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Before you start rolling the dice and facing dangers, we recommend that you discuss the game at length to get everyone on the same page about what kind of game this will be. This might be a group chat in the weeks leading up to the game, or an in-person sit-down for the first hour or two of the first session.

Be honest with and kind to each other, listen respectfully, and try to get everyone to contribute. Work together to create something that you’re all interested in, and pay special attention if someone says no. This discussion is not restricted to the start of the game; so feel free to revisit it in the future.

Example topics to discuss include:

• What type(s) of fantasy are you interested in (dark, epic, grim, steampunk, sword & sorcery, etc.)?
• What ideas do you have for the game?
• What types of adventures would you like your PC(s) to have?
• What story elements and/or themes would you like to explore?
• How long would you like the game to last (one-shot, short adventure, campaign, long campaign, etc.)?
• What things you'd like to be off-limits (see “Lines and Veils” under Safety Tools)?
• What do and don’t you want to see in the game?
• What Safety Tools will you use?
• What kind of character would you want to play?

We advise that you try and establish as clear a vision for the fantasy world you're adventuring in as possible. Perhaps it's a custom world of the GM's creation, or a world from a fantasy book or movie, or a world you co-create together here and now.

As tempting as it can be (especially as the GM), we don’t recommend establishing everything about the world right now. Instead, we think that focusing on what you need to start adventuring, and add in anything else you find interesting as you play, will serve you much better. We feel that leaving plenty of room for compelling mysteries, unanswered questions, and empty spaces that can be later filled in will probably lead to more fun in the long run.

Here are some example questions to discuss about the area in which the adventure starts. The last question of each is intended to create opportunities for adventure.

• What is the nearby landscape like? The weather? What strange phenomenon is unique to this area?
• What ancestries coexist here? How peaceful is that coexistence? How common are humans in the world? Which ancestry recently appeared in the world, or vanished from it?
• What gods are revered or worshipped? Are they plainly real, or is their existence a matter of faith? What rumors or secrets follow them or their followers?
• Who rules or governs this land? How have they maintained power or authority? Who works to undermine them?
• What cultural arts or practices are unique to this area? How are stories, traditions, and lessons remembered and maintained? Who's trying to twist or silence them?
• How accepted is magic in this area? Is it seen as a convenient tool, mysterious wonder, or unstable danger? How common is its practice or study? What magical curse or catastrophe still shapes this area?
• How technologically advanced is this area? What unique technology or tools have been developed? What resource or risk of their creation is becoming less sustainable?
• When did war last sweep this area? What was forever lost in the bloodshed? What finally brought peace? What encroaching threat or simmering conflict might bring war again?
• How common are adventurers, and how are they treated? Are they valued heroes or taken for granted? How often do people rely on them instead of guards or soldiers? What infamous adventurer(s) give them a bad name?

After each Player goes through Character Creation, you can Introduce Your PC, going around the table so everyone gets the chance to talk about their PC a bit. During this section all—Players and the GM alike— are invited to ask questions, draw out details, and establish how the PCs got together as a group.

Encourage each other to share as much or as little detail as you want about your characters. Also remember that you can always say “You as Players would know this, but your characters wouldn’t” or something similar, so you can separate things known in the Conversation (Players) vs things known in the fiction (PCs).

• Share your name, pronouns, and appearance. What memorable features or behaviors do you have?
• What are your Origins? Express some ideas about your Ancestry, Community, and Background, such as by answering the questions listed under each in your Class.
• Establish a Relationship with one other PC (hopefully connecting the whole group in this way), using the examples on each Class or writing your own. How did it come to be? (For multi-session adventures or campaigns, you can create one Relationship with each other PC now or add them when you Comfort or Support someone).
• How did you all come together as a group? Because of your Relationships you didn't just meet, but by default you're all still fairly new to adventuring together.