Now that you've gathered together, there are a few things to discuss before you begin creating your world and characters. For each topic, read the questions and discuss your choices as a group.

COMMITMENT AND EXPECTATIONS

The first thing you should discuss is the amount of time and effort everyone will be able to dedicate to the game. This will help set expectations and avoid issues later on during play.

• Will you play for a set amount of sessions, or are you simply going to start playing and see where the story leads you?
• How often will you play? Weekly, monthly, twice per month?
• The game is designed around sessions of approximately four hours, but how long do you expect your sessions to be? If your sessions are shorter or longer, remember to check for Experience Points approximately every four hours (see page 226).
• If there are missing Players, will you reschedule the session, or will you play nonetheless? Which solution will you adopt for the missing Players' characters?

See page 143 for suggestions.

TONE AND THEMES

This is a game with a relatively broad scope: depending on the kind of world and characters you create, the campaign's tone and themes can vary quite a bit. Because this is a shared storytelling experience, you need to be on the same page or at least lay a solid foundation — you can always discuss changes later.

• What kind of tone do you expect during the narration? Would you prefer a heavily dramatic tale dealing with complex situations and emotions, or would you rather tell a fantastical story where good and evil are easily told apart?
• Are there any themes you strongly wish to explore during play?
• Will the heroes be best friends from the start, or are you okay with moments of crisis and disagreements within the party? How will you resolve these contrasts?
• When describing scenes and actions, are you okay with over-the-top anime descriptions or would you prefer a heroic but more fable-like approach?

See page 141 for suggestions.

BEFORE YOU START

Philip Forlenza (Order #)