GM resource
Session zero for Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition
Set expectations, tone, and table agreements. Session zero for Werewolf W5 sets the table before the dice matter: agree on tone (urban fantasy werewolf action), safety boundaries, and what each player wants from the game.
Checklist
- Talk through tone and boundaries: how hard the table wants to lean into what makes Werewolf W5 distinct (urban fantasy werewolf action).
- Walk the group through the core roll mechanic together so nobody is guessing at the table: Werewolf W5 uses d10 dice pools: roll Attribute + Skill, count successes on 6+, with criticals on paired 10s. Rage dice replace part of your pool and can push results brutal, power at the cost of control.
- Collect character concepts and connect them to each other before the first scene.
- Agree on logistics (session length, cadence) and which safety tools the table will use.
Common pitfalls
- Skipping the tone talk and hitting a mismatch mid-campaign
- Running session zero as pure character creation with no table agreements
- No shared safety-tool agreement before the first high-intensity scene