Session Zero Talking Points

New Character Questions

These are some questions I, as a DM, want answered about your new characters as you begin play in Mitia in addition to the standard 5e characterization systems.

• Henos, the "old world," has been under the near-total control of the autocratic, vaguely fascist Vanyal Empire for millennium. They have regimented the many races into very narrow roles, control the banks, and violently suppress any rebellion, but at least remained somewhat meritocratic and pragmatic towards servile populations. Recently, life in Henos has grown exponentially more difficult. During the world's first eclipse, a vast invasion of the Empire at the hands of the vampiric hordes from the North killed many citizens and obliterated the Empire's infrastructure, while a cabal of Sanguinist Vanyal vampires wrested control of the Empire from the ruling family and now rule in (open) secret. While there are many reasons to leave Henos, what are yours?
• Leaving Henos for the new world is no easy feat. It requires a substantial fund of money (250-500 gold pieces per person) to pay a smuggler to thread the Scintillstrait, which in turn is a dangerous part of the Cleaving Sea due to inclement weather and roving pirates, privateers, and monsters. What did you do or sacrifice in Henos to pay your way to the new world, Aurelia? Consider the below question in your answer, as well.
• Immigrants and refugees from Henos are seldom alone. Who amongst your loved ones and friends are coming with you to Aurelia? What are they like? Give me three adjectives describing each loved one coming with you to the new world.
• Few people from Henos have accurate expectations for what Aurelia will be like. Regardless of accuracy or likelihood, what is your greatest hope for your life in the new world? Conversely, what is your greatest fear?
• All new citizens of the Republic who legally enter into it are required to sit in a truth spell and answer a long list of immigrancy questions. There are too many to list for each player, but, if plied, what issues might concern your character? Do they mean harm to any other citizen of the Republic? Do they have any nefarious intentions while in the Republic? Consider secrets your characters might harbor that, if compelled to tell the truth, may arise during questioning.

Session Zero Topics

Team Building Questions

1. What's one thing you love about RPG's? Favorite moments, interactions, and general aspects of the game are all valid!
2. What are you most excited or hopeful for with this game? Puzzle-solving? Tactical battles? Roleplay? Exploration? All of the above?
3. What strength do you bring to the table as a player? Optional question: is there a weakness as a player that you hope to address with this game?

Scheduling

When: Likely bi-weekly starting early in the new year after the holidays; will discuss at length in Session Zero Meeting. As for how long the game lasts, that will also be up for discussion. I tend to do "arcs" as much as I can where the game is free to end after completion of an arc, or continue onto a new arc if the party is ready and willing to do so.
Where: One of our players, Rob, has kindly offered up his home in Atascadero as our playspace. Otherwise, if for some reason he or his home is not available, I can move fairly quickly to transfer the game over to online play for a session.
Absences: You are responsible for managing your own schedule and for informing me, the DM, of absences. If it would help, I have the ability to set up a text reminder system. I know that bi-weekly games can sneak up on a group, so if that will help everyone, I will collect contact info, set you up for "appointments" in my site, and establish some appointment reminder texts to go out before the game.
As for Absence Threshold, I tend to cancel if more than one person is missing from a four-person group. Three is manageable, but two down from four often just feels weird. I tend to maintain a "play if we have 60-75% of players" rule, so if we ever get more players we'd still play if we were missing two from a group of five or six people.
Missing players' characters will be sidelined if appropriate. If the party is in a civilized place, or otherwise in a state where there is no immediate danger, the PC will wander off to go do something of import.
If a player must be absent in a place of imminent danger, such as a dungeon, boss fight, heist, etc., their character will remain active as an NPC played by the DM, and is liable to be harmed or killed as would any other NPC. I am a big proponent of NPCs on a particular "side" of the conflict doing their best to survive, so I will do what I can to play your character to the best of my ability. That, however, relies on...
Standing Orders If you are absent, I will expect you to provide me with Standing Orders for your character. In the event that they are excused from action, all I require is a brief description of what they go and do. This may include a one or two rolls upon their return to the party to see how they fared in their downtime endeavor and a descriptor of what was gained or lost as a result.
If you know in advance that you will be absent for the next session upon entry into a "zone of action" (dungeon crawl, heist, etc.), we can discuss having your character take up some kind of support role that excuses them from entering into that zone, thus excusing them from further action. That way, should the action last multiple sessions, your character is in proximity and able to rejoin the party if necessary. This may mean that you have to stand by during the party's play to a limited degree, but I will do what I can to make your remaining play time for the session interesting while you guard the mouth of the dungeon, watch their endeavors from a nearby roof, and so on.
If your character is not excused from action, I will require the following in writing on your cancellation: 1. Their vital statistics, if not digitally accessible by me (HP, Attack Bonus, Spell Points, etc.) If you do not or cannot provide this, I will be forced to make stuff up as approximately as I can.
2. Standing Orders for the following behaviors:
A) Main goal for the action (protect X party member, kill enemy Y, steal object Z, etc.)
B) Flight threshold (under what circumstances would they abandon the fight or start encouraging the group to do so)
C) Any special conditions (Do not use more than 50% of Spell Points, use fire to block the enemy's doorways, etc.)
This is not meant to be oppressive or unkind; I find characters vanishing from impending action to be extremely awkward. One moment you're a team of four, and suddenly your fighter poofs out of existence. This can both wrench a group out of immersion, but also forces a group and DM to adjust strategy unnecessarily. I require the above because your character, beyond your conscious will, wants to survive and accomplish things, as do all living things. They can still do that in your absence, I just need to know how that looks to you. They still may get injured and die, but your agency will still be a part of their decision-making.