I may get drafted to run a one-shot this weekend, and I need some suggestions.
This would be my first time in the DM seat, and some of the players will probably be new to me.
Where should I look for a decent one-shot that could be played through in 3 or 4 hours with a noob DM and experienced players?
I have access to several of the adventure books on DDB, I've started looking at Tales from the Yawning Portal, and it seems like there might be something useful in there.
Stroll over the the Articles section here at DDM and look for the Encounter of the Week archive. (Most of it was written by James Haeck, great writer, sad to see he left DDB.) I can remember a couple of encounters that were a tad lengthy and a few more that could be strung together to make enough content for a session.
There are a couple of content creators that have branched out into adventure crafting. DM Lair - you will have to subscribe to download the PDF, but it is free, and also you don't have to create it. (Not a sleazy plug, trying to put a resource on you list of potential use.)
Head to DMs Guild or Drive-Thru RPG and search through the Pay What You Want and Free one-shots that they have hanging out there.
TftYP does have a bundle of one-shot-style adventures, some may take longer that 3-4 hours, or more than 1 session. For the most part, you can potentially pull any of the chapters out of the published Adventures and just run that portion, but takes more prep-work than a "noob DM" can reliably pull off in short order. Experienced DMs have the same trouble at times.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
I wouldn't do Tales, those are a lot longer than 3-4 hours. Try Candlekeep if you're looking for quick one shots in published modules or take Kaavel's advice.
I may get drafted to run a one-shot this weekend, and I need some suggestions.
This would be my first time in the DM seat, and some of the players will probably be new to me.
Where should I look for a decent one-shot that could be played through in 3 or 4 hours with a noob DM and experienced players?
I have access to several of the adventure books on DDB, I've started looking at Tales from the Yawning Portal, and it seems like there might be something useful in there.
Stroll over the the Articles section here at DDM and look for the Encounter of the Week archive. (Most of it was written by James Haeck, great writer, sad to see he left DDB.) I can remember a couple of encounters that were a tad lengthy and a few more that could be strung together to make enough content for a session.
There are a couple of content creators that have branched out into adventure crafting. DM Lair - you will have to subscribe to download the PDF, but it is free, and also you don't have to create it. (Not a sleazy plug, trying to put a resource on you list of potential use.)
Head to DMs Guild or Drive-Thru RPG and search through the Pay What You Want and Free one-shots that they have hanging out there.
TftYP does have a bundle of one-shot-style adventures, some may take longer that 3-4 hours, or more than 1 session. For the most part, you can potentially pull any of the chapters out of the published Adventures and just run that portion, but takes more prep-work than a "noob DM" can reliably pull off in short order. Experienced DMs have the same trouble at times.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
I wouldn't do Tales, those are a lot longer than 3-4 hours. Try Candlekeep if you're looking for quick one shots in published modules or take Kaavel's advice.
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep