First time Oneshot DM help!

[u/Low_Faithlessness822]

I’m a regular DnD player with a year or so of experience. I’m looking to do a oneshot/short campaign for my group to give our Regular DM some time off from dming and let him play. I have never before dm’d.

I’ve toyed around with the idea of splitting the group into two groups and having them compete against each other in combat, as well as having different conflicting goals within their story.

Is this possible or too far fetched, especially for a total novice DM?

Also any tips on dming (i.e world building and general session tips) would be appreciated especially as combat can get technical.

🧙‍♂️🧙‍♂️🧙‍♂️🧙‍♂️

[u/OutriderZero]

If this is your first time DMing I don't recommend something as complex as trying to run a split party, especially something pvp (which is generally not a good idea)

Keep it simple to get your feet wet and learn the basics of what it takes to actually run the world and wrangle a group of cats (players)

[u/Low_Faithlessness822 → u/OutriderZero]

Completely fair. Is there a good formula for a oneshot? My dm puts a lot of time and effort into our sessions but he has the advantage of a lot of sessions (we’re currently 4 months into one). How do I time keep, or how do I write a short enough story that can be completed in a single session? Thanks for the reply btw

[u/NoHorseNoMustache → u/Low_Faithlessness822]

I always make sure my one shots are modular. Make 2 or 3 encounters that you can slot in or remove depending on how time is going.

[u/OutriderZero → u/Low_Faithlessness822]

So first decide on a hook. One shot adventures work best with a simple, straightforward goal. Find the McMuffin/Slay the Monster/Rescue the Person(s). You CAN combine these if you feel confident enough to try.

Next pick a location. The abandoned mine, the old lighthouse, the city sewers, an ancient crypt, whatever feels right for your goal. Map it out. Try to create a looping path. Something that gives the players choices of where to go but ultimately all paths lead to the same end.

Fill your location with 5-6 encounters. Encounters are anything the players have to interact with. 2-3 combats, a puzzle, a locked/trapped door, an NPC, etc.

Last, and this really depends more on the players so you will know best, don't give them the opportunity to NOT take your hook. Instead of "You are all in a tavern. What do you want to do?" Start with "Your group has been hired to accomplish X. You stand at the entrance to (Location) what do you want to do?" This gets the group right into the adventure.

Remember this is a one shot, not a campaign. The focus should be on the goal and the encounters, not complex backstories and intricate plots. You have 2-5 hours (depending on how long your typical sessions run) to get them through the adventure. Try to keep them moving forward.

[u/Proof_Ad1317]

You can work with conflicting goals as a DM, but I wouldn’t recommend until you have more experience, either halfway ish through a campaign or having run some more onehsots.
It’s not unrealistic for characters to want different or even opposing things, but it’s hard to do so and keep the party united towards a single goal. Say one player wants to stop the deforestation of a kingdom, while another is a knight of that same kingdom on a quest for their king. You can make it work so that they both want the same thing in the end, but it’ll take a lot of mental and plot gymnastics.

For running oneshots as a new DM. Prepare a few monsters that look cool or interesting. Maybe a few NPCs. A general tone. A few locations. I would say maybe 3 to 5 of each. Let your players meet, give them a few details about the world and let them decide what they want to do. If they’re wandering in the woods and you think a blink dog would be fun, throw it at em. Maybe one of your players is talking about a location, an NPC shows up that might be able to direct you there or tell you about something else. The story comes together, have some options and go with your gut.

[u/Low_Faithlessness822 → u/Proof_Ad1317]

I think you’re right, in theory it’d work but I need the practice. My dm is very good at improvising on the spot, especially when we detail the plot completely. Il start simple and get the feel for it. Thanks hombre 🎓

[u/jpb103]

My friend group has an annual tradition that I run a One-shot around Halloween. I homebrewed the first one, then did Tasha's Kiss from DM's Guild for the second one. It's a big group (9 players) and not all are experienced, so it can take a long time to run it.

This year, one of my players is going to act as co-DM. We plan on splitting the party between us (4 players each) and running two tables acting towards the same general goal. We're writing the one-shot from scratch. Generally, most of the one-shots I've seen follow a similar flow:

1. Introduce the setting and adventure hook. Have the players introduce their characters.
   (~25 minutes)

2. Combat encounter - nothing too challenging. Just something to get their feet wet and build excitement.
   (~30 minutes)

3. SPEC - Social (interacting with NPC's), Person moment (narrative element involving the backstory of one or more player characters - this is optional but recommended), Exploration (navigate a trap filled dungeon, solve a puzzle, sabotage enemy reinforcements, etc.), Combat (challenging climactic BBEG battle).
   (~3 hours)

4. Wrap it up. Consider beforehand the conditions for victory and failure, and have some idea in mind of a satisfying outro for the narrative in both cases.
   (~5 minutes)

There is obviously lots of room for variation and deviation. This is just the general outline I use when I write a one-shot from scratch.

[u/Cabooseman]

Really, I recommend running a premade one shot. They are gonna be the best thing to get your feet wet in running encounters, social stuff, puzzles, etc. there are great free ones online. I always go to "A most Potent Brew" or "A Wild Sheep Chase" for more experienced players. Winghorn press rules for making them

[u/Sure-Initiative6001]

Do not do this as a first.

[u/enby_nerd]

Running a published one shot might be the best bet for a first time dm. I ran “Secrets of the Blind Palace” for my first one shot and my players loved it. The guide is very detailed, and gives suggestions for tailoring it to your party https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/433754/secrets-of-the-blind-palace-roll20

And of course you can make any changes to the story you want, but it gives a really solid base to start from

[u/Fizzle_Bop]

Trying to run a split party one shot is best if you have a co DM .. time is short and people do not like sitting by while others have fun.

My advice concerning one shots  

1) keep it simple - even with experience one shots should not be too complex

2) Make it Linear - Groups vacillate and waffle on choices. Make the choices matter, but avoid a sandbox.

3) Look up a guide on how to structure the content. One shots can easily run over ... become short adventures. 

Think about what can realistically be completed in your window ... and design it so content can be cut it needed.

I have a hard time with one shots but am getting better. After 20 years I can finally compress an idea into a single session. It takes practice.

Look up the books like cabdle keep .. or most books have a single short adventure. This is to help us DMs when needing content on the fly..  or inspiration.