tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post7404940935733561619..comments2023-06-15T11:59:39.572-04:00Comments on DYVERS: I Don't Believe in the Session ZeroDyvershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-17914759453117815402018-02-01T14:01:50.198-05:002018-02-01T14:01:50.198-05:00Hell, tom, if you're looking for a place to ho...Hell, tom, if you're looking for a place to host it I'll throw it up on here. You type it up and I'll run it as a series on the blog with full credit to you.Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-34533062898773159822018-02-01T01:34:00.405-05:002018-02-01T01:34:00.405-05:00Give me some time to get it online. I started play...Give me some time to get it online. I started playing in the late 70's so most of it is handwritten.tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06653459162258850269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-77646926833271974592018-01-30T09:41:04.952-05:002018-01-30T09:41:04.952-05:00Tom, I would be fascinated to read either your set...Tom, I would be fascinated to read either your setting material or the house rules you've created over the years!Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-43088819697894955872018-01-30T03:34:31.947-05:002018-01-30T03:34:31.947-05:00I may fall on the boring side ... In a new campaig...I may fall on the boring side ... In a new campaign, or when introducing a new player to my game, I always do a "Session 0". I have extensive rules & setting info handouts. I even assign homework!<br /><br />But it's not as bad as it might seem. I've been playing some variant of this game for 42 years and DMing for about 40. In that time I've amassed enough house rules tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06653459162258850269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-30524597210969117392018-01-12T06:08:03.547-05:002018-01-12T06:08:03.547-05:00Scum and Villainy? Now that's a hell of a name...Scum and Villainy? Now that's a hell of a name. What's the game about Chris?Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-22070253464371753582018-01-12T06:06:57.419-05:002018-01-12T06:06:57.419-05:00"I'm not ok with pre-gens for a campaign...."I'm not ok with pre-gens for a campaign...fine for the con, not what I want in my long-term group. I have no desire to keep a pre-gen alive, nothing at stake, no personal connection or commitment."<br /><br />For a long time I was right there with you Howard, but as my players lives (and my own) got filled with children and other responsibilities it just became easier for us. I Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-40862234266330251412018-01-12T06:03:56.245-05:002018-01-12T06:03:56.245-05:00Marty I'm going to hit you up on G+ tonight wh...Marty I'm going to hit you up on G+ tonight when I get home from work. I'd like to pick your brain on something. Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-4209247849442285742018-01-12T06:02:28.598-05:002018-01-12T06:02:28.598-05:00Ha!
Okay, you lowercaseb got me laughing.Ha! <br /><br />Okay, you lowercaseb got me laughing.Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-13014242272223190512018-01-12T06:01:37.189-05:002018-01-12T06:01:37.189-05:00That makes sense and I can understand that sort of...That makes sense and I can understand that sort of session zero for an online campaign though not for an ongoing campaign. I'm very much of the mindset that you'll only know your character through their interactions during the game's play. Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-65220463750741163682018-01-12T05:58:52.448-05:002018-01-12T05:58:52.448-05:00Sounds good to me. The quicker you get to the meat...Sounds good to me. The quicker you get to the meat of the session - whether that's a fight, mystery, horrific event, or some other dramatic moment - the more likely people are to keep coming back to the game. Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-86571718011736435542018-01-12T05:56:03.746-05:002018-01-12T05:56:03.746-05:00I'm glad that your players enjoy those sort of...I'm glad that your players enjoy those sort of activities, Phil, but I would hate every minute of it. That's just the sort of activities that I always hated in school and it would drive me up the wall if I were to do them during my leisure time. I'm sure your games are fun, and your players have a blast during them, but I would never make it through your session zero.Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-26819309204718642022018-01-12T05:50:39.800-05:002018-01-12T05:50:39.800-05:00Here's hoping that the dungeon is exciting, th...Here's hoping that the dungeon is exciting, that monsters are bested, traps and puzzles solved, and much treasure gained!Dyvershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032957275132817602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-35770949518250446172018-01-11T15:09:37.972-05:002018-01-11T15:09:37.972-05:00I find session zero to be pretty important, a good...I find session zero to be pretty important, a good chance to make sure that everyone is on the same page as far as expectations go. I want things to be fun and light, but nothing is worse that running a "space adventure" when Player A wants Firefly, Player B wants Warhammer, Player C wants Star Trek, etc. It also happens that I am dabbling in a new game called Scum and Villainy (not Hamsterboy2khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16548010243929609290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-81695286730548632412018-01-11T13:54:13.978-05:002018-01-11T13:54:13.978-05:00Yup! That's what he does alright. That says wh...Yup! That's what he does alright. That says what I was thinking. More necessary for online and an ongoing campaign and being ready to play.<br /><br />I think this also depends on the type of gamer/way the game is ran. If you're old school, roll up a character and get on with it.<br /><br />5e and other newer games seem to have a focus, at least on Twitch & YouTube, of being about theFollow Me And Diehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04118573023293179592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-38993475412985368762018-01-11T11:55:16.676-05:002018-01-11T11:55:16.676-05:00"Quit dozing off! I'm describing the folk..."Quit dozing off! I'm describing the folk dances for this particular village, and there will be a quiz after..."lowercasebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06033228626301505913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-76580218350704435172018-01-11T10:32:49.975-05:002018-01-11T10:32:49.975-05:00I definitely agree that listening to some DM pratt...I definitely agree that listening to some DM prattle on about his game world for a few hours would make me quit it fast, but I think that Session 0, the first gathering when you create your PC's and then start your adventure together, happens regardless of that. Sure, you can deal with all of that stuff over FB or in dropbox or something, but I know that it seems more fun (to me) to sit withgoblinstomperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08830102612797145994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-37737050415269352462018-01-11T09:47:55.403-05:002018-01-11T09:47:55.403-05:00Session “0” doesn’t technically have to be a sessi...Session “0” doesn’t technically have to be a session. It can be your Facebook group or Google forum or Obsidian Portal pages plus email. It just has to be a place where the players can discover their character connections. It could even be a short Skype call or Google Hangout.<br /><br />There are also ways t make it entertaining. I heard one way described where the DM passed out 3 MTG cards to Raging Owlbearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10556804177905125874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-65856836008172752202018-01-11T08:41:13.349-05:002018-01-11T08:41:13.349-05:00:Imagines a TTRPG convention where every one-off g...:Imagines a TTRPG convention where every one-off game is nothing but a Session Zero:<br /><br />Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...<br /><br />Get to the good stuff. It's a game, not a living novel.Zudrak (Michael G.)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13516066174600510254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-70800720139271978112018-01-11T08:39:28.482-05:002018-01-11T08:39:28.482-05:00I typically do short one-on-one sessions with all ...I typically do short one-on-one sessions with all new players in my online 1E campaign, ostensibly to roll up characters (primary and backup). The reality is, though, I use this time to get a feel for who the player is, to let them do the same with my DMing style, and to see if they can show up promptly to a scheduled event. I would much rather someone decide to not join the campaign after one ofCraddokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00521458937527350756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-55562597736245511942018-01-11T04:56:08.817-05:002018-01-11T04:56:08.817-05:00I am in the "throw them into the Scorpion Pit...I am in the <b>"throw them into the Scorpion Pits!"</b> camp. Start with a session that gets their attention and lets them work together under duress (which could be a common threat, a big opportunity, time pressure, or anything). After that, we can establish the characters in the world and let them get accommodated gradually - I'm fairly happy if they make up their backstory Melanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07165894144553629675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-19839539659401567622018-01-11T03:19:17.670-05:002018-01-11T03:19:17.670-05:00I have used a "session zero" in the past...I have used a "session zero" in the past. But you have to make it fun. E.g. I had a history of the lands printed out, and made the players read it aloud (taking turns). Whenever a geographical reference came up, I made them look it up on a map (also printed out). Than describe some of the most common fauna and flora - than have the players look it up in a monster manual (if appropriate)Phil Dutréhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13607941040736764291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124770754805827894.post-69373811848957234082018-01-11T01:50:30.693-05:002018-01-11T01:50:30.693-05:00Egads, I just suffered through one this evening. ...Egads, I just suffered through one this evening. Sooo boring. Everyone made characters, a couple houserules were announced, no actual play was had. The DM wanted is to give him a lot of bonds and flaws to work into the campaign, but I prefer emergent rp. Anyways, everyone made characters who were weirdo loners, we ended up with a typical group. On to the dungeon! next week...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com