Creating a One-Shot Adventure: Part One

Tone, Adventure Hooks, and Settings

Have you ever wanted to run your own TTRPG adventure but had no idea where to start? You're not alone - and the good news is, it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Let's break it down with a step-by-step process for creating and crafting a one-shot adventure.

Concept & Theme

Every adventure needs a core idea to build around. Think of this as the foundation for everything else. We'll break it down into three key elements: tone, adventure hook, and setting.

Tone

Think about what tone or genre your adventure will have. Is it high fantasy, comedy, mystery, horror, swords & sorcery, or something else entirely? If you're stuck think about what types of movies, books or video games you may like and that can help with a general genre or theme.

For example, let's say we want to create a mystery-themed adventure. That means the players will be trying to solve some sort of strange or unsettling puzzle.

It's also important to note that your adventure can blend multiple genres. Maybe your mystery unfolds in a horrific setting, with the players investigating a series of grim murders. That naturally brings us to the next element.

Adventure Hook

Your players need a reason to get involved - something that draws them into the story and gives them a clear direction. Without a strong hook, they may not know how to engage with the adventure at all.

Stick with our murder mystery example. Here's a possible hook:

Over the past three days, the village of Holton has seen three of its people turn up dead - each in a different part of town, each gruesomely murdered. The only clue left at each scene: a small scrap of burned paper with strange markings on it. The mayor of Holton has quietly hired outside help - you. With the harvest moon festival fast approaching, panic is spreading. Superstitions run high, and old grudges are rising to the surface. The town is small...but someone here is a killer.

And just like that, the adventure is beginning to take shape. We've even started touching on our third key element: setting.

Setting

Your setting is the backdrop for everything that happens in your adventure. The good news? It can be whatever you want: a homebrewed village, a real-world location, a strange demiplane, or something else entirely.

In our example, the setting is a small farming village called Holton. We already know a few things about it from the hook: it has a mayor, a handful of villagers, and a looming harvest moon festival. These details give us just enough to start populating the town with NPCs, rumors, and secrets.

The village of Holton—your mystery begins here

Final Thoughts

With just these three elements - tone, adventure hook, and setting - you've already laid the groundwork for a compelling one-shot. In the next post, we'll start building the adventure's structure: how to pace scenes, introduce NPCs, and create encounters that fit your theme.