ONE–SHOTS
Here you will find bits of world–building for you to put your players in for short–form games, known as One–Shots, that are meant to begin and end within one to three sessions. It's important to note that there will not be much time for character development and this style of game will instead be focused on usually a singular event or occasion that has already been established for your players to partake in. Below you will see a series of brief ideas that you can use to base your plans when creating a one–shot for your players. Between sections, there may be some correlation, and you will find that certain quests may not make as much sense within certain settings and concepts. Below that are some examples for NPC's and Towns for your reference.
Settings
- The Moonlit Kingdom
- The Shattered Isles
- Reflections of the World
A kingdom that exists entirely under the light of a single, massive moon that never sets. Magic is tied to the phases of the moon, and the kingdom's people are caught in a constant state of twilight. As the moon nears its full phase, strange creatures begin to appear.
This would be a great setting for a Monster–of–the–Week style game, where your players can be the same characters, or different ones each time you meet. In each game, all you would need to do is find a fun monster to pit against your party, and you can add various environments to the lands surrounding the kingdom to mix it up a bit; swamps, mountains, plains, farming towns, etc.
A series of islands that were once part of a massive continent, now shattered into small floating islands. The inhabitants of these isles have developed unique skyships, and piracy runs rampant. Ancient ruins are scattered across and below the floating fragments, and powerful artifacts lie hidden beneath the sea.
This example is a fun twist on a classic pirate adventure. Your players will have the opportunity for both sea and sky battles, diving beneath the depths using powerful spells, and fighting strange creatures. Your one–shot can focus on a single artifact, or various acts of piracy. Within the ruins you can add puzzles, traps, and other challenges for your players.
A parallel world exists within mirrors, where everything is a twisted reflection of reality. The players find themselves drawn into this world and must navigate its distorted landscapes and strange inhabitants to find their way back to the real world.
You can have your players be tossed into the world and then find their way out in a single session, or perhaps there are groups that regularly and willingly enter this parallel world for glory, riches, or favor. There is immense opportunity for various stories to be told within this style of world, and who doesn't love a little eldritch horror?
Quests
Individual quests for one–shots are a very simple way to bring a game to your table. Instead of building any intricate world, all you need is a generic space to drop your party in for the independent game. Using these prompts and others like it are a great way to make a simple game to enjoy with your friends. Pair these prompts with some of the Towns and NPC's listed below to flesh out a few key interactions for your players and you are all set!
- The party needs to escort a caravan through treacherous lands, fend off raiders, and ensure all goods reach their destination.
- The party must infiltrate a noble's estate, steal a valuable artifact, and escape undetected.
- The party must find a hidden treasure buried beneath an old castle, survive the traps protecting it, and escape before the structure collapses.
- The party needs to find a way to break a curse, gather rare ingredients, and perform a ritual to lift the dark magic.
- The party has to rescue a kidnapped noble, navigate through a network of underground tunnels, and avoid enemy patrols.
NPC's and Towns
Having little towns spotted around your map is great at giving players a reference for distance and key locations. In addition, a lot of funky stuff happens in small towns; goblin raids, monsters, and assorted spooky happenings.
NPC's are a cornerstone of any One–shot. They help introduce your characters to the quest, guide them as they complete objectives, give them hints as they progress, and make things fun. Nothing hurts more than a player asking "what town are we in again?" or "what's this guy's name?" and you sit there like a dummy while you name your 8th NPC Daniel. If you struggle a bit to come up with your own, here are some references for you to draw inspiration from and alter as you see fit; following this structure is a good way to organize your NPC's physical features, voice, and general vibe without too much clutter.
- NPC's
- Towns
Minxy — Half-elf, freckles and red hair styled into a bob, 5'5, slim build; bubbly personality, very excitable. Minxy makes an excellent quest giver or guide as her enthusiasm is sure to get your players invested.
Mayor Albert Fletcher — Halfling, receeding hairline and thick mutton chops; 3'8, stocky build; constantly overwhelmed, very irritable. Albert is a good informant for a quest your players have already undertaken. If the small town he runs is under siege from various monster attacks or strange happenings, his demeanor and willingness to give helpful information is apparent as he wants the problem solved as quickly as possible so he doesn't need to be so stressed anymore.
Mr. Grey — Human, cross between Jason Statham and George Clooney; A major hard-ass, if your players are morally grey Mr. Grey is the perfect quest giver. If they need to steal something or kill someone, he is the person to give them that job.
Blue — A mushroom fairy, blue hair, about 8 1/2 inches tall; Blue is a fey being from another plane, if your players are dealing with fey, Blue would make a good information giver for their current quest. He may have insights based on the information your players give him as to what they are investigating or facing. He could likely narrow it down and potentially give your player an advantage against their foe.
Tundra — A female presenting half–orc, 6'5, long, thick braids, grey-toned skin; A warrior and explorer, Tundra is a good NPC for exploration, helping to guide your players through various environments and even provide help for a couple smaller skirmishes before the big fight at the end of the session. You can use a stat block for them based on whatever your needs are. If it's a higher level game, make Tundra a little stronger, but not stronger than the party, it's their game and Tundra is just an NPC, after all.
Towns have a tendency to be named after nearby landmarks, or significant historical figures. If a town is set between 3 intersecting rivers and there are various bridges connecting the rivers, Bridgetown is a perfectly suitable name. You can be as creative or on–the–nose as you'd like with these names. (Just be prepared for your party to butcher extreme fantasy names). Keep in mind: the bigger the town, the harder it is to fill.
Ashore— Population: 4,700; Port and trading hub; run by Duke Dagon Wildeburne. Key locations in this town include:
The Districts: Cloudshore, Peakshore, Lightshore, Ironshore, Weaveshore, and the N. and S. Slums.
Duke's Estate: Massive estate, wrought–iron fences with stone foundations, several structures including a museum of curios where he gives occasional tours. The well-groomed grounds boast extravagent flowers with deep roots that are able to thrive in the storms that come with the rainy season.
The Lightshore Colosseum: Huge, beautiful, open–air structure, capable of hosting most of the population of the town. Many dazzling performances are put on here, concerts, gladiator fights, etc.
Riverpass— Population: 700; Fishing village, right by the river break where the fish go to breed in the spring.
Asha'Dar— Population: 1600; Donald Corsair’s Barony; an agricultural hub, and a quaint and homely town at the head of the Verdant Timberlands. The Baron has spent years avoiding raising the taxes on his population to keep expenses low. In order to sustain this, he participates in some unruly, definitely illegal behavior. The main areas of the town include:
The Quarters — Home to several business owners in town, and the members of the city council, a lovely space that occupies the vast majority of land in the town proper, includes a schoolground
The Commons — where you can find most of the population, in addition to several shops and bakeries
Market Square — home to City Hall, the blacksmith, General Store, and most of the other shops
Little Inka — where refugees are provided homes and jobs.
Elewyn Archipelago— A stunning and picturesque island chain, featuring eight islands all named after rare stones.
Emerald Island, Diamond Island, Ruby Island, Peridot Island, Sapphire Island, Amethyst Island, Opal Island, Topaz Island
You can fill these islands with all sorts of fun stuff, a great place for your players to recoup, relax, and roleplay to their hearts' content. Most are scarcely populated, but adding in "touristy" locations will be sure to let your players get into some shenanigans.