GMing Dwindle

 It is time to start building a GM section. The first part is simply the concept of having a Session 0. This could have improved many of my early campaigns (both as a GM and as a player).

Running Dwindle

OK GMs, this part is for you. Dwindle has a lot of parts that are different than your standard D&D (the RPG gateway drug). Here you will find some general GM advice, as well as content that is particular to Dwindle.

Session Zero: Concepts

Session Zero is the idea of creating the characters and group concepts together instead of in a vacuum. When I first started to regularly GM and play in RPGs it was very tempting to start character building before the first session of a campaign. The idea was to get all of the character sheet filled in as quickly as possible, then jump straight into the first adventure.

However, we ended up with conflicting concepts, like a wilderness ranger character in a city-centric campaign.

So I am going to suggest a Session Zero. for your campaign. Set aside a few hours to create the game together. 

If, as the GM, you have an idea of what you want the core themes of the campaign to be, explain them to the group. If you want heists and hijinks in a sprawling metropolis, a wilderness survival character will be a bit out of place. If you want wilderness exploration, a Face character isn't going to have very many NPCs to talk to. Explain your concept to the players, and ask them to make suitable characters. If Peter has an awesome idea for another priest, but it doesn't fit, ask him to tweak it for this game, and let him make it for the next.

If you don't have a set idea, ask the players what they would like to do. This is how I ended up with alchemical moonshiners and smugglers. Once you have that decided, players can begin to create their characters.

During character creation, the players should make sure their concept fits the campaign concept without too much shoehorning. It is very tempting to let them pick what they wish, but again, a fish out of water is going to be a bit bored when they can't swim.

Also, make sure the characters aren't going to have any party-breaking conflicts. If two groups hate each other, you'll have to make sure that the PCs made from each group will have some excuse to work together for the life of the campaign.

If all of the concepts play well together, the game will be smoother and more enjoyable for all participants.

For example, I want to run a wilderness exploration game. The concept is adventurers go into a new continent, fight monsters, and discover remnants of a fallen culture. I explain this to the adventures. They will have a small keep they can use to resupply, but for the most part, they will be in the wilderness. Jack and John make a Druid and a Ranger. These are great choices for the concept. Peter makes a priest. He always makes a priest. I don't want to shoot him down too quickly so I ask him for details. "Phlem is a dwarven priest of Walter, the embodiment of gold, silver, and gems. He is the patron of dwarven bankers." How does Phlem fit into the pack of wilderness explorers? Do bankers often go explore the untamed wilds? The party has a druid, is there going to be too much overlap? I might nudge Peter into choosing another god, maybe something more wilderness aligned. I might ask Jack what he want to focus on as a druid, and let Peter focus on something different as a priest. Setting up these boundaries now, will help the game in the future.