D&D 5E Would you play in or run a 2 hour pick up game of D&D ?

[Iosue]

Well, here's when we get into reasons for play. I don't think random content generators would produce an experience worth the effort, for me. I'd want a short scenario - a purpose or goal for the PCs to reach, and content in place that's relevant for that short adventure.

Absolutely. I'm merely addressing the idea that a pick-up game has to be a railroad. There are lots of methods here, if WotC provides the tools. You've got the railroad-y "Here's your mission/dungeon delve," on one end, the random-content-filled sandbox on the other, and the whole spectrum in between.

 

[Mistwell]

I am kinda surprised by the number of people who think a 2-hour session would be a "waste of time". I am not saying that's an illegitimate position to have, just for me it's a surprising one.

Maybe it has to do with assumptions about the game:

1) Are some of these claims based on an assumption that the game involves an extensive run-up to get started?

IE Are you expecting time to generate a character, or for extensive DM prep while the players are present, or people talking a lot before the game starts, or a re-cap of recent events in the game, or buying and selling stuff in town before the adventure begins, or other stuff like that?

2) Are some of these claims based on the quantity of time it takes for the DM to prep before the players arrive?

3) Are some of these claims based on the idea that random encounters cannot further a longer cohesive campaign?

For me, I can (and did) sit down and immediately begin playing with no run-up time. I can (and did) do it with no prep time. And I can (and did) do it as a part of a longer cohesive campaign.

I've done this both in the context of a dungeon adventure, and a wilderness one. For example, if the players are travelling to a distant location as part of the larger campaign to help achieve some goal, we've had short two hour sessions where we all just sit down and immediately roll on random charts for what they find in the next hex they are travelling through. That could be a friendly encounter with a Dryad, a hostile encounter with a den of owlbears, a neutral encounter with a fellow band of adventurers on the road, whatever.

And these can be linked together as the party travels towards their destination as a series of encounters during that travel. No run-up time, no prep time, part of a larger campaign, and lots of fun.

It surprises me, because I thought most people played this way. Heck, I view the novels and other fantasy material D&D was based on as including this concept in them. For example, Bilbo and the dwarves encounter three trolls on their way to Rivendale in The Hobbit as, from my perspective, a simple random roll to see what is in the next hex in that wilderness trek.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I am kinda surprised by the number of people who think a 2-hour session would be a "waste of time". I am not saying that's an illegitimate position to have, just for me it's a surprising one.

If I was to venture a guess... I'd say that it'd be considered a "waste of time" because of the impermanence of the game.

D&D works wonderfully (and in fact is designed) for long-term gaming. Games that spread out over session after session for campaigns that last weeks, months, years showing true character and story progression. But if you specifically only have time for a "one-and-done" game... a game that once you've finished, the story is over and gone and never to be brought up again... I can see why the idea of using D&D to accomplish it to be a waste for some people. Myself included.

Now, if we're at a place where these one-off games are the only thing possible (like at conventions and whatnot)... sitting down to play a con game make the impermanence easier to swallow. But if you are at the house and you have other options to fill that time with... pulling out D&D and using that could seem like the wrong tool for the job. As I said... if given a choice, I'd rather play a 2 hour game of Fiasco or RoboRally or Ticket To Ride than a 2 hour game of D&D.

D&D is best when it's played over a campaign... so save it for the campaign unless you have no other choice (IMO.)

 

[dm4hire]

I'd be up for it and know a few others who would too. If already have the characters or pregens then a quick foray into a dungeon sounds like fun.

 

[Umbran]

Absolutely. I'm merely addressing the idea that a pick-up game has to be a railroad.

I just spent my weekend at a house-con. All games 4 hours. Most of the time, the majority of the people didn't know the rules to the game they were playing before sitting at the table. To be effective and interesting (my personal definition - generally matching the 50 or so other people who attended, I think) these sessions need a whole lot more focus and underlying purpose than a sandbox or random encounter tables were going to produce.

 

[Mistwell]

If I was to venture a guess... I'd say that it'd be considered a "waste of time" because of the impermanence of the game.

D&D works wonderfully (and in fact is designed) for long-term gaming. Games that spread out over session after session for campaigns that last weeks, months, years showing true character and story progression. But if you specifically only have time for a "one-and-done" game... a game that once you've finished, the story is over and gone and never to be brought up again... I can see why the idea of using D&D to accomplish it to be a waste for some people. Myself included.

Now, if we're at a place where these one-off games are the only thing possible (like at conventions and whatnot)... sitting down to play a con game make the impermanence easier to swallow. But if you are at the house and you have other options to fill that time with... pulling out D&D and using that could seem like the wrong tool for the job. As I said... if given a choice, I'd rather play a 2 hour game of Fiasco or RoboRally or Ticket To Ride than a 2 hour game of D&D.

D&D is best when it's played over a campaign... so save it for the campaign unless you have no other choice (IMO.)

Why can't you have two-hour pick-up games as part of a larger campaign? I just outlined how that's done (and how I have done it) above. I assume your players sometimes travel overland from one location to another, and a pickup game can be encounters in various hexes they travel through while on the way to the distant location. You can do the same with a dungeon as well, though the structure is slightly different.

 

[smerwin29]

Whether running/playing a 2-hour, pick-up D&D game is "worthwhile" is a completely subjective thing that depends on the sensibilities of the individual.

I can say this: I have been contracted by Wizards of the Coast in the past to create 2-hour events to run as pick-up games at conventions like PAX, GenCon, Comic Con, etc. These events were events that used low-level pre-generated characters, all of which that contained detailed backgrounds that tied the characters to the adventure specifically. Players would sit down, have 10-15 minutes to read the character backgrounds and get acquainted with the rules, and then play. The events were played by both experienced D&D players and people new to the game (either 4e or 5e). I attended some of these conventions, but not all of them. I talked with the DMs who ran these events, and I talked to players who played them.

While obviously tastes and experiences varied, for the most part people seemed to enjoy the experiences even though there were two-hour events. People who were involved in long-term campaigns didn't want these to be their only games, but most understood the specific goals and the limited nature of the events. However, the lines for the events and the people who asked for more such events indicates that there is an audience for them.

At GenCon this year, Wizards is offering an event called Defiance in Phlan, which consists of five 1-hour mini-adventures that are supposed to act as an introduction to 5e, as well as an introduction to the Expeditions adventures that make up the new Organized Play program. I will be running playtests of this event at Origins this weekend, and at GenCon I will be talking to players and DMs of this event as well, figuring out what I can learn about these types of events in case I have to write any more in the future.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Why can't you have two-hour pick-up games as part of a larger campaign? I just outlined how that's done (and how I have done it) above. I assume your players sometimes travel overland from one location to another, and a pickup game can be encounters in various hexes they travel through while on the way to the distant location. You can do the same with a dungeon as well, though the structure is slightly different.

A one-off games as part of a larger campaign is different than a one-off game with completely new characters that don't ever get played again. If it's part of the story of a larger campaign, using some characters from the larger campaign or including players from that campaign (so that they can see how this one-shot fits into the larger story)... sure, that might be something worthwhile to do.

But if I have a handful of people over for the night that aren't a part of any larger current campaign I'm running and we have to choose a game to pull down off the shelf and play for a couple hours... choosing a one-off D&D game wouldn't be a first (or probably second or third) choice. A one-off Fiasco or Danger Patrol game would usually lead to a more fun and successful game experience for us than a pick-up D&D game simply because those games are written specifically to fall within the window.

Not saying D&D can't be fun and successful in a 2-hour window with pre-gens and a story that once it's done, it's done... just saying that odds are better in another direction for us.

 

[The Human Target]

Playing a 2 hour session of an ongoing game= fine.

Playing a 2 hour unplanned pick up game one off with new characters that will never be used again= why bother?

 

[Mistwell]

Playing a 2 hour session of an ongoing game= fine.

Playing a 2 hour unplanned pick up game one off with new characters that will never be used again= why bother?

Even in that scenario, "because it's fun".

By your logic, nobody would ever bother just sitting down and playing RPGs at conventions.