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Session Zero is where our Lhazaar Principalities campaign truly begins. Before the first adventure, we lay the foundation for tone, characters, and crew identity. In my experience, a strong Session Zero makes the difference between a campaign that drifts and one that runs smoothly. Here’s how we set sail in the Lhazaar Principalities.

This article is part of a series of posts about a Lhazaar Principalities D&D Campaign:

1. Session Zero for a Nautical Eberron Campaign
2. Adrift in Lhazaar: A Level 1-20 Epic Campaign Outline
3. Regalport Job Board: Earning Renown in the Lhazaar Principalities
4. Eberron’s Treasure Island: Survival Adventuring on Trebaz Sinara
5. Epic Mind Flayer Boss Battle: Design and Tactics

The One-Page Guide

A few days before session zero, we send out a one-page campaign primer. Then, at the start of session zero, we read through it together. This keeps everyone on the same page—literally. Here’s the core of that handout which you can download at the end of this post.

• Elevator Pitch. Four years after the Last War, the party is a disbanded naval crew, cast adrift among pirates, cults, and rival powers. Together, the characters will fight to survive, rebuild a reputation, and decide what kind of crew they’ll become.
• Truths of Eberron. The Last War has only just ended. The Principalities are fractured under a shaky high prince. Dragonmarked dynasties control trade. Magic saturates daily life.
• Starting Point. The campaign begins in Regalport, seat of High Prince Ryger, a place of intrigue and opportunity where crews compete for fame and fortune.
• Character Building. Everyone begins at level 1 as part of a single sailing crew. Characters can be anything from a warforged naval carpenter to a half-orc smuggler tied to House Thuranni—but the shared goal is building a crew that thrives in the aftermath of war.
• Safety Tools. We establish lines and veils. Anyone can pause the game if content makes them uncomfortable.
• Inspirations. The campaign draws on Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Island, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Liveship Traders, Die Hard, and Blade Runner 2049.

This one-pager gives players an anchor: they know the world, the themes, and the expectations.

Building Characters at the Table

We use Sly Flourish’s quick character-building steps to make filling out character sheets smooth and enjoyable. Instead of everyone showing up with pre-written sheets we pick classes, and sketch backstories together. It’s a writer’s room experience in Session Zero!

To lean into theme, we provide a list of nautical or pirate-adjacent backgrounds. Sailors, smugglers, charlatans, mercenaries, ex-naval officers—backgrounds that tie into the sea, reputation, and survival. Here’s some suggestions:

1. Wind Whisperer Carpenter. You learned your craft from the Lyrandar foundlings of the Wind Whisperer Principality.
2. Thuranni Smuggler. You move goods, secrets, or people across borders—sometimes for House Thuranni, sometimes for yourself.
3. Sea-Kissed Mystic. You can access mystical powers because of an encounter with a powerful sea spirit.
4. Ghallanda Entertainer. You were raised on the stages of Regalport, licensed through House Ghallanda. Whether bard, blade-dancer, or masked dramatist, you know how to charm a crowd.
5. Blacktongue Cook. Trained in the secret spice routes of the Blacktongue Principality, you cook with dragonshard dust, sahuagin ink, or deadman’s salt.
6. Far-Traveled Navigator. You studied winds and waves on far-off shores—perhaps Sarlona or Aerenal. Oracles taught you to read the stars and tides.
7. Jorasco-trained Doctor. A healer trained by House Jorasco, licensed or not, tending to wounds and curses alike.
8. Morgrave Researcher. You studied at Morgrave University in Sharn. You’ve catalogued sahuagin tombs, charted Dhakaani ruins, and dove for relics from the Age of Demons.
9. Iron Council Quartermaster. Once a vaultkeeper for the Iron Council, you now track every ration, deal, and coin—and you never forget a debt. 
10. Last War Privateer. You served aboard ships hired by Breland, Aundair, Karrnath—whoever paid best during the war. You’ve fought for every color but your own.

Creating a Rival Crew

No pirate story is complete without rivals. During Session Zero, we come up with a competing crew together. Each player rolls randomly for one rival crew member and ties them into their character’s backstory. This makes the rivals feel personal, and it gives us dramatic tension right away. Here’s a d20 list with suggestions:

1. Sly Carpenter
2. Seductive Cook
3. Brooding Navigator
4. Laughing Bosun
5. Drunken Surgeon
6. Pious Cannoneer
7. Cunning Quartermaster
8. Vengeful Lookout
9. Masked First Mate
10. Charming Powder Monkey
11. Cruel Harpooner
12. Arrogant Helmsman
13. Mourning Deckhand
14. Smirking Sailmaker
15. Stoic Rigger
16. Scheming Cook’s Mate
17. Whispering Shipwright
18. Hot-tempered Marine
19. Eerie Bellringer
20. Grinning Swashbuckler

These rivals don’t just flesh out the world; they set the stakes. If our crew fails, someone else might swoop in to take the prize.

Picking a Party Motivation

Finally, we define why our crew sails together. Gold and glory are fine, but a shared goal keeps us pulling in the same direction. Do we want to find out missing captain? Seize a principality of our own? Protect the seas from something darker rising in the depths?

Agreeing on a core motivation transforms the party from “adventurers on the same boat” into “a crew with a destiny.” Here’s some suggestions for party goals:

1. Driven by personal ties to their missing captain
2. Committed to protecting their homeland or allies
3. Haunted by a lingering curse from wartime
4. Obsessed with recovering legendary treasures
5. Burned by betrayal and yearning for revenge.
6. Eager to build a new home
7. Caught up in the line of succession
8. Bound to a sunken ship

Closing Thoughts

Session Zero is about more than making cool characters—it’s about creating a shared sense of direction. With a one-page guide, collaborative character creation, a rival crew, and a unifying motivation, we launch the campaign with sails full and purpose clear.

If you’re planning to run a Lhazaar campaign, try these steps at your own table. Set sail with your crew and see where the winds carry you.

Download the One-Page Player Guide here:

This article is part of a series of posts about a Lhazaar Principalities D&D Campaign:

1. Session Zero for a Nautical Eberron Campaign
2. Adrift in Lhazaar: A Level 1-20 Epic Campaign Outline
3. Regalport Job Board: Earning Renown in the Lhazaar Principalities
4. Eberron’s Treasure Island: Survival Adventuring on Trebaz Sinara
5. Epic Mind Flayer Boss Battle: Design and Tactics

➡️ Go to the next article in the series!