Greetings, gamers from all systems, places and timelines.
The joke has been made that people play D&D because it’s a fantasy about getting to do things like being able to travel, spend time with your friends, and actually get eight hours of sleep on any given night. But for plenty of groups, the real challenge is getting everyone together because it requires more flexibility than Dhalsim from Street Fighter. So, as the DM, when game day finally arrives of course you want your game to be both as fun and memorable as possible.
However, you don’t want your adventure to come off like a bad action movie that feels like three forgettable plots sandwiched into one. Nor do you want your game ending after just two hours because your crew ran through your content like they chugged a six-pack of Red Bull. This is why we have created a list of tips, so your session will have a satisfying amount of material but not so much that a one-shot adventure takes 12 hours to finish.
1. Have an Optional Encounter or Two Handy
It’s good to prepare a little extra for a session, and one of the easiest ways to do this is with an optional encounter or two. They don’t have to be extremely involved, but it’s good to have them locked and loaded as needed – especially if your team is notorious for clearing parts of the story faster than you expected with clever solutions. Just make sure, that if this encounter is not used, it doesn’t leave out anything that might take away from the plot.
2. Be a Time Lord
When running a game, especially a one-shot, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on the clock. Because you can’t predict how long some scenes are going to take, you may need to subtly manage the game flow. For example, in a recent game, we were getting a little tight on time and the party was about to start a battle that could have been avoided. The scene had to be allowed to play out, but hints were dropped that perhaps there was a better solution to be had and they were able to get what they needed from the encounter without a massive battle. Otherwise, we might have been playing until 3 AM.
3. Keep Your Story Concise
Confusion surrounding the story will definitely cause the delay of game penalty flag to be thrown. You may have all of the story details and plot points in your head but how easy are they to explain to someone else? Consider your audience and what they will need to navigate through your adventure. Then, If they are hungry for some additional details, you have them at the ready. Some players live for game immersion while others could care less about the rich history of the tower the group is currently ransacking.
4. Outlines Can Be Very Handy
As the antithesis of an improv DM, being prepared is my thing. Amazingly, games go smoother for all those involved when the person running them is comfortable with the material. To assist with this, an outline can be quite useful to ensure none of the story beats are missed. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated but listing your scenes and what you expect to happen within them can definitely add structure to your sessions. Not to mention, it can be an excellent tool to help you determine if you should speed a scene in progress or let it ride.
5. Balance Your Encounters in Terms of Activities
When planning a session, you don’t want to keep rolling out the same types of encounters because, just like my jokes, they will get old really fast. So, diversify your session portfolio with encounters and scenes that showcase what your varied players will want to have happen in the game. For example, if the session seems combat-heavy, give them a roleplaying opportunity. This could provide a chance to acquire information regarding a side plot, or even the main plot, or perhaps put the group in a roleplaying scenario where they will need to make a decision that may not have a cut-and-dry answer but still has consequences. Then, periodically slide in an unexpected skill challenge or riddle the party will need to clear to continue.
6. Give the Best Material, Even if It’s Unexpected, the Screen Time It Deserves
Unfortunately, some scenarios can go on far too long without adding value to the game. But there are two types of situations where you should do minimal clock management. The first is, not surprisingly, are the scenes you’ve deemed to be key for your game. These can take any form as long as they are pivotal to at least one of the stories within your game that you hope will be memorable.
The second is any scene where the group is genuinely having a great time. And even if it’s a scenario that literally has nothing to do with any given plot thread, enjoy that PC-created free material. Because, in some cases, the players may end up remembering it as one of their favorite parts of the game. So, if you already have everyone in the bar having the time of their life, don’t start flickering the lights.
7. Puzzles Can Be Great When They Aren’t Too Over the Top
If you present a puzzle or riddle that must be solved before the game continues, it’s advised to keep some in-game hints at the ready. This can be handled easiest by allowing a party member to make a check with an appropriate skill. Although, nothing makes one of these scenarios fall as flat as a pancake like the party figuring out the answer almost immediately. Likewise, you don’t want the party kicking around the answer to a puzzle for half the night, either. What did we do last session, you ask? We solved one riddle and moved to the next room, the end. And while there is nothing wrong with a puzzle having more than one solution, avoid this with riddles.
Final Thoughts
Going into each game, choose a logical stopping point and then subtly control the flow of the session so that things wrap up there without it seeming forced. This can be accomplished by managing the scenes themselves and the clock accordingly. Then try and keep the nature of the encounters diverse to ensure there is something in every game for each of your players.
If you don’t mind a little extra prep, creating an outline will not only help you track the group’s progress by scenes but also make sure none of your carefully crafted ideas are skipped. And if you are stuck with a choice between ending on a cliffhanger before a battle starts or when it’s half-finished, do yourself a favor and just start fresh next session.