The number of ready-to-run one-shots on here has grown since last time! If you run (or magpie) any of these, please let me know on twitter or Bluesky – it’s great to hear stuff get played!

If you use any of these, please consider supporting me on Patreon – patrons get access to posts a week early, as well as occasional exclusives (which usually includes one-shot adventures not published on the main blog)

If you want examples of pacy one-shots in play, the Unconventional GMs youtube channel hosts many one-shot TTRPG games run by myself, Gaz from the Smart Party, or exclusive guest GMs is two hours or less with the focus on pace and fun. See you in the comments!

13th Age Glorantha

A re-skinning of Gringle’s Pawn Shop where you get to rescue the priestesses from the baboons. 1st-level.

Into the Wasp’s Nest, a 2nd level one-shot using one of the best-designed monsters of any system ever (the 13th Age Bestiary Goblin Bat Cavalry, here reskinned as Gloranthan wasp riders)

Sting of the Scorpion Men, a one-shot for 4th level heroes

Blades in the Dark

A fleshing-out of Gaddoc Rail, more an exploration of how you could run the game, but runnable as a one-shot.

Daggerheart

Ghost Town is a Tier 2 adventure for level 3-ish PCs – a mysterious artifact is keeping a town alive as spectres

Into the Witherwild condenses the entire plot of the Witherwild campaign frame into a 4-hour convention slot for Tier 1 characters

Mayhem in Miquera is an introductory one-shot sort of designed for the Colossus of the Drylands campaign frame

Dungeons and Dragons (5e)

The Goblins and the Pie Shop, an orc-and-the-pie based 1st level one-shot.

Notes for running Dyson Logo’s Goblin Gully as a one-shot. The original dungeon is a free download and linked in the post.

The Curse of Clearview Forest is a 1st-level one-shot that’s designed as a more in-depth introduction to the game – closer to 3 hours than 2 to run this, I’d recommend.

Ravnica Airship Heist, a 3rd-level steampunky Ravnica one-shot.

The Rats of Rothsea, a 1st-level one-shot filled with rodents.

Tower of the Stirge, a 1st-level one-shot with a horror slant.

Notes for running Unsure Footing as a con one-shot – arctic talking animals (the source adventure is a free download and linked in the post). Talking animals introduce you to Rime of the Frostmaiden.. or, alternatively…

Into the Snow, a 1st-level one-shot written as a prelude to Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Fate

A one-shot for Red Planet, a pulp Soviet sci-fi raygun Fate World.

Fabula Ultima

The Clockwork Citadel is a techpunk clockwork dungeon moving across the land – suitable for starting level 5 PCs

Feng Shui 2

APE ATTACK! a one-shot set in modern-day, and belle epoque, Paris, with Spitfire-piloting mutant cyberapes

Chang’an Critter Carnival, an ancient-juncture-set one-shot of animal kung fu hijinx

The Empress’ New Clothes, another ancient-juncture romp that ends up in 1980s Hong Kong

The Kowloon Knife-Kut Knoodle Katastrophe, noodles, super-cars, the netherworld, and an ominous pagoda

Heart

Into the Underhang, a one-shot exploring Hang Station from the core rules book

Index Card RPG (ICRPG)

There’s a ready-to-play one-shot for Ghost Mountain, ICRPG’s weird west setting, alongside prep commentary here.

Outgunned! / Star Wars

Strike Force Shantipole, notes on running the classic WEG D6 Star Wars adventure

Tatooine Manhunt, notes on running the classic WEG D6 Star Wars adventure

PBTA

Auntie Wu’s Tea House, a one-shot for Hearts of Wulin set in a mountain pass with an advancing army

Manchester 1997, a set-up to run Urban Shadows 1st edition in a city where the fading glory of the Hacienda meets the factions of the supernatural.

The Forest of Doom, a setup to run the classic Fighting Fantasy gamebook as a Dungeon World one-shot.

Thirsty Sword Vingans, a Gloranthan set-up to play a marginalised tribe of misfits.

Punkapocalyptic

Bad Luck in Luckyland, a post-apocalyptic theme-park romp for 0 to 2-Mission characters.

Sentinel Comics

Day of the Manta Ray, a short con game for the Daybreak pregen group in the book.. Contains too many fish puns.

Slugblaster

Golden Jungle Run, a one-shot adventure in, as you’d expect, the Golden Jungle

Star Trek Adventures (2e)

The Dilithium Dilemma is an original series one-shot written for Unconventional GMs

Star Wars (FFG)

Snowblind, an Age of Rebellion one-shot set on Hoth. Contains both Wampas and a Tauntaun chase.

Stoneburner

Ice Station Zeta Alex, a ones-shot ice asteroid that could be used as a campaign starter – watch out for the Asteroid Bulette! Check out the Actual Play of it on Unconventional GMs here!

Tenra Bansho Zero

Four From Dragonscale, an epic one-shot set amidst the cherry blossoms.

TORG Eternity

We’ll Always Have Paris, a cyberpapacy-based one-shot of demons, street beaters, and the resistance in the Paris Catacombs

Urban Jungle

Round About Midnight, a noir adventure for the anthropomorphic noir game from Sanguine Press. Sort-of-investigative, uses the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes Principle of investigative games of punching clues out of people.

Vaesen

The Haunted Mill, a straightforward one-shot (or campaign starter) for Vaesen.

The Fire in Men’s Hearts, a full-length mystery set in Mythic Ukraine – using the material from the excellent Spirits and Monsters of Mythic Ukraine. Check out the Actual Play on Unconventional GMs here!

Warhammer: The Old World

Brayherd Escape fleshes out one of the Grim Portents from the core books – captured by beastmen in the forest, can our heroes escape and unmask a traitor in Talabheim?