1 Shot Campaigns, and throw away characters.

[1QD]

I have heard of a trend of 1 shot campaigns, and naturally following throw away characters. I am trying to understand the appeal. It seems like you go through a fair amount of effort only to get rid of the character in a game or two.

 

[Morrus]

I play quite a lot of one shots and short campaigns. It lets me play lots of different games. Like watching a movie instead of signing up to 12 seasons of a TV show. Both have their place.

 

[Deset Gled]

A "trend"?

 

[billd91]

Nothing wrong with doing one-shots on game night. Gives you a taste of a lot of different character options, adventures styles, whathaveyou. It's also pretty much a norm for most convention games, if you go and play at them.

 

[1QD]

Nothing wrong with doing one-shots on game night. Gives you a taste of a lot of different character options, adventures styles, whathaveyou. It's also pretty much a norm for most convention games, if you go and play at them.

Yes, I can understand trade shows as I have a bit of experience in that area. I just feel that understanding a profession or race is better done over time. I as a GM typically expect very little until 5th lvl from my players as they are often still defining their characters. I find there is often a vast difference between gameplay styles with a 1st lvl character and a 5th or vs a 20th lvl character.

 

[Reynard]

I run a lot of con games that might qualify: 3 to 5 slots, intended to provide a complete experience for those that play multiple or all sessions, as well as singular session fun for the one timers.

I tend to switch between "story" con campaigns and "episodic" con campaigns, depending on my preferences.

What i find is that folks really like short campaigns compressed into a weekend. They get the "epicnesss" of a campaign without spending 60 sessions.

As to characters, there are 2 possibilities: in the story campaigns, death isn't really on the table unless a player is in to that. In more episodic games, I have a giant pile of pregens ready to go.

I hope that helped but if you need more detail I am happy to answer questions. I have been doing this for 10 years or so at this poignant have learned a lot.

 

[cbwjm]

I have tended to play or run longer campaigns, but the few one offs I've played in have been great to try out different classes. Generally I think that they're pretty low effort in character creation, the DM can even provide premades for players if it's also a brand new system and you're wanting to get into playing straight away. When it comes to DnD, it also lets you try out those higher levels from time to time, I think last campaign I ran players hit 7th at the end of it and the one I played I reached 8th so it was fun to play in a 12th level one-shot where I could try out a high level paladin.

 

[Lanefan]

If pre-gens are provided, or if character generation is dirt simple and very fast, then one-shots can work just fine.

It seems the OP's concern (if I'm reading it right) is around situations where a player spends an hour or two creating the character to then only play it for about an equal amount of time.

 

[aco175]

Can a 1-shot even be considered a campaign? I mean, I guess but I never would and I see them as two different things.

Why play them. They are a bit like a convention game where you get to play something you might not. You can make a class or race and be a bit goofy at the table when in a normal campaign you would not. You can see if you like the thing before plating it for a long time later on.

 

[Umbran]

Yes, I can understand trade shows as I have a bit of experience in that area. I just feel that understanding a profession or race is better done over time.

The idea of a one-shot is not to get a full understanding. That's not the goal. A one shot gets you a taste, a feel for how mechanics work, or the opportunity to dig into role-playing of a short scenario.

The characters are "throw away" yes, but with that comes a freedom - you don't have to concern yourself with whether the character is playable (or alive) after the scenario is done. You don't need to keep any reserves, or make you choices in the same way as you might in a campaign game.