Session Zero Checklist: Start a Campaign Right

Session zero is a pre-campaign meeting where the Dungeon Master and players align expectations, create characters, and establish ground rules. Skipping it is the most common source of table conflicts, mismatched expectations, and campaigns that collapse within a few sessions. A good session zero takes 2-3 hours and prevents months of friction.

Logistics

Schedule and Commitment

Session frequency: Weekly, biweekly, or monthly? Most groups play every 1-2 weeks. Monthly games struggle to maintain narrative momentum
Session length: 3-4 hours is standard. Agree on hard stop times — sessions that run late breed resentment
Day and time: Find a consistent slot. Inconsistent scheduling kills more campaigns than bad DMing
Location: Someone’s home, a game store, or online (Roll20, Foundry VTT, Discord)?
Absence policy: What happens when someone cannot attend? Options: DM pilots the absent player’s character, the character fades into the background, or the session is cancelled. Decide in advance
Minimum attendance: How many players must be present to run a session? Three (including DM) is a common minimum
Expected campaign length: A finite timeline (e.g., “six months, ~15 sessions”) helps with commitment. Open-ended campaigns can feel like obligations

Communication

Group chat platform: Discord, group text, or other? Establish one channel for scheduling and one for in-character/between-session conversation
Between-session expectations: Is there downtime roleplay between sessions? Do players need to level up or update characters before the next session?

Campaign Details

Setting and Tone

Setting: Published world (Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Greyhawk) or homebrew? The DM describes the world in broad strokes — geography, major factions, technology level, magic prevalence
Tone: Heroic fantasy, dark adventure, political intrigue, lighthearted comedy, horror, or a mix? Every player should be excited about the chosen tone
Lethality: How deadly is the game? Options range from “death is rare and always dramatic” to “death is common, roll a new character.” Mismatched expectations about lethality cause the most session-zero-preventable conflicts
Maturity level: Is this a PG-13 game or an R-rated game? Where are the lines on violence, romance, and dark themes?

Rules

Ruleset: 2024 revised rules, 2014 original 5e, or a mix? Clarify which sources are allowed
Homebrew: Are homebrew classes, spells, or rules allowed? If so, does the DM approve them in advance?
Optional rules: Flanking, feats, multiclassing, encumbrance? Address the rules your group cares about
Advancement: Experience points (XP) or milestone leveling? Milestone (leveling at story beats) is simpler; XP rewards combat and exploration more directly
Death and resurrection: Are resurrection spells available? At what cost? Does death have permanent consequences, or is it a speed bump?

See our D&D homebrew rules guide for common house rules.

Character Creation

Mechanical Parameters

Ability score method: Standard Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8), Point Buy, or rolling (4d6 drop lowest)? Standard Array and Point Buy produce balanced parties; rolling introduces variance that some groups enjoy
Starting level: Level 1 is standard for new groups; level 3 gives immediate subclass access and more engaging first sessions
Allowed species: All official species, or limited to the setting? A Warforged may not fit a low-magic medieval setting
Allowed classes: All official classes, or restrictions? Check that the party has reasonable role coverage (someone who heals, someone who fights, someone who solves problems)
Starting equipment: Standard equipment packages, or gold-based purchasing?

Character Connections

Why is the party together? The most important character creation question. “You all meet in a tavern” works but is weak. Stronger: shared employer, common enemy, pre-existing relationships, or mutual obligation
Character connections: Each player should have at least one connection to another player character. “We served in the same military unit” or “She saved my life once” provides immediate relational texture
Character goals: Each character should have a personal goal beyond the campaign’s central plot. These goals give the DM hooks for side quests and character development arcs

For character backstory advice, see our character backstory guide and our D&D 5e beginner guide.

Safety and Boundaries

Content Boundaries

Lines: Topics that are completely off-limits in the game. These are hard boundaries that will not be crossed. Common lines: sexual violence, harm to children, real-world political ideologies
Veils: Topics that can exist in the world but happen “off-screen” — acknowledged but not described in detail. Common veils: torture, graphic injury descriptions, explicit romance
Private communication: Encourage players to share sensitive topics privately with the DM rather than in front of the group. Some boundaries are personal and do not need group discussion

Safety Tools

X-Card: A physical or virtual card that any player can tap to signal they want to fast-forward past current content. No explanation required. Simple and effective
Open Door Policy: Any player can step away from the table at any time, no questions asked. Emphasize that this is always available
Check-ins: The DM periodically asks “everyone good?” during intense scenes. Brief, normalizes the practice, catches issues early

Respect and Table Culture

Phone policy: Phones away during sessions, or acceptable to check? Many groups allow phones on silent with the expectation that attention remains on the game
Spotlight sharing: Encourage players to share the spotlight. One player dominating every social encounter while others sit silently is a common problem. The DM actively directs attention to quieter players
Player vs. character conflict: In-character disagreements are healthy drama. Out-of-character frustration is a real problem. Distinguish between the two explicitly

See our tabletop RPG safety tools guide for detailed implementation.

Optional but Valuable

Play a combat encounter. Run a short combat to teach new players the mechanics and identify rules questions before the campaign begins
Establish campaign soundtrack. Does the DM use background music? Spotify playlists, Syrinscape, or ambient YouTube channels? Agree on volume and genre
Snack protocol. Hosting logistics: who brings food, is the DM excused from hosting duties, rotating snack responsibility? Small logistics prevent recurring friction
Photography and recording. Is anyone recording sessions for actual play purposes? Does everyone consent?

Session Zero Template

The session should flow in this order:

Logistics (30 minutes) — Schedule, location, communication
Campaign pitch (20 minutes) — DM presents the setting, tone, and hook
Safety discussion (15 minutes) — Boundaries, tools, table culture
Rules discussion (15 minutes) — Homebrew, optional rules, advancement
Character creation (45-60 minutes) — Build characters together, establish connections
Practice encounter (optional, 30 minutes) — Short combat to test mechanics

Total: 2-3 hours

Key Takeaways

Session zero prevents the most common campaign-killing problems: mismatched expectations, scheduling conflicts, and interpersonal friction
Lethality, tone, and content boundaries are the three most important alignment topics
Character connections established at session zero create immediate party cohesion
Safety tools (X-Card, lines and veils) are simple to implement and protect player comfort
The 2-3 hour investment saves dozens of hours of conflict resolution later

Next Steps

Learn the rules with our D&D 5e beginner guide
Prepare to run the game with our DM tips guide
Plan your campaign with our campaign planning guide

GoblinWars covers tabletop RPGs, strategy games, and fantasy gaming culture.

Sources

D&D Beyond — Official Rules — accessed March 2026
Roll20 Compendium — accessed March 2026