DURING SESSION ZERO

Once your group is ready to start a new journey in Fabula Ultima, make sure to:

• Help everyone else. Help everyone find useful information in the book, offer ideas and prompt everyone to take this new world into their hands. You are not here to tell them a story; you are here to help them write their own.
• Ask questions. When a Player picks a certain option for their character, have them tell everyone more about it — where did they learn this? What's their combat style? Why did they choose this specific Theme? The questions provided by each Class entry can be a huge help; remember to jot down notes so that you'll remember the Players' answers later. (Everyone always ends up forgetting something important, and notes help!)
• Stir the creative juices. Show your enthusiasm for the Players' choices and encourage them to add new narrative elements and make the world their own. Consider using music and artwork to get everyone in the right "mood", but make sure these elements aren't distracting.
• Think about threats and Villains. As your group defines the history of your world and the initial situation of the prologue, start thinking about the first antagonists they will meet. You can find further advice on Villains starting on page 254.
  It is often a good idea to showcase an early Villain during the prologue itself or shortly afterward — if possible, pick someone the heroes have already recognized as a threat and use this antagonist to get the action moving; save the subtler Villains for later!
• Keep track of changes. While building the premises of the story, the group might suddenly realize some previous choices no longer make sense. Since you will be the one keeping track of all information concerning the game world, make sure to update your notes whenever a change is approved by the group.
• Start things off with a bang. Don't be afraid to set some high stakes during the prologue — while slow buildups can work, an explosive beginning is often more memorable. Perhaps we first meet our heroes while they're being chased by a huge monster, or hours away from being executed for treason.

Do your best to keep everyone engaged and on their toes from the very start!

Philip Forlenza (Order #)