Best 5e one shots recommendations? (Within official adventure modules)

Hi there!

WARNING: There could be spoilers of 5e books.

Since many people are on holidays and they can't start new campaigns, I'm planning to prepare several one shots during August. I've got all 5e 2014/2024 books (including The Horrors Within), and I'd like to ask you if you could recommend me any one shot adventure from those books (it could be a 2-3 session adventure too).

Thanks in advance!

I made a one shot out of the Trial of Hearts from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, it's in the "Adventures in Valachan" section. Requires a bit more prep since it's not a fully written one-shot, but I liked the concept and my players had a lot of fun with it. Kind of a Hunger Games-esque situation, my players like to be stressed lol so it was a fun tension-filled game. I've also taken individual levels out of Dungeon of the Mad Mage and run them like one shots after some adjustments - I've done Level 3: Sargauth Level, Level 5: Wyllowwood, and Level 9: Dweomercore that way and it went well. Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme from Candlekeep Mysteries was also great, creepy cursed nursery rhyme freaked everyone out for many hours. I ran that one for Halloween. Salvage Operation from Ghosts of Saltmarsh was good too. 

Quote from DNavarette0819 >>

I made a one shot out of the Trial of Hearts from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, it's in the "Adventures in Valachan" section. Requires a bit more prep since it's not a fully written one-shot, but I liked the concept and my players had a lot of fun with it. Kind of a Hunger Games-esque situation, my players like to be stressed lol so it was a fun tension-filled game. I've also taken individual levels out of Dungeon of the Mad Mage and run them like one shots after some adjustments - I've done Level 3: Sargauth Level, Level 5: Wyllowwood, and Level 9: Dweomercore that way and it went well. Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme from Candlekeep Mysteries was also great, creepy cursed nursery rhyme freaked everyone out for many hours. I ran that one for Halloween. Salvage Operation from Ghosts of Saltmarsh was good too. 

Amazing answer! Thank you very much. I'm gonna read them all ❤️

Shemshine's Bedtime Rhyme is one of my favourite one shots, run it four or five times now and often as a first time for new players with a bit of tweaking. It's a great variety of social, investigation, and combat and if you go to YouTube there's a variety of people who have created the cursed rhyme itself that is great to stick on loop and drive your players mad.

Quote from CunningSmile >>

Shemshine's Bedtime Rhyme is one of my favourite one shots, run it four or five times now and often as a first time for new players with a bit of tweaking. It's a great variety of social, investigation, and combat and if you go to YouTube there's a variety of people who have created the cursed rhyme itself that is great to stick on loop and drive your players mad.

I'll read that one right now, since both of you have recommended it.

Do you guys think I can run all Ghost of Saltmarsh's adventures as one shots or are they too long for that?

Quote from CunningSmile >>

 if you go to YouTube there's a variety of people who have created the cursed rhyme itself that is great to stick on loop and drive your players mad.

 100% find a YouTube of the song, it had my players CRAZY by the end (in the best way lol). 

Quote from JaimeVonCarstein >>

Do you guys think I can run all Ghost of Saltmarsh's adventures as one shots or are they too long for that?

 Depends on how long your sessions are and how focused your players are. I run 6hr sessions but my players get easily sidetracked lol. They like to interact with the environment/NPCs and generally fool around in-character, so keeping them on track for a 1 shot is always a challenge. The only Ghosts of Saltmarsh adventure I've run is Salvage Operation, and I was able to do it in 1 6.5hr session. The others could probably be done as one shots, but again it would depend on how long your sessions are/what kind of players you have.