in mind where the character is and where they are going arc wise.

[@GoldSabre]

I'm still absolutely loving your new graphic design. Well done!

[@TheOnlyToblin]

I've never had a session zero either as a player or as a GM. That kinda ... is bad. I really should do that more. I'm gonna go watch your video on how to do a Session Zero as a GM. Welp. You don't have one. MAKE ONE!

[@nickwilliams8302]

Try this: theangrygm.com/session-zero-part-zero/

[@natmorse-noland9133]

It's hard for me to break my Session Zeroes into five discrete bits, but here are some things that usually happen: 1. Decide my character's motivation; why are they there in the first place? 2. Determine what pre-existing relationships my character has with the other party members, if any. 3. Sketch out the basics of what sort of inter-character dynamic we want or expect. (E.g., "Oh, my character doesn't like necromancers due to his backstory, so he's not going to trust your character at all." "That's cool! My necromancer is trying to keep all her activities above-board, so maybe she can earn your character's trust over time.") 4. Inform the GM of any development goals I have for the character in this campaign, so they can plan accordingly. (E.g., "My character starts the campaign with a very antagonistic relationship with this deity, but I'd like that to change over time, and maybe she'll eventually cross-class into cleric for that deity.") 5. Snacks.

[@williamoswald6623]

My top five things I do: 1) make a good character 2) make a character I like 3) make a powerful character 4) regret not thinking of Guy's top five 5) want to play a new character

[@HLR4th]

Great topic and video. When starting my current campaign, I did a session zero email to prospective group, explaining the setting, playable classes, and the peculiarities of my setting. I asked for character concepts/ ideas. The email generated some responses, but little in the way of solid/actionable concepts/ideas. I kept writing / preparing. Next, I reached out to a specific person, learning their character concept, taking their backstory and building around it/off of it. Since the world/setting was new, this was helpful, rather than bothersome. I then ran a brief session zero (more a session -1) for that player, to introduce them to the setting. I then reached out to two other players, and repeated the above, adding to the parts of the world/culture they inhabited, and crafting interesting backstories for both (no backstories were forthcoming from them). I ran more involved session zero's (-1) for both for them separately. The first session (session zero / 1) was when all three of these characters, were brought together in a "hot start". They all learned about each other and about the world during the session. We played with this group of three for 2-3 sessions, then repeated the above with a 4th character, and then a 5th. The 4th character started in the same way, with an elaborate session zero to get used to his character. The 5th character had time/schedule constraints, was more "brought in" by another player. I wasn't really pleased, but rather than be a controlling "No D!

[@littleblueclovers]

Also, there’s nothing stopping you from making a gradual change in an aspect of your character to one you prefer. Off the top of my head I think of Critical Role and how Nott had a British accent early on and Caleb’s German accent was a lot more subtle. That’s for a show that’s being recorded for thousands of people. If you’re gradual about it I’m sure you can make a smooth transition. Alternatively you could tell your party and I don’t see why they wouldn’t let you show up with some changes.

[@narcissusfullofhimselfsius5768]

this came out at a fantastic time. Not this Saturday but the following one is going to be a session zero for my group. I took notes.

[@SeanicalMan]

So one interacting with other players: I kind of have a problem with that with my party (and to a large extent, one player in particular). I joined the group when everyone was level 5, and they started at level 1. Now, being new, I wanted to know who I was traveling with, so over the course of a few sessions, I spoke to each of them and got to know them a bit better. Except one. One of the players wanted to hide things from me, but that’s fine, we just met. Now, we are a level 12, went on multiple adventures, and still I’m denied interactions with this player. Not even just about what this person was before an adventurer, any attempt I make to reach out is rewarded with a barbed response. I legit don’t know how to handle it. Expanding a bit more to the rest of my party, they don’t know much about me. While I don’t volunteer the info, absolutely no attempts have been made to reach out to me or get to know me, even when I was getting to know them. Should I try to get them to be more interactive, and if so, how can I do it?

[@Mehrtelb]

How about talking with the actual players outside of the game? You can also ask your Gm for help but without more context that is all I can say. Do you know these people IRL? Are these people your friends? Mostly talking about it should solve your problem though. (Or atleast understand why this is happening)

[@SeanicalMan]

I haven’t really come out and straight-up said I want interactions between one another (I feel like that would be forcing it), but I have brought it up multiple times out of game that no one seems to care to interact (not really with just me either, but with each other as well). To be fair, they don’t seem to want that, and while I do (kind of) want this, even more than that I want them to want to interact with one another. They are friends, and we still have funwhile playing, but it sometimes at times feels (to me) that things are two-dimensional.

[@nickwilliams8302]

@@SeanicalMan It really seems as if you want a kind of fun out of the game that the other players just don't have time for.

[@samanthacousland870]

Sounds like they aren't roleplayers, or very big ones. Are they hack and slashers? Cause that would be why, to them this is another video game.

[@cruelpulse]

@@SeanicalMan DM should ask about and then insert backstory related items/locations/NPCs into the game in various ways. Small things, like a player has a family heirloom stolen, their former teacher is now a begger on the streets, their grandfather has passed away and left an interesting (and useful) piece of land. The players are forced to give themselves depth through how they react to these situations presented by the world itself - instead of you.

[@CatHasOpinions734]

Our session zero is generally a bit of a mix, where the GM will have one on one interactions with people to understand their character and roleplay that character getting to the meeting point, and while that's happening the rest of us will either finalize our character sheets or help others finalize their character sheets. Once a few of us are in the same spot we'll start interacting in-character, and by the end of the play session we'll usually have a bit of plot-hook and/or have met a significant NPC or two.

[@DelphineTheWorstBladeEver]

My session zero is starting next weekend and I couldn't be more excited

[@NorthWoodsAmbient]

This is perfect I'm having a session zero tonight to start a West Marches style game using Into the Odd. Figured the rules lite system and setting is perfect for west marches

[@johnvorn3552]

Thanks Guy! Perfect timing for new campaign start :D

[@melaniewood3114]

"I ain't gettin' on no plane, fool!" (passes out after mickey-enhanced drink takes effect) Thanks for the suggestions, and the trip down nostalgia lane! I love it when a plan comes together!! 😀😀

[@silkwesir1444]

Your concept of a "Session Zero" seems to be totally different from what I encountered before.

[@larsdahl5528]

Yes, "Session Zero" is usually considered to be BEFORE character creation. This video is more about character creation.

[@cloak5857]

I disagree that Session 0 should be before anyone has made characters. The creation process can be tedious and boring, get that at least 85% out of the way before Session 0. Leave enough wiggle room to tweak your build to fit the party but you should already have a good idea what you're going to play.

[@jamesbates9038]

What my most recent group did was we introduced ourselves to each other over discord through posting and talking in general about the game. We all made characters over the next week. Then we had an informal voice session with the gm were we discussed out general character types and some general backstory stuff. Gm supplied feedback and suggestions. Most of us rewrote our backstory and added more details to tie us into the world/party. Next session is going to be S0 where we learn about the homebrew world, and tie our characters together through a short arc that will be linear and on rails a bit. I'm assuming we will be given some starting plot hooks. Then after that DM has said he plans for a PC character focused game sandbox with a overarching story including some of our backstory characters or happenings. Probably the best group I've ever come across.

[@hannesverstreken4403]

So far i've only had one "sessions zero" It wasn't really a session, more like some agreements on what the world would look like. We had a new player also join in later on, so that was a bit of the session zero we had. He actually tried really hard to interact with all of us. So i kind of accepted the character quite quickly (even though he doesn't trust people easily) Apart from that, i think session zero should be about, 1)what world are you going to start in. (western, middle ages, peaceful world, a world at war,...) 2)where do your characters come from? a great backstory is alright, but he needs to fit into the world. I made an avenger who (thought he) lost his whole village and seeks revenge. So the gm pretty much had to wipe a village from the map. (he was ok with it though ;) ) 3)How do the players meet. Is it in prison, is it just by coincidence (much like our current game) 4)Get to know other players. Not only story wise, but also stats and spells. We can run 4 fighters, but maybe a healer or a mage would mix up better. 5)Something goes terribly wrong at the start Lets say bad combat start or you nearly die. Actually thank the pc/player. It makes for a great start of the journey, because you have a strong bond to start with. You can play it out in betrayal, lifelong friendship or a dramatic end because someone died.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Oh I would consider you suggestions a session -1. Those questions I take as a given in terms of taking place before the session 0! It's so cool how we all have different approaches!

[@damienpeters6004]

Typically I enjoy writing out a number of improvisational exercises with my players. Firstly, I teach them about stream of consciousness, because without fail, whether they wrote a paragraph or a novel, someone is going to ask something about they're character that they do not immediately know. By improv exercises work similarly to this; In character, players two through four are sitting around a campfire talking about their previous encounter. In 30 seconds, player one will arrive, to inform the other players that someone has stolen their special wine, and they suspect it was one of them. Anything that allows the characters to think on their feet tends to yield great results further down the line.

[@flammebeauregard8358]

You asked what would be our 5 tips : 1. Asking the GM : before the session zero, i would ask the GM if there a type of character he needs or what would fit best his world or what would fit the rest of the party. 2. Asking the other players : at the session 0, or even before, i would ask they other players what they want to play and what are they expecting from my characters or from the interactions between our characters. 3. Feedback from GM : After the session, asking the GM about what he thinks of the character. 4. Feedback from players : After the session, ask the others about the game and the interactions between the characters 5. A private session zero : alone with the GM. Max 1 hour. Do a mini adventure or play the setting just before we meet the others PC. just to get the hang of our character and take feedback from the GM. That way right at the first session your characters have already interacted with NPC and you already have an idea of how to play your character.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Option 5 would be amazing, but is it practical? I've only achieved this once!

[@flammebeauregard8358]

@@HowtobeaGreatGM Well, with my usual pool of players, it's not an issue at all. But maybe I'm lucky, and it's not practical in most case ? I don't know. But my players usually ask for background deeply intertwined with the main story, or they want to play shiny new concepts. They know I'll ask some time investment in return. I also feel I need to make a private session zero with a player I haven't played with yet. Sometimes, a private session is right before the first game, I ask one of the players to come early if they couldn't find some time before. Or, first session, I take every player apart 1 by 1, like 15 to 20 minutes, each. While we are playing, the others are catching up , or they introduce themselves, so the wait is not a problem. I hope you find this answer useful.

[@fhuber7507]

if you already have one campaign going with the same players and its headed toward close, you have opportunity to do the in depth prep. Getting a new group organized for their first campaign together... maybe do a "Lets play a short session with throw-aways, then build up our characters for the main campaign setting." We want to get some playing in to see if the group can even mesh. See a little of what the DM is like and how he wants his world to work. As a PC, I like to guide the party toward running off on one of the tangents when offered. "Oh a butterfly, lets ride bikes. No, skateboards. Was that a pet shop? Lets hire a bard." Hint to DMs: Don't offer a choice that you aren't ready for the players to take.

[@johnharrison2086]

Tips one and two are for inexperienced or indecisive players. Good players have this done before session zero. I have never experienced a table where every character is the same and someone needed to change their character. The important thing is why are the characters adventuring together. Once you have that sorted the rest should run smoothly.

[@timd4524]

40 years in and I've never had a session 0. Players create starting characters and things develope from session 1. Backgrounds start out light and get worked on more thru the first few sessions. Most of my players already got these ideas in their heads anyway. New players learn as we play and none of them have ever run away yet.

[@taka92123]

Most of my Campains beginn as a oneshot and they want more. To my Problem becose i think barly more than one or two session ahead. Thanks Guy for your work.

[@LightingInvoker]

I can't say we've ever really had a session zero before... We usually all discuss our characters beforehand in the character building phase of the game and we all have a pretty good idea how the character will behave based on the person playing them. One will be a borderline murder hobo and will antagonize a lot of people, one will appear harmless and the weakest of the group but is actually the most powerful, one will be near the forefront but sit back when things start happening and be a crutch of the group, one will be completely useless unless he deems us worthy of his interaction, one will be enthusiastic about everything and helpful, and the last will be engaging, enthusiastic, most ready to get into things.

[@sinistertrench1724]

My session 0 looks a bit different. My players and I choose the system on it and create characters. We start the campaign at the next session. I do this because I create scenarios under the characters of players. An important thing is that GM should try to help players turn they idea into character they want to play.

[@seanreynolds3033]

Love your thoughts on how to better yourself as a DM thanks for sharing

[@FHBStudio]

YAY COUNTING FROM 0! Finally someone who *gets* it!

[@garynicolson5192]

Buildings have a ground floor (0) database indexes start from 0 many examples of starting from 0 that people can relate to

[@eddiespeight8103]

Have you done a video on multiclassing in D&D? How to roleplay them, which combos allow for the most interesting PCs etc?

[@larsdahl5528]

I doubt that can be made. As it is highly dependent at the setting. For my own case: I once played a Rogue type character, and somewhat in (I think it was around Level 7) we learn that the world have some (unique to that world) special magic, and we uncover a hidden stat of our characters: How attuned our characters are to it. My character turn out to be in almost perfect harmony with it, thus making multi-classing with a magic user class interesting! And it is dependent at the player. Usually Fighter classes are lacking when it come to the interesting aspect, and thus seems best to always leave out. But! I have seen a player play such and, by embracing that the character was so lacking, managed to make a fantastically interesting character!

[@eddiespeight8103]

@@larsdahl5528 I only ask because we were requested to make level two characters for the beginning of a second campaign and so I have created Gunther, the Half-Orc Monk-Barbarian. I reckon this can lead to some decent roleplaying opportunities but I'm not sure how well the classes will mesh from a mechanical standpoint. Flurry of Blows + Barbarian Rage could be pretty insane though...

[@nickwilliams8302]

@@eddiespeight8103 Some features of a Monk/Barbarian don't mesh well at all. For starters, you're doubling up on Unarmored Defense (you can only benefit from one instance of this ability). For another, the Monk emphasises DEX and WIS while the Barbarian emphasises STR and CON. Monk allows you to attack in melee with your DEX, while Barbarian Rage increases the damage of your STR-based attacks. I _personally_ wouldn't play this combo unless I'd rolled for stats like a _beast._ There are some interesting synergies though. You've already pointed to Rage+Flurry of Blows for offense, but have you considered the utterly awesome potential of Rage+Patient Defense for a tank build?* Go Totem of the Bear for resistance against all damage and you've got someone who's hard to hit in the first place and can take pretty much any hit that lands. As for alternative combinations, it really depends upon which class you're more attached to. Have a look at Barbarian/Fighter to keep that contrast between wild fury and disciplined training. Or have a look at Monk/Paladin if playing Iron Fist sounds like fun.** If you really want to combine Monk with something wilderness-flavoured, consider Monk(Kensei)/Ranger. * Two things with that, though. Your DM might rule that Patient Defense can't be used while Raging. If they do allow it though, you _need_ to take the Sentinel. Tanking is more than just the ability to take hits; you also need to keep foes targeting _you_ rather than your squishier allies. ** If adding Rage to Flurry of Blows sounded good to you, you'll love the barrelful of pure hurt that Divine Smite can bring to your Monk's chain-punching.

[@marclittau]

I like your hair, Guy, it looks great! Very suave :P

[@vanhovemare]

Tip 5: I really like the room for player adversity too. If my character has certain belief systems and someone else has others, why is that a problem? We did a Fate campaign in Iraq fighting demons and I played a very religious muslim woman warrior type in a demon busting party sent out by the Vatican. When I saw how a militia attacked a village and my party refused to intervene to rescue these people, my character broke the ranks and ran to intervene on her own. For me this was a great space for roleplaying, even if it broke the more uninvolved tactical view of the party and the NPC's. She has a fiery character, nothing wrong with that! Your thoughts?

[@MuffinDill]

Hey Guy, will there be review of the fifth episode of Kharos Stones or you scrapped the idea? These videos were really cool

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Yes on my twitch stream today at 6PDt. twitch.tv/greatgm

[@geoffreyperrin4347]

I'm almost always the DM, so i've thought a lot about session zeroes but from the DM's side. Not much I can say about doing it as a player

[@larsdahl5528]

Technically it should be possible to do a Session Zero where the last decision become: Who are going to be the GM?

[@geoffreyperrin4347]

@@larsdahl5528 it's possible, but I think it's probably pretty rare unless everyone is new to the game and no one has offered to DM before that

[@jesternario]

This video reminds me of the time I had players require an entrance fee to a town. This fee was a duty that people traveling to the town so as to ensure that they have some sort of coin flow back into the town and was 2 cp (some might feel that was unfair, and in a way it was, but it a part of the city's politics and, hey, it was only 2 copper). The players needed to get in to get the starting quest for the campaign. One player flat out refused to pay a measly 2 copper coins to enter the city, stating that as a druid he wouldn't be going into the town and wouldn't need to pay for anything since he could live off the land, but he assured that the instant the bad guys I was planning attacked the town, he would jump in to save the day. Now let me just state that living off the land without paying a single bit of coin for anything is kind of ridiculous. You have to pay for at least raw metal to make arrowheads and weaponry, and preservatives such as salt and the like. It is ridiculously difficult to find such things in the wild in enough quantities to sustain yourself without a great deal of difficulty. I understand that you could potentially find metal ore some how, but without the ability to smelt it, which requires a forge, how are you going to use the ore? In short, his druid would be a stone-age character in a medieval setting that was beginning to reach the renaissance. So what did I do? Well, the quest was from the king who would want the players to go to some place far off for research and tomb raider style exploration. The players would be given a large purse to outfit themselves (100 gp per person, well over 300% of that 2 measly copper the druid player balked at) and then would be delivered by royal carriage and armed escort to the location so they wouldn't have to waste any of their resources. So, since he didn't join in with the rest of the party, and since no one attacked the city, the druid did nothing but sit in a grove in his stone age lifestyle for the rest of the adventure. He didn't get to receive the quest, he didn't interact with anyone, and, because the carriage was covered and surrounded by guards that would stop him and potentially attack him, he couldn't join with the party after the fact (and sense he specified that he didn't know anyone else despite me saying everyone knew each other, he couldn't go "hey I know these guys.") All because the player refused to pay a simple 2 COPPER COINS so he could be part of the group.

[@DarthSironos]

Glad I don't have you as gm. Not allowing the player to rejoin the party because of your extremely railroady carriage to the quest bs? Punishing a player so insanely ridiculously hard for roleplaying his character? That is just bad gm'ing.

[@jesternario]

​@@DarthSironos Let me ask you a question. This player had been a bad player throughout the game, purposefully trying to be the center of attention and refusing to join in the game beforehand. They had boasted beforehand that they had purposefully broken other GM's adventures for shits and giggles and made every intent that they were planning on breaking the game and ruining the fun for other players for shits and giggles. The way he was acting was actually pissing off the other players too. Would you honestly try to keep this player around? Because I should've just asked the guy to leave, the way he was acting, before the game even started. Instead I tried to be nice and reform his playstyle through, as you put it, railroady carriage to the quest bs. In the end, I did have to ask him to leave, and the other players cheered when he did.

[@deltaloraine]

@@jesternario You probably should have put that info in your first comment, because without knowing he wanted to break your game it seemed like you were the asshole 🤣

[@jesternario]

@@deltaloraine Yeah, probably.

[@ghrahimsama7658]

Wow that video started very fast xD

[@brycedavis2637]

Awesome sauce

[@MrRourk]

You need to do a solo game of Ironsworn the best system for solo rpg.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Awesome! I shall look into it!

[@theasianguy9812]

Thanks my session zero is literally in a few days

[@verdurite]

This is eerily conveniently timed

[@KubinWielki]

Good video! And for me - very needed. Not because I struggle with my PCs, but because I'm soon(ish) to be a first-time DM, running a game for 3 players, each and every one of them a total and complete newbie in DnD and roleplaying in general. Seems like a recipe for a disaster, eh? :D Initially it's meant to be a oneshot, just to see whetner or not the players even "click" with the whole tabletop RPG thing, and if yes, then it'd transition into a campaign. Any tips for that? All much appreciated...

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Consider (since "they're all complete and total newbies") that YOU have the chance in this "one shot" to construct and mold their experience with a tone for the entirety of D&D... and their "play-styles" will pretty much reflect that... It comes down to encouraging the style of game you WANT to play, yourself... and discouraging the stuff you'd really rather wasn't instilled into your gaming experience. That doesn't mean killing a PC because he's treacherously close to "murder-hobo-ing"... BUT giving bonus/advantage for asking questions, interacting with NPC's, and Role Playing (rather than leaning on dice to settle everything) will even get noticed and understood by the most ardent "power gamer" who'd simply prefer to throw dice at literally everything and scour every tile of every map for loot... I still stick it out, calculating XP (for instance) because over the long haul, a few thousand XP in D&D isn't a big difference from one PC to another... BUT the "Power Gamers" at my table are far more wounded by taking a deficit of XP (seeing numbers less) for poor Role Playing than I could possibly "legitimately" do to them in or out of game... It straightens them right up, and I rarely have "trouble" with Power Gaming. They still get to scour the board, but the terms are a bit different, and they are more inclusive with the rest of the Party... They perk up and pay attention to NPC's and even bother learning nuances to culture for those "bonus XP" for GREAT Role Play... Finally, PAY ATTENTION to your Players as you go... Take the time while you present a rehearsed (or read from cards/books) your world-setting and situations to LOOK around the table. Listen when they chatter (and Players often chatter) even out of character... Take notes when it's game-related and especially around "key phrases"... things like "It would be so cool if..." or "God I hope this isn't a..." NOTES will help you start profiling what kinds of games they will be interested in playing. (always an advantage to GM's)... Little tweaks to your style will come with time and experience... NO need to sweat it right off the bat. You can't function in any capacity with the assumption that you're probably wrong or off. Absorb feedback thoughtfully, BUT with the caveat to reflect upon "the effect you WANTED to create"... If Players were supposed to HATE a certain PC, and you get told "The next time I meet that guy, I'm going to skin him alive." THEN you're doing it PERFECTLY. Don't forget to BREATHE, RELAX from time to time, and then HAVE FUN with it. ;o)

[@KubinWielki]

​@@gnarthdarkanen7464 Great insight here, and thank you for that. The last two paragraphs in particular seem to be what I'm gonna need in the long run. Thing is, however, that the situation I'm in is basically that if I don't manage to hook them into playing with this one-shot, they probably won't get into it at all (I've asked them to play with me as a birthday gift, since they're normally nowhere near the RPG community), hence my worry to make that session "THE" session that could get people hooked. It's a _literal_ one-shot for me, as I only have one shot at making this work :P

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@KubinWielki, You're certainly (and ALWAYS) welcome... The unfortunate bottom line is that TTRPG's simply aren't everyone's "cup of tea"... AND that's alright... If you have some personal insight as to the kinds of books, movies, or other entertainment these Players enjoy (most), then that's probably something to work with... If they enjoy mysteries (for instance) then let them investigate... Regardless of system, mysteries aren't terribly hard to "one-shot"... I (cheap and quick) run a mystery like a "Romanian Riddle"... That is, there isn't any "correct" answer. As you run through the mystery, giving clues and evidence, let the Players interpret it as they will... and the one who gives you "the best answer" becomes the investigator who "solved" it... How you "interpret" what is the "best" answer is up to you and what makes sense at the table (at the time)... BUT consider a "logical paradigm" so the solution makes sense, and the presentational quality of the Player in question... better story (at my table) usually gets "more points" (for instance)... IF (on the other hand) you're trying to run D&D (rules and system) and most of the Players are Sci-Fi fans (trekkies, say)... Then the solution to your problems is "Spelljammer" (if you have it)... OR just use the magic system to power star-craft and let it "bleed and blur" into a science-y fiction-y sort of psionically explained campaign setting. D20 systems can be employed for pretty much any kind of storyline, any setting, and teased out accordingly. It comes down to "Have fun with it"... When they start to get the hang of trading "storycraft" for "agency" and that they really can get by doing ANYTHING they like in the game, most people (in my experience) end up showing back up for more than a few sessions before deciding "It's cool and all, just not my main gig"... AND there are methods and techniques for running an Epic Campaign of One... in case that's all the return business you start with... It happens. (to me too)... Finding a group and constructing a group are both... well... works in progress about half the time. ;o)

[@nickwilliams8302]

@@KubinWielki My personal checklist for newbies: 1. Explain what roleplaying is: taking on the role of a fictional character in an imaginary world and making the decisions for that character that you think they would make if they and their world were real. 2. Explain the order of play: GM sets the scene, players declare actions (what they are trying to do and how they are trying to do it), GM adjudicates and resets the scene. 3. Dice. Abbreviations and the fact that they'll be rolling a d20 plus a number vs. a target to decide most things. Advantage and disadvantage. Resist the temptation to try to explain the whole system to them ahead of time. You will bore people right the fuck out of the hobby and have to explain it at the table anyway. Explain things as they come up and they'll have more chance of remembering. 4. Character creation. Again, don't try to explain everything here. Just ask them what they want their character to do and work from there. Pregenerating will save you a lot of trouble, as you can just hand out characters on the day. Now. Your job. Attach _full_ descriptions of class abilities and spell descriptions to the character sheets and write damaging cantrips down under the "weapons" section as well as on the spell sheet. If someone's playing a Barbarian, have separate stats for their attacks while Raging (ie. "Greataxe" and "Rage Greataxe"). Have a blank character sheet sitting next to you so you can describe _exactly where_ the thing they are looking for during play is. Your goal should be for them to not have to touch the PHB during play. I highly recommend Lost Mine of Phandelver as a great introduction to the system and the hobby. It's specifically designed for new players and new GMs. Remember that published adventures are a _resource,_ not a script: you need to read the whole thing first and prepare what you need. Always ask yourself during prep: "What can I do _now_ so that I don't need to frantically search through a rulebook in the middle of play?" And finally, I'm going to give you a resource that my old GM gave to me when I took over his job. Meet The Angry GM, the single most helpful source of advice on the fundamentals of how to do this shit that I have ever encountered: theangrygm.com/jumping-the-screen-how-to-run-your-first-rpg-session/ theangrygm.com/gaming-for-fun-part-1-eight-kinds-of-fun/ theangrygm.com/how-to-fing-gm/ Hope this has been helpful.

[@KubinWielki]

​@@nickwilliams8302 Damn, yes! That certainly helps a lot! It's also a nice morale boost, as many of your points are reflecting what I intended to do exactly, and the rest is a good insight. The links are also very appreciated and I'll surely study them (and the site in general) thoroughly when I find the time. Also, one question regarding the Lost Mine of Phandelver, modules in general and them being a resource, not a script - would you say it's possible to "upscale" a module without changing it all that much? I mean - while many (or even *MANY* ) people might disagree with me on that, I find the first few character levels in DnD to be simply boring, especially for one-shots - not much to do, not many abilities and spells that make each character different. For that reason I plan to run the game with characters at either 3rd or 5th level, hence the question - would it break a premade adventure if I were to upscale the CR of encounters, and equipping more important NPCs and foes with some additional abilities, spells etc?

[@Tasfarel]

Finding your player character: If you start of with an accent you cannot stay in, maybe your character faked it. Reffering to guys example the character may have tried to be extra sexy and noticed immediatly that this sounded silly.

[@fhuber7507]

I just never bother faking an accent as a player character. I'm not a voice actor. I'll not fake accents as a DM either... I'm not Mat Mercer. I'll try to hang a visual on the DM screen so the players know which person is speaking. (and hopefully not forget to change it out for the different people when it gets complicated.) I'm also not Jeff Dunham so I don't do well arguing with myself. So if 2 NPCs end up arguing with each other in front of the PCs, I just say: "2 people are arguing about... XXXXX... Joe is for it and Bob is against it. Here's a few points you overhear." (Note that some points on both sides are false rumors. If both of them were right they wouldn't be arguing.)

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

If I can do the accent, I will. If not, I'll just describe what they sound like.

[@gmross9265]

I often play in large groups 6 to 8 people. What I try to do, in a session zero with either the people I run for or play with is I try to discuss jobs. This part of the discussion is always out of character, but I really dislike having more than one character do the same job. For instance to rogues that are very specialized in disarming traps. There is nothing wrong with having two rogues in a group with 6 players, but each one can fill a niche and totally have fun in there specialties. The second thing I like to discuss is alignment. Or if in the confines of a gaming system that does not have alignments I will ask for what type of characters, villains, heroes, some where in the gray area. I ask this just to get a feel for what the players are wanting. The next thing I go over is what style of setting for example High Fantasy or Dark Sci-Fi. The fourth thing I discuss is the house rules. I try to give the players lots of options when it comes to what source material they can use. The fifth thing I like to discuss is what style of plot do they want? Do they want linear or sandbox? Intrigue or lots of combat. Naturally all this session zero stuff takes some time and often people are unfamiliar with some of the terms and so those must be defined clearly. Running a good session zero is even more of an art form than running for the long haul. I have always felt that session zero is like the foundation of your game.