When Session Zero Didn’t Save You

Jul 30

Written By Michael Lim

This guide is part of Mike’s GM Survival Scrolls.

Start here: When Yer Table’s Crumblin’ and Yer Torch Is Burnin’ Low

Still patchin’ holes in yer campaign? These might help:

By Bahlin’s Bent Fork, I Thought We Covered This

You planned ahead. You brought snacks. You printed cheat sheets. You held a Session Zero, set expectations, talked tone, reviewed rules, signed social contracts, maybe even lit a few candles for luck.

And yet here you are — three sessions deep and one bard’s decided the campaign’s a musical, the paladin’s threatening peasants, and the rogue’s backstabbed three plotlines already. Oh, and someone’s still askin’ what dice they need to roll for initiative. Session Zero, my arse.

Lad, I’m not sayin’ Session Zero is a scam — it’s a fine tool. But it ain’t magic. If you think one evening of chat can prevent a campaign from fallin’ apart, yer about as naïve as a gnome in a beholder den.

So let’s stop pretendin’ that one chat solves all, and start talkin’ about what to do after the scrolls’ve been signed and the chaos still comes knockin’.

Session Zero Sets the Table — But Yer Players Still Gotta Eat Right

👉 If yer prep work didn’t hold the party together, stop by the GM Wisdom archive or check out a few Player Tips that’ll help yer table behave better after the ale’s been poured.

Why Session Zero Fails — And It Ain’t Always Your Fault

Here’s why that grand kickoff might’ve crumbled:

Folk don’t listen. Aye, they nodded. But they were thinkin’ about their character’s outfit, not table dynamics.
They forgot. Two weeks later, and yer “no PvP” rule’s been conveniently memory-holed.
They changed. The player who wanted emotional story arcs now just wants to throw tavern chairs.
You compromised too much. Tried to make everyone happy. Ended up sayin’ a lotta nothin’.
New players joined later. And nobody told ‘em the rules of the house.

And let’s be honest — some players treat Session Zero like background noise. They hear “this is a group game,” but they play like they’re starin’ in The Solo Chronicles: Loot Harder.

What to Do When Yer Foundation’s Crackin’

1. Revisit the Rules Mid-Game

Call a Session 0.5. Say it plain: “Hey lads, I think we’ve wandered from what we said we wanted.” Then go over the key points again. This time, with examples from what actually happened at the table.

If yer wonderin’ how to handle the louder ones when they push back? You’ll want to read When the Loudest Player Starts Running the Table. That one’s saved more games than I’ve had tankards.

2. Use Gentle Redirection in-Game

The game is the lesson. Use NPCs, plot turns, or world responses to reflect what’s going wrong. The party leaves bodies in every town? Let the guards remember their faces. The rogue keeps stealing from teammates? That magic item won’t attune to liars.

Point the mirror — don’t swing the hammer.

3. Use the Player Tips Section — Loudly

You got jokers splittin’ the party like it's their life’s work? Link ‘em to If You Split the Party, You Deserve What’s Comin’.
Got a cleric who thinks they’re just a healbot? Try Yer Cleric Ain’t a Walkin’ Health Potion.

Sometimes it ain't about more talks. It's about showin’ players the damn blueprint again.

4. Clarify the Type of Fun — Again

They might’ve said they wanted drama. Turns out they wanted action. They thought “collaborative storytelling” meant they tell the story, and the rest of ya clap.

Ask again:

What’s been fun for ya so far?
What ain’t workin’?
What’s one thing ya want more of?

Then rebuild. Yer foundation weren’t a lie — it just shifted.

Session Zero’s Just a Map — It Don’t Mean You’re Headin’ the Right Way

👉 If yer campaign’s veered off into wild goblin-fueled chaos, swing by the About Mike’s Tavern to remember why we care so much about fixin’ the mess. Or check the GM Wisdom archive for ways to course-correct mid-journey.

⚠️ And if one more player tells me, “I thought that rule was optional,” I swear on Koldron’s flaming apron, I’ll optional their sword right into the gelatinous cube they forgot was in the hallway.