Session 0 & Rule 0

Adventure Features: 

Themes: Luck/Unlucky and Fortune/Misfortune

Location: Sigil and the Outlands - Adventure features several Gate Towns 

• Low-pressure adventure, no impending doom is apparent
• Character-driven and narrated. Can YOU figure out YOUR own mystery? Experience self-discovery throughout the gameplay 
• Cannot change characters (no backup characters will be used) 
• Level start 3, will be milestone level up once a month (every other session, approximately)
• Encounters are not always balanced 
• Pillars of Adventure likelihood in each session:
  Combat/Danger: Medium
  Adventure: High
  Mystery/Discovery: High
  Magic Item/PC Rewards: Medium-High
  Epic Lore: Low-Medium
  Social: Medium
  Puzzles: Medium-Low
  Dungeons: None-Low 

Session 0 

• Players are encouraged to craft minimal backgrounds: (Refreshed) Where are you from? What are your favorite things? What are some core personality traits or motivations?
• Players can choose to be from or be related (somehow) to a Gate City to help form an identity to discover later on
• Players begin the adventure without memory of their past.  (Refreshed) They do know their name and can expect to have their inventory and character sheet defined traits and abilities known to them when we begin. 
• Players start with a basic equipment set per starting class - No magic items to start with. Ideas or requests for magic items or cosmetics for later sessions are always welcome. 
• Choose any species/races, subclass, feat or backgrounds from ANY published 5th edition (official) book we/you own, including campaigns (Suggested: Monsters of the Multiverse) 

Player Roles 

At the table, these are the roles people are responsible for and have creative priority in: 

- Game Master [Lee] 

In story: The Wheel

- Note Taker [Ally] 

In story: The Divine

- DJ [Mike] Play music and backing tracks provided by the DM for encounters and settings, as well as provide musical flavor and volume balance throughout 

In story: The Gears

- Note Takers [Ally and Emily] Note takers should submit notes for the whole party to view after every session, taking care to note what actions were taken and what plans are for the next session (defined by players) 

In story: The Variables

- Rulebook and Inventory Management/Treasurer [Bowden] 

In story: The Witness

- Bastion Manager [Ben] 

In story: The Anchor ("Cager") 

Read Session 1

In the specialized context of the Fortune’s Favored campaign and the wider Planescape multiverse, Rule 0 is redefined to emphasize that the game is a collaborative machine designed for the enjoyment of all participants.

1. The "No Fun, No Play" Principle

The fundamental purpose of the game is shared entertainment; if the experience collapses into a "crashing halt" where no one is having fun, the session loses its logical standing. The sources suggest that many rules are designed specifically to help players avoid quandaries that might "derail a game session". For campaigns intended for mature audiences, it is the collective responsibility of the table to ensure they do not "condone, endorse, or seek to glorify" harmful acts while playing, as the game is a work of fiction meant for engaging play.

2. The DM’s Role: Referee, Architect, and Narrator

The Dungeon Master (DM) acts as the "Standard Ledger," serving as the final judge on game effects, the nature of the campaign story, and the "axiomatic" edges of the multiverse. It is the DM's responsibility to:

• Referee: Provide a clinical "checksum" of identity and law to ensure the world reacts consistently to player actions.
• Establish the Setting: Manage the "Administrative Drift" of the narrative, determining how travel, time, and planar resonance unfold.
• Define Narration Edges: Set up the framework of the campaign and determine when the "threats to the characters" escalate or resolve.

3. The Player’s Role: Fairness, Rules, and Respect

Players are the "Sovereign Authors" of their own stories, tasked with operating within the established rules to keep the narrative "indexed" and coherent.

• Fair Play: "Cheating"—breaking rules for personal gain—is an act of "misappropriation" that violates the spirit of the game. (ie: Fudging dice, extra actions, edits to character sheets, taking advantage of multitasking players, etc.) Fair play means balanced play.
• Rule Adherence: Players should respect the "laws of the multiverse" and character tenets to anchor their soul's place in reality.
• Respectful Interaction: Even when playing complex characters like antiheroes, players should work out conflicts ahead of time to ensure that such drama is "part of the fun" and does not become a "procedural hazard" to the group. Check ins before, at breaks and after antagonizing play is polite and encourages a safe place to modify intents in game.

4. Collective Responsibility and Collaborative Narrative

Every individual at the table is a "Participatory Variable" whose individual choices have a physical and metaphysical impact on the structural integrity of each story. The game is a "convergence model" that only functions when the axes of Law, Fate, and Choice intersect through the coordinated efforts of the DM and the players.

The main engine of this campaign is the tension between narrative awareness (ie: this blog, honoring Kerberos in the future) and present Player Agency. 

By working together to achieve narrative goals, the table acts as a "Unity of Rings," where the beginning and ending of the story are woven together by the collective belief of everyone present. This collaboration allows players to vandalize the script of inevitability, ensuring that their personal choices—not just automated cycles—resolve the multiverse’s glitches and bring the story to a "Mastered Resolution". But will you, given the chance? 

Rule 0 is the Number 1 Rule. The Rule of One.

Private Convo after Session 7 - Thank YOU for playing with all of US!