Ideas for a one off game

[DispelAkimbo]

Does anyone have any suggestions for interesting one-off scenarios to run for when half the normal gaming group cant make it, but the other half can and still want to do something?

Hopefully something that doesnt involve too much character generation, as that can seriously eat into any gaming time.

I'm sure there must be one or two interesting ideas people have come up with over the years, care to share them with me?

I'm thinking something along the lines of putting 3-4 players in an interesting situation and seeing how they get out of it or deal with it. Maybe something with moral dilemas, quandaries, twists in the plot, sixth sense movie style of things.

Thoughts?

 

[Sagan Darkside]

In the past, when a break like that appears in a long term campeign, I would allow them to use their characters but in an alternate universe that was a twisted version of the one they knew.

They tended to enjoy that.

SD

 

[Drawmack]

We generally play alternate games when this happens. We keep some board games and a couple of CCG starter packs around. Also ORK from green ronin is great. Character generation takes about 3 minutes and then you're playing.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Hack fest! was the first thought that came to mind...

Give the spellcaster ten minutest to choose their spells and then just run a "you are attacked by hordes of undead/orcs/fiends/whatever" depending on their level.

I like the idea of the alternate universe setting...

Put a movie on?

Or, if all else fails, get them to roll up low level characters and have them investigate an 'empty' house...never fails.

 

[Emerald]

Two words: Board Games

We generally like the change besides you can generally talk more during a board game than a D&D session and sometimes it is interesting to realize how little I really know about the people I play with when we almost never converse out of character.

 

[francisca]

Munchkin, the card game from SJG.
Risk
Settlers of Cataan
HeroQuest
Retro-day: Basic/Expert D&D or Gamma World, 1st edition

Those games have worked out well for us.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Monster Mash!

(note: not to be confused with the Monster Mash game created for CanGames, I just needed a name)

d20 roll for random CR.
You can exchange 1 CR for 1 character level
You can exchange 1 CR for the current CR x 1000 in gold value.

Example, roll a CR 10.
Exchange for CR 9 and 10,000gp
Exchange for CR 8 and 19,000gp
Exchange for CR 2, 7 fighter levels, and 19,000gp
Take 7th level ogre warrior.

Everyone gets 15 minutes to whip up a creature, make a big arena, and fight to the death.

 

[ced1106]

Everyone gets 15 minutes to whip up a creature, make a big arena, and fight to the death.

Now **there's** an idea.

Tunnels & Trolls had this solo adventure, Arena of Kharzan, which was similar to what you described. It added, however, **betting**. That meant that, yes, it was funny when a player ran a character and the rest of "the people at the table" bet against him. Thus, if the party is in a large town, your players can spend the session at the arena pits, betting their precious gold.

Myself, I'd just run a one-shot for the existing players. Or allow them to resolve any sub-plots that don't involve the players who didn't show up. The latter requires good management of the sub-plots to accomodate players who don't show up, but may be worth it.


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

 

[MerakSpielman]

Something I've always wanted to try:

You pre-make a map of caves or an old mine

Half the players play a tribe of humanoids recently moved into the map you drew. Wimpy is actually good, here, so goblins or kobolds.

They get ten character levels to divide up amongst their tribe (say, 50 individuals).

Give them a set amount of starting gold - say, 5000 or 10000 gp. They can set up defenses of whatever sort they can afford. Think traps.

Have the other half of the players create a party of four adventurers (say, 6th or 8th level, whatever will be challanging). They get starting gold as per the DMG and can buy whatever they want.

Have the adventurers assault the kobold/goblin lair! PC's vs PC's. This works best if you can get the two groups in different rooms so they don't hear each other's plans. You as DM have to constantly walk back and forth, telling each side what is happening from their point of view.


Or you could play board games. That's what we do.

 

[sensate]

The players could get caught by a summon spell from another plane or prime material.