5e Game - Part 1

I am running a 5e game for my friends and we had our first game (Session Zero) yesterday. I plan on chronicling the journey here, as I'm friends with all of them over on FB, but I don't think any of them are technically astute enough (or is that uncool enough?) to be following me here on G+, so it should be safe to talk about things they shouldn't know.

This particular campaign is what I consider a training campaign - I haven't DM'd in a very long time and am not 100% on the 5e rules (plus I have way too many rules from previous editions floating around my brain); one of my players was our last DM, and like me he is experienced with D&D in general, but not so much 5e in particular; another of the group is familiar with 5e but only with 5e; and the last two are experienced tabletop wargamers, but not experienced with RPGs.

Lots of learning opportunities abound - I'm teaching some of them how to play their characters, not just roll dice and decide what special ability their character is going to use in this combat; they're teaching me how to think on my feet (well, seat) and keep their attention on the game; I am teaching everyone, including myself, the rules of 5e by requiring everyone to read aloud every spell they cast, every ability they use, and answering most rules questions with, "I don't know, what does it say in the PHB?"; and I used this session especially to teach all of them on how to slant their backstories so they can come up with a reason for the party to get together and go adventuring together. I am hoping that last one sticks, as getting the party together should not be the DM's responsibility, it should be the players who make that happen, and the DM just runs with it.

House rules, as there are always house rules: we are using tactical, miniatures combat (one of my favorite things from 3e), but we're using a 3' square instead of a 5' square, as I feel it's more realistic, and gives everyone a bit more maneuver room; because we're using 3' squares, I also added a bunch of weapons to the Reach category (greatclub, quarterstaff, spear, greataxe, greatsword, maul, rapier, trident), and everything that was already Reach special gained Double Reach (two squares of reach instead of just one extra one); we use a modified version of the speed factor initiative system from the DMG (thanks to the Angry GM, who I stole it from here); we are using a special critical hit/fumble table that I stole from Seth Skorkowsy (see video below) and tickled the players' fancy enough we went instantly from me showing it to them to me adding it into the game; we are using the Lingering Injuries rule from the DMG, which has them particularly worried, but hasn't been an issue yet; and I am giving them Inspiration dice. On that last one, I'm really just setting out Inspiration dice, and I'm making the players award Inspiration to each other. I'm encouraging them to earn the Inspiration dice, but I'm throwing that work onto their shoulders so I don't have to worry about it.

Enough for now, later this week: letting the players scare themselves.