PapersAndPaychecks
First Post
Thanks to this thread, I now have a mental image of a rotating DM. Poor chap, he must get dizzy...
One-shot sessions, any tips?
- Thread starter Allanon
- Start date
MonkeyDragon
Explorer
1. When one shotting, I like having people make characters in advance over pregens. Give em a few directions, and a reason for being together, and just roll the stats and check the sheets before you start. The lower lever the party is, the easier this is to do.
2. Keep it simple. You don't need half a dozen intricate plot hooks and complex NPCs. Give them one solid hook and a couple of colorful NPCs and call it good.
3. Don't be afraid to get them into the adventure. Railroading is different in a one shot than in a regular game. The players won't mind being pushed a bit, and will take mostly whatever bait is offered, so that the game can commence.
4. If you fall behind, and this is your only chance to run this game, you can always skip encounters. Glaze over nonessential exchanges, have nights pass uneventfully, nix the wandering monsters. Worst comes to worst, when there's only 20 minutes left in the session, look! That next bend in the tunnel leads right to the BBEG.
I also like to get silly in one shots. There are ridiculous things that would be irritating if played in a long term, serious game, but are funny for a short. Last one shot I played in, I was a hobbit ranger that wore a hooded cloak, and sat in a shadowy corner and smoked at every oppotunity. Good times.
2. Keep it simple. You don't need half a dozen intricate plot hooks and complex NPCs. Give them one solid hook and a couple of colorful NPCs and call it good.
3. Don't be afraid to get them into the adventure. Railroading is different in a one shot than in a regular game. The players won't mind being pushed a bit, and will take mostly whatever bait is offered, so that the game can commence.
4. If you fall behind, and this is your only chance to run this game, you can always skip encounters. Glaze over nonessential exchanges, have nights pass uneventfully, nix the wandering monsters. Worst comes to worst, when there's only 20 minutes left in the session, look! That next bend in the tunnel leads right to the BBEG.
I also like to get silly in one shots. There are ridiculous things that would be irritating if played in a long term, serious game, but are funny for a short. Last one shot I played in, I was a hobbit ranger that wore a hooded cloak, and sat in a shadowy corner and smoked at every oppotunity. Good times.
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
To follow up on the well-named Monkey Dragon's pnt 2&4:
Don't have to much! I have been in a few one shots and minicampaigns that were not mini enough and ended up being rushed or just didn't really end.
It is nice to finish what you start (though there is Diaglo's solution of being finished...)
Don't have to much! I have been in a few one shots and minicampaigns that were not mini enough and ended up being rushed or just didn't really end.
It is nice to finish what you start (though there is Diaglo's solution of being finished...)
Nareau
Explorer
I'll agree with the other posters: One-shots rarely are. Only once have I seen one wrapped up in a single session. Things always seem to take longer than you expect.
I'd break it up into "scenes". And try to give each scene a rough timeline. IE:
Scene I: PC's are given orders by the captain of the guard to investigate murders in the sewers (10-15 minutes)
Scene II: PC's enter sewers, find some clues, avoid a trap, fight some big, semi-intelligent rats. (45-60 minutes)
Scene III: PC's track clues to secret caverns; discover space-ship, and that they're descendants of an ancient space-faring race. (30-45 minutes)
etc, etc, etc.
I'd recommend 4-6 scenes, just to keep it really simple. Make sure you can think of 3 or 4 ways to get through each scene (since you're players will inevitably come up with something totally bizarre).
I also agree that one-shots are great for doing things you wouldn't normally do. The aforementioned one-shot I ran was a Spycraft game where the PC's had to thwart terrorists who were attempting to launch a chemical attack from the hijacked Budweiser blimp over the 2003 superbowl.
It involved rocket packs. And a chipmunk-voiced (due to helium) villian shouting, "Death to Americans! You capitalist dogs will all die! HA HA HA!" I bought a helium balloon just before the session so I could give the full effect.
Spider
I'd break it up into "scenes". And try to give each scene a rough timeline. IE:
Scene I: PC's are given orders by the captain of the guard to investigate murders in the sewers (10-15 minutes)
Scene II: PC's enter sewers, find some clues, avoid a trap, fight some big, semi-intelligent rats. (45-60 minutes)
Scene III: PC's track clues to secret caverns; discover space-ship, and that they're descendants of an ancient space-faring race. (30-45 minutes)
etc, etc, etc.
I'd recommend 4-6 scenes, just to keep it really simple. Make sure you can think of 3 or 4 ways to get through each scene (since you're players will inevitably come up with something totally bizarre).
I also agree that one-shots are great for doing things you wouldn't normally do. The aforementioned one-shot I ran was a Spycraft game where the PC's had to thwart terrorists who were attempting to launch a chemical attack from the hijacked Budweiser blimp over the 2003 superbowl.
It involved rocket packs. And a chipmunk-voiced (due to helium) villian shouting, "Death to Americans! You capitalist dogs will all die! HA HA HA!" I bought a helium balloon just before the session so I could give the full effect.
Spider
Ogrork the Mighty
Explorer
I vote for pre-gens for the following reasons:
1) It allows the DM to custom the adventure more easily
2) It allows for a party of characters that mesh well from the outset (something that might not be if the characters are working together for the first time)
3) It allows the DM to showcase certain elements of a particular game world (see the post above about Eberron)
4) It pushes players to try something different and expand their perception of classes and the game in general
5) It prevents min/maxers from emphasizing something that doesn't fit with the one-shot adventure (and potentially undermining what it is that the DM is trying to present)
6) It's a one-shot. Even if a player hates his/her character, it's only for one session
1) It allows the DM to custom the adventure more easily
2) It allows for a party of characters that mesh well from the outset (something that might not be if the characters are working together for the first time)
3) It allows the DM to showcase certain elements of a particular game world (see the post above about Eberron)
4) It pushes players to try something different and expand their perception of classes and the game in general
5) It prevents min/maxers from emphasizing something that doesn't fit with the one-shot adventure (and potentially undermining what it is that the DM is trying to present)
6) It's a one-shot. Even if a player hates his/her character, it's only for one session
Allanon
Explorer
I'll take this one to heartdiaglo said:
But seriously thanks for the tips, Spider's suggestion of scenes is very reminscent of my normal way of planning so I'll probably go that route. The enforcing pre-gen thing also seems the wisest thing to do. I'm planning a one-shot d20 modern session and being the only one in the group who's geek enough to buy non-D&D books and thus own D20 Modern I'm probably more in tune with the rules then they are. Plus as Henry pointed out it gives me the means to really showcase all the neat stuff.
But keep the tips coming everyone. And eventhough I haven't mentioned everyones name all tips are/were greatly appreciated
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IronWolf
blank
Agreed that pre-gen is the way to go, just saves on so much time. As for what to run, maybe look for old convention adventures or even some of the current RPGA adventures. They designed to be run in a specific time slot and already sort of tailored to the shorter format. After running or even looking through some of those you should have a good idea of how to tailor your own adventure.
Chaldfont
First Post
Another thing about one shots is in-game timing. While designing your adventure, leave yourself some outs so that you can change things on the fly to speed up or slow down the action. This is a skill well-learned from running games at conventions--you don't want your time to run out right in the middle of the big climax battle. Nor do you want the players to get right to it because they got lucky with earlier dice rolls.
With one-shots, you should definitely feel comfortable bringing in reinforcements (if the fight's moving too quickly) or halving the bad guy's HP (if things are dragging). If role-playing scenes are dragging, you can always speed them up by starting a battle!
With one-shots, you should definitely feel comfortable bringing in reinforcements (if the fight's moving too quickly) or halving the bad guy's HP (if things are dragging). If role-playing scenes are dragging, you can always speed them up by starting a battle!
