Adventure Arcs and Sessions/One-Shots

Adventure Arcs

Adventure arcs are the sections that make up a campaign, kind of like chapters in a novel. Planning an adventure arc is a little different than planning an entire campaign, but many of the same principles apply.

Consider what the heroes and villains stand to gain in an adventure arc and what their motives likely are. Think about how and where the adventure arc will conclude. How does this propel the campaign forward? What new revelations will the heroes make, and what treasure or plot-relevant items might they find?

Should this adventure arc have a notable plot twist? If so, how much will it impact the adventure, and how much will it ripple out and impact the whole campaign? NPCs that reveal new key information are a common way to introduce minor plot twists or noteworthy revelations into a story.

You can also increase tension and drama in an adventure arc by splitting the interests of the party. Offer them two or more options for how to proceed, where each option might be good or bad for different reasons and might appeal to different members of the party. This can lead to intense conflict between the adventurers, which in turn can lead to some very meaningful moments once they reach an accord or go their separate ways.

When designing an adventure arc, it can be helpful to think of a verb around which the adventure revolves. The more specific the verb, the stronger a guiding principle it can serve as for the adventure. Some examples include: capture, defeat, explore, persuade, obtain, protect, or rescue.

Sessions

In the same way that a campaign is made up of adventures, an adventure is made up of sessions. A session is a single instance of playing the game and game sessions usually last 2-5 hours.

When prepping for a session, ask yourself what the heroes have done up to this point and what they are likely to do moving forward. Prepare a few combat encounters as necessary and think about plot twists that you might utilize.

Having a couple combat encounters, a few social encounters, and one or two potential plot twists or revelations on hand will help you run a more seamless game as you can react to the various things your adventurers do.

One-Shots

A one-shot is a unique experience where the entire campaign begins and ends over the course of a single session. One-shots can be nice because they are self- contained, allowing you and your friends to play through an entire story in one sitting. This is a great format for trying new character concepts that you may or may not like, because if you end up not liking it, you aren’t tied to that character for any future sessions. However, one-shots can also be tough to run due to their short nature: they involve introducing an entire adventure, running it, and wrapping it up all in the span of just a few hours.

When running a one-shot, don’t make too grand of a plan. Direct stories with clear goals are usually best for one-shots, though of course you can still throw in a red herring or plot twist to mislead and surprise your players throughout the one-shot.