Session 0: Getting Everyone on the Same Page

Tavern Tales is a very collaborative game.

First, you need to choose which optional rules to use.

Next, it’s important to build consensus about the tone, setting, and expectations for the group. You may not want a player having rolled up a goofy space marine in a grim, high-fantasy setting.

Tone and Power Level

Make sure that everyone knows where the game boundaries are, not in terms of mechanics or setting (that comes later), but just in terms of what sort of tone you want the table to have. What’s their comfort level with certain topics?

Here’s a few good starting questions, but, your group might need to hash out other things as well before moving on.

• Are PCs allowed do something not in character for the sake of a good joke?
• Is the GM allowed to kill of PCs as a consequence for (preferably several) Bad Tales? Or is that decision reserved to the Player who controls the character?
• Is your game going to be a dungeon-crawling and black-and-white adventure, or is it going to be more dramatic and cerebral?
• Would a gory, detailed description of brutally tearing the necromancer’s head off be welcome, or would it turn some people off?
• Is hitting on the barmaid (or anyone else) OK? Does it fade to black if the PC is successful, or is your group after-hours?
• Are PCs allowed to fight amongst each other? Can they fight to the death?

Here’s a simple tool to help that process. Everyone collaborates on where the limits for the campaign are.

 

Situation	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
	Hopeful					Dark		Bleak		Hopeless
Power-level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
	Mice		Gollum		Bilbo			Gandalf		Thanos
Sexuality	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
	PG		PG-13			Rated R			NC-17		XXX
Violence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
	PG		PG-13			Rated R			NC-17		???
Tone	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
	Silly		Goofy			Serious		Deadly Serious		Cancer & Genocide
PvP	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
	NO!			Routine non-deadly conflict			Routine life-threatening conflict			YES! Frequent & Lethal

Other considerations:

• Commonality of Magical or Powerful items.
• Nationalism, Xenophobia, Racism, Oppression

Building a World

Tavern Tales works best with a setting you create collaboratively with your group.

Start with a blank map. Take turns adding 1 thing to the world map. It can be a geographical feature, a population, an exotic location, or a notable historical event. Ask each other questions about the new addition. Riff off each other’s ideas.

Work together to build a world you would all enjoy exploring. Take this opportunity to revisit Tone, Difficulty, Genre-Tropes, and Expectations.

Where does your character come from? How do they fit into this world?

For more detailed world-building, check out two other excellent games: Microscope and Dawn of Worlds