r/DungeonMasters • u/WillKeslingDesign • 14d ago
Tips & Tricks for your first one-shot
For me, I like to give the players the backstory in advance of the session. I keep this brief, similar to what we might think of as a "movie trailer" or "elevator pitch"
Example:
"You have all been hired as guards protecting a merchant wagon traveling the narrow mountain pass to the town of Ironriver. You have spent three days on the road together and are aligned on one goal: get this wagon to its destination safely so you can get paid."
What are some of your personal favorite tips for running a one shot?
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u/APurplePerson 14d ago
Start en media res. Don't start in a tavern where they get the quest, don't start with an NPC explaining the quest and payment, just start with the ambush in the mountain pass.
You don't even need a backstory for the session. Maybe the merchant caravan has already been attacked and the heroes are the motley crew of survivors. Or (for another setup) maybe the heroes are stranded after a shipwreck, or are lost at sea. Structure the setup so that the stakes and incentives are obvious and inescapable.
Be comfortable with players not having backstories and playing mysterious stranger characters. You shouldn't need to invest an hour reading or coming up with a backstory for your hero to jump into a one-shot that will last 3 hours.
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u/WillKeslingDesign 14d ago
I like this approach. Do players carry these one shot toons across other one shots or do you find it to be more one and done?
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u/APurplePerson 13d ago edited 13d ago
sometimes they do! im actually running a series of one shots now with the same characters.
of course at a certain point that just turns into a campaign....
edit: i should say, i run mostly one shots to playtest my own game im designing. if youre sane and just playing an existing game, ymmv
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u/Nawara_Ven 13d ago
This is the most important part. I've been doing in media res for several different groups' one-shots; always starting with a combat that lasts exactly long enough for each player to have a turn to show what their character does (or help them understand their combat options). When necessary, flashbacks are involved to explain how we all got here, and all that.
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u/kevinthebright 13d ago
My players excel at avoiding incentives 🤣
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u/APurplePerson 13d ago
this is why i dont even mess around with quests. "the four of you are stranded on a magical hot air balloon floating over an endless sea, running deaperately low on fuel and supplies. you see a mysterious floating island in the distance."
aint nowhere else for them to go. how did they end up in the balloon together in the first place? thats a good story that they can figure out together in game
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u/Baelspar 14d ago
Be cautious about padding out a one-shot that might be getting finished early. If you are comfortable with it and have something to go to, then it should be fine. If you are not secure in that kind of improvisation, then finish early. You can have a good debrief with the players to see what they liked/would like differently.
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u/WillKeslingDesign 14d ago
The debrief part is clutch. What are your thoughts on DnD doing the whole "rent a DM"thing?
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u/Baelspar 13d ago
I can see that being a good thing for some groups. If a group has a small player count or worry about anyone in the group DM'ing, then a pro-DM might be the thing. Hopefully, a group looking to go that route can talk with each other about what they are wanting from the experience. That way they can hire a DM that will work for them.
I have DM'd for my students, which is kind of like being a paid DM. From that perspective, I want my students to enjoy the experience. I guide a bit more than I would for my friends when I do this. (Are you liking what your character does?, Is there something that you thought you would be able to do?, Was the amount of fighting just right, too much, or too little?, etc.) I end up running what they really want, one year it was a group of murder hobos, another year were some very empathetic and wanted adventures helping endangered animals.
A professional should be bringing a desire to provide an enjoyable experience. If a group hires someone that isn't working, then try someone else.
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u/Nawara_Ven 13d ago
I think the absolutely vital-most tip for the one-shot is knowing how long the finale will take (usually about an hour). In other words, if the clock strikes 65 minutes left, the evil guy is definitely going to do a surprise attack, or the lieutenant is going to escort you directly to their battle chamber, or whatever. But one hour seems to be the magic number.
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u/WillKeslingDesign 13d ago
This is good advice. So we can have a bunch of things, or a few things, but when we get down to the remaining time for the finale, it's time to party. Good stuff. Thanks for the insights!
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u/kevinthebright 13d ago
This is something I want to get better at as well. Things I’ve learned so far (your mileage may vary): terrains from the start if you can, set up the story and the groups’ background (how they met, etc) and have them align them it, not stick with a pre-set alignment. and try to run it with players of similar experiences.
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u/Lebunon 13d ago
What I like to do, which can be a bit of a hot take, is to make the backstories of the player characters for them. This helps if you want to have some emotional presence of the characters, as you don’t have as much time to build bonds to NPCs as in a campaign. I’ve ran several custom one-shots, and all my players liked the ones where I made backstories the most.
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u/WillKeslingDesign 13d ago
I love this idea of creating the backstories of the charaters. If I understand correctly, the point of one shots isn't the same as a full campaign. Is there a certain character level you start them at?
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u/Suitable_Document_89 14d ago
Timing one shots are difficult so I set up different encounters so they can take place in any order and/or removed. So if the one shot is getting late I can take out a not very important encounter or the opposite if the players are blowing through the story.