# Session Zero Questionnaire



## GMMichael (Jul 25, 2018)

Starting a new game (like me)?  Use this list to find out what your players really want.  If you don't see an important aspect, add it.  That's how wiki threads work!

Note that much of what follows would in fact occur before getting together for the actual Session 0, where you roll up characters and the DM gives you the background info, houserules, etc.  Perhaps think of this as "everything up to and including Session 0". 


What game or system are we playing? What edition?  What if anything is allowed beyond the game's core rules (i.e. expansions, splat books, etc.)? 
Are players expected to own or have independent access to the player-side rulebooks? 
Setting time 
Setting place 
Technology level 
Magic level 
Action level 
Drama level 
Campaign meta-considerations: 
 - - Sandbox/railroad ratio 
 - - Intended duration of campaign (open-ended forever, open-ended limited duration, a single adventure path, a one-shot?) 
 - - Number of PCs per player - are you allowed to play more than one at a time?  And-or, are you allowed to cycle through a stable of PCs? 
 - - Number of players (directly ties into number of PCs - if there's only 2 or 3 players then running multiple PCs each might make more sense) 
 - - Player turnover and how it will be addressed (if Joe and Mary move away does the campaign end there or do we find new players and keep going?) 
Awkward themes (horror, romance, mortality) 
Miniatures/accessories required - and who provides them (e.g. are players expected to provide minis for their PCs?) 
Session logistics (duration, meals, breaks...) 
Phone usage (I guess it has come to this) 
Missing sessions, also whether guest players are allowed/encouraged 
Metagame roles (chronicler, wrangler, treasurer, mapper) 
In-character / out-of-character expectations (includes joke tolerance) 
Metagame tolerance (can players use knowledge their PCs don't or can't have, and to what extent?) 
Treasury division method (this one can be left for an in-character discussion among the PCs but laying out some options now can save serious headaches later) 
???


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## Riley37 (Jul 26, 2018)

Whether sessions include eating together
Whether sessions include breaks
Use of phones or other devices
Relative roles of host and of DM
Appropriate ways to raise concerns

Sandbox-to-Railroad Ratio
Who sets the pace of the session
Consequences for misbehavior: to character, or to player?


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## ccs (Jul 26, 2018)

What (system) do we want to play?
Who' going to host it?
What day/evening & what time?
Length of sessions?
Do we want to invite anyone else?
Are there any specific miniatures/terrain pieces/etc that we know we'll want for this game?


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## Lanefan (Jul 26, 2018)

I won't edit this into the OP without permission but I'd actually phrase this as "*Pre*-Session-Zero Questionnaire", as just about all of this needs to be at least vaguely nailed down before the real Session 0 (char-gen, setting and houserule outline, etc.) can occur.


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## GMMichael (Jul 27, 2018)

Lanefan said:


> I won't edit this into the OP without permission but I'd actually phrase this as "*Pre*-Session-Zero Questionnaire", as just about all of this needs to be at least vaguely nailed down before the real Session 0 (char-gen, setting and houserule outline, etc.) can occur.




Permission granted.  I was just thinking that several of ccs's concerns were pre-session-zero, like what the game is, and where/when it will be played.  I'd call that, maybe, the Announcement phase: "hey potential players, I want to play Zweihaender on Saturdays at midnight.  My place.  Who's interested?"  Then everything between that and the first game is session zero.


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## The Monster (Jul 27, 2018)

Starting PC experience level? 
Expected advancement rate?


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## Chad Hooper (Jul 27, 2018)

Multiple GMs with an Alpha, traditional single GM, or full-on Troupe style play?

Maybe more pertinent in an Ars Magica group than with other games but I have at times past allowed a player to run a one-shot in my world.  I enjoy my role as DM (or I wouldn't have started back up after 15 year hiatus!) but a break on the other side of the screen is nice occasionally.


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## Lanefan (Jul 27, 2018)

DMMike said:


> Permission granted.



Thanks, and done.  



> I was just thinking that several of ccs's concerns were pre-session-zero, like what the game is, and where/when it will be played.  I'd call that, maybe, the Announcement phase: "hey potential players, I want to play Zweihaender on Saturdays at midnight.  My place.  Who's interested?"  Then everything between that and the first game is session zero.



I also added a small boatload of things to the list, some of which had already been hit by other posters but not yet put in the main list.


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## Wulffolk (Jul 29, 2018)

Who cares what the players want??? They are here as the DM's play-things, food for our egos and subjects to talk down to while we lord our immense power over them.

Session Zero = sit down, shut up, and listen to my hours of exposition.

NOTE: The above statement is the opinion of just one of the many voices in my head and should be interpreted with a very sarcastic tone.  ;-)


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## KenNYC (Jul 29, 2018)

> Phone usage (I guess it has come to this)




Cell phones are the bane of D&D   They have no place anywhere near a table but in 2018 it is impossible to get people to leave their phones alone.  I am just old I guess, because I have no idea why people are desperate to read what their friends had for dinner or what they think of politics when there are actual breathing human beings sitting right beside them wanting to play D&D if only they would put the freaking phone down.


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## MNblockhead (Jul 29, 2018)

Do you know what your name is? If so, write it here:
Do you remember your security clearance? If so, write it here:
If you do not remember your security clearance, report to the nearest clone-recycling center immediately--not knowing your security clearance is treason
How many times have you been exposed to radiation in the last month?
The computer is: (A) My friend (B) Not A
Do you trust yourself? How do you know you're not just saying that?
Happiness is: (A) Mandatory, (B) Fun, (C) Chemically induced
Why is this called a "session zero": (A) Because it never happened, (B) It describes the value of the player clones in the DM Computer's estimation, (C) It don't know, it makes ZERO sense, it must be a commie plot.
Based on this session zero, if this campaign is to fail, who is most to blame? (A) The GM (who plays the computer), (B) You are, or (C) Another player (please name)


Paranoia session zeros work a bit differently.


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## Lanefan (Jul 29, 2018)

KenNYC said:


> Cell phones are the bane of D&D   They have no place anywhere near a table but in 2018 it is impossible to get people to leave their phones alone.  I am just old I guess, because I have no idea why people are desperate to read what their friends had for dinner or what they think of politics when there are actual breathing human beings sitting right beside them wanting to play D&D if only they would put the freaking phone down.



I went the other way - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em - and simply put much of my game info online so they can find it there.

Now if I could only find a way to limit my wifi to accessing only our own website during the sessions...


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## GMMichael (Aug 2, 2018)

MNblockhead said:


> Do you know what your name is? If so, write it here:
> Do you remember your security clearance? If so, write it here:
> If you do not remember your security clearance, report to the nearest clone-recycling center immediately--not knowing your security clearance is treason
> How many times have you been exposed to radiation in the last month?
> ...




Thanks for the reminder, Blockhead!  I added Joke Tolerance to out-of-character expectations.  Few things ruin the mood for me faster than a bunch of amateur comedians trying to joke their way through the whole session.  For reference, see most of the live-play videos on YouTube


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## MNblockhead (Aug 2, 2018)

DMMike said:


> Thanks for the reminder, Blockhead!  I added Joke Tolerance to out-of-character expectations.  Few things ruin the mood for me faster than a bunch of amateur comedians trying to joke their way through the whole session.  For reference, see most of the live-play videos on YouTube




Ouch!  To be fair, Paranoia is not a game to play seriously. 

I agree with you. I'm running Curse of Strahd now and while some joking is welcome, I would not enjoy it being a slap-stick comedy.  Most streams of D&D are attempting to entertain.  Few can pull off dramatic sessions that hold an audience's attention, so they try to run it as improv comedy. 

The expected tone of the game is something one should discuss with the players at session zero.


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## jasper (Aug 2, 2018)

* Crash and burn Offensives. What will get you BOOTed from the group. I am talking about things at most you would allow 3 times. Generally it means one strike and you are out.


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## GMMichael (Aug 2, 2018)

jasper said:


> * Crash and burn Offensives. What will get you BOOTed from the group. I am talking about things at most you would allow 3 times. Generally it means one strike and you are out.




Interesting idea.  What do these look like, if they're not common enough that new players shouldn't already know what they are?


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## Kobold Boots (Aug 2, 2018)

KenNYC said:


> Cell phones are the bane of D&D   They have no place anywhere near a table but in 2018 it is impossible to get people to leave their phones alone.  I am just old I guess, because I have no idea why people are desperate to read what their friends had for dinner or what they think of politics when there are actual breathing human beings sitting right beside them wanting to play D&D if only they would put the freaking phone down.




I feel you re: phones.  Just so long as you're also considering the person who may have life events going on that needs to be checking their texts and such.

As someone who has had the phone conversation and large groups, I never run into a situation where I don't have at least one person working on call in an IT department at the table and have more than once run in to folks who were expecting children or in relationships where their sig other isn't at the table.

Eliminating devices at the table would have killed those games.  Better to have some ground rules about expectations for use than to ban altogether.


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## Kobold Boots (Aug 2, 2018)

DMMike said:


> Interesting idea.  What do these look like, if they're not common enough that new players shouldn't already know what they are?




- No matter how curious you are, don't go snooping around in people's bathroom or bedroom cabinets.
- No matter how comfortable you are, don't go damaging people's dining room furniture.
- No matter how friendly you are, don't go hitting on someone else's wife.
- No matter how trivial you think it is, if you're bringing a minor to the table to game as a guest, make sure his parents know where he is.

Essentially it's bad behavior that folks expect will be glossed over by being "a good person otherwise" and at a "game".  Etiquette violations are rough when you're hosting a game in your home and the behaviors would be looked upon poorly by the constabulary if someone complained.  

Yes, I've had all of these happen (except the last) with various groups and games I've run.   The last one was snuffed out before it happened, but almost killed the group as I was being "too paranoid".

KB

(edit - I do not suggest calling out example offenses in a session 0 flyer.  However, I do suggest making it clear that if you're running in someone's home that basic etiquette rules are in play.  If you're not sure if something is kosher, ask first.  If it's not something you'd do if your mom was in attendance, don't do it.)


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## jasper (Aug 2, 2018)

DMMike said:


> Interesting idea.  What do these look like, if they're not common enough that new players shouldn't already know what they are?



arguing with DMmike for 5 minutes over rule call, politics, fandom AND then bring the subject up in the following week. 
_ showing to show off your hot new bunk bunny and necking the whole session instead of playing.
_ arriving DRUNK and you drove yourself
_ threating to draw a gun 
_ illegal drug useage regardless of your personal issues
_ I think Kobold cover some the others.
See did you ever have to boot a player discussion.


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## MNblockhead (Aug 3, 2018)

Jasper and Kobold, you *have* to spill the details on some of these. 

Threatening to draw a gun seems like a good place to start. 

Was it over a rule dispute?


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## GMMichael (Aug 3, 2018)

MNblockhead said:


> Threatening to draw a gun seems like a good place to start.




"It was a tournament game, dude.  Am I wrong!?"


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## jasper (Aug 3, 2018)

MNblockhead said:


> Jasper and Kobold, you *have* to spill the details on some of these.
> 
> Threatening to draw a gun seems like a good place to start.
> 
> Was it over a rule dispute?



Psst Kobold sounds blockhead and dmmike will have to buy us dinner to get the information out us.


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## Kobold Boots (Aug 3, 2018)

jasper said:


> Psst Kobold sounds blockhead and dmmike will have to buy us dinner to get the information out us.




That's one way to go about it.  Certainly face to face is better than gossiping on a message board.

Still there's not much to go into details about on my end.  The example pretty much calls out what happened or what could have happened in the last one.  Root cause of all of it was my own sillyness in opening my home to folks and not considering the potential for nonsense I was exposing myself to.  At the time my group was huge (20 ish if everyone showed up) and no store in my area could accommodate that; but the house could.

I don't blame people for being who they are, I blame myself for being too naive.

Live and learn

(Edit - What I will share though is that when you've gone through stuff like this you need to be careful what you put in your Session 0 documentation or adverts for new players.

I can tell you from personal experience - again really naive at that time - that telling people you're looking for folks that have an appreciation for etiquette and are looking for people more in line with your own socio-economic status and place in life is a bad idea.  You will get vitriol, people will threaten you via online post and email and they will go out of their way to send your post to everyone in the gaming community to tell others they should stay away from your game.

.. and then freak the hell out when they fail to realize they did it from an email account tied to their work, their work is a game store, and you show up to apologize and explain yourself ..  no one expects to be called on their bad behavior in response to your bad behavior and when they've behaved poorly, along with whatever image they have of you in their head;  they don't expect you to behave well.

I still don't go to a particularly well known store in the Boston area since that incident and it's been 15 years.  I was really inelegant and straight up dumb to post the way I did; and incorrectly thought I was fine because I wasn't discriminating against race, gender or orientation but the response was over the top. - No one needs that.)

Ramble ramble ramble.  Feel better now that that's finally off my chest.

KB


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## MNblockhead (Aug 3, 2018)

jasper said:


> Psst Kobold sounds blockhead and dmmike will have to buy us dinner to get the information out us.




Sure, will you be in Minnesota any time soon?

Actually, the food in Alabama is much better. But I rarely get any closer to Mongomery than Charlotte NC.


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## MNblockhead (Aug 3, 2018)

[MENTION=1727]kobold[/MENTION] 

Yikes.  The "same socio-economic status and place in life" could certainly be read in a bad light. 

The only limits I put in my call for gamers is age. Nobody under 18.  In my last campaign, I explained my campaign in detail and gave my DMing background (I was new to 5e and starting to DM again after a very long time of not playing). I also explained that the game was designed for those with busy work and family lives, so it would be a once-a-month game to be scheduled each month and that I would try to design each session so that a session could be missed without messing up the party. 

I also communicated with potential players by e-mail to further make sure we were on the same page.  Especially as my campaign had some strong limits on the races and classes you could choose from. 

Partly luck, but this approach seems to have worked. I had no problems with any of the players and additional players have been through players I met through this campaign. 

For one-offs, I just meet at my FLGS and play with whoever signs up via a meetup post. If someone creates problems, I just don't invite them to the next one off. 

I never run walk-in games like Adventurer's League.


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## Kobold Boots (Aug 4, 2018)

MNblockhead said:


> [MENTION=1727]kobold[/MENTION]
> 
> Yikes.  The "same socio-economic status and place in life" could certainly be read in a bad light.
> 
> ...




Re: "Yikes" - Yeah, bad form on my part.  Worse on theirs, though I'm sure if you look at it from their point of view it's reversed.  Fair enough, long time ago and shared for the sake of feeling better about it as obviously, it still bothers me.

The great thing about life, is that it sort of teaches you how to live it, if you live long enough.  Wouldn't do it the same way again, but I still am very careful about who walks in my front door, and obviously, like almost every other person in the world, there are folks I'd rather not spend my free time with.  I just don't need to be a jerk about it.


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## GMMichael (Aug 4, 2018)

> looking for folks that have an appreciation for etiquette and are looking for people more in line with your own socio-economic status and place in life




So this _doesn't_ go in the questionnaire.  Got it.

Since you're alive and well 15 years later, I'm fairly comfortable saying that what happened was probably karma for trying to run a 20-player session.  That sounds dreadful unless...lotion was involved?


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## Kobold Boots (Aug 5, 2018)

DMMike said:


> So this _doesn't_ go in the questionnaire.  Got it.
> 
> Since you're alive and well 15 years later, I'm fairly comfortable saying that what happened was probably karma for trying to run a 20-player session.  That sounds dreadful unless...lotion was involved?




Probably.  As to horror and scale,  The group size was 20, the actual number of people that would show up for any session was around 12.  I found at that time that if I had a pool of less than say 10 players there would be weeks where only a few showed and the group wasn't viable without retainers.

Didn't start with the intention of getting that big, but friends bring others and stuff happens.  Sorry for going off on a tangent. 

KB


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