In this series, I’m going to be showcasing some techniques you can drop into almost any one-shot TTRPG session to improve it – even if the adventure you’re running is already published, these will make it better. Each one is minimum-prep, and guaranteed to be well worth it at the table. Check out Part 1!

While you’re reading this, I should tell you about my Patreon. Patrons get access to content 7 days before they hit this site, the chance to request articles or content, and the chance to play in one-shot games, for a very reasonable backer level of £2 per month. If you like what you read, want to support the blog, and have the funds for it, please consider supporting here. Telling people about the blog, and sharing links/retweeting is much appreciated also – thanks! Patrons also get further examples of these superchargers in action – including a plot sketch for a fantasy adventure.

So here goes, with part 2 – 

Plan your Plots like Hexcrawls

No, I don’t mean like enormous maps with loads of places to go to – just like a standard set of hexcrawl roses. Have events, actions, and revelations in each – making the players have more choice and options in the middle of the one-shot, and a defined start and end – like this:

Why This Works

Railroading vs. player choice is always a trade-off in a one-shot session. In the past, I’ve recommended something I’ve dubbed The Swell as a possible one-shot structure – this just codifies it into something a bit more manageable. Here’s why this sort of structure works so well

• It’s manageable to prep. You need a detailed start and end, and the scenes in the middle can be flexible and movable.
• It’s manageable to run. You can present the players with multiple paths, and multiple ways to resolve them; this lets the players really choose how to approach the plot you’ve laid out for them, including splitting up (read here on why splitting the party is a good thing!)
• You can use it on already-published adventure (for an example, wait for the full-length versions of these Superchargers – coming soon!) to add player choice and agency
• You don’t have to tie opponents or clues to the hexes. Think of them as nodes, as in The Alexandrian’s node-based design, instead of locations – although if it fits, they can certainly be locations instead.

Making the Best Hexcrawl Plot

Think about each hex as something that brings the party closer to their goal, or delivers a new revelation. As above, you don’t need to link clues or enemy encounters to the plot if you don’t want to – this lets you control the pace a bit. Some hexes might also be very different ways to deal with the same problem – fighting the centaurs and treatying with the  centaurs might be two different hexes if their outcomes are different.

Don’t worry too much about the finale happening exactly as planned – if you’ve got a big bad in mind, remember that the players could face them in a range of locations depending on their plot. Also, don’t worry if you end up with some extra hexes – even if they don’t tesselate! – this is more of a pointcrawl to get you thinking and inspire creativity than a rigid limit.

So, part two of supercharging your one-shots is to hexcrawl your plots. Subscribe to not miss any more in this 2d4-part series! Patrons, check the attachments for a sketched-out example of this – Cult of the Carrior Crawler – and keep an eye out for the full version coming soon!