What are your favorite questions to ask Players during their first session to get things started?
The first group I ran DW for, I asked some questions, but probably not enough. We (that group) have since played a few more sessions and I’m getting better, but tonight I am running a game for 4 new people who have never played before.
As such, I will be asking questions of them to get things rolling, and I thought I would ask you… *what questions have you lead with for an opening session? Do you have go-to questions in these situations?*
NOTE: I’m not in any particular rush to hear back before I run my session later tonight (though that could be helpful). I’m mostly hoping for discussion about the questions, why you think they have worked well, approaches based on the prior player experiences with DW, etc.
Thanks!
Hard question. I usually ask questions depending on the presentation of the characters, and their character generation choices. Especially those that decide something about the setting, like the Clerics god.
A good one I’ve asked is “how did you find out that the Black Brothers Syndicate has covertly taken over the capital city?”
I usually let the players write their own dooms with leading questions. Who are you currently running from? Why are they angry? Whose fault is that?
I make them draw their own hometown/temple/castle, and then ask them “what is the strangest rumour or legend about this place?”
Thanks for the answers all, I appreciate it 😉
At the start for a new group I try to ask players for their characters’ input or influence on a particular subject.
“Thief, who do you have a feud with in e thieves guild?”
“Fighter, how were you instrumental in the current regimes victory in the civil war?”
“Wizard, how are you responsible for burning down the docks 3 years ago? Who knows its your fault?”
“Cleric, on what part of your faith’s doctrine do you disagree with the Cardinal about? Is it a friendly disagreement?”
“Ranger, why were you exiled from the city all those years ago?”
“Druid, how long have you had the visions of the destruction of your homeland?”
“Bard, which noble house owes you a great debt? Which other noble house has this made an enemy out of?”
I just wanted to say that this thread has been tremendously helpful for me!
Every time I run a one shot I get compliments on my DMing style and I think that 90% of that comes from these types of questions right here.
So thank you.
I took these questions from somebody, can’t remember who:
-What is the most fantastic feature of this world?
Examples:
“It’s covered in man-eating vines (like from little shop of horrors)”
“Islands dominate the world, separated from each other by water, air, or void.”
“It’s a snow covered planet”
-What is the most dangerous creature in this region?
Examples:
“Well the purple Wurms of course”
“The Tree insect. It’s like a stick insect only much, MUCH bigger”
“Dinosaurs”
– What organizations have the most influence in the world?
(Actually haven’t tried this one yet.)