Advice for Running a Dungeons and Dragons One-Shot
Ah, Dungeons and Dragons, the game that asks, what if I combined lying with math? D&D’s all the rage now, and for good reason, but finding a group to play with regularly, buying the books or dndbeyond.com subscriptions can be a commitment and a hassle. So why not start small? If you’ve been playing D&D or listening to great actual play shows like Critical Role, The Adventure Zone, and Dimension 20, why not write your own mini-adventure and run it with your friends? Don’t know where to start? Follow my lead.
1. Start with a Theme or Parody: Don’t reinvent the wheel trying to come up with a story that is both interesting and can fit in a two-hour time limit. Pick a TV show or movie that you and your friends enjoy, and base your session on that. For example, maybe a Scooby-Doo haunted house mystery, or a Grey’s Anatomy melodramatic hospital drama, or even a Spongebob Squarepants-esque “steal the secret recipe” adventure. Choose something you and your friends know well, so everyone can be in on the influence and the joke. It’s fun to come up with characters that fit the theme and it’s a lot less intimidating for new players than trying to figure out what D&D is all about. They know what to do, because it’s what their favorite character would do.
2. Provide Different Kinds of Challenges: In a long-running campaign of D&D, it’s okay to have an off night where you don’t accomplish much. In a one-shot, particularly if you have players who are new, it’s a bummer to feel like your skills didn’t mean anything. So mix in a couple obstacles your characters have to get past. Here’s what I try to include in any one-shot I’m planning: an easy combat to warm them up (a couple little, weak enemies in the way of something they want). Then, a puzzle or riddle or character to convince, something that can’t be solved by hitting real good that lets players who feel a little less confident in a fight to try something. After that, an open-ended problem, where characters can sneak or fight or use magic to get a thing that gets them to the next room: if you’re letting the players problem solve in their own way, they’ll have a lot more fun than guessing what was in your head all along. Finally, throw in a big monster to finish off so your players feel accomplished. All together, it feels like a lot’s accomplished, even if you only planned four quick things.
3. Build in Help/Challenges (Even if You Might Not Use Them): No D&D Plan survives what your players will throw out you. Sometimes a fight that’s meant to be dead easy can leave them... well, dead. Sometimes they immediately kill the biggest, baddest monster you got. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a friendly NPC (non-player character) nearby who can come offer help if things get out of hand, and some floating, low-level monsters that can add complication if it looks like your players are steamrolling through combat. All the players are out of health? Good thing that character they met ten minutes ago has a bunch of extra potions. Players whomp-ing your scary boss fight? A couple zombies dig out of the ground. Zombies can be anywhere! Give a logical reason for either good or bad news to show up… and also for it to not show up, just in case you don’t need them.
4. Focus on Fun: Don’t get bogged down in the little things. It’s okay if the maps don’t make sense, it’s okay if you forget a couple little tricks that a monster might use in combat, it’s okay if you get a little confused. If you are trying to make an experience for your friends to enjoy, and everyone wants to be there, you’ll have fun.
Need more advice? I’m happy to help in the comments. Fire away.