Need help for 4 hour one shot D&D game

Airwhale · Jan 20, 2005

I am not sure if there is a better forum for me to post this question in... if so, feel free to move it.

I voluntered to run a One-shot D&D adventure at my local game shop in Santa Fe, NM. I have DMed off and on through the years, but most of the adventures I have run have been about 12 hours long or so. I need to run something that is about 4 hours long, is not overly complicated for beginners, and hopefully something that is engaging and exciting. I have no clue how many people will show up for this event.

Anyone have any ideas?

Olgar Shiverstone · Jan 20, 2005

How about the adventure from the back of the Eberron Campaign Setting (Forgotten Forge)? Or one of the free adventures from the WOTC site, like Burning Plague. All are short enough to fit in a four-hour session.

There are a number of other pdf and Dungeon magazine adventures that can probably be done in four hours. From recent memory, Buzz on the Bridge (Dungeon) and Gorgoldand's Gauntlet (also Dungeon) are good ones. CMG's Whispering Woodwind (pdf) might be playable in four hours with tweaks.

cybertalus · Jan 20, 2005

How long do you have before the event?

If you've got at least six weeks, I recommend the RPGA. They've got a storehouse of free adventures designed to be run in 4 hour blocks, complete with pre-generated characters.

The catch is that you have to pass the Herald Level DM test, and once you do that it takes about six weeks for all your paperwork and stuff to go through so you can access their library of adventures.

If that's not within your timeframe, I'll second Buzz on the Bridge (which I've run; great fun was had by all) and also suggest the D&D Basic set as a possibility. Another short adventure I've run that was fun was Wreck Ashore, from the free adventures published at wizards.com. Wreck Ashore should be doable in four hours if you provide pre-generated characters.

Piratecat · Jan 20, 2005

No problem, I do this sort of thing a fair amount. The first thing to do is to limit the game to 6 players. If you want to provide pre-gen characters with personalities and interactions, be aware that writing these up usually takes me the lion's share of prep time. . . about an hour per character on average when I want to do it right. In comparison, I can fake an adventure in no time.

Let's say you want the PCs at 5th lvl -- high enough not to be too fragile, low enough to have limited options. Do you want it to be a dungeon, wilderness or city game?

Airwhale · Jan 20, 2005

I only have 2 weeks before the event, sadly. I'll try and find those dungeon adventures you guys recomended, thanks! Do you know how I can find out what issues of Dungeon they were in?

Piratecat said:
No problem, I do this sort of thing a fair amount. The first thing to do is to limit the game to 6 players. If you want to provide pre-gen characters with personalities and interactions, be aware that writing these up usually takes me the lion's share of prep time. . . about an hour per character on average when I want to do it right. In comparison, I can fake an adventure in no time.

Let's say you want the PCs at 5th lvl -- high enough not to be too fragile, low enough to have limited options. Do you want it to be a dungeon, wilderness or city game?

I'm not sure if the setting really matters to me. I think I would like something which encourages role-playing, and maybe even has a good plot, so, maybe a city adventure?

Evilhalfling · Jan 20, 2005

Oh well I love running 4 hr slots and my guidelines are as follows
max 6 people, all preGennerated Char.
Scn 1 - Intro
Scn 2 - Rp and/or combat obstical
Scn 3 - travel and optional encounter (based on time)
Scn 4 - Climax encounter, always a fight and resolution
Make sure you have people set up little name placards so everyone can identify them.

Post possibly temporary -

Turanil · Jan 20, 2005

Airwhale said:
I need to run something that is about 4 hours long, is not overly complicated for beginners, and hopefully something that is engaging and exciting.

For beginners I would suggest something archetypal. Suggestions:

Players: 3rd or 4th level, so their characters are not overly complicated, but can do things and don't die at the first hit of a sword.
Adventure: A tower (of black color of course), a small underground lair (four rooms, 1 trap, 2 corridors, 1 door to break and another to lockpick), an ogre, a necromancer, a few goblins brigands.
Story: An escaped girl that was kidnapped by the stinking goblins. All were overseen by a terrifying ogre. Plus their mysterious leader, a man in a dark hooded robe. PCs must be afraid of this ogre that they must think be the BBEG. Then, this dark hooded figure is the mystery of the adventure. Well, keep it simple, fun should come from players having ample opportunity to interract with archetypes.

cybertalus · Jan 20, 2005

Buzz on the Bridge is from Dungeon 110, May 2004.

Wreck Ashore is available for free and legal download here.

According to this site Gorgoldand's Gauntlet appeared in Dragon Annual #5, published in 2000.

Another adventure that I've thought of since my earlier reply is Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics #11: The Dragonfiend Pact. It's designed for 2nd level characters and only costs $2. I haven't run it myself, but I've read it and it looks like a fun adventure.

Mighty Halfling · Jan 20, 2005

Hey guys,
Thanks for suggesting my adventure, "Buzz in the Bridge." I'm always glad to hear what people thought of it.
Airwhale, if you end up running it, please give me a report (by responding to this thread) on how the session goes. Just last weekend someone did the same and said their players had an interesting time with it.
Here's how Paizo describes it:

Paizo.com said:
THE BUZZ ON THE BRIDGE
The isolated halfing village of Lindley has a problem. The main supply route into town, a large covered bridge spanning a mountain chasm, has been infested by a hive of giant bees. The sheriff has already perished in an attempt to remove the vermin, so when the PCs arrive in town, mayor Dunleary Appletop pleads for their help. A D&D adventure for 3rd-level characters, featuring a miniatures-scale map. By John Simcoe.