So I had an idea of doing like a 1-2 hour single player session before we start Waterdeep Dragon Heist for each of my players, as a way to get all the players a little used to their characters before we actually start. A little side mission that gets the characters to Waterdeep and sets up some connections that will be important. Does anyone have any ideas or has anybody run a 1 player one shot before? How did it go?
I thought about doing that a few years ago, but it never happened. The trick is to remember that one CR 1/4 creature is a hard encounter for a single 1st-level character. It also helps if you know that a guard is really CR 1/4.
Edit: Hey, why's that auto-capitalizing? I had to use the new plural tooltip trick to stop it.
I think your idea of doing little mini quests with each player (or maybe even 2 at a time) sounds like a fun idea to get them involved and used to the game!
What are the backgrounds and classes of your players? That'll help us figure out a good scenario for each one. If they're level 1, a CR 1/8 or CR 1/4 encounter would be more than enough. Here are some generic combat ideas that may work:
PC goes to Waterdeep to collect information on finding work or answers to a personal quest. Eventually they find a lead with some light investigating but get jumped in the street by a commoner or 2, or maybe some thug with the stats of a bandit.
Alternatively, the PC finds a lead but is betrayed in an alley and has to fight
PC is in a tavern and some commoners pick a fight, starting a brawl in the tavern. The reason the fight starts could be personal or just coincidence
The PC is part of a group escorting merchants to Waterdeep. The PC, along with 2 guards has to fight off a group of 3-4 goblins or bandits
The PC just got caught pickpocketing and has to run away from an angry guard or noble who is pursuing them
A PC scraping together some coin is hired to exterminate a nest of rats. The work is unglamorous and pays poorly, leading the PC to seek better opportunities
I did this during the last campaign I ran. I found it gave each character (who didn't know the others) a reason for why they were at the start of our campaign location and their own motives.
-One character fought newly-rising undead as he left his mountain village. -Another character suffered a nightmare sequence/premonition while she was asleep. -One was pulled to another plane and ridiculed by a demon as he attempted to escape. -Another was ambushed in the woods while deserting his obligations/duty. -The last was running away from her old life and managed to get captured along the way.
Each character had their backstories pulled into the solo session, experienced some warm-up combat, and did a little RP to get the campaign started from their perspective. When they all got together, each player had different goals and pieces of a puzzle to contribute to the arcing storyline. Good stuff; Would highly recommend!
I think your idea of doing little mini quests with each player (or maybe even 2 at a time) sounds like a fun idea to get them involved and used to the game!
What are the backgrounds and classes of your players? That'll help us figure out a good scenario for each one.
Right now only 2 players have made their characters and the other 3 players will make them this week.
All starting at level 1. We have a human bard who is secretly a member of the Zhentarim. And we have a Githyanki monk with the far traveller background.
I really like both ideas from Sedge and AK30, I will no doubt use some of those!!!
I thought about doing that a few years ago, but it never happened. The trick is to remember that one CR 1/4 creature is a hard encounter for a single 1st-level character. It also helps if you know that a guard is really CR 1/4.
I did this a while back ago and it had varying degrees of success, but that is normal when it comes to player types.
I had 5 players, each one, fortunately had a different class, so I was able to tailor each experience to the class. I also tailored their story to the few lines they gave me about their character. I asked them to write one line about their past, their current goal, and their future goal. I had them write this before they made back stories, I used this one-shot as a piece of their back story. Once I had this little bit of information I then looked at how I could tie it in like you're trying to do.
I picked one of the introductory stories they'd be getting as a group and made that the goal line. I had to figure out how to get them all to the same location, but from different directions and with their own personalities intact. That became the planning side of the 1-shot, piecing together their past, their current goals and the first quest I wanted them to start out on. That took a little while but I had all the information in front of me, all I needed was some inspiration.
Example:
Kadesh, the Black Dragon Monk; abused by his tribe and almost killed by his mother. He escaped and found a wandering monk who taught him. His current goal is to gather power so that he can rid the world of his mother's influence and possibly reclaim the tribe.
First mission: City of Pinehurst; Find the missing shipment of goods a local merchant says was lost to Lizardfolk in a nearby swamp.
1-Shot idea: Final challenge from Monk
Travelling the land with the monk, the two find themselves near the city of Pinehurst. There is a dense forest south of town where rumor has it there is a Druid Enclave, the two are headed there. Before they can reach the Enclave they have to pass the guardians which the Druids have set out, the master monk has told his apprentice to deal with the threats and he'll just watch. If the master does not have to step in at any time, then their training is done and the student must venture out on his own.
Final fight is against a Brown Bear, have to avoid traps wandering through the woods, and defend against some plant based creatures.
Druids welcome them, spend the night, Master monk sends Kadesh to Pinehurst to finish his training by joining with the world and it's population again.
Doing it this way the player is given a goal, there is a fail safe in case the player gets in over his head, and it sets up a simple way to push the player into the proper location.
I'm a big fan of running an intro session for each player and have done that, as I could, for years. So, not every time, but often and I do it for more than just my D&D games. As far as what the content of the session is, that depends on what the player gives me for the character's background. My goal is to allow them an opportunity to get into the character and connect with the world in a more fundamental way.
For example, after a player handed me the rogue they made I looked over the background and opted to run a small B&E for-hire session. The NPC hiring them was one that would play a role in tying the group together in the upcoming group game.
Another example, same game, was a mage. She ended up with the task of finding a rare book in one of the city's famous libraries. It allowed the player to meet some important local NPCs and interact in ways that strengthened her feel for her character's personality as well as find out more about mage society in the world.
Overall, I've found that games I start that way go better than otherwise. Players seem happier and into both the world and their characters. Also, there seems to be less chance of the game dying out, I think it is because players feel more invested in it.
So I had an idea of doing like a 1-2 hour single player session before we start Waterdeep Dragon Heist for each of my players, as a way to get all the players a little used to their characters before we actually start. A little side mission that gets the characters to Waterdeep and sets up some connections that will be important. Does anyone have any ideas or has anybody run a 1 player one shot before? How did it go?
Published Subclasses
I thought about doing that a few years ago, but it never happened. The trick is to remember that one CR 1/4 creature is a hard encounter for a single 1st-level character. It also helps if you know that a guard is really CR 1/4.
Edit: Hey, why's that auto-capitalizing? I had to use the new plural tooltip trick to stop it.
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I think your idea of doing little mini quests with each player (or maybe even 2 at a time) sounds like a fun idea to get them involved and used to the game!
What are the backgrounds and classes of your players? That'll help us figure out a good scenario for each one. If they're level 1, a CR 1/8 or CR 1/4 encounter would be more than enough. Here are some generic combat ideas that may work:
I did this during the last campaign I ran. I found it gave each character (who didn't know the others) a reason for why they were at the start of our campaign location and their own motives.
-One character fought newly-rising undead as he left his mountain village.
-Another character suffered a nightmare sequence/premonition while she was asleep.
-One was pulled to another plane and ridiculed by a demon as he attempted to escape.
-Another was ambushed in the woods while deserting his obligations/duty.
-The last was running away from her old life and managed to get captured along the way.
Each character had their backstories pulled into the solo session, experienced some warm-up combat, and did a little RP to get the campaign started from their perspective. When they all got together, each player had different goals and pieces of a puzzle to contribute to the arcing storyline. Good stuff; Would highly recommend!
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Right now only 2 players have made their characters and the other 3 players will make them this week.
All starting at level 1. We have a human bard who is secretly a member of the Zhentarim. And we have a Githyanki monk with the far traveller background.
I really like both ideas from Sedge and AK30, I will no doubt use some of those!!!
Good thought to keep in mind!!!
Published Subclasses
I did this a while back ago and it had varying degrees of success, but that is normal when it comes to player types.
I had 5 players, each one, fortunately had a different class, so I was able to tailor each experience to the class. I also tailored their story to the few lines they gave me about their character. I asked them to write one line about their past, their current goal, and their future goal. I had them write this before they made back stories, I used this one-shot as a piece of their back story. Once I had this little bit of information I then looked at how I could tie it in like you're trying to do.
I picked one of the introductory stories they'd be getting as a group and made that the goal line. I had to figure out how to get them all to the same location, but from different directions and with their own personalities intact. That became the planning side of the 1-shot, piecing together their past, their current goals and the first quest I wanted them to start out on. That took a little while but I had all the information in front of me, all I needed was some inspiration.
Example:
Doing it this way the player is given a goal, there is a fail safe in case the player gets in over his head, and it sets up a simple way to push the player into the proper location.
Hope this helps with your idea, and good luck!
I'm a big fan of running an intro session for each player and have done that, as I could, for years. So, not every time, but often and I do it for more than just my D&D games. As far as what the content of the session is, that depends on what the player gives me for the character's background. My goal is to allow them an opportunity to get into the character and connect with the world in a more fundamental way.
For example, after a player handed me the rogue they made I looked over the background and opted to run a small B&E for-hire session. The NPC hiring them was one that would play a role in tying the group together in the upcoming group game.
Another example, same game, was a mage. She ended up with the task of finding a rare book in one of the city's famous libraries. It allowed the player to meet some important local NPCs and interact in ways that strengthened her feel for her character's personality as well as find out more about mage society in the world.
Overall, I've found that games I start that way go better than otherwise. Players seem happier and into both the world and their characters. Also, there seems to be less chance of the game dying out, I think it is because players feel more invested in it.
DM Tip #42: If they split up, giggle insanely!!
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