RPG One-Shots

[cj_ruby]

One-Shot RPG scenarios are great for conventions, tournaments or for taking a break from your regular gaming session. They are also a way to introduce newcomers to roleplaying games. Here are a few principles I've learned from GMing, writing and playing one-shot scenarios over the years.

Use a rule system that everyone is familiar with - do this

Comments

[varianor]

Good post. (Followed down the link from evildmguy's LJ.) I run a lot of convention games, and what you're saying is spot on. Though I tend to run a lot of D&D since that is something I enjoy and it is *the* most commonly known system. (Sometimes I've seen some poor sap who is absolutely enthralled by a certain system - like AState or The Mountain Witch - sitting at a mainstream con with stuff all piled around the table waiting for players, and no one shows. You have to save that for ENWorld GameDays or big gaming cons.)

Some conventions put the expertise level of the game for players right in the description, and I think that's a good idea. I had a newbie ask to join a game once and it was expert level (disclosed in the program as such too). I said he could, and explained his sheet to him. He was in a fog. About half an hour in, he admitted that he couldn't grok it, and bowed out gracefully.

I think the more rules light the better actually. You have to be up front with the players about it. I like to tell them that we use the rules as guidelines, but if something cool gets suggested we'll go with that instead of the rules.

A good rule to enforce at the table, for dice-heavy rolling games (examples include Exalted, D&D and Champions) is for players to roll all dice at once. In fact, if someone knows what their action is and is paying attention, I encourage rolling ahead. Pretty much everyone I have gamed with at a con is over the junior high "I gotta cheat so I don't lose" rolling techniques.

One additional item I like to bring for players is a printout of key skills, abilities or powers that their PC has. Not *everything* on the sheet, but just stuff that the player wouldn't easily know or that might interrupt the game to go "what does this do?". In a similar vein, I like to have a spare rulebook or two not so much for rules lookups but for interested players to read up on something when it's not their turn/action.

What was your best "convention DM" moment?

[cj_ruby]

>What was your best "convention DM" moment?< Great question. My best "moments" are when "newbies" who have never tried a rpg before, exuberantly tell me, "this is the most fun I've ever had." (This has happened multiple times.)

Second best moments are when very experienced GMs or Game Designers play one of my games and tell me what a fun unique experience they had in my game. I've asked them why they signed up to play and the answer is on the lines that the game was unusual and it intrigued them to play.

I run a lot of Westerns at conventions. I also like horror/survival games as one-shots. Most all of my convention offerings are original homebrews - using my modified d10 system.

[cj_ruby]

>One additional item I like to bring for players is a printout of key skills, abilities or powers that their PC has.<

I like this, and I will unashamedly snirtch it. :)