One-shots are a great way to tell self-contained stories in a single session, perfect for new players, trying out experimental ideas, or just having fun without the long-term commitment of a campaign. (And even in a long-term campaign, we can think of each session as a one-shot.) Here are some tips to help you prepare and run an engaging one-shot.
Preparing a One-Shot
Plan for Three Scenes: Assuming a three-hour game, we won’t get more than three scenes in the session. We can keep that in mind when we prepare for the one-shot. Consider the following three scene types we might use:
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Strong Start: Engage the players immediately. Start in the middle of the action or with a compelling event that demands the characters’ attention.
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Development: This is where the players explore, investigate, or make meaningful decisions.
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Climax: End with a big, memorable moment—we can rarely go wrong with an epic, challenging combat encounter.
Focus! Everything in the one-shot should lead towards the climax scene. Ideally, the Strong Start already sets up the quest, mystery, or conflict which will be resolved in the final scene.
Character Creation
Run a mini Session Zero: Before we jump into the one-shot, we can take 15 minutes with the players to talk about their characters, motivation, and safety tools.
Use Pregenerated Characters: To save time, we can provide pregenerated characters. However, with pregens, we can leave room for players to personalize them:
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Let players choose the name, appearance, occupation, and other roleplaying details.
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Reskin the pregens for creative flexibility. For instance, if someone wants their character to be a catfolk wizard but you’ve prepared a human wizard, let them keep the mechanics but reflavor any human abilities as catfolk abilities.
Motivate the Characters: Provide a shared goal from the start but let players flesh it out individually. For example: »You all seek revenge against the witch in the woods. What did she do to you personally?« This ensures the group is aligned while allowing space for individual motivations.
Running One-Shots
Keep Things Moving: While running a one-shot, pacing and time management is even more important than in long-term campaigns. Here’s a few tips:
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Keep an eye on the clock and pace the game by making sure that there’s enough time left for the final scene. If necessary, cut from the middle.
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Embrace Failing Forward to prevent the game from stalling. Even failed rolls should allow the story to advance—but perhaps with a cost!
Embrace Unlikely Stories
One-shots are the perfect opportunity to tell bold, unrepeatable tales. Unlike campaigns, you don’t need to worry about long-term consequences:
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Say »Yes« to wild ideas. If a player wants to tame the dragon or challenge a god, let them try.
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Allow for dramatic twists like character death, heroic sacrifices, or ascension to godhood.
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Go big with rewards like legendary items, even for low-level characters. It’s a one-shot—why not?
Final Thoughts
One-shots thrive on tight stories and bold ideas. By keeping the structure simple, giving players the freedom to make their characters their own, and leaning into the wild potential of a short, self-contained story, we can create a session that’s engaging, unique, and memorable.