Session Zero

Session Zero is a critical part of every campaign. It establishes the general expectations of those at the table: those playing the game (including the Game Master), as opposed to rules within the game for the characters. The result of Session Zero is an accord, a consensus of behaviour, agreed among all people. It ensures that everybody feel safe, comfortable, unthreatened, as well as being part of the decisions.

Anikett is envisioned as the eventual home to multiple campaigns, possibly covering different game systems or rulesets. As such, each campaign will have its own Session Zero, and the agreements thereof will be kept in the Game Master's Campaign Notebook. Copies will always be available.

Below is a minimum list of what will be covered by Session Zero, but it's by no means an exhaustive list. Everybody is encouraged to bring their own expectations to the table to discuss them with others. This way, everybody can ensure that they feel comfortable with the roleplaying experience. Keep an open mind, and remember that everybody brings their own experiences to the table. We should respect them and try to understand from their viewpoint.

Table environment

A safe place

• What are our boundaries? (Topics which will never play any part in the game)
  • Some examples might be physical intimacy, alcohol and/or drug use, drug dealing, slavery, torture, etc.
• What are our veils? (Topics which aren't roleplayed, but described in a fade-to-black type way)
• Language use
  • Cussing
  • Pronouns
• PvP discussion
• Special considerations for those present

Table expectations

• Distractions (phones, tablets, books, etc.)
• Side-chatter
• Rules debates
• Above-table topics to avoid (possibly politics, religion, personal stuff, etc.)
• What do you hope to get out of the game, why are you here?
• What above-table behaviour from others will detract from the experience?
• How are interpersonal disputes handled?
• Player absence (character holiday, PC-as-NPC, proxy player, etc.)

Characters

Character creation

• How and where are characters created?
  • Only at the table or VTT, or online?
  • Starting level
  • Method for determining attribute stats (3d6 straight, standard allocation, point buy, 4d6 drop-low arrange-to-taste, etc.)
    • Any additional variations (such as re-rolling totals under 72, etc.)
  • Allowed classes and sub-classes, species, and backgrounds
  • Starting equipment
    • Value
    • Allowed/disallowed items
• Character backgrounds
  • How detailed
  • Secret from other players or not
• Character goals
• Party alignment

Experience

• Milestone or XP?
  • If XP
    • What are the various ways of earning XP?
    • Is XP individual, or always strictly split between those present?
  • If Milestone
    • How does missing sessions affect progression?
    • What other rewards besides XP might there be?
• Levelling up
  • End/beginning of session only, or mid-session?
  • Training required?
  • Rules for rolling HP

Playing

Many of the items that would follow here, such as roleplaying awards, are collapsed into the House Rules discussion

• Character death
  • How likely is it
  • How permanent is it
  • Discussion about sensitivity when it occurs
• Meta-gaming
• Min-maxing
• What counts as a valid dice roll?
• What in-character behaviours will detract from your enjoyment? (Greedy players, murder hobos, goody two-shoes, etc.)
• What to do when there's been a mistake (GM or player)
• Retcon (retroactive continuity, changing the game's past and what we did together to fix something)
• GM railroading and/or telling a player they can't or must choose a specific player decision
• Players railroading others, forced RP
• Players' narrative control (how much can players state their imagination as world fact)
• Prevalence of magic items
• Homebrew potential
• House Rules discussion
• GM Lecture: Failure Is Fun.