My first session zero… for a one-shot.

If you are familiar with my posts, than you know by now that I have been preparing a one-shot as a break for our current DM based on a wacky theme I came up with (Three Little Pigs) (yes, I’m still serious.) It seems as though I will fo ally get my chance, but it comes with a twist I didn’t see coming. Since two of our normal players will not be there, I have been asked to make it more of a session zero… to establish the world i have created as well as player characters and a dummy encounter.

Here’s my idea. I start off with a flashback to the Big Bad Wolf ambushing one of the “pigs” (halflings) one stormy night coming out of the outhouse. Each of the 3 halflings possesses a magic +1/silvered weapon hybrid I homebrewed. The second halfling goes to save the forst by throwing his weapon. I’ll roll for fun to see if he hits or not, but either way the third halfling finally shows up, scaring the wolf off… which takes the weapon with it! Eventually, my one-shot will involve them following the trail of the wolf to try and find the weapon.

The next morning the players wake up at Newtavern in Darkwood where the story takes place. They watch the first halfling perform as a bard to the live audience. Well, one person is out cold. After the song I’ll ask the characters to introduce themselves and say what they are doing. NPC’s will refer them to the first halfling’s ordeal last night as well as the rumor he has special weapons that the party lacks (they are level 7 with default equipment). If they approach the halfling, he will begin discussing hiring them.

However, before the party can solidify a deal, the out cold person will begin to convulse and bite his friend! Others instinctively go to help and get bit, turning into CR3 werewolves. Two of them will focus on the party of 3 level 7’s, an easy encounter. Eventually if they do poorly, I have an NPC with healing magic going around trying to save as many people as he can, so he could bring them back. (The missing party members will have been sleeping in their rooms and fight a separate wolf.)

If this doesn’t take long enough, I’ve prepared a filler situation based on Little Red Riding Hood. They run into Red walking to grandma’s house. If they choose to walk with her the grandma will attempt to turn them away. If they attempt an investigation check or eavesdrop outside it will be revealed to be a CR7 Werewolf Ravager, a medium difficulty encounter. (Their missing party members will have volunteered to help clean ip the tavern and meet up with the party later.) i want the wolf to attempt to run if we are short on time. The halfling will reveal that it is a different wolf than the one that attacked him.

Anyway, I’m hoping that will last the 6 hour session. What do you all think? Any tips, tricks or suggestions you have would be welcome as long as they are constructive. 

Quick note: A single CR 7 seven enemy against several level 7 characters is liable to end very fast in the favor of the players favor, so maybe split it into several enemies (more hidden wolves than just the one) if you want it to last longer.

A retrieval of a singular +1 weapon may feel unsatisfying for level 7 characters, so I suggest making the sword a little more narratively established and possibly more powerful. It was forged by an ancient smith and has tasted the bloods of hundreds of wolves at the hands of my family for six centuries or something, to make it feel a little more legitimate to the players.

I also suggest adding a few more social encounters unless your party is heavily invested in a hack and slash game, because every encounter in this one shot devolves into violence. A wolf-themed puzzle or something pass through an area, or something like that.

Hu. Interesting. I’m not sure how to work more wolves in narratively. I mean, these are suppose to just be dummy encounters. Perhaps I’ll see how this one goes and can better prepare enemies for the official one-shot.

The weapons are suppose to be left to the halflings by a famous lineage of blood hunter with routes in the area. Also, each of the halflings have one based on who I expect my characters to use them: a shortsword from the halfilng bard to the rogue/sorcerer, a scimitar from the halfling ranger to the dual-wielding eldritch knight, and a warhammer from the halfling cleric to the barbarian monk that can’t make it to session zero but should hopefully be there for the actual one-shot. I’ll make sure the NPC’s at the bar bring up the rumors.

Not sure what kind of puzzle would work. Plus our main camoaign dosn’t usually have them. I’ll try to extend the conversations to compensate. Maybe I’ll try giving red some more lines about her grandmother having-also been a blood hunter from back when the area was “bad.”

Thanks so much for your input!