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Session zero checklist builder

Get everyone talking before the first adventure. Pick the topics your D&D or TTRPG group needs, then take a ready-made agenda to the table.

Free, with no account needed. Your entries stay in this page and disappear when you leave or reload. Keep personal explanations and anyone’s private disclosures out of shared notes.

Adapted from the session zero notes Rob uses for his own campaigns. Read our session zero guide and proposed timeline for why these conversations matter. Leave at least 30 minutes to start playing together.

Your session zero checklist

27 discussion topics selected. Export a copy before you leave.

Checklist preview

Session zero checklist

Table format: Online

The game we want to play
[ ] Agree on the campaign premise, tone and game system.
[ ] Compare what everyone enjoys: exploration, conversation, combat and character stories.
[ ] Ask each player what they want more of, what they want less of and a scene they would enjoy.
[ ] Discuss how humour, danger and serious moments fit the campaign you are pitching.

Characters with a reason to be here
[ ] Give each character a reason to stay in the setting, help with its problems and work with the party.
[ ] Ask for one short-term goal, one longer-term goal and an unresolved problem the GM can build on.
[ ] Decide how the characters met, why they stay together and something they have already survived together.
[ ] Give each character a connection to another party member, such as a favour owed or a reason to trust them.
[ ] If using character secrets, agree their limits and let players privately discuss prompts that do not fit their character.
[ ] If useful, choose a personal keepsake and explain what it means to the character.

Rules we agree to use
[ ] Set starting level, character options, house rules and how to settle rules questions.
[ ] Decide how much to track food, equipment and other supplies, and how characters level up.
[ ] Discuss character death, replacement characters and when the group can revise an earlier ruling or event.

Making the game happen
[ ] Choose a day, time zone, session length and regular break.
[ ] Agree how much notice to give and what happens when someone cannot make it.
[ ] Set the minimum number of players needed to play and choose where to post schedule changes.
[ ] Check voice chat, microphones, the virtual tabletop and a backup if someone disconnects.

Looking after the table
[ ] Offer a private way to set boundaries, with no explanation required.
[ ] Choose a simple way to pause or change a scene, and make sure everyone knows it.
[ ] Agree expectations for character conflict, secrets and player-versus-player actions.
[ ] Decide how to check in after a difficult scene and revisit agreements as the campaign develops.

Recording, recaps and sharing
[ ] Ask everyone before recording. Explain how Recap Raven creates recaps, agree who can see them and how anyone can request a pause or stop.
[ ] Show players how to use /ask in Discord after each Memory session to ask campaign questions, with player-safe answers backed by transcript quotes and source links.

Start the adventure together
[ ] Leave room for questions about the campaign, character ideas and anything still undecided.
[ ] Read back the shared agreements, confirm the next game date and arrange a check-in after the first few sessions.
[ ] Reserve at least 30 minutes to start playing: let characters meet, roleplay and discover the first real adventure hook.
[ ] Give every player a chance to speak in character and show why their character joins in.

Use this as a discussion agenda. A checked-off topic does not replace everyone’s agreement. Keep personal explanations and anyone’s private disclosures out of shared notes.

Made with Recap Raven | https://recapraven.com/tools/session-zero-checklist

When everyone is ready, let Raven take the notes

Once your group agrees to recording, invite Recap Raven to Discord for free session recording and player-safe recaps. Keep your attention on the adventure and come back to what happened afterwards.

Invite Recap Raven free See a worked session zero example

Free includes five Standard sessions in your first 30 days, then two every 30 days, up to three hours each.

A Recap Raven session recap delivered to the players in Discord

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Your session zero checklist

When everyone is ready, let Raven take the notes