D&D: Fun One-Shot Ideas

Key Takeaways

• One-shots in
  Dungeons & Dragons
  are a fun way to experiment with new character builds and concepts, and can be a break from the main campaign.
• Creative one-shot ideas include shrinking players to the size of mice, navigating a masked party infested with mimics, and embarking on a never-ending fetch quest.
• Other one-shot options include managing a dangerous monster zoo, competing in a battle of the bards, and experiencing mayhem at a wedding or themed adventure.

In Dungeons & Dragons, one-shots are considered quick, single-session games. Oftentimes, players will make fresh characters to try out and play with different abilities and perks. It doesn’t really have to end with a one-shot. If everyone at the table enjoyed the concept and the characters, there is nothing stopping everyone from continuing the game into a full-on campaign.

One-shots are a great way to take a little break from the main game, experiment with odd builds and concepts, and overall just unwind. It is also a great place for a DM to try out new ideas and rules before incorporating them fully.

Updated by Chad Thesen on November 21, 2024: There are plenty of DMs out there with their own style and their own ideas. While there are many different One Shot ideas already provided, this list has been updated to include some additional ones. The Lair of the Mad Doctor lets each role shine at what they do best to pull off a collective goal. Exterminating the Hive makes the players truly feel like heroes of the people and can be used to make them feel appreciated. Lastly, Lord of the Mountain is a gauntlet of skills for players to roll their brains out and show off what their characters can do.

19 A Tiny Conundrum

Why Is Everything So Large All Of A Sudden?

This concept is fairly simple and can start in almost any way. For example, the party is gifted a bottle of some expensive whiskey, and all partake in a tasting. However, after a few moments, everyone begins to realize that they are rapidly shrinking.

And not just to goblin size, they get tiny. All of a sudden, players have to navigate the world from the perspective of a house mouse. In this world, even a large cat can be as dangerous as a raging lion, and players need to find their way back to their normal sizes.

18 A Goblin Run

Are We The Bad Guys?

Villain games can be quite a lot of fun and showcase a side of characters that is usually veiled in shadows or portrayed in a very particular light. It takes a bit of finessing to make it really work, but it’s really not that hard to embrace the inner goblin.

Games like Overlord revolve around the villain archetype, oftentimes leaning into the antihero side of things. Regardless, grabbing a group of friends and roleplaying as a bunch of sheep-stealing goblins can be surprisingly fun and bring a whole new perspective to an otherwise basic scenario.

17 A Heist

Stealing Is Fun

Is it overused and cliché? Sure. Is it still fun and tantalizing? Absolutely. There’s just something about planning out an elaborate heist that brings a lot of enjoyment to people; especially when everything inevitably goes horribly wrong.

There are limitless ways to structure and frame a heist. A Lich’s phylactery, an annoying king’s treasure, a dragon’s hoard, a shady casino’s vault, and even a bride who is being married off for a political reason. There is no shortage of things to steal, and there is no end to players’ creativity in doing so.

16 Horror Episode

Dim The Lights

While there are other great TTRPGs to specifically facilitate the horror genre, D&D does surprisingly well at is also. After all, it’s all about the atmosphere that the DM can bring to the table, how well they can paint the picture, and the feeling of bone-chilling anxiety.

There are plenty of terrifying creatures and monsters that can be used to great effect. From classic ghosts and hags to boneclaws and false hydras. Lights, music, and sound effects are also incredible tools to help the DM build tension and put their beloved players on edge.

15 Flashback

Find Out The Villain’s Backstory

This can be a little risky to pull off, but it is absolutely worth it. It’s best if players don’t even realize they’re in a flashback until the very end of the game. DMs can focus on particular aspects of the story that they want to showcase, putting players in the very front seat of history.

They can join the epic battle against an ancient evil, which echoes in their current campaign. Or witness the beginning of their BBEG’s villain arc, or perhaps even be a part of the reason they became this way. This can be a powerful storytelling element, but it should be treated with care.

14 Pirate Race

What Are You Willing To Do For Treasure?

Pirates are always a hit at almost any RPG table, whether their players decide that they would rather pillage the open seas than help out villagers or hunt for infamous ships and ruthless captains.

However, one of the tropes most associated with pirates is treasure. In a one shot, it could be that a famous treasure location has been discovered and the news has spread like wildfire, alerting pirates and adventurers of all calibers. Will the party be able to get there in time? Will there be obstacles thrown at them by the opposing crews? What even is the treasure in question?

13 Arena Championship

Last Team Standing

Thousands of years later, gladiators are still quite popular, both in stories and in the media. These deadly tournaments are still portrayed in different films, TV series, and anime. Adapting such a plot to D&D is extremely easy and viable, and there are a great many ways to do so.

From being forced to fight by Devils to a noble tournament hosted by a retired adventurer, there are plenty of ways and places to set up a gladiatorial arena. With other famous adventuring groups, interesting terrains, or battle conditions, it can be a great combat-oriented one-shot.

12 Level 20 Calamity

Because Why Not?

Not many campaigns ever reach the elusive level 20, especially those that start at level 1. It can take literal years to do so, even with frequent game sessions, and most of the time, games that go that far will end fairly quickly due to the incredible powers that heroes possess.

With that said, having a taste of that amount of power in a one-shot can be a great way to see just how far a class can be taken and feel like ultimate heroes, if only for a short time. It also helps avoid having to craft a campaign with enough foresight that level 20 characters will still face a challenge.

11 Freaky Fifthday

Let Chaos Reign!

While this does require a bit of finessing on the DM’s part, it can be quite a fun experience for everyone involved. In this scenario, players can simply swap their sheets, but their characters retain any memories they had prior.

Suddenly, the barbarian who could barely read can now speak four different languages and know what it’s like to cast powerful spells. What will the usually frail wizard do with all these muscles? There are a few ways to do this mechanically, and it is completely up to the DM and the players’ discretion.

10 The Tavern Crawl

The Prancing Pony Can Be A Great Start

A tried and true classic. Characters, as much as people, sometimes enjoy grabbing their friends for a night of debauchery and careless carousing. The DM can plan out a series of unique taverns, each with its own little twist.

Aside from a few bar fights, who’s to say that something a little more sinister isn’t prone to happen? A drunk necromancer might accidentally raise a few shambling zombies, or an overindulging barbarian gets too rowdy, and begins to aggressively chop down every piece of furniture in sight.

9 The Mimic Masquerade

Is That Really A Rug?

In this one-shot, a group of mimics have invaded the palace, and are constantly harassing and even hunting down the royal family and the staff. Ignoring all caution, the family is hosting a massive masquerade in honor of some ridiculous achievement.

Now, the players have to navigate the party’s masked faces, trying to find the devious mimics, hiding essentially in plain sight. The DM can also throw in other spectacles, such as a fire-show mage, which is particularly hard to navigate around. Can they stop the hungry monsters before complete mayhem ensues?

8 The Neverending Fetch Quest

It All Starts With 10 Apples

Essentially, this one-shot starts with something very simple but continues to get more and more complicated, the more players do it. They should start with something as simple as fetching a basket of apples from a particular store.

As the players get there, the owner claims that the shipment still hasn’t come in, and asks the players to check on it in some warehouse. Upon arriving there, they find a note from a famous thief. And so on, and so forth. It is up to the DM to decide the actual point of it all, but it can be made into a fun, albeit slightly infuriating adventure.

7 The Monster Zoo

What Is That Cage Made Of?

Owning a zoo with dangerous manticores, wyverns, and hellhounds is by no means a safe business, but that doesn’t mean that someone isn’t willing to do it. There are all sorts of possibilities for such a locale. From an uncontrolled outbreak of particularly dangerous species to players suddenly realizing that they would prefer to set the monsters free.

This is also a great time to showcase some of the underappreciated monsters and let players have their fun in a chaotic environment, and maybe even get somewhat sympathetic towards their usual enemies.

6 Battle Of The Bards

Some Lutes Might Be Smashed

Having a group of players all play as bards is just fun all on its own. There are enough subclasses to go around, and players can actually have a well-rounded team, covering both melee and ranged options.

As for the one-shot itself, there might be a competing bard troupe that just isn’t willing to put up with competition and is resorting to low means of removing the party. Or, there could be an entire arena-like competition, leaving only the strongest and best-sounding group standing, giving them plenty of fame and riches.

5 Uninvited Guests Of Dishonor

Who Doesn’t Like A Wedding?

Weddings can be great roleplay occasions, for players and NPCs alike, but devoting an entire game to it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Instead, hosting a fun one-shot might just be the thing for the table.

Aside from the touching romance story itself, things can always go terribly wrong at a wedding. From old enemies resurfacing, to new ones being made at the venue. The cake might get cursed, rings stolen, and all other kinds of mayhem. At the very least, the two families might really not get along, and suddenly the players are in the middle of a Romeo and Juliette situation.

4 A Themed Adventure

To Celebrate With Friends

There are plenty of options to choose from, depending on what holidays a group enjoys. From Halloween, to Christmas, to Saint Patrick’s Day, there is no shortage of themes for a rowdy adventure. Christmas gifts might be stolen, a leprechaun’s gold lost, or some other similarly important and silly catastrophe.

Given that it is a special occasion, it is probably best to keep it on the lighter side of things, or better yet, just go with the table’s usual vibe. If everyone is onboard, it can be a great holiday to have with friends and loved ones.

3 Lair of the Mad Doctor

Something for Everyone

A good DM will always curate adventures that let the player’s characters each shine in their own ways to make players feel more appreciated, as well as more invested in the story. One great opponent is some form of mad scientist or some form of intellectual figure that is tampering with forces they shouldn’t.

The DM has them kidnap people, or children, for their experiments. This causes a need for someone to investigate missing person cases. Players can interact with NPCs for information, search for clues, break into a facility, sneak through underground passages, rescue hostages from locked cages, and fight against a Frankenstein-style abomination of science. This is the perfect time to bust out those Eberron sourcebooks.

2 Exterminating the Hive

The Town is Doomed Without the Players

A town is under attack by monsters that keep returning. They are running low on resources, morale, and even villagers are able to fight. Players can speak with a leader-like figure that tells them the lore surrounding the threat, and the DM can have various interesting NPCs. People could feel lost and turn to praying at the church — which could use the same deity as a player cleric.

One good option is to have an underground hive of giant insects, as this means players will navigate underground tunnels that act like labyrinths, with plenty of jump scares, a larval nest, and a giant insect queen. On the other hand, they do not have to be insects, and could be ghoulish lost souls controlled by a necromancer. The idea is that the town will surely perish against vast, unending odds unless the players take out the central source.

1 Lord of the Mountain

An Ascending Gauntlet

Everyone loves combat, but players should also be rolling plenty of skill checks. This is where a good balance of the two can help bridge two parts of a story. In this example, players are tasked with reaching a specific location, such as the top of a mountain. To get to the top, they have to overcome a vast array of different challenges.

They could try to shimmy against a wall to cross a vast chasm, or leap from pillar to pillar. Combat can break out between all manner of different creatures, but between these combat encounters, players will need to decide which skills will be best to overcome which obstacles, with some of their best odds sometimes having the highest DCs.