How to write a one-shot: Part One
Skip to the End.
I’ve ran a lot of one-shots this year.
I’d run lots before, but taking on the unique challenge of running and writing an adventure for different players every month at my local game store has taught me some surprising lessons. For the next seven days, I’ll be sharing them.
This series isn’t intended as a definitive guide, it’s a Frankenstein of techniques and methods I find useful.
Take some of them, take the whole thing. It’s just what works for me, and I hope it helps you too.
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If you’re a fan of the sitcom Spaced you will already be familiar with this motto.
It was a running gag in the show that was used whenever someone was going into too much detail and should simply get to the point.
You can learn a lot from this advice, particularly when writing a one shot.
You don’t need an opening scene where a wizard offers 500 gold to explore the lost mine of Macguffin, or tell the party every piece of lost lore about it.
Instead drop the party right at the entrance, tell them what they are looking for and why.
Your time at the table is precious, and you can deliver a lot more adventure by skipping over unnecessary introductions.
Any information that will help the party complete the story can be included along the way, but deep lore should be kept to a minimum.
In fact, for a one shot it often helps to rely on familiar folklore and mythology that won’t need explaining in session - why give werewolves a new weakness when your party already knows to use silver?
So as you follow this guide and start writing your one-shot keep asking the same question: do I need this?
If the answer is no, skip to the end.
With that principle in place, where do you start building an adventure? By finding tent poles and a blanket.