Designing a one-shot session

[rgoodbb]

Hi folks.

I would be very interested in finding out the way and order that others (you) plan a session from the start.

I sometimes struggle to organise myself well and seem to get easily distracted orground down in intricacies. If you could include how you scour for and or make maps and choose music (if you do) right up until the point when you are ready to go as well.

Do you have a set technique?
Does it change each time?
Do you wing it by the seat of your pants?

I am about to embark on designinga 3-6 hour one-shot for (mostly) newbies with 2 social encounters, 3 small combat encounters (or 4 if things go really wrong) some exploration and a couple of skill/obstacle encounters. I will also have 1 trap and maybe a puzzle as optional if time permits.

My usual starting point is general plot, then laying out each encounter title and creating any NPC’s that might be attached to that. After that it often gets slowly messy until I eventually unravel something I am happy with.

I want to see if I can be more efficient and am genuinely curious about others’ styles. So what would be your general approach that I might take inspiration from?

Examples always welcome. Many thanks in advance.

 

[iserith]

I design and run a lot of one-shots. I love them, especially watching multiple groups play through them so I can compare.

One thing I've learned is that a plot-based adventure (what the DMG calls "event-based) is not as good in one-shots as an adventure location, a nonlinear dynamic place where there's at least two groups that are sometimes at odds for some reason. Come up with a theme and aesthetic and stick with it throughout. Work with the players to establish a reason why their characters both know and work with each in dangerous situations and why they as individuals and as a group want to delve this place. Then start with action - just outside the dungeon with enough exposition for the players to describe what they want to do. Add more along the way as needed.

Prep-wise, design slightly more content than what can be covered in a single session and, when the session time comes to an end, end in narration with the player's input in a way that leaves room for a sequel. Don't worry about "finishing" it - that's a distinct advantage over a plot-based adventure. The "story" is whatever the characters did during the course of the adventure. If the adventure location is filled up with novelty, fantasy, and danger that your players have their characters boldly confront, it'll be an entertaining story that writes itself.

My process would be to go find a cool adventure location map on the internet. I'd make sure there were at least a couple ways into the place and that there are a number of potential pathways through it. A couple of levels to the place is ideal. Then I'd come up with the current situation in that dungeon, what the place was originally built for, and stock it up with monsters, traps, and points of interest that play into my overall theme and tone. Then onward to character creation!

 

[rgoodbb]

Thanks [MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION]. You are always one of the first if not the first to offer a helping hand to less experienced DM's. You are a credit to this community and it is lucky to have you.

If I may indulge your expertise;

2nd level adventure.

My thought was to steal a little of the latest tomb raider movie. Rival excavators (a goblinoid gang) found an easy way in. Adventurer's know of a secret but more dangerous (cliff) entrance (skills). Must steal thing from crypt within and get back to benefactor. Through some stirges and maybe spiders if they want more shiny!

Crypt guarded by Skeletons and treasure with trap releases a Mummy. Both Adventurers and Goblinoids get there at the same time and can either do a three-way fight of ally against the mummy and then battle each other or grab and run.

Any extra thoughts?

 

[aco175]

I have done a one-shot where the PCs are first level and I have already leveled the PC to 2nd level on the back of the sheet. I hand out the sheets like an old convention and start playing. I also make sure the PCs have a paragraph on how the PC acts to let the players who are new know it is ok to talk and act different from how they would normally. I like to get some cool items to give out early in the adventure to let the players get some magic to help. I also have some scrolls and potions to help make them feel powerful. The main point is to make the players want to come back.

I agree with [MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION] in having a couple groups in the same location makes the site better. An old tomb complex or abandoned set of mines can hold goblins and bandits. The bandits could help, but they also could be combatants.

 

[iserith]

Thanks [MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION]. You are always one of the first if not the first to offer a helping hand to less experienced DM's. You are a credit to this community and it is lucky to have you.

If I may indulge your expertise;

Thanks for the kind words!

2nd level adventure.

My thought was to steal a little of the latest tomb raider movie. Rival excavators (a goblinoid gang) found an easy way in. Adventurer's know of a secret but more dangerous (cliff) entrance (skills). Must steal thing from crypt within and get back to benefactor. Through some stirges and maybe spiders if they want more shiny!

Crypt guarded by Skeletons and treasure with trap releases a Mummy. Both Adventurers and Goblinoids get there at the same time and can either do a three-way fight of ally against the mummy and then battle each other or grab and run.

Any extra thoughts?

I like that there are two ways into the dungeon. This offers a meaningful choice (assuming in your scenario they can choose to take the goblin entrance if they want). Then I'd say you'd want a couple different ways to get to the prize once inside the dungeon, enough to where they might leave an area unexplored and always wonder what was there. (This increase the replayability of the scenario, too.) Basically what I'm saying is to avoid a linearity and increase the number of meaningful choices along the way.

For what sounds like a finale, three-way battles can be kind of complicated to run effectively. I would probably steer clear of that. Perhaps the goblin threat is dealt with prior to finding the mummy or the goblins try to jump the PCs as they make their way out with the prize.

 

[rgoodbb]

I have done a one-shot where the PCs are first level and I have already leveled the PC to 2nd level on the back of the sheet. I hand out the sheets like an old convention and start playing. I also make sure the PCs have a paragraph on how the PC acts to let the players who are new know it is ok to talk and act different from how they would normally. I like to get some cool items to give out early in the adventure to let the players get some magic to help. I also have some scrolls and potions to help make them feel powerful. The main point is to make the players want to come back.

I agree with [MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION] in having a couple groups in the same location makes the site better. An old tomb complex or abandoned set of mines can hold goblins and bandits. The bandits could help, but they also could be combatants.

Adding another element of NPC's could be really interesting or really confusing. I will certainly think upon it. It might be something I add on a whim now I have the idea. I also like your idea of level one and two players using both sides of the page. That appeals a lot. Thanks for the tip!

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Like Isereth stated, I like to start right in the middle of the action. As they build characters together, decide how they know each other and set up a reason for them to be together.

My one shots start with a description like, “arrows rain down on you from all directions as you run for cover. Roll initiative.”

For new players, I make an easy but dramatic encounter that lets them work out game mechanics right away. When the encounter is done,I rewind time and describe what brought them there (based on the pre-game discussion). I let them level immediately and go from there. Maybe even letting them level to 3rd before the big encounter at the end if it won’t take too long.

 

[Mort]

Any extra thoughts?

Some good advice already!

To add:

1. Start things quickly. In medias res works particularly well for a one shot because it avoids all the clunky introductions and decisions that often plague the beginning of an adventure. It's not the only way - but start things quickly.

2. If you are handing out characters: be certain that each character has means to meaningfully contribute to the adventure. Several times in the last 2 Gen Cons, I played in games where 50% of the group had characters with skill sets completely useless to the adventure at hand! Granted, this is less a problem for 5e then some other systems but it can still be an issue.

If players are bringing their own characters, give them at least some idea of what to expect. If players bring characters armed for an underground expedition and the one shot is a sea voyage - it'll be less fun.

As for process, mine is similar to what's already been posted. Grab inspiration from a map or city writeup. Add conflict. Figure out how to set the players loose into the scenario.

Mood music is always a good tool.

I use ambient mixer for background, MP3s and the like for appropriate theme music. I'll Bluetooth it to the Amazon echo where we play. YouTube can be good to find cool music BUT you have to be careful with it - nothing breaks the mood like a commercial popping up.

 

[Blue]

[MENTION=6801229]rgoodbb[/MENTION], I have similar issues in being much better at running long campaigns then episodic one-shots. I asked the question before, maybe you can get something from that thread as well:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?608978-Advice-for-one-shots

Another I saw along the same lines:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...sodes-that-can-be-finished-in-4-hour-sessions

 

[77IM]

I used to run a lot of one-shots using a method I called, "clear goals, fluid obstacles."

Clear Goals: Everybody knows up-front exactly what the goal is. "Find special treasure in cave" is a perfect example. This side-steps any debate about "Well what should we do now?" or "Should we go on the old man's quest?" and it also gives an opportunity for the players to come up with their characters' motivations in relation to that goal.

Fluid Obstacles: As part of the planning, I create a bunch of potential obstacles that are preventing the PCs from achieving their clear goal. But I don't select which ones to actually use until they are needed -- that's the fluid part. This allows me to pile on more obstacles for a fast or clever group, or subtract obstacles for a group that's going slow or getting pretty busted up.

In D&D, an obstacle usually is an encounter of some sort. It could be a static group of monsters just hanging out, or minions sent to kill the PCs, or a neutral party that the PCs must press for clues or favors. An obstacle can also be a literal blockage, like a locked door or trapped hallway or confusing maze-like dungeon. The most important thing about an obstacle is that it prompts the PCs to do something about it. Like, if all the PCs get a disease and the only way to cure it is to finish the adventure, then the disease isn't really an obstacle. It's just a kind of twist or thematic element. Environmental conditions, curses and enchantments are also good for this kind of thing, but again, they are not obstacles unless the PCs can "overcome" them.

For a location-based adventure, this sometimes results in extra empty rooms -- like, there is supposed to be an encounter in that room, but you are pressed for time, so you decide to just skip it. That's totally fine; it's a feature of fluid obstacles. I find location-based adventures work best in rich environments with a lot of interactive stuff in them. For example, in a crypt filled with flammable spider webs, maybe the goblins light the spider webs on fire to burn the PCs, or maybe they don't, depending on whether you need more obstacles. It also gives the PCs the opportunity to burn the goblins! Other fun elements are pit-traps or pressure-plate traps that can't be seen because of a layer of dust; slightly-malfunctioning traps; monsters that might be turned against your enemies; and of course, rope bridges.

"Final boss" is also a tricky when you are pressed for time. If you are pressed for time, you might have to skip it, or greatly reduce it. Usually you should be able to see the end of the session coming and introduce the final boss obstacle with about enough time to overcome it. Give yourself a lot of buffer, and if the fight goes quickly, you can throw in an encounter with minions taking vengeance or whatever, as the PCs try to escape. A roaming boss is also really great for this play-style; whenever the PCs get close to the final obstacle, the boss shows up as an additional challenge. Of course, many adventures work fine without any notion of a boss.

The "clear goals, fluid obstacles" method can sometimes involve a little bit of Schrodinger's Ogre (google it), but for a one-shot, I think that's fine. The easiest way to "fool" the players is by making sure all of the obstacles make sense -- for example, if the party searches a room and rolls really well, you shouldn't have a trap spring up in that room 5 minutes later. They players will be understandably miffed. It's also important that you over-prepare, having lots of obstacles up your sleeve. This allows you to choose the obstacle that follows logically. Like if the party is chasing some goblins across a chasm with a rope-bridge, maybe that's a good time for the harpies to show up. The key to improvisation is, paradoxically, over-preparation, so that you have in your mind a firm picture of what all is going on and what might happen.

Here's an example of an adventure I wrote recently that uses this technique: The Cursed Pass
The trick is, when it says roll randomly for an encounter, you can just pick it instead.