Soon me and my players have planned a session where we are going to sit down and out of game ask eachother things about their characters and the campaign overall.
What would be some good questions that I could ask my players? Maybe things that can make them think about their character a little bit more.
If you have any suggestions id love to hear!
Thank you!
Edit: This campaign has ran for more than 20 sessions so the players have experience with their characters and they understand them. all of them are also experienced dnd players.
I think it is safe to assume most D&D players are fans of Tolkien, Greek and Norse mythology, Conan the Barbarian etc.
I like to ask players who their favorite characters are in these movies books etc. This helps players to understand what type of PC they want to play and will give you an idea of what they would like their PCs to achieve.
Another thing is to have the first game or 2 be a simple dungeon crawl or exploration with no real objective. This should allow you to gauge how the players react to various situations before finding them a place in your campaign. It will also let the players develop their PC personas.
#1 What book/movie/show do you want the game to feel like? Heroic fantasy like Lord of the Rings? Dark fantasy like The Witcher? Realistic fantasy like Game of Thrones? Lighthearted fantasy like The Princess Bride? Ridiculous fantasy like Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Over-the-top fantasy like...I don't know, anime? (You can see I don't really like anime.)
#2 What prior relationships might the characters have, and how did they meet? Maybe some were childhood friends. Maybe one saved another's life. Maybe two have traveled together for years. Maybe they had a chance-meeting on the road, or are part of the same company, or have a common enemy.
Questions 2 and 3 could be switched out, but definitely start with finding out if players are enjoying the game/world/their party interaction.
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"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Edit: I just reread the OP specifying this session was specifically out of game. Disregard the clever wording to get the character to give the answer and just use the questions as intended to give the DM info on what the players want to see their characters do or become.
All questions worded as being asked in character or at least to the character.
**************
What magic item has [your character] heard of that they would really love to get their hands on?
what kinds of [NPCs] do they instantly trust/distrust?
is there someone from their backstory that is still in their life and they are surprised they haven’t heard from or seen in a while?
what has surprised them most about adventuring?
what is the biggest assumption they had before adventuring that’s been challenged by actual experience?
is there a setting or terrain they would avoid going to if the party weren’t with them?
is there a place they’d like to see that they’ve never been to?
what is your character’s personal goal(s) (not beat the campaign BBEG, personal)
Who are their living family members and/or childhood friends, where are they and how close are their relationships?
Same question, but about their mentor.
Simce the campaign has been going for a while, you can also ask about those relationships: how do they like each individual other party member, why are they still traveling with the party, who is their favorite and least favorite NPC.
Session Zeros are a fantastic idea! Get your friends, some snacks, and just talk about what all of you want out of this shared game. And you already have a plethora of fantastic suggestions for things to ask in this thread.
Remember that, as the DM, the players will naturally look to you for managing this game. So don't forget to remind your players that you are a player too and are looking to also have fun! Make sure you answer the questions you pose that make sense, and encourage your players to ask YOU questions about what YOU want.
Also I'd highly recommend having a Safety System in place for you game. Something easy your players can use to signal if things are getting rough. It doesn't need to be elaborate, I prefer the X card myself because it's simple and easy. Check out Kienna's resource for anything you might need!
As for additional questions I'd suggest...
How do the characters know each other? Is this their first adventure together? Is there an origin story to the group?
What goals does your group have that align with your characters personal goals?
What kind of story are you after? Heroic fantasy? Dungeon Crawl? Political intrigue? Puzzles and riddles? Building a castle and running a kingdom? What percentage of each?
What percentage of a single game would you prefer to be role playing versus combat?
Are you interested in a huge, overall campaign or something more episodic?
Session Zeros are a fantastic idea! Get your friends, some snacks, and just talk about what all of you want out of this shared game. And you already have a plethora of fantastic suggestions for things to ask in this thread.
Remember that, as the DM, the players will naturally look to you for managing this game. So don't forget to remind your players that you are a player too and are looking to also have fun! Make sure you answer the questions you pose that make sense, and encourage your players to ask YOU questions about what YOU want.
Also I'd highly recommend having a Safety System in place for you game. Something easy your players can use to signal if things are getting rough. It doesn't need to be elaborate, I prefer the X card myself because it's simple and easy. Check out Kienna's resource for anything you might need!
As for additional questions I'd suggest...
How do the characters know each other? Is this their first adventure together? Is there an origin story to the group?
What goals does your group have that align with your characters personal goals?
What kind of story are you after? Heroic fantasy? Dungeon Crawl? Political intrigue? Puzzles and riddles? Building a castle and running a kingdom? What percentage of each?
What percentage of a single game would you prefer to be role playing versus combat?
Are you interested in a huge, overall campaign or something more episodic?
this isn't a session 0. We have had 23 sessions already.
I recently received a good question from a player for a level 20 one-shot game I was making, which was this: Can the Tome Of Leadership And Influence increase your maximum charisma score beyond 30? I honestly don't know and would love to hear your guys'es opinions on the matter.
Would you allow a druid circle of Spore to have a Myconid companion and to use woodland beings summon Myconid and guardian of nature to become a Myconid Sovereign this is foir a mycologist
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Dear dungeon masters,
Soon me and my players have planned a session where we are going to sit down and out of game ask eachother things about their characters and the campaign overall.
What would be some good questions that I could ask my players? Maybe things that can make them think about their character a little bit more.
If you have any suggestions id love to hear!
Thank you!
Edit: This campaign has ran for more than 20 sessions so the players have experience with their characters and they understand them. all of them are also experienced dnd players.
The Dungeon Dudes suggested 3 that I plan to use in my first Session 0 which should be in 2 weeks. They are:
1. What is your favorite thing to do in D&D?
2. What is one thing you've always wanted to do in D&D, but never been able to, and would really like to do?
3. What's your #1 pet peeve in D&D?
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
I think it is safe to assume most D&D players are fans of Tolkien, Greek and Norse mythology, Conan the Barbarian etc.
I like to ask players who their favorite characters are in these movies books etc. This helps players to understand what type of PC they want to play and will give you an idea of what they would like their PCs to achieve.
Another thing is to have the first game or 2 be a simple dungeon crawl or exploration with no real objective. This should allow you to gauge how the players react to various situations before finding them a place in your campaign. It will also let the players develop their PC personas.
GOOD LUCK!.
#1 What book/movie/show do you want the game to feel like? Heroic fantasy like Lord of the Rings? Dark fantasy like The Witcher? Realistic fantasy like Game of Thrones? Lighthearted fantasy like The Princess Bride? Ridiculous fantasy like Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Over-the-top fantasy like...I don't know, anime? (You can see I don't really like anime.)
#2 What prior relationships might the characters have, and how did they meet? Maybe some were childhood friends. Maybe one saved another's life. Maybe two have traveled together for years. Maybe they had a chance-meeting on the road, or are part of the same company, or have a common enemy.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Questions 2 and 3 could be switched out, but definitely start with finding out if players are enjoying the game/world/their party interaction.
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Edit: I just reread the OP specifying this session was specifically out of game. Disregard the clever wording to get the character to give the answer and just use the questions as intended to give the DM info on what the players want to see their characters do or become.
All questions worded as being asked in character or at least to the character.
**************
What magic item has [your character] heard of that they would really love to get their hands on?
what kinds of [NPCs] do they instantly trust/distrust?
is there someone from their backstory that is still in their life and they are surprised they haven’t heard from or seen in a while?
what has surprised them most about adventuring?
what is the biggest assumption they had before adventuring that’s been challenged by actual experience?
is there a setting or terrain they would avoid going to if the party weren’t with them?
is there a place they’d like to see that they’ve never been to?
what will they buy when they have “enough” gold?
What are three things your character loves
Three things they hate
what is your character’s personal goal(s) (not beat the campaign BBEG, personal)
Who are their living family members and/or childhood friends, where are they and how close are their relationships?
Same question, but about their mentor.
Simce the campaign has been going for a while, you can also ask about those relationships: how do they like each individual other party member, why are they still traveling with the party, who is their favorite and least favorite NPC.
Session Zeros are a fantastic idea! Get your friends, some snacks, and just talk about what all of you want out of this shared game. And you already have a plethora of fantastic suggestions for things to ask in this thread.
Remember that, as the DM, the players will naturally look to you for managing this game. So don't forget to remind your players that you are a player too and are looking to also have fun! Make sure you answer the questions you pose that make sense, and encourage your players to ask YOU questions about what YOU want.
Also I'd highly recommend having a Safety System in place for you game. Something easy your players can use to signal if things are getting rough. It doesn't need to be elaborate, I prefer the X card myself because it's simple and easy. Check out Kienna's resource for anything you might need!
As for additional questions I'd suggest...
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
this isn't a session 0. We have had 23 sessions already.
I recently received a good question from a player for a level 20 one-shot game I was making, which was this: Can the Tome Of Leadership And Influence increase your maximum charisma score beyond 30? I honestly don't know and would love to hear your guys'es opinions on the matter.
It’s often also a good idea to ask if any of your players have any triggers or topics they would otherwise also prefer to avoid.
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Would you allow a druid circle of Spore to have a Myconid companion and to use woodland beings summon Myconid and guardian of nature to become a Myconid Sovereign this is foir a mycologist