02-13-2006, 05:50 AM | #1 |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
|
One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
I'm planning to GM a One-Shot adventure (in other words, an adventure which will play out in just one session; so you know what I'm talking about).
The players will consist of two total newbies without any RPing experience, and two slightly more experienced players (who are not much into rules, though they enjoy a good fight now and then). These players are also without exception quite female (not that I think this will make a difference). Now I've never GMed a One-Shot before. I read a Pyramid article on this subject, and I got my brain working. So I have some ideas how to do this (pregen characters, start with a Bang, Time Pressure, uncomplicated plot). Still, some of you will have more experience with single-session play than me, I guess. Do you have any ideas, hints, tips and advice for me? Things that worked out well for you? Things that spell certain catastrophe?
__________________
Like a mail order mogwai...but nerdier - Nymdok understanding is a three-edged sword
|
02-13-2006, 08:44 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Maryland, USA
|
Re: One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
Some thoughts:
What it boils down to is the KISS rule: make the one-shot short and uncomplicated, and know exactly what your PCs and NPCs can and can't do. |
02-13-2006, 10:06 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
|
Re: One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
Quote:
Probably depends a lot on the individual personalities.. I'd say:
.. well, you probably figured most of these out yourself already.
__________________
I'm an English teacher now, so the most excitement I see these days is a dangling participle. -safisher |
|
02-13-2006, 07:44 PM | #4 |
In Nomine Line Editor
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Frozen Wastelands of NH
|
Re: One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
Quite frankly, don't take it for granted that a lady roleplayer is in it for the social. I like social, really I do -- but I also get a kick out of one-shotting mooks now and then. (Mostly when I drag the high level character in a MMORPG down to the low-level zone and zot things. It's very satisfying at times to activate a spell and watch the thing fall over.)
Social may be the way to start -- but better would be to give an interaction that could turn social or violent, and roll with what you get as a response. (Doing up extra pre-gens, so there's a range of social/violent, is useful.) Definitely keep the plot simple -- one goal, and a scene or two that you figure you're going to hit along the way. (Don't actually railroad; you don't need to force them to conform to the plot. If it's simple enough, then they'll DO it. And if they come up with a way around it, you make your eyes wide, you let your jaw drop, and you say, "You know, that's REALLY CLEVER. Okay... Um, so let's see, right. Here's what happens..." (Okay, so it might short-circuit the adventure. So? If they're delighted with what happens, go for it. Throw in a curve here if you can think of a minor one. Do not be wedded to the plot you thought you were running if the players grab onto something and run with it!) Railroading is where the players say, "So... this RP stuff is where we try to guess the script you want us to use?") Keep your NPCs under control -- not too many, not too few. You probably want one Wise Voice of Experience for them to be able to contact, but not someone who's going to take over, for whatever reason. (What system/adventure are you planning, out of shameless curiosity?)
__________________
--Beth Shamelessly adding Superiors: Lilith, GURPS Sparrials, and her fiction page to her .sig (the latter is not precisely gaming related) |
02-14-2006, 12:33 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Union City, CA
|
Re: One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
I agree with Beth, let the players dictate what happens. Keeping the plot simple and easy to grasp and flexible to work with will be encouraging for the new players, and allowing them freedom to approach it will give them an idea of what freedom the game can have.
The RP vets are already Roleplayers. Let them roll their eyes at the simplicity if they must, but the focus here is on the newbies. If the vets are in good spirits about everything, they should take it as it is and spend their time enjoying the comparitively easygoing way of the one-shot and the rest of the time helping the newbies out. In particular, there's no need to railroad. Start off simple, letting everyone know what's happening when things pick up, but let them go from there. If things are straightforward enough, you won't need much nudging to get things rolling. pregens will help this out anyway since you can make characters that will be predisposed to getting along. If the players throw you for a big loop (the newbies in particular) that takes you out of the scope of your little one shot and you enjoy the idea, then by all means, run with it. A good one shot would be a good way to give the newbies the idea that they want to stick around, but if you wind up starting a longer adventure that they directly inspired, they're even more likely to get involved in the hobby. At least that's how I see it. Good luck! EDIT: Is it odd that during the whole discussion of the one shot and its variants, I've been picturing a modern day supers crime-busting exploit? Keeping in the spirit of agreeing with Beth, what is the gist of this one shot? |
02-14-2006, 04:28 AM | #6 | |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
|
Re: One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
Quote:
Then, I considered In Nomine (with Gurps rules). But the whole stuff with Demons, Angels and Words and Resonances and Attunements and Dissonances is probably a bit too complex, too. I'd have to explain the concept first, and that'll scare the newbies away instantly. Sorry, Beth. Finally, I decided to use a version of my home-grown Space setting - sort of (which I - as GM - am most familiar with, anyway). Like this: The characters are all teenaged girls living in the arms of Zaibatsu Inc, protected and sheltered from the outside world (therefore, they don't know the outside world, which will keep setting description to a minimum: "Earth in 300 years. There's space travel, colonies on other planets and psionics. That's it."). Their corporate master has decided to relocate them for some reason (holiday? experimentation? education?). They travel to another star system, safely frozen. They get thawed (Play Begins), they board the shuttle, they socialize a little with the other passengers. Then, ninjas take the shuttle hostage (everybody knows what a ninja is, right?). The PCs are the only ones who think of doing something (whatever it may be). The bad guys try to dock onto a satellite, to broadcast some message (or a virus, or an EMP, or something), which is a Bad Thing. The system will be Gurps. The PCs will be low-powered (50 CP or something like that), so there will be no special powers to understand or keep track of. The location is controllable and quickly understood/imagined. The number of NPCs is limited (so I can drop in a few interesting ones to socialize with, intimdate or fight). There is a definite time limit, which will keep things focused. The characters are pregenerated, with perhaps two or three choosable lenses each (and the characters will be choosen by a text-only description, without play statistics). That's roughly it. What do you think? And thanx for your answers so far!
__________________
Like a mail order mogwai...but nerdier - Nymdok understanding is a three-edged sword
|
|
02-14-2006, 05:50 AM | #7 | ||
In Nomine Line Editor
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Frozen Wastelands of NH
|
Re: One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
Quote:
Quote:
Mind, if you can do any sort of preliminary "talk about character," that would be useful -- but that depends on how invested they already are in this. If all they want is a one-shot to see if they like it, better to save the time to wow them with the session.
__________________
--Beth Shamelessly adding Superiors: Lilith, GURPS Sparrials, and her fiction page to her .sig (the latter is not precisely gaming related) |
||
02-14-2006, 06:17 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
|
Re: One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
While I would reconsider using pregens (because for many, a large part of the fun is actually making their own characters) it seems to be a good idea to have a basic template and some free points to spend ad libidum [probably a short page with a distilled skills/adv list].
I wouldn't start with a scifi adventure in your case.. too many foreign concepts IMO (psionic powers, cryo-sleep, space-travel, ...). Things that worked best for me (which doesn't say they are best generally of course) when playing with newbies were either historical things (where everyone knew the basic parameters up front) or modern. Quote:
But you will have to admit that there must be some explanation why certain types of games are more popular with female players than with male players and vice versa (compare for instance the sims to doom 3).
__________________
I'm an English teacher now, so the most excitement I see these days is a dangling participle. -safisher |
|
02-14-2006, 06:20 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Missouri, USA
|
Re: One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
One thing we did with my son when teaching him as a pre-teen joining with adult players, was insisting that he take "common sense". Then, if he was thinking of running into a situation alone he could ask the GM, "what does my common sense tell me to do?" If your players are young and inexperienced, you might consider that. Also, have an NPC hiding in the woodworks who can be a healer and a guide.
Also, focus on a mystery or search more than actual combat. Give them something that they can figure out, and leave the session feeling that they accomplished something. The goal, I assume, is to convince them to play again at some poing. |
02-14-2006, 07:55 AM | #10 |
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Schleswig, Germany
|
Re: One Shot Adventure: Advice Appreciated!
Some time ago, a fried of mine and me used to run one-shot adventures/tournaments on a small-town con, often with players of variant degrees of expereince (often none).
We usually chose a familiar setting, that is, a real one or a well-known fictional one : Star Wars, Tolkien, Middle Ages. Real-World with mundane characters also worked great - and then introduce some fantastical, horror or sci-fi element, like in a similar movie. A short trip to an alternate world is fine, too. Also, we used pre-gen characters. Absolutely. You waste so much time creating chars for a single adventure. We usually included open or secret relationships between them which can lead to conflict between the characters (well, it was a tournament of sorts). For example, one char has just lost an imporant item and another one had just stolen it. Every char had its own motive apart from the main plot. This teaches a lot about what roleplaying is about, if that is intended. They have to work together against some common antagonist, but may also pursue their own agenda. Even with green newbies, that worked great. Perhaps especially with them. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|