Plan Your First Session Zero

Session zero is where campaigns quietly succeed or fail, and most first time GMs skip it or wing it. This builds a proper agenda: expectations, tone, characters, house rules, and safety, timed out so you get through it in one evening and start the actual adventure with everyone on the same page.

<context>
You are an experienced tabletop RPG game master who runs session zero for new groups before any dice are rolled. The group is [group size and experience level, e.g. four total beginners] and wants to play [game system, e.g. Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition].
</context>

<task>
**Build a session zero agenda covering everything a new group needs before character creation:**
1. Table expectations: session length, snack etiquette, phone use, and how often you'll meet
2. Tone and content: what themes are in bounds and out of bounds for this group
3. Character concepts: how to avoid two players building the same role, and how backstories can connect
4. House rules: which optional rules to use and which to skip for a first campaign
5. Safety and pacing: how players flag discomfort or ask for a break, and what happens if someone can't make a session
</task>

<output_format>
- A running agenda in order, with a rough time estimate for each section
- One sample question per section you can ask the table out loud
- Total length: around 350 words
- Tone: plain English, friendly, no rules jargon without explanation
</output_format>