Campaign archetypes/tropes for one-shots?
What campaign archetypes (e.g. defeat the dungeon boss, rescue the princess, heist) exist that can work in a really short campaign, ideally a one-shot?
Interested in stuff that can be used for any system, but suggestions for cool game-specific campaigns that can be generalised are also welcome.
One-shots work well with pretty much any cliché storyline that the players can swiftly get the grasp of and jump into without too much time spent on exposition or build-up.
The evil character could be a tyrant overtaxing the population, a ghost tormenting a small rural town, a lich in the nearby dungeon doing shady stuff, a dragon who kidnapped a princess, etc... Pretty much anything that the players may have familiarity with and without arguing too much about the best course of action.
Depending on the premise, you could lead the players straight to the dungeon, or let them investigate a bit and come up with a plan to infiltrate the evil character's lair. Whatever you choose, keep it short and easy to do: one-shots have very little time to dwell on specific details or plot beats, and if your players waste too much time on the planning/investigation phase, there won't be time left to actually fight the bad guy.
Even if it's a one-shot that won't ever have a follow-up, including loot for the players to find is always an exciting addition. Players, like crows, love shiny thingies :)
Yeah, what I'm really asking for is a big list of clichés that could make up the core story of a one-shot
The other user wrote a very good list of cliché plot hooks, so I'll write a few that are a bit less cliché but still pretty straightforward.
DEFEND THE VILLAGE: very easy and straightforward quests for people new to the game and people who want to chill for a bit and slay a few goblins.
FOR QUEST AND GLORY: for more adventurous parties who look forward to sailing into the unknown.
SHENANIGANS AND BOOZE: for chaotic parties and experienced DMs who can manage improvising on the spot.
With the monastery example, how do you play it? Just chuck everyone in a room and see what happens? Sequential encounters? Is there a narrative flow, or just basically a mini sandbox?
My brother ran that one in Warhammer Roleplay. Although customized for our party, it was still heavily lifted from Rough Night at the Three Feathers. It's a published adventure and it's very well written, so I recommend giving it a read! I think he mixed it with Night of Blood and then added in his own ideas.
The thing to keep in mind is that, while the players are allowed (and encouraged!) to treat it as a mini sandbox, there is an underlying narrative flow as well, ie. things keep happening every now and then, even if the party isn't involved. But if the players don't want to involve themselves, it's a good thing to make things happen to or near them.
Experienced players will probably have fun doing stuff and experimenting, while timid ones will require a bit more hand holding from the DM to make events happen around them.
I second the horror/scary movie trope suggestion. PCs being the hunted instead of the hunters means that the DM can keep the pacing tight and not getting derailed, as the enemy will find them wherever they go until they die or escape (or defeat the monster).
If you place them in a contained area where they have explore to find a way out, they can lay traps to slow down (or defeat) the monster, they can find clues as to the monsters strength or weakness, they can try to hide when they hear the monster drawing neat, they can find slightly helpful items (batteries that can be used for a flashlight or in a baby monitor as an early warning system, slippers for better sneaking but worse running, vodka for temporary HP but worse constitution, scissors or letter openers to distract in close combat for a chance to escape) but not straight up weapons, they can take damage to deal damage, or take damage to escape whenever they get found. The monster will let them think they've gotten away but they'll never be safe, it will always find them while they're in this location.
The goal can be survive until sunrise, or try to get as many people out of the haunted house as possible, or survive/beat a set amount of the attractions at a demons fair to be released. It'll be lika a hit+run or cat+mouse game.
Stabber, think Scream with student partying a house during a snowstorm and suddenly one of them is killed.
There is something in the spaceship, think Alien also works better in one shot
Actually, most horror games work better in one shot because nobody believes in monsters and if you see one you want to run away, not hurt them
Yeah, I'm not generally much of a horror fan, but it can definitely see how eldritch themes can make for some quick self-contained action
PC can progress/change during a one-shot. It's often forgiven. You can go "20 years later..." In the middle of the game. That's great
Not really sure how this answers the question.. Am I missing something?
Some stuff like mysteries you need to be ready to tell the players they got it right, even if their idea is a little crazy. Players are famously bad at noticing details and remembering plot. But if you do some subtle shifting instead of going in with a fixed, canonical, right answer then it can be fun.
I did a one shot the other day that was about people being murdered. We found out they were being done in by golems, but the solution we came up with (do the golem creation ritual with the opposite elements) wasn't what the GM had in mind. But they decided that our idea was good, so they went with it, and we all felt very smart.