Whether you are playing Dungeons & Dragons, a homebrew game, or any other tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG), planning an RPG session requires careful thought and preparation. You need to decide on the type of game you want to play, create characters for each player, come up with interesting storylines and scenarios, plan out battles and encounters, and more. With proper planning, you can make sure that everyone has a great experience during your RPG session. In this article, we'll discuss some tips on how to plan an engaging RPG session that will keep your players coming back for more!
Step 1: Logistics!
The first step in planning your RPG session is to nail down the details of who, what, when and where the session will happen. You'll also need to set some important intentions: is this session going to be the start of a whole campaign, or just a
one-shot adventure? You plan differently for a session that's intended to
begin a lengthy RPG campaign.
You'll need to determine who your players are, and make sure they know how to prepare. That means they'll need to know what game system you're using, as well as any house rules that will apply for character creation. If you're using World Anvil as a DM tool, you'll need to
invite your players. You'll also need to prepare any handouts they'll need for your session. A
World Anvil Primer can be a great tool for creating interactive handouts that are easy to share.
If you're planning to play in person, you'll need to determine where. If you're playing online, you'll need to decide what tools you'll be using to support that; from virtual tabletops (VTTs) to streaming platforms. If you're playing online, will it be camera-on, voice-only, or text chat? Different players are more comfortable with different formats, and it's good to get clarity on this early. You might also want to consider looking at some scheduling tools - the most common reason games don't work out is scheduling conflicts.
Speaking of which, if this session is just one amidst a longer campaign, you'll need to set some ground rules for attendance. How many players need to show up to avoid cancelling the session, and how will you handle a missing player? Of course, this assumes you already have players ready to go. If not, you can actually look to the World Anvil community! One of the settings in our
Campaign tools is "Looking for Players," and our community Discord has a "Looking for Group" channel.
Step 2a: Session Zero prep!
Session Zero is a specialized type of RPG session, and a valuable tool for anyone prepping an entire campaign. This is a collaborative process that allows players to co-create the world they will be playing in and gets everyone on the same page. Running a successful Session Zero can be tricky, but with the right mindset it can help make sure everyone at your table has a better experience.
There are two main objectives you'll be working towards in this session:
player preparation and
player accommodation. The player preparation piece is pretty self-explanatory. Think of it as your onboarding process for the campaign. You'll be able to help your players understand the world they'll be entering, their role as players, and any other must-know information. It's also incredibly helpful with new players, as an opportunity to not just help them get up to speed on the basic mechanics of the game, but also help them with character creation, which can be an overwhelming decision-making process. Your session zero should end with all players possessing all the information they need to be ready to sit down and play in session 1.
Player preparation is all about letting your players know
what you need from them as GM. Player accommodation is about letting your players tell you
what they need to have a safe and fun experience. This includes taking into consideration sensitive content that could be overwhelming or emotionally distressing for some players, and setting up rules in advance about how to handle it. There are GM tools and techniques like the practice of "lines and veils" or X-cards, which can help players let you know what topics or content they'd prefer to avoid. Session zero is the ideal time to discuss these safety tools.
You should also include accessibility considerations that can make the game easier for players with disabilities. You may need to discuss visual aids, audio cues, scheduled breaks, and other accessibility aids that can make playing more comfortable for people who process information differently, or need to get up and move more often than others.
This might also be a great time to provide a World Primer to your players. This is a brief handout of essential articles that will get them up to speed on the things their characters should know. If you this information to your players now, they'll have time to review it before their first play session.
The point of a session zero is to prepare both you and your players to have the
best possible experience at the table. But it requires different planning and preparation than a standard session - after all, you won't actually be playing in a session zero. So that's what we'll cover next!
Step 2b: Subsequent Session prep!
Planning for any session after session zero is where the adventure you have in your head meets the unpredictable hijinks of your players' decisions! To make sure each session starts off well, you'll want to have a quick catch up prepared. Think of this as the "previously on" intro to your favorite serialized TV show. It's just a quick recap to remind players where you left off, in case they forgot to take notes (or haven't looked at their notes since they took them).
As you go along, you may want to document your players' adventures in session notes or on a timeline in World Anvil. This can make review super easy for everyone.
It's also wise to do a quick check in with your players to make sure they've done their own prep for the session. It's a good idea to remind them of things like leveling up their characters, updating their equipment, and yes, reviewing their notes. If you found important items and treasure in your last session, make sure everyone is in agreement with where those items are ("in Aragorn's satchel").
If there are any vital clues they identified or plot hooks, you may want to mention them in the recap. You can also make map notations in World Anvil to document the location of things like plot hooks, important clues, or NPCs. This puts less of the burden on you as the GM, and can make it feel less like you're leading the players along a prescribed path.
This preparation will lead to less time wasted at the beginning of your session, trying to pick up the threads of the story where you left off last time. If you didn't provide your players with a World Primer in session zero (or if you didn't have a session zero), it's a good idea to send it out as part of your first play session prep.
Step 3: Prepping RPG Session Encounters!
For most play sessions, you'll need to prepare for any encounters you expect to happen during that session.
To prep for your encounters, you'll need to consider what triggers each one. Is it a location, or a set of circumstances, that will set those gears in motion?
If you are planning on throwing monsters at your party (and why wouldn't you?), you'll need to get familiar with not just their stats, but their tactics. Consider when or if they'll disengage and run. Do they attack as a group or pack, or prefer to face-off one on one? Will they hold their most powerful abilities in reserve, or go immediately for shock and awe? This is where being the GM can be really fun; getting in the mindset of wild and fantastical creatures.
Want to throw an unexpected curveball at experienced players? You can always create a custom monster. If you don't have time for that, check out World Anvil's Community Stat Block library! It's full of homebrewed beasties that your players won't already be familiar with.
Of course, an encounter doesn't necessarily mean combat; it could mean a puzzle or other challenge or obstacle in their way. Part of your session prep will be at least sketching out any NPCs the players will encounter. This works best when you remember they have goals that aren't "help the players get to the next thing." You don't have to be a theater kid or improv master, but your world will feel richer if NPCs feel like they have lives that extend past the edges of the scene at least a little. And also: don't feel like you have to do an accent for every NPC.
Lastly, you'll need to establish where vital clues, items, treasure, and plot hooks can be found. As with NPCs, it pays to give this a little extra thought. Think about the in-universe reasons that particular items may have been tucked away in a specific place. Consider your own home and possessions, and how things get moved around, hidden, discarded or given pride of place. This will make your players feel less like the point of the game is "stab monster to see what loot falls out." It creates a sense of authenticity.
Step 4: RPG Session Wrap-Up
A great session is also a great opportunity to plan for the next one, and to set yourself and your players up for success. Regardless of whether your players do, be sure to take down detailed session notes while it's all still fresh in your mind. This can be challenging to do during the session. As GM, you're keeping a lot of plates spinning behind the scenes. But even if all you can do is take quick abbreviated notes, it's best to flesh those out immediately, while you still remember what those abbreviations mean!
It's also a good idea to do a quick player check-in during session wrap-up. Ask them what went well, and what could have been better. If you notice any inter-player conflict or drama starting up, the wrap up is also a good chance to head that off and clear the air, if you're comfortable doing so. If you want to be really professional, there are a lot of anonymous suggestion box options available.
A prepared GM is a confident and happy GM. And a confident and happy GM leads to better player experiences. So invest the time to do your homework! It will pay off with a more rewarding game!
