Has anyone run a 30 minute L1 one shot with pre gen PCs? Got an open night at a gaming club and been asked if this is possible.
any advice greatly appreciated!!
It's really not enough time. With inexperienced players, you won't manage to even start the scenario in that amount of time (just explaining the rules and familiarizing everyone with their character will eat up that much time), and even with experienced players there's very little you can do in that amount of time.
I'd say 30min is not enough. That being said, if you can stretch them out to an hour there's an Adventurer's League set of adventures called Defiance in Phlan - it's set up to be 5 mini adventures each about an hour long. I ran those with a group of students at my school, and we managed to get most done in an hour (though some ran over into a 2nd 'session)
It's certainly doable, but you need to come up with some rules at the table that makes sure things go along rather speedily (and be willing to sacrifice some of the depth that makes D&D so much fun). I used DnD 5e - Practical Guide to One Hour DnD Sessions | RPGBOT for some ideas on how to make it run smoother.
I simply wouldn't recommend Dungeons & Dragons as the system for a 30 minute session. It's fine for a barebones combat tutorial with 3-4 goblins (after a run-down of the character sheet), but there's not much of anything you'll get done in 30 minutes even when the party doesn't umm and arr on what to do next. I appreciate "don't do it" isn't a satisfying answer, but the closest you'll get to what you want is 1+ hour one shots. D&D Adventurer magazine, if you're in the UK and can get your hands on the first issue, has pre-gen character sheets and a 1-2 hour adventure each issue designed with those characters in mind. You can probably find free ones elsewhere though.
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Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
I have run a 30 minute adventure at least five times now. I got it online (I can't remember where) and modified it for my taste. I am 99% sure it was free, so I will post my version below. It is a great introduction to the game and gives players the chance to face several types of encounters including combat, negotiation & role playing. It only has so much latitude for the players to make choices, which is a good thing in my opinion for their first game. However, they can still make meaningful choices and when I ran it last month a player had an idea I had never seen before on the previous four (five?) times I ran the dungeon.
I start off with a 2-3 minute introduction about what a role playing game is and the basic idea. In keeping it simple, the characters have no stats, no class and everyone has 3 HP. Each starts with a dagger and no armor although they might gain more equipment along the way. There are no bonuses or penalties. I find the most boring thing in the world is to generate characters, especially with new players. Let them give their character a name and off you go! It is super bare bones but that is an advantage as you can just play a role playing game and not worry about the myriad details that confuse new players.
Every time I have ran it, the players want to continue to play after the end of the written narrative, which takes 30-45 minutes. I found myself making stuff up from the top of my head each time. This actually worked ok and people enjoyed the continuation and I never ran the same encounter twice! If they like playing, they can always flesh out their character and you can roll up proper stats, if they live! There is absolutely a risk of character death in this game as written. If that isn't your style, change the stats.
Lastly, I think writing and playing a short adventure is a great boon to the game, kinda like the old 75 minute movies. I don't want to watch TV for 180 minutes; give me your best plot ideas and jokes in just over an hour!
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
You are amateur adventurers that have all been hired by a town merchant, Hudson. He is transporting potion ingredients from his town of Firebug to Fort Muck, a local trading post. The trail between Firebug and Fort Muck passes through a hostile wilderness, and he is afraid of being robbed by bandits. In the past, he has been forced to pay “tolls” or even run for his life. In exchange for protecting him, he has offered 20% of his profits.
While travelling along to Fort Muck, you come to a river. The river has a high side on the north bank and a low side on the south bank. You know you must follow the river to reach Fort Muck but you can either walk along the ridge or walk along the riverbank. Hudson has taken this route before and he is concerned. Although he says the ridge is the easier route, bandits usually guard it. However, recent heavy rains may have flooded the river, filling the canyon with water. Walking in the river valley is usually a more difficult passage as there are swampy areas.
The High Road
The high road winds along the side of the riverbank. Walking is easy along the broad trail. After a few hours, you pass a large pool in the river down below. You come to a narrow rope bridge, spanning across the river. A swarthy looking man watches from a perch on a rocky outcropping. What do you do? The player characters must sneak past him, escape into the bushes or find another way to deal with the situation. If indecisive, 2 bandit appears, and bluffs, “We have a dozen archers with arrows at the ready. Hand over the gold!”
The Low Road
Walking is easy for some time, as the river cheerfully chatters across the rocks and boulders. Hudson thinks you are about halfway there. However, as you round the bend, you can see that the river has flooded this area. The canyon is deep on both sides, nearly sheer. The river floods the entire canyon, with no dry land on either side. The water seems shallow, and there are a few boulders sticking out of the water. It seems that about 50 yards upstream, the river runs through a very narrow shoot, from the sound of the rapids. There looks to be dry areas on either side of the river near the shoot. What do you do? They can: swim across the pool, leap across the stones, look for an easier crossing or invent some other way to cross. After passing the shoot, they see a bridge overhead, spanning the canyon.
The Negotiation
Upon reaching Fort Muck, Hudson takes the players to a seedy bar where the trade is scheduled to take place. The small building is packed with dozens of patrons. It mostly consists of humans, although there is a group of dwarves in the corner, keeping to themselves. The rowdiest group is at the bar, singing lewd songs. Other groups are talking loudly. It is a cacophony. Smoke from a boar roasting over the fire fills the air. After a bit, Hudson calls the players over – he is having trouble negotiating with the buyer, a man nicknamed Gavin Stonepaw. Gavin has a red cloak, trimmed in shimmering silver. Strange golden googles rest upon his forehead. Hudson wants a better price than 10 gold per potion ingredient and would like their help. A better price means more pay for the players. Negotiate, intimidate or accept the deal.20 potion ingredients total.
Bar-Room Brawl!
After the negotiation is complete Hudson pays each player their wages. He thanks them for their services and then leaves the tavern. At the same time, a group of four drunk bar patrons stand up and approach. It is the same men who were singing loudly at the bar. They saw the money and try to threaten everyone into handing it over. Several have picked up bar stools and one in front has drawn a short sword. They are all large men. But wait, the one with the sword has green skin and pointed ears; he is no man at all! He angrily brandishes the sword! “Give us all of the gold,” he bellows. Fight or hand over the money.
Bandits: Scout: HP 2 AC 12 Leather armor Short sword
Archer: HP 1 AC 10 Short bow with 20 arrows Dagger
Bar Fight: Half Orc HP 4 AC 10 Short sword
Human companions 1, 2 and 3 HP: 1 or 2 AC 10 Improvised barstool club (1d2) Low morale
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
It’s 100% doable. I recommend using this adventure, the Darkening Delve. It was created by the DDB community (yay us!) and consists of several rooms with various non-combat challenges. This is important because combat takes up 90% of most D&D sessions, and you can really make things stretch without a fight every thirty seconds. There are ten rooms included, but you can pick and choose your favorites for the sake of time. Maybe the boss fight could be turned into a roleplay encounter as well. It’s also friendly to new players, which is always nice.
I never did run a one shot that was less 3 hours i don't know how feasable 30 min one is but yould have very little time to do one short combat with some social or exploration encounter, if any of the environement or adventure site. It would feel short to me but if it works out kudos.
It can be done for sure. The key is creating a very direct scenario and creating buy-in for the scene at the start.
Combat is easy: Assault on the Goblin War Camp! One or two stat blocks for goblins, a clear tactical map, and pre-placed adventurers. "These goblins have raided local farms, including yours. They must be driven away or defeated entirely."
Social isn't that hard either: The King's (in)Attention! You are in the court of your local king, Aedric. You want his sponsorship for your upcoming quest, as it will benefit the kingdom. His advisor, Wulfgram, has always had it against you and refused to put you on the schedule. It's the end of business in the court, and you have about 15 minutes to gain an informal audience with the king here in the great hall and win over his sponsorship. The king has risen from his throne, and Wulfgram is headed in your direction with a perturbed look.
Exploration might feel harder, but with simplification, it can be done. Note: I read 'explore' as more than travel. Discovering something not known, or is lost, etc. is exploring the setting. The Whispering Grove. You've been traveling through an ancient forest seeking a shortcut to the dwarven lands on the other side. As the day closes you find yourselves approaching a grove and the sounds of the forest fall quiet. Evening fog rises in the grove cutting your vision down. There's no other fog in the area. The players can send characters into the grove to reveal more information and find something there to interact with. Like a druid stone. Make a simple puzzle and let the players figure it out. When they do the fog receeds and they find a treasure buried at the foot of the druid stone.
These may be simple or silly examples, but could be managed in half an hour of focused play where you don't ask palyers to learn the rules, you ask them what they do.
I think i would make a one shot that emphases urgency to highlight the limited time on hands. For exemple, an NPC relative just been kidnapped by some monsters, the party has to rapidly go rescue her before the worse happen. For exemple:
Background: Party are members of Uthgartd barbarian Elk tribe in the tundra of The Savage North. One afternoon, a wounded clansmember returns from small fruit gathering saying there was a Goblin attack, and all were killed except Brume the chieftain's daughter, who was kidnapped. The party is invited to Ofgarr the chieftain's tent.
Scene 1: Ofgarr the chieftain ask the party to find and return his daughter alive and the Goblins dead. He offer as reward Brushk, a magical greataxe, a deer's horned helmet a longbow and a grizzly bear hide armor if they accept. [Social encounter, Charisma (Persuasion) contest = 5 minutes]
Scene 2: The party run to the fields where the attack occured and start tracking the Goblin, eventually following their trail up to a cliffside where they can spot a cave entrance. [Exploration encounter, medium Wisdom (Survival) checks / Wisdom (Perception) checks = 5 minutes]
Scene 3: The party quickly enter the cave where Goblins are preparing to sacrifice the chieftain's daughter to Maglublyet abiove a large fire pit. 4 Goblins warriors engage them while as many noncombattant female and whelps flee when the party strikes. If they defeat the Goblins, they can rescue Brume, and claim the Goblins treasure; 48 gp, 110 sp, 299 cp, 1 onyx statuette (50 gp) and a red potion of healing [ Combat encounter 4 goblins = 17 minutes]
Scene 4: Party returns to the camp with Brume. Upon their arrive they are rewarded by Ofgarr the chieftain and acclaimed as heroes by the Elf tribe in during a feast held in their honor! [Social encounter, no checks = 3 minutes]
Has anyone run a 30 minute L1 one shot with pre gen PCs? Got an open night at a gaming club and been asked if this is possible.
any advice greatly appreciated!!
It's really not enough time. With inexperienced players, you won't manage to even start the scenario in that amount of time (just explaining the rules and familiarizing everyone with their character will eat up that much time), and even with experienced players there's very little you can do in that amount of time.
I'd say 30min is not enough. That being said, if you can stretch them out to an hour there's an Adventurer's League set of adventures called Defiance in Phlan - it's set up to be 5 mini adventures each about an hour long. I ran those with a group of students at my school, and we managed to get most done in an hour (though some ran over into a 2nd 'session)
It's certainly doable, but you need to come up with some rules at the table that makes sure things go along rather speedily (and be willing to sacrifice some of the depth that makes D&D so much fun). I used DnD 5e - Practical Guide to One Hour DnD Sessions | RPGBOT for some ideas on how to make it run smoother.
I simply wouldn't recommend Dungeons & Dragons as the system for a 30 minute session. It's fine for a barebones combat tutorial with 3-4 goblins (after a run-down of the character sheet), but there's not much of anything you'll get done in 30 minutes even when the party doesn't umm and arr on what to do next. I appreciate "don't do it" isn't a satisfying answer, but the closest you'll get to what you want is 1+ hour one shots. D&D Adventurer magazine, if you're in the UK and can get your hands on the first issue, has pre-gen character sheets and a 1-2 hour adventure each issue designed with those characters in mind. You can probably find free ones elsewhere though.
Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
- The Assemblage of Houses, World of Warcraft
you can do a few combat sequences or encounters lasting 15 to 20 mins each. and its defenetly more fun if you do teams or even 1 on 1.
I have run a 30 minute adventure at least five times now. I got it online (I can't remember where) and modified it for my taste. I am 99% sure it was free, so I will post my version below. It is a great introduction to the game and gives players the chance to face several types of encounters including combat, negotiation & role playing. It only has so much latitude for the players to make choices, which is a good thing in my opinion for their first game. However, they can still make meaningful choices and when I ran it last month a player had an idea I had never seen before on the previous four (five?) times I ran the dungeon.
I start off with a 2-3 minute introduction about what a role playing game is and the basic idea. In keeping it simple, the characters have no stats, no class and everyone has 3 HP. Each starts with a dagger and no armor although they might gain more equipment along the way. There are no bonuses or penalties. I find the most boring thing in the world is to generate characters, especially with new players. Let them give their character a name and off you go! It is super bare bones but that is an advantage as you can just play a role playing game and not worry about the myriad details that confuse new players.
Every time I have ran it, the players want to continue to play after the end of the written narrative, which takes 30-45 minutes. I found myself making stuff up from the top of my head each time. This actually worked ok and people enjoyed the continuation and I never ran the same encounter twice! If they like playing, they can always flesh out their character and you can roll up proper stats, if they live! There is absolutely a risk of character death in this game as written. If that isn't your style, change the stats.
Lastly, I think writing and playing a short adventure is a great boon to the game, kinda like the old 75 minute movies. I don't want to watch TV for 180 minutes; give me your best plot ideas and jokes in just over an hour!
Hope this helps.
Adventure in next post, all 700 words of it!
Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
A Fork in the Road
Background
You are amateur adventurers that have all been hired by a town merchant, Hudson. He is transporting potion ingredients from his town of Firebug to Fort Muck, a local trading post. The trail between Firebug and Fort Muck passes through a hostile wilderness, and he is afraid of being robbed by bandits. In the past, he has been forced to pay “tolls” or even run for his life. In exchange for protecting him, he has offered 20% of his profits.
While travelling along to Fort Muck, you come to a river. The river has a high side on the north bank and a low side on the south bank. You know you must follow the river to reach Fort Muck but you can either walk along the ridge or walk along the riverbank. Hudson has taken this route before and he is concerned. Although he says the ridge is the easier route, bandits usually guard it. However, recent heavy rains may have flooded the river, filling the canyon with water. Walking in the river valley is usually a more difficult passage as there are swampy areas.
The High Road
The high road winds along the side of the riverbank. Walking is easy along the broad trail. After a few hours, you pass a large pool in the river down below. You come to a narrow rope bridge, spanning across the river. A swarthy looking man watches from a perch on a rocky outcropping. What do you do? The player characters must sneak past him, escape into the bushes or find another way to deal with the situation. If indecisive, 2 bandit appears, and bluffs, “We have a dozen archers with arrows at the ready. Hand over the gold!”
The Low Road
Walking is easy for some time, as the river cheerfully chatters across the rocks and boulders. Hudson thinks you are about halfway there. However, as you round the bend, you can see that the river has flooded this area. The canyon is deep on both sides, nearly sheer. The river floods the entire canyon, with no dry land on either side. The water seems shallow, and there are a few boulders sticking out of the water. It seems that about 50 yards upstream, the river runs through a very narrow shoot, from the sound of the rapids. There looks to be dry areas on either side of the river near the shoot. What do you do? They can: swim across the pool, leap across the stones, look for an easier crossing or invent some other way to cross. After passing the shoot, they see a bridge overhead, spanning the canyon.
The Negotiation
Upon reaching Fort Muck, Hudson takes the players to a seedy bar where the trade is scheduled to take place. The small building is packed with dozens of patrons. It mostly consists of humans, although there is a group of dwarves in the corner, keeping to themselves. The rowdiest group is at the bar, singing lewd songs. Other groups are talking loudly. It is a cacophony. Smoke from a boar roasting over the fire fills the air. After a bit, Hudson calls the players over – he is having trouble negotiating with the buyer, a man nicknamed Gavin Stonepaw. Gavin has a red cloak, trimmed in shimmering silver. Strange golden googles rest upon his forehead. Hudson wants a better price than 10 gold per potion ingredient and would like their help. A better price means more pay for the players. Negotiate, intimidate or accept the deal. 20 potion ingredients total.
Bar-Room Brawl!
After the negotiation is complete Hudson pays each player their wages. He thanks them for their services and then leaves the tavern. At the same time, a group of four drunk bar patrons stand up and approach. It is the same men who were singing loudly at the bar. They saw the money and try to threaten everyone into handing it over. Several have picked up bar stools and one in front has drawn a short sword. They are all large men. But wait, the one with the sword has green skin and pointed ears; he is no man at all! He angrily brandishes the sword! “Give us all of the gold,” he bellows. Fight or hand over the money.
Bandits:
Scout:
HP 2
AC 12
Leather armor
Short sword
Archer:
HP 1
AC 10
Short bow with 20 arrows
Dagger
Bar Fight:
Half Orc
HP 4
AC 10
Short sword
Human companions 1, 2 and 3
HP: 1 or 2
AC 10
Improvised barstool club (1d2)
Low morale
Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
It’s 100% doable. I recommend using this adventure, the Darkening Delve. It was created by the DDB community (yay us!) and consists of several rooms with various non-combat challenges. This is important because combat takes up 90% of most D&D sessions, and you can really make things stretch without a fight every thirty seconds. There are ten rooms included, but you can pick and choose your favorites for the sake of time. Maybe the boss fight could be turned into a roleplay encounter as well. It’s also friendly to new players, which is always nice.
Good luck with your session, and happy gaming!
Terra Lubridia archive:
The Bloody Barnacle | The Gut | The Athene Crusader | The Jewel of Atlantis
I never did run a one shot that was less 3 hours i don't know how feasable 30 min one is but yould have very little time to do one short combat with some social or exploration encounter, if any of the environement or adventure site. It would feel short to me but if it works out kudos.
It can be done for sure. The key is creating a very direct scenario and creating buy-in for the scene at the start.
Combat is easy: Assault on the Goblin War Camp! One or two stat blocks for goblins, a clear tactical map, and pre-placed adventurers. "These goblins have raided local farms, including yours. They must be driven away or defeated entirely."
Social isn't that hard either: The King's (in)Attention! You are in the court of your local king, Aedric. You want his sponsorship for your upcoming quest, as it will benefit the kingdom. His advisor, Wulfgram, has always had it against you and refused to put you on the schedule. It's the end of business in the court, and you have about 15 minutes to gain an informal audience with the king here in the great hall and win over his sponsorship. The king has risen from his throne, and Wulfgram is headed in your direction with a perturbed look.
Exploration might feel harder, but with simplification, it can be done. Note: I read 'explore' as more than travel. Discovering something not known, or is lost, etc. is exploring the setting. The Whispering Grove. You've been traveling through an ancient forest seeking a shortcut to the dwarven lands on the other side. As the day closes you find yourselves approaching a grove and the sounds of the forest fall quiet. Evening fog rises in the grove cutting your vision down. There's no other fog in the area. The players can send characters into the grove to reveal more information and find something there to interact with. Like a druid stone. Make a simple puzzle and let the players figure it out. When they do the fog receeds and they find a treasure buried at the foot of the druid stone.
These may be simple or silly examples, but could be managed in half an hour of focused play where you don't ask palyers to learn the rules, you ask them what they do.
I think i would make a one shot that emphases urgency to highlight the limited time on hands. For exemple, an NPC relative just been kidnapped by some monsters, the party has to rapidly go rescue her before the worse happen. For exemple:
Background: Party are members of Uthgartd barbarian Elk tribe in the tundra of The Savage North. One afternoon, a wounded clansmember returns from small fruit gathering saying there was a Goblin attack, and all were killed except Brume the chieftain's daughter, who was kidnapped. The party is invited to Ofgarr the chieftain's tent.
Scene 1: Ofgarr the chieftain ask the party to find and return his daughter alive and the Goblins dead. He offer as reward Brushk, a magical greataxe, a deer's horned helmet a longbow and a grizzly bear hide armor if they accept. [Social encounter, Charisma (Persuasion) contest = 5 minutes]
Scene 2: The party run to the fields where the attack occured and start tracking the Goblin, eventually following their trail up to a cliffside where they can spot a cave entrance. [Exploration encounter, medium Wisdom (Survival) checks / Wisdom (Perception) checks = 5 minutes]
Scene 3: The party quickly enter the cave where Goblins are preparing to sacrifice the chieftain's daughter to Maglublyet abiove a large fire pit. 4 Goblins warriors engage them while as many noncombattant female and whelps flee when the party strikes. If they defeat the Goblins, they can rescue Brume, and claim the Goblins treasure; 48 gp, 110 sp, 299 cp, 1 onyx statuette (50 gp) and a red potion of healing [ Combat encounter 4 goblins = 17 minutes]
Scene 4: Party returns to the camp with Brume. Upon their arrive they are rewarded by Ofgarr the chieftain and acclaimed as heroes by the Elf tribe in during a feast held in their honor! [Social encounter, no checks = 3 minutes]