One-Shot: What to Run?

[arscott]

You're playing with a bunch of boardgamers. Don't worry about "rules light": they can probably handle the rules. Go with 4e: they'll probably appreciate the tactical complexity of combat compared to OD&D.

 

[pogre]

Play the system you are most excited to run. Worry less about the players and/or perceived complexity and go with the game that will get you fired up about playing tabletop rpgs again. Your enthusiasm for the game will be a lot more important for the players' experiences than anything else.

 

[Mark CMG]

(O)D&D is actually very simple for players, though maybe not for a DM, for a one-shot gaming experience. If you are familiar with it already (and I assume you are by the poll options), you could certainly go with that for the day. Alternately, Feng Shui and Paranoia are popular choices for one-shot games and work very well with new gamers and old. If this is for kids (or even if not but, perhaps, especially so), you might look into The Secret Lives of Gingerbread Men (Tis the Season) or maybe Tales from the Wood. Squirrel Attack and its offshoots from HinterWelt would work great, too.

 

[Raven Crowking]

nobody lost an eye. Whee!

Well, it's not Christmas yet. There's still time.

 

[pneumatik]

Go pick up Over the Edge. The rules couldn't be simpler. If it's new to all of you it's full of ideas for adventures. You could probably run a fantasy game with the rules if you wanted, too.