One of the best things you can do as a successful Storyteller/GM is run a clean Session Zero. Of course, you’ll ask the basics about the character concepts your players have come up with, but there’s more to it than that. Thoughtful questions for your players are essential to running an amazing campaign. Knowing what your players are looking for, making a safe environment, capturing themes to explore or avoid: these are all pivotal fundamentals in assuring your success. Here are a few questions to ask of your players to make sure they’re comfortable and ready to enjoy themselves. After all, fundamentals are the building blocks for fun.
What type of campaign are you looking for? This one should be fairly obvious. There are different types of campaigns that speak to different players. Some look for long, sweeping story- an epic tale akin to Tolkien. Others are more interested in a procedural set up- focused on character as opposed to plot. Knowing what your players want will help inform what kind of campaign you’re running.
What was your favorite thing that’s ever happened at in a TTRPG session? Encourage the players to be as specific as possible, and explain why it impacted them in a positive way. You don’t want to replicate those moments exactly in the upcoming campaign, but it should give you insight into something that will make a player fall in love with their character, your story, and the time you all share around the table.
What types of encounters would you like to experience? Combat? Puzzles? Skill Tests? If you’ve played TTRPGs for a while, you know that there is more than one means to a given end. Do your players just want to smash and murder, or are they more interested in creatively solving problems? Someone interested in slaying a dragon may be bored by solving a sphinx’s riddle, or vise versa. A mix is always ideal to keep everyone on their toes, but knowing what someone wants can help you build the best balance.
How do you feel about romance in-game? Between players and NPCs? Between two (or more) players? Role playing can be deeply personal at times. It can drive people to be insecure if the wrong topics come up, or if they are pushed into encounters or experiences that they don’t expect or want at the table. At the top of the list is romance between players. Be clear at the top of the campaign what the expectations are: Is it something to look for, or is it off the table? It may change how Bart the Bard interacts with the other players on his team…
How do you feel about a session with no combat? There are (arguably) too many things to do when it comes to TTRPGs. Sure, many of us play to slay beasts, end wars, and save the world. But some of us play for other reasons. Maybe there’s a shopping episode where we pick up awesome magical items. Do you want to build a business and make tons of money? Maybe there’s a fantastic court room session to show off a characters diplomacy and wit. What do the characters do in free/down time? Do your characters want to explore these moments, or just the action that pertains to the overarching plot of the story?
How do you deal with a character when a player can’t make a session? It’s inevitable… there will be a session that someone has to miss. How are you as the GM going to deal with that? Is the character controlled by another player? Are they just missing from the adventure? Do you as the GM have to find a clever reason for their absence, or is it just assumed that they can come and go? This is a situation that always seems to come up, and is hardly ever flushed out beforehand.
What topics or themes should be considered off limits? Role playing should first and foremost be fun. Sure, it’s nice to challenge ourselves, but only in the places where we are comfortable going. Everyone has topics and experiences that can be triggering. Knowing what topics your players are unwilling to explore is as pivotal as what they’re looking for. It’s important to remember that this is a game, not a therapy session. Your players are already juggling math and magic (along with role playing a different person from themselves); don’t make them feel more vulnerable at the same time with subjects they won’t enjoy.
Of course, you may have other necessary questions to ask based on what game you’re running or how long you’ve known your players. Frequency of sessions, drinking and/or cursing at the table, dealing with PC death. There are a number of other things to think about when working through a session zero- this list is in no way comprehensive. Hopefully, it helps navigate through some of the essential details before moving on to the fun bits.