My Session Zero Worksheet

[@SupergeekMike]

Is there anything else you would add to this worksheet? Thanks so much to Dscryb for sponsoring this video! Visit dscryb.com/supergeek and use the code SUPERGEEK at checkout to get 10% off of your first subscription payment. dscryb.com/supergeek

[@Spark_Chaser]

A big thing to remember is "Session Zero" is not a one off. After a few sessions, a "check in" session is not a bad idea. After a major arc wraps up is also a good check in point.

[@NIKSEEN]

Thanks Johannes for making this video possible :DD Grüße aus München!

[@MrTabanese]

That doobly-doo has persisted and continues to do so as a reference to the box where you pop descriptions and details delights me. Okay, on with the video...

[@dolphin64575]

EVERY time anyone says dooblydoo it makes me so happy. DFTBA!

[@MogoPrime]

Credit to the originator, Wheezywaiter!

[@charlesmayes7020]

It still counts, you are a good KZbinr.

[@fettbub92]

I was hoping we would get some more session 0 advice. Thank you.

[@Stephen-Fox]

In the games I've played in and run, a lot of this gets covered in discussions on Discord before Session 0, or in the LFG pitch, but those are basically 'extended session 0s' anyway.

[@dolphin64575]

Thank you Mike (and Johannes) for this video! Definitely makes Session 0 less intimidating :)

[@chapwolff]

Thank you for this, I have struggled to put together session 0 documentation, and something like this makes it super easy to get a core amount of information to people.

[@Neophoia]

I like this, I usually sit down and do all this with my players in person and write down as we go. Because I'm open to them also saying if they want to play with certain house rules or not. Oh and I always roll for my players to see, which I know some dm's don't do. I just feel it's the most fair to do, but then again my group also do death saves for npcs/monsters, as well as having to have you specify if you are using lethal force with an attack.

[@kathyl9429]

Session zero is great if the DM followed it, if your player says a subject is off limit and you ignore it that will ruin a game for them. It's also important to note if your a player to be a little flexible, if the DM says certain races are a no go, don't be shy to ask. Also be understanding if the GM is new, throwing a complex character at them when they ask to keep to core rule books should be a sign.

[@Wipomatic]

Coming back to this video with a new session starting soon, this worksheet is exactly what I needed, thank you so much!

[@jonash3406]

Kinda late to this but having just started up a campaign and a one shot, I always try to remind myself what to cover in a session 0, and this video and the worksheet help me immensly, especially as a I have a tendecy to ramble so a worksheet does help keep me on track.

[@wanderingshade8383]

Time to use this for my upcoming (but nobody not even me knows when) VtM game!

[@samsampier7147]

Nobody expects the Vampire the Masquerade? 😅

[@mentalrebllion1270]

Thank you for this. I really helps to have this to checklist for my to go over as I join games. I may be on the player side but this helps make sure I ask the questions that would always be important to me to request answers for before a first session.

[@zippomage]

those last few things would be very welcome. Especially the pitching campaign ideas.

[@Wiz_and_Pippy]

Excellent video! I just had my curse of strahd session 0 on Sunday. I recently uploaded a video on horror in D&D and will be adding this excellent resource to the description. Thanks Mike! Hope everything has been going well for you and your channel.

[@Cthulhuftagniaia]

My games have a primer document that my players can read in the lead-up to session 0/the start of the campaign and it has most of the information on this checklist included

[@napdogs]

To help facilitate roleplay I think have the players note these 7 details about their character: Something they like about themself. Something they don't like about themself. A rumour people says about them. A secret they are keeping from everyone. A lie they tell themself. A problem they are trying to solve. Why they think adventuring can solve that problem.

[@mkang8782]

I've noted before that I've been playing DnD since the earliest days (when it was "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons", or ADnD, aka 1E); Session Zero is still a relatively new concept for me, but, I really love it. True, the DMs that had their shit together would usually have something akin to a Session Zero, but, it was never formalized, nor widespread. It helps to have a term to apply to it for ease of reference. I've started having my players work out ahead of time which other character they know, how, and why. This way, I don't have to figure out why X number of characters have to meet and what else I can do besides the stereotypical "you meet in a bar/tavern" scenario. Finally, a question/suggestion: do you think you would have enough material to do a video about milestone leveling? Awarding XP is baked into my DNA at this point (see opening comment about how long I've been playing), but, am aware that milestone leveling seems to be preferred by a majority of the playerbase. Thanks for a useful, informative video, Mike.

[@bristowski]

This is a good channel. I like Mike.

[@RottenRogerDM]

Nice document.

[@zefiewings]

I struggle so much to come up with a character during session 0, I take forever to write a character and being on the spot just makes me freeze up completely.

[@KaliFortuna]

Honestly, unless the group is actually all going through a guided character creation process, I find I usually come away from Session 0 with the seeds of a character idea that I’ll flesh out between then and the first session proper.

[@TwilitbeingReboot]

Brainstorm concepts and key interactions at Session 0, and if people come with ready-made characters, offer them the chance (if not active encouragement) to make adjustments. Some characters created in a vacuum can spark unintended conflict, which may not be what the players want. For example: the PC who devotedly served a green dragon and bought into its worldview, the other PC who wants to make friends with basically any creature that doesn't attack on sight, and the brass dragon wyrmling NPC introduced in chapter 1 of the module. It was a difficult enough spot that the owner of that first PC decided to leave the game. The fault was partially on me, as I could've asked him to pick a different dragon color early on and likely avoided the whole conundrum.

[@caritahearts2405]

The venn-diagram of Dungeon master (D&D) and Dungeon master (BDSM) is a circle

[@skylark7921]

GODAMMIT

[@robbietoe]

Oh hey, I'm sort of making one of these myself, though its mostly just a list of questions and disclaimers, curious how you go about it. :)

[@manueltorresart2345]

Another topic that, if you a entire series around it, it will be really really helpful. Great work sharing your expertise. Thank you.

[@isgaarda]

I can't copy your Sthrad Form for safety tools. Can you please share the "copy" link? Thank you!

[@UnkillableMrStake]

Man, I can't put my finger on it but for some reason this whole process seems a bit familiar to me. Hmmm. 😅

[@AaronJamesMediaProductions]

I can’t get the links to work

[@Motherboard1213]

Danke Johannes. Grüße aus Thüringen. 🫶