Sources of one-shot non-fantasy adventures

[Li Shenron]

For one-shots, sounds like you just need a basic outline of a story to throw at players? I sometimes find random story idea generators (for RPGers and/or for writers) helpful for inspiration, though I don't use them so much anymore.

Most of the following tools just cobble together a sentence or two plot outline, basically a short pitch for a short story. The first site listed is fairly modern, and has a section called "Blurbs" that let you enter specific story elements if you already have certain genres, character concepts, setting elements, etc, in mind (like "location is an abandoned arctic oil field" or "protagonists are mercenary android hunters" or whatever). The other sites have been around a while, include tons of other generators of various sorts, and may or may not have suffered link-rot over the years.

• https://www.plot-generator.org.uk/
• https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/plot-descriptions.php
• http://www.chaoticshiny.com/index.php (scroll down left sidebar to the "Plot/Writing" section)
• https://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-writ.php (see the "Story Inspiration" section)
• https://donjon.bin.sh/scifi/random/

These are ones I've referenced before and happened to still be in my bookmarks. A search on something like "plot generator" will likely net you many more, including ones that are more modern in design and perhaps better supported.

I haven't thought of such option... I will look at these if I don't get any specific recommendations.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Thsnks but I am not asking for rules, I am asking for short stories.

I hear you, but rules-lite usually incorporates the idea/genre into the rules. That's ... the point.

Honey Heist is an example- the game kinda is the story. Here's an explanation-

Honey Heist: A Tabletop One-Shot Campaign – Teen Services Underground

www.teenservicesunderground.com

 

[Li Shenron]

I hear you, but rules-lite usually incorporates the idea/genre into the rules. That's ... the point.

Honey Heist is an example- the game kinda is the story. Here's an explanation-

Honey Heist: A Tabletop One-Shot Campaign – Teen Services Underground

www.teenservicesunderground.com

Well if the rules system comes with a sample short adventure then yes this certainly helps my purpose!

This one is bit extreme in its alternative theme though

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Well if the rules system comes with a sample short adventure then yes this certainly helps my purpose!

This one is bit extreme in its alternative theme though

The extreme ones are the best kinds! I will recommend looking around - a lot of people offer them for free, or for a donation if you use 'em.

Once you get used to it, it's hard to go back to running any other kind of one-shot!

 

[Li Shenron]

Sources I’ve mined or intend to:

1) Pulp-era or Noir (as a setting, not neccessarily from that time) short stories and comic books. Think…The Shadow. The Phantom. The Maltese Falcon. The Rocketeer. Flash Gordon.

2) Super spy fiction: James Bond. The Saint. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

3) Stephen King, HP Lovecraft and Clive Barker all have a fair number of horror short stories to their credit.

4) HG Wells‘ and Jules Verne‘s stories are full of great adventure ideas. If you don’t have the time for the novels, Cliff’s Notes or even their Wiki plot summaries should give you enough to work with. A LOT of them got made into movies.

All good for a campaign, but I am looking for something short.
Lovecraft would be the most suitable, but unfortunately my friends have read many of his tales too

I don't know much about pulp stories, which could also be pretty short... is there some website that collects such stories?

 

[jdrakeh]

Most of the adventures published for the new-ish Delta Green RPG are one-shots.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

All good for a campaign, but I am looking for something short.
Lovecraft would be the most suitable, but unfortunately my friends have read many of his tales too

I don't know much about pulp stories, which could also be pretty short... is there some website that collects such stories?

Actually, they’re perfectly good for short adventures instead of campaigns…if you edit them. I used several James Bond plots in a HERO game using a modified version of the Space:1889 RPG setting. The Man With The Golden Gun was spliced with William Gibson’s Difference Engine and other stuff for one.

For short pulp stuff, just look for comic books or strips with those heroes; maybe Wikipedia.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Been mentioning them a lot lately but Inkwell Idea's Sidequest Card Decks everything you need.

 

[Jd Smith1]

I got to Wikipedia, and read the plots of movies in the genre.

 

[John Dallman]

Lots of one-shot adventures here: Complete List of Adventures - One shot adventures