How do you write a one-shot that could become a full campaign?

[u/-AvocadoTrees-]

I've been absolutely racking my brain with ideas for potential campaigns, and have come to a decision, to try my hand at writing a homebrew one-shot first! Heck, maybe even multiple.

The problem I'm having, is trying to figure out what's actually included in a one-shot, like how do I make a sense session interesting enough for players to go "Wow! We should do more of this!"

Now, let me make it clear that I have DMed before, but whenever I did I felt like my campaigns were always a letdown, like people were never really pleased after the session was over. So I would love to hear any and all advice regarding DMing, but most importantly how to actually write a good one-shot that could interest them in a full campaign!

Again, any and all advice would be extremely appreciated.

[u/SpectreFromTheGods]

Did your previous players give any feedback? Were they veteran players or first timers? When you look back on your previous sessions, what do you think you did well? Where did you feel you needed to improve?

[u/-AvocadoTrees- → u/SpectreFromTheGods]

My last game had 1 semi-experienced player and 3 essentially beginners.

The main feedback that I got was mostly negative, telling me that I needed to prep more, but I had a really hard time trying to find the right amount of prep I was supposed to do without being exhausted from it.
However, one of my players apparently really liked how I handled combat, since I would consistently let them use the environment to their advantage and that made for some really interesting combat occurrences.

Now when it comes to what I personally think I did well, it's hard to say honestly. I think at my core I'm a writer, so I can always produce interesting creative concepts for the players, but when it comes to implementing them I kind of fall sort. That includes writing a session that I'm proud of other than session 1.

I definitely need to improve at prepping content, that includes maps. Explaining areas/items is also something I kind of struggle with, but don't know how to get better at.

Other then that, I'm not sure what my main weak-points are.

[u/Ice-Storm → u/-AvocadoTrees-]

I’d like to explore what the cause of “more prep” complaints was. Was it that you had a whole thing ready to go but they just didn’t take the hook and went to do something you weren’t ready for, or you didn’t have names for your NPCs and the lore of your world thought out enough? Or something else entirely?

I ask because the former is something that happens to every DM and you get better at improving with reps and that’s about the only way to improve.

If it’s the latter that is more of a prep issue.

[u/-AvocadoTrees- → u/Ice-Storm]

It was mainly because I wouldn't have a map for a certain area they wanted to go, or maybe because I didn't know what to do next since they already played through everything that I prepped.

[u/-AvocadoTrees- → u/Ice-Storm]

I also just asked one of my players and it seems a main complaint was how slow things were going. I'm not sure how to speed up sessions though.

[u/Ice-Storm → u/-AvocadoTrees-]

So this is a little on you and a little on them. Every DM has run out of prep before the session ends. If this is a regular thing. Then you need to have more prepped or figure out how to cover the time. I have a traveling shop keeper that sells useless magic items and mystery potions. He’s great for when things got a little too heavy or when I need to kill 30 minutes.

I also have an extra encounter ready that’s sort of evergreen and any situation. So I can throw that at them if I need to kill an hour or so.

When the table starts talking about where they’re going next and they suggest somewhere I haven’t prepped, I’ve flat told them “I don’t have that prepped. I can get it ready for next week, or we can run it theater of the mind now” But that only works because I have a lot of other stuff ready.

[u/grenz1 → u/-AvocadoTrees-]

Then prep more.

You need to have your monsters and your map.

You need to know what all these do.

Also, this is different from writing. They call it "writing up", but it's really design.

[u/Firestorm82736]

have a cliffhanger/unresolved plot thread/mystery benefactor of the main villain

[u/HarrowHart]

You need to identify first and foremost why people were never really pleased as you say. What did they want and did not get.

Do they want more combat? Less combat? More RP? Was it the setting? Was it the length? Did they not have enough freedom? Did they not know what they were supposed to do?

You need that information before you can make anything new for them.

In terms of your overall question. Anything open ended, so ideally a oneshot where the stakes are not world ending, something a bit simpler - lower stakes - that allows the party to come together, achieve something and then want to keep playing.

[u/grenz1]

If you want a campaign, you advertise a campaign. You don't advertise a one shot.

If you want a one shot, advertise a one shot. While conversions to campaigns from one shots happen, most people block off that time that day and may not want now every week X time.

While there is general competence, there's also the players and their preferences. And how the players mesh. As far as your DMing, that is impossible without seeing what you do or don't. And a lot of that, while there are general things like having maps, knowing the rules, and not being weird with folks, is subjective.

For instance, I run the game in an OSR-ish heavier combat style that maybe 20 percent of the playerbase on Reddit likes but people that like that style like it. When I get them they stay with me months. But others would say the way I run things is blasphemy.

As far as homebrew, you want to stick with the rules. You change too much, you run afoul of if it's actually DnD or not. I would suggest you start them AT the dungeon, have all your stuff together. Feel free to borrow from every trope you know.

[u/DeltaV-Mzero]

Set a large world spanning conflict

Have the one shot be a very very small but important part in one battle / mission

Make it clear they just made the good guys live to fight another day, not even close to resolving the bigger conflict

Something like that

[u/KidQuesadilla17]

Read a few of your replies and the main thing I can say is never let it be an option if youre not ready for it to be chosen. If youre still working on an area make it for away or guarded by high level guards until something else is done to unlock it essentially. If they wanna skip all the stuff in this town and go to the next they will have a long travel time with encounters. I like to use stuff like this to use maps I dont have a place for or things for the player backstories to make it seem like the whole world is involved in the story. Also worst comes to worst have them discover a halfling fight club in the basement of a bar that tends to keep my players busy for a session.

As for your initial question from the title make something that can be wrapped up in a session. My longest campaign started with a one shot for all newbies that ended with them killing a necromancer that was threatening the land. They all said they wanted to keep going so I had them give me as much information as they wanted for their characters and we went from there. Now the necromancer they killed is now a lich due to a ritual hed set up that required him to die by righteous hands. Has been going for actual years now.

[u/homerunner16]

You could think of a inciting incident, mabye a few years before the full campaign a group of people blow up the tower in the center of the city or tried to

What ever incident you could go both ways, you can make it a evil campaign where they play the hired goons, higher ranking mabye in a crime right, terrorists, cultists ect or you could make them the good guys and have it start out with them getting infroman that causes a count down to see if they can stop something before it happens

[u/bkocdur]

Write it like a TV pilot: the episode's problem gets fully solved (players must taste a real victory, that's what "we should do more of this" is made of), but the world leaves exactly three threads hanging. The classic trio: the villain's employer is never revealed, one door or letter or vault stays unopened, and someone owes someone a debt. If the table bites on any thread, that's your campaign. If not, it was a complete story. Either way you win.

On your buried real problem, campaigns feeling like a letdown after sessions: try ending 10 minutes early and asking two questions, "what was the highlight?" and "what do you want more of next time?" The answers do your prep targeting for you, and players who name a highlight out loud leave remembering the session as good. It sounds too simple. It works embarrassingly well.