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How Would You Run a Game with 5 Mins Prep Time
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<blockquote data-quote="Jago" data-source="post: 6916525" data-attributes="member: 6855130"><p>[MENTION=20564]Blue[/MENTION] had the right of it: your players are going to make characters. Speak with them the entire time they're coming up with their stuff, and you're going to get some measure of story, maybe even your main villain/conflict right off the bat. </p><p></p><p>5E honestly seems to make it the easiest to do this with: I wouldn't even look at the MM for a 1-shot 15-minute prep kind of game, no hexes or maps or anything: just flow with what the players are giving and keep building from there.</p><p></p><p>Player takes the Sailor background? We're going on a ship. To where? Well, someone else is a Noble and another is a Soldier. They're on a diplomatic mission to another kingdom, and they're traveling on the sailor's boat. Bam. That's an entire adventure. </p><p></p><p>Someone is playing a Druid and another is a Rogue? Story focuses on Robin-Hood style antics in the forest. Save the trees and make a bit of coin on the side.</p><p></p><p>Really, if you have 15 minutes (or at least until the characters are done), 5E makes it <em>Really Easy</em> to just look at Class/Background combos and go right from there. Someone is a Hermit? Lost city in the wilderness. You have a Criminal in the same party? You're there to steal the Ancient Whatsit before that other party gets it because it's important, like The Flag. Acolyte and a Charlatan, and both are Clerics? They're on a mission from God(s) to save their Temple before it is knocked down by the city for [enter reason here]. </p><p></p><p>Enemies and encounters and such can just be sprung about naturally. Cities and towns are great for this since the enemies are usually just people: guards, criminals, gangs, etc., but most GMs know to populate certain areas with goblins, kobolds, wolves, bugbears, etc. Reskin them for something else and go from there.</p><p></p><p>Use the base DC stuff to avoid having to look up crazy stats and go from there. Easy enemy? 10 AC. 5 HP. Little bit more of a challenge? 15 AC, 15 HP, and just add that +2 Proficiency to what you want. Keep things in intervals of 5s and 10s, and I would generally keep these sort of "We're making a game RIGHT NOW" for Level 5 or below, nothing really over. Helps keep all that easier to manage.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Also, <em>steal</em>. Stealing is wrong, kids, but steal <em>relentlessly</em>. Borrow an NPC from an adventure you read recently, or that you remember fondly, or a film or book or something. Take plot beats from these, take encounters from these. Stealing (while super wrong), is your absolute best friend and you should do it with wild abandon when you're running a super-quick game (but Jago reminds you to never steal, except for when you should).</p><p></p><p>I had players sit down for such a game just after I had finished playing NWN2 once again. I had little to go on for a setting until I just started pulling from the game. </p><p></p><p>Where do you start? Uhhh ... Fort Locke. The old castle of a great hero. </p><p>What's going on? Uhhh ... the remnants of a dark force from the Mere of Dead Men is causing trouble, something that hasn't been seen in many years. Spooooooky.</p><p>Who are the NPCs? Uhh ... a Greycloak Captain. And a secret member of The Neverwinter Nine. A Dwarven Monk who won't shut up about his father. </p><p></p><p>And everyone loved it. Nobody is going to care if you're borrowing or paying homage to something proven and enjoyable, and it literally does 60% of the work for you.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jago, post: 6916525, member: 6855130"] [MENTION=20564]Blue[/MENTION] had the right of it: your players are going to make characters. Speak with them the entire time they're coming up with their stuff, and you're going to get some measure of story, maybe even your main villain/conflict right off the bat. 5E honestly seems to make it the easiest to do this with: I wouldn't even look at the MM for a 1-shot 15-minute prep kind of game, no hexes or maps or anything: just flow with what the players are giving and keep building from there. Player takes the Sailor background? We're going on a ship. To where? Well, someone else is a Noble and another is a Soldier. They're on a diplomatic mission to another kingdom, and they're traveling on the sailor's boat. Bam. That's an entire adventure. Someone is playing a Druid and another is a Rogue? Story focuses on Robin-Hood style antics in the forest. Save the trees and make a bit of coin on the side. Really, if you have 15 minutes (or at least until the characters are done), 5E makes it [I]Really Easy[/I] to just look at Class/Background combos and go right from there. Someone is a Hermit? Lost city in the wilderness. You have a Criminal in the same party? You're there to steal the Ancient Whatsit before that other party gets it because it's important, like The Flag. Acolyte and a Charlatan, and both are Clerics? They're on a mission from God(s) to save their Temple before it is knocked down by the city for [enter reason here]. Enemies and encounters and such can just be sprung about naturally. Cities and towns are great for this since the enemies are usually just people: guards, criminals, gangs, etc., but most GMs know to populate certain areas with goblins, kobolds, wolves, bugbears, etc. Reskin them for something else and go from there. Use the base DC stuff to avoid having to look up crazy stats and go from there. Easy enemy? 10 AC. 5 HP. Little bit more of a challenge? 15 AC, 15 HP, and just add that +2 Proficiency to what you want. Keep things in intervals of 5s and 10s, and I would generally keep these sort of "We're making a game RIGHT NOW" for Level 5 or below, nothing really over. Helps keep all that easier to manage. Also, [I]steal[/I]. Stealing is wrong, kids, but steal [I]relentlessly[/I]. Borrow an NPC from an adventure you read recently, or that you remember fondly, or a film or book or something. Take plot beats from these, take encounters from these. Stealing (while super wrong), is your absolute best friend and you should do it with wild abandon when you're running a super-quick game (but Jago reminds you to never steal, except for when you should). I had players sit down for such a game just after I had finished playing NWN2 once again. I had little to go on for a setting until I just started pulling from the game. Where do you start? Uhhh ... Fort Locke. The old castle of a great hero. What's going on? Uhhh ... the remnants of a dark force from the Mere of Dead Men is causing trouble, something that hasn't been seen in many years. Spooooooky. Who are the NPCs? Uhh ... a Greycloak Captain. And a secret member of The Neverwinter Nine. A Dwarven Monk who won't shut up about his father. And everyone loved it. Nobody is going to care if you're borrowing or paying homage to something proven and enjoyable, and it literally does 60% of the work for you. [/QUOTE]
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