As an Amazon Associate, Plainwork Digital earns from qualifying purchases.
Free first-session prep sheet for new game masters
A one-page checklist you can print (Ctrl/Cmd+P) or tick on screen. It is built around the idea that a first session needs far less prep than you think: one problem, a few names, and a way to keep going when players surprise you. Works for D&D 5e, Pathfinder, Cairn, Mausritter and most fantasy games.
Prep (30 to 45 minutes)
- Pick ONE problem the party can see in the first 5 minutes (a locked door, a missing person, a fire).
- Write 3 named NPCs on one line each: name, want, one quirk.
- Prepare 3 locations as a single sentence each, not paragraphs.
- Pick 3 secrets/clues and decide they can be found in more than one place (the three-clue rule).
- Sketch one fight you can run with 3 stat blocks or fewer.
- Write 5 random names on a sticky note for when players ask 'who is that?'
- Have a fallback: a wandering event that pushes the story if players stall.
- Know the opening line you will say out loud.
- Print or open the character sheets' key numbers: AC, HP, passive perception.
- Decide the stopping point: a cliffhanger around the 2.5 hour mark.
Session zero (10 minutes at the table)
- Tone: what is this game like? (funny, spooky, heroic)
- Lines and veils: topics to avoid or fade to black on
- How we handle absent players
- Rules disputes: GM decides now, we look it up after the session
- Phones, snacks, and schedule
- Why would your character say yes to adventure?
During play
- Ask 'what do you do?' more than you narrate.
- Say yes, or roll. Do not say 'no' to a good idea.
- When unsure, call for one roll and move on; look up the rule later.
- End on a question: 'the door opens, and...'