Mason Beck Fiction

As the days tick down toward Session Zero of my The End of the Institute campaign, I wanted to share how I plan to structure the session, the tools we’ll be using, and a few key things I’m keeping in mind.

The Role of Session Zero

Session Zero is more than just preparation. It sets the tone, builds alignment, and creates a shared understanding of what kind of story we want to tell. It’s a chance for everyone at the table to calibrate expectations, establish boundaries, and start on the same page. While I’m the one bringing the initial idea, the game and its story don’t belong to me alone. This is a shared narrative, and that means it’s not just about me.

Even though this is an adults-only group and the campaign has strong horror themes, it’s still important to approach it with care. I’ll be providing a consent checklist and clearly communicating that this will be a lethal campaign. Safety and comfort come first, especially in a genre designed to provoke intense emotional reactions.

Getting Acquainted

Since this group is made up of players from several different circles, we’ll begin with introductions and a quick discussion of everyone’s background with tabletop RPGs. This helps me understand how familiar each player is with the system and the genre, and it gives everyone a chance to start building trust and camaraderie.

A Session with Two Goals

This is not only Session Zero for the campaign itself, it’s also the first session of a playtest for my MESH playstyle. We’ll be kicking off the first story arc, titled Strange Beginnings, which is expected to run about four to six sessions. This arc will introduce the tone, mechanics, and pacing that will carry forward through the larger campaign.

During this portion, I’ll guide the players through our Discord server, including how play-by-post downtime moments will work. I’ll also explain how we’ll use a couple of lightweight bots:

• Dice Golem for asynchronous dice rolls
• Sea Voice for optional transcript logging

Both tools are privacy-friendly and only activate when directly prompted. I’ll make sure the group understands how they work and that everyone is comfortable using them.

Game Tools and Orientation

Once we’ve covered logistics, I’ll give an overview of The Magnus Archives TTRPG and walk players through the custom Orientation Packet I’ve created for the setting. I’ll then onboard everyone into Roll20, show them a sample Cypher System character sheet (modified for the Magnus rules), and briefly review the core mechanics.

Character Creation

The final part of the session will focus on building Tier One characters. We’ll go through selecting Descriptors, Types, and Foci, and connect each character to a specific role within the Institute using the Orientation Packet. Players will either choose or roll their starting skills, equipment, cyphers, and abilities.

I’ll also ask each player to include a few private details in their character’s backstory. These won’t be shared publicly but will give me story threads to build on as the campaign develops.

What’s Next?

As our sessions are scheduled and begin to unfold, I plan to use my notes and transcripts to create supplemental content for other GMs who may want to run a similar campaign. This will include the custom maps I’ve designed, practical GM tools, and a stylized narrative summary of each session for anyone who wants to follow along.

I’m genuinely excited about what’s ahead and hope this project not only entertains my players but also sparks ideas and inspiration for others in the TTRPG community.