Session zero

Session Zero Prompts for Scene-First Campaigns

ReadyScene can help a group talk about the kinds of places, rumors, NPCs, and complications they want before the first full session begins. Use these prompts to turn generated social scenes into a shared campaign language instead of a pile of unused prep.

Tone prompts

Generate two or three venues with different moods, then ask the group what feels exciting, too silly, too bleak, or just right. This gives players concrete examples instead of abstract tone words.

• Which generated venue sounds like a place your character would willingly visit?
• Which detail feels outside the campaign's tone?
• Should social scenes feel cozy, dangerous, strange, political, comedic, or mixed?

Safety and comfort prompts

Generated rumors and hidden problems can introduce pressure quickly, so it helps to decide what kinds of pressure belong at the table. Keep the conversation practical: which themes are welcome, which should fade to background, and which should be avoided entirely.

• Are betrayals, surveillance, debt, addiction, horror, or public humiliation acceptable scene material?
• Should taverns and cantinas mostly be safe rests, risky crossroads, or unreliable neutral ground?
• When a generated result feels wrong for the table, who can call for a reroll or quick edit?

Recurring location prompts

A campaign often becomes easier to run when the group cares about one or two recurring public places. Generate a few candidates and let players vote on which locations should become part of the world from the start.

• Which venue could become the party's regular meeting place?
• Which keeper, fixer, regular, or rival should know the characters already?
• What detail should stay consistent every time the location appears?

Travel and downtime prompts

Social venues are useful bridges between larger adventures. They can mark distance, introduce factions, show consequences, and give characters room to breathe. Use session zero to decide whether travel stops and downtime scenes should be quick color or meaningful play.

• How often should travel include taverns, road houses, cantinas, diners, or rest stops?
• Should downtime rumors point toward the main plot, side jobs, character history, or local color?
• Do players want recurring NPCs to follow them between scenes, or should most contacts stay local?

Campaign expectation prompts

The best generated scene is the one the table knows how to use. Before play begins, agree on how much improvisation the group wants from generated material.

• Can generated NPCs become major campaign figures if players latch onto them?
• Should rumors be mostly true, mostly unreliable, or mixed?
• When the generator creates a great detail, who decides whether it becomes canon?

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