D&D One Shot Adventures | How to Run a Game in a Limited Time Slot | Ask a DM #2

What I appreciate about this video is that it does not do what lots of other DM videos do. Many videos tend to echo this idea od "I'm not like other DMs. I don't prepare and my players love it." That works for some but it doesn't work for me. THIS lovely video acknowledges the value of preparing, presents the specific techniques you can use to immerse players in the addictive parts of gameplay, and gives tips on how to manage time most effectively. Time is limited. If I'm running a 3 hour one shot, I need to manage the experience carefully. Thanks for thr great insights!

Thanks! For sharing so much free content!

It was interesting to see how much you have changed in four years, even so, I enjoyed your critique of a one shot. You did some things I have not done and I have been a DM for over 40 years. You can still learn no matter experience or age. Thanks. BTW you were doing great even then.

Just wanted to say thank you, Luke! I used your Finding Ashton Sanguine one-shot as a base template to create my own one-shot for a few newer players. Your notes are very easy to follow and use!

Your advice is absolutely horrible. 😜 I followed your advice, and now my players want to play thier one shot characters, and abandon my main campaign...... Thank you for making this video, my players had a BLAST with my one shot.

Hey Luke do you think you could do an updated video about writing/running one shots. I think you’ve improved a lot at making videos :)

Good vid, but this got too into the weeds: it's less about how to run a one-shot and more about your specific scenario and prepping random encounters/NPCs. Not much info here on tips/tricks for GMs new to running one-shots.

Take a shot everytime he says convention

- Pre-generated characters.
- Book of Lairs.
- Profit.

You have an incredibly expressive face. It was a joy to watch you in this video.
I can only imagine how expressive you are as a DM!

Really appreciated the format discussion specifically

Awesome content :)

Sandboxes are a pathetic fantasy.

It’s not railroady at all. I’m just going to make sure they go where I want them to.

This is really helpful. I'm dm'ing for my colleagues Saturday 10/23. None of them have tried it before.
Thinking of doing a treasure hunt in an abandoned mansion once owned by a local merchant who mysteriously disappeared 40 years ago along with his family.
I've got two npc ideas from this video. The gartner and the cook who can give them clues to hidden entrances to the house, and general backstory to the family. Hopefully the party will find the treasure, but also figure out why the family disappeared.

Wait, Granny Titchwillow's sister was burned, but still has her body?

Good advice!

I learned so much from GM-ing one shots. We as a group dont have unlimited time at our hands, so one shot theory gave me a lot of insigth for pacing in general.

I'd have thought levelling up your game is something that computer games have borrowed from tabletop...

Thank you for the Google docs

Thanks for the advice! With my schedule I can’t commit to running a campaign so I’ve made several one-shots and used your Ashton Saguine document to create a decent template, at least as starting point.

I've had to do this a few times.
Mainly "get to know you" sessions that I run before I run a campaign with new players to my group. It acts as a way for me to gauge what sort of players they are, and they get to see how I run a game, and become familiar with the plethora of House Rules I've developed over the years. Sometimes these sessions come with a time limit, and I've found the best way to do it is to send them down a really standard dungeon. Don't try and be too creative and clever with this type of game, Keep It simple!!!
I draw out a dungeon etc, and have a finale with a boss. But what I also do is draw a couple of extra parts to the dungeon.
If they are steamrolling it I'll throw these extra sections in between wherever they are and the finale.
The easiest way is to just put the finale scene behind a certain door, and if they are ahead of time, just put a staircase behind that door that leads to "Map B" which also ends in a similar door... and so on.
So rather than trying to write something that you feel a need to hurry through, write something short that you can add to.

I also use one shots in my campaigns as a standard part of the structure.
I invariably use a Five act "Meta Plot" with four intermissions during which they get to go do their own thing.
But the first session of an intermission is often a One Shot featuring different characters within the campaign, where the players effectively take on the roles of NPCs they may or may not have heard of, (I don't let them use NPCs they have actually met!!!) and do something that will have an effect on their party somewhere down the line.
This also allows them to take on Campaign Ready replacement characters if they die...
It's basically the same as a "Season Guest Star" stepping up to the "Regular" character role in a TV show if a main character dies, rather than some new guy no one has ever heard of.
I ALWAYS limit those one shots to a 4-6 hour limit just to make sure they don't run over into the next session. They are called "ONE" shots after all.

I'm gonna be running this for my players tomorrow. Thanks man.

I have really gone down the rabbit hole of DM Lair today lol.

Love your videos! So glad you dropped the porno music in the background on your newer videos. It is very distracting!

I would like to give you 100 likes, u're amazing

I’m writing a one shot right now that links two adventures in the same world

"He hired assassins to killer her" - I am of the opinion that your proof-reading sucks. It's a good thing you make a fantastic DM. ;) (/jerkjerkingyourchain)
Seriously though, I do appreciate these videos since I hope to DM a game or two some day.
Edit: By the way, "Selah" means "pause and consider" (or very similar to that) in Hebrew. :) Selah. :D

This was a really helpful video, thanks very much. If it is of any help, there is a piece of software I use called Inspiration 9, a mindmapping programme that actually might help in this sort of adventure building. It is the software I use to build locations and adventures

Could you make a video on how you use your random encounters? I'm very intrigued by that.

Can you please stop telling people you've been a dungeon master since high school? Every grognard has and many people of your generation have. I've been a dm since 1979 but that doesn't give me credibility as a GOOD dm. Just make your videos, give advice, move on. People will decide if it's good advice whether you've been playing since High School or you started last week.

Dm: you guys are getting ready for a fight

Orc: I Crack my knuckles and then i-

DM: roll for constitution

Orc: wait what??

DM: Roll... For Constitution

Orc: .... o-okay....
-rolls a natural 1

Orc: oh hell...

DM: the Orc over estimated his strenght and pushed his entire left hand out of socket

Orc: Wait huh?!

(add onto it)

Most of my fun has been had while in towns ^^
But, k, beginners prolly won't steal a few chickens, two pigs and one cow and try selling them to the lokal shopkeep. But k, remembering how well this worked... Experienced players won't do that either X_D

Forgive my asking, but often times my group is dysfunctional and on occasion they might even be called stupid. It's very hard to guide them or get anything done in a timely manner. Do you have any advice for me?

Hey Luke, I'm from Argentina. I've played DnD a couple of times, but wasn't happy with the experience because the DMs had no idea what they were doing and kind of gave up half way through.
But I still find the game fascinating. I have been following both this and matt colleville's channel.

I am trying to convince my girlfriend and our respective siblings to try DnD out, and thought that maybe DM'ing one-shot for them would be a good idea.

Do you think that would work?

I have somehow only recently gotten into your vids, and I have to say that I am really enjoying them. You look at the game much the same as me. Great vids!

I can't tell you how amazing this video is. It's going to help me run a 9-PC Session 0/Episode 1 to a West Marches inspired style game in a week or so.

DO NOT give people 5 minutes EACH to decide what to do in 6 seconds.

That is the key to running combat rapidly.

Give them SECONDS to decide.

DM: Roll initiative.
Players roll, Barbarian is first....

DM: Barbarian, what do you do?
Barbarian: I want to RAGE! and rush up on bad guy #3 then try t lop off his head!
(Barbarians are easy)
DM: Move your figure and then start rolling dice.
Rolls resolved as rapidly as practical.

DM: NEXT!... Its you Mage
(Mage has had about 3 minutes to think at this point...)
Mage: I... um... I want to... no, I'll move.. no... Um let me look up this spell.
DM: Mage stands there confused. Go ahead and look it up while we continue combat.

DM: Its BENBG's turn... He laughs at the mage and casts finger of death.
Mage fails save
Mage is going to rise as a zombie next round...

*****

Shopping... have 6 base equip backpack sheets, and an armor/weapon sheet for each PC class. The players get to pick one and then submit request for 3 more items each. (they'll get one of the 3 if not over-powered) multiple players can choose the same pack.

If they don't all pick the same backpacks, the party will be well equipped...

You're on a clock.
They don't have time to mess around with looking up armor and weapons. Give appropriate for each class and move on.

You should consider live streaming one of your one-shots next time you do a convention!

Great stuff, thanks! One thing remains, though - how can one figure out how much plot the story needs to have? Or is it more a case of having each segment be skippable so one can give them the final clue, so to speak, at any point for the story’s climax?

Last time I made a one shot, I ended up making à campaing

When you run one shots for conventions do you let players create characters or do you have pre generated characters for them to choose?

Completely unrelated to the video but since entering the D&D comunity I realize how lucky i am as a DM to have such a great party. I heard so many horror stories of meta gaming, passive agresiveness, projecting and so forth and my group has none of it! Bit of a struggle atm getting used to the rules as we're all new to it but im sure that'l come. The party is pretty overpowered though if im honest (They rolled really good) and im rather hesitant to just blitz them with tough monsters as i actually want them to do well and go through the journey. Any advice?