Greetings, gamers from all systems, places and timelines.
Even if you’re in a campaign with a fantastic plot, sometimes it’s refreshing to do something a little different. You know, like drinking bottled water as you’re leaving a memorial day barbecue where you just ate three days’ worth of food in three hours.
But a campaign isn’t as much a movie as it is made up of episodes and seasons. And regardless of the genre the series is in, there undoubtedly will be an episode here or there that deviates from the main plot. With gaming, this can provide the players a chance to request a session idea for something they have been wanting to do either over the course of the game or even from when their character was conceptualized.
Likewise, as a DM, you probably have a dozen or so other game ideas that wouldn’t fit well if you tried to shoehorn them into your existing story. And trust me when I say from experience that the last thing you need is an overly complicated plot. The answer to this is to run a one-shot game that has a beginning and an end yet is entirely separate from the main story arc. Now, if your party is on a death clock to find all of a dark wizard lord’s soul fragments before he can reform his nose, then this is more challenging but not undoable. So, strap yourselves in and let’s take a look at a simplified guide to running one-shot games without screwing up the campaign already in process.
1. Do Not Try to Fit 11 Plot Ideas Into a 5-Hour Game
I know it’s tempting. You have been running a main story arc with some subplots but still have a mental storage locker packed with ideas covered in dust. And while you could empty a storage locker in an afternoon, you probably don’t have anywhere to put everything (or it wouldn’t be full in the first place).
Take your time and review your inventory to see what might be a good fit for the group you’re in. Consider if there’s a chance to tie in one of these ideas along with one of the characters’ unused backstories. In that way, you create a win-win situation. Just keep the number of plot ideas under control, so you’re not scrambling to roll out a massive info dump four minutes before the final battle. Because nothing quite sucks the mood right out of a room like a player asking the table in the last hour of a session, “Why are we doing this?”
2. Rewards Should Make Your Players Happy While Still Fitting Your Game
While this seems pretty obvious, sometimes in special games equally extra goodies tend to drop. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, don’t paint yourself in a corner.
For example, if the party barbarian finds a very powerful magic axe, it may not single-handedly turn the campaign into a dumpster fire. But if the barbarian just scored a +3 Frost Brand axe, don’t expect the rogue to jump for joy when they find a now mundane-seeming +2 short sword. The barbarian’s version of Kratos’ Leviathan axe has just set the standard on what a “big reward” is in the rest of the campaign world.
On the other end of this, there is nothing quite as lame as running a high-risk mission and ending up with nothing to show for it other than some scars, meh XP and a bad story. So, while you don’t want to bury your crew in magical trinkets or gold, give them something else of value. This could take the form of anything from a new ally to valuable information, previously unavailable magical components or even a sailing ship.
Whatever it is, the party can’t end up feeling like they just went through hell to get the poop emoji end of a stick.
3. Make the Game Fun but Keep the Next One in Mind
I know the saving the world plot is damn near irresistible at times, and you can’t save the seven kingdoms only to spend the following session investigating rumors of monsters in the forest without it feeling anti-climatic. (Unless the monsters in the forest are a pose of Cr 19 demons, in which case it’s game on!)
The point is, when it comes to stakes in a campaign, once they’ve been raised, you cannot go backward without deflating the tension. Because odds are the characters who just saved all of Westeros would roll their eyes at the monsters in the forest quest. I mean, sure, they may still handle it because that’s what heroes do, but now two problems arise.
- They may not give their A-game because the situation has been perceived to be under-challenging. This, of course, may not stop them from getting their teeth kicked in, so you can do your best to drop clues that these monsters are likely to be especially formidable. Yet someone at the table will still make a snarky remark, like “I bet those monsters are much more world endingly tough than last week’s.”
- They blow through the encounter without a plan or so much as a scratch. This is just as bad, or worse. Ironically this doesn’t even happen to the character whose name is actually Invincible! Being powerful is one thing, being unchallenged gets old fast and is about as likely to be fun as I am to get my hands on a reasonably priced PS5!
4. Hit ‘Pause’ on the Main Plot
Good job! You have created a rich campaign world with backstories galore. But, for a session, do yourself a favor and put everything related to the main story arc on hold. Otherwise, the players will feel like they should have spent their time chasing after the BBEG like they have for the previous 13 games. And, as an unwritten rule, the villain shouldn’t be allowed to complete their fiendish scheme while the players are off in a side adventure. Or the next time it’s suggested that the group plays a fast module for a session or two, it will be received about as well as saying YouTube could use some more ads.
5. Have an Effective Story Hook – and an Even Stronger Conclusion
Nearly as important as the adventure itself is how you pull the players into it. Remember this game is a race, not a marathon. Start off and end strong, never making the group hunt around for the story. Do so using a hook that is neither too simple nor needlessly complex. Also, know your material well enough to be able to convey how cool your idea actually is. Because if you cannot make an effective case why your story is awesome, then maybe it needs some fine-tuning.
Just remember the hook is a lot like an appetizer ordered at a restaurant: If it’s good, then they will probably stay for dinner, too. However, some great-sounding plot ideas can still be either difficult to execute or riddled with plot holes. We have all watched a movie that had an idea that sounded very promising, then next thing you know the plot turns out to be slow-moving, detail-heavy, and packed with a small army of forgettable characters. You know, one of those kinds of movies that, after you watched it, you wished you had done literally anything else.
So, run through every part of the story in your head scene by scene. If it flows smoothly without you referring to a wall-sized whiteboard covered in notes, then you’re probably good to go.
Conclusion
Side modules are a time-honored tradition that shouldn’t get swept under the rug when running even a large-scale campaign. One of the best parts of gaming is the freedom that it provides in terms of creativity. While you’re considering the next big development in your story, running a no-strings-attached one shot could be just what the doctor ordered. Not to say that there shouldn’t be tension or stakes in it. Just don’t make what you do or things that you find during that single session overshadow the tempo of your actual campaign world.
To me a one-shot is not in any way related to the main campaign. Certainly not using the same characters. In fact it’s usually a different game entirely. If it’s in the same world using the same characters how is it “stand alone”?
You’re describing what I, and everyone I’ve ever played with for that matter, would call a side quest. Nice for a slight change in pace but more like a half gallon of lemonade than a bottled water.
Correct a one shot game or side quest typically is not related to the main plot. And yes it can also be like an entirely different game.
How can it exist in the same world? It doesn’t always have to but it can. Personally, I love dimension hopping.
It’s also good to keep your players on their toes because things tend to get dry when they know what to expect. And trust me when I say, that’s the last thing you want.