In a perfect world, every DM would have ample time and resources to plan out the perfect adventures inDungeons and Dragonsfor their party. However, that is not always the case, and sometimes game night might sneak up on a dungeon master, or they could be called to action at short notice. No matter how experienced the DM might be, having some quick and easy one shot adventures on hand can be a powerful secret weapon to creating a fun, low-stress experience for everyone at the table.
There are many resources available for DMs who want to dive deep andhomebrew their ownDnDgamesor run long, complicated campaigns. Thankfully, there are alsomany short adventures that can either be slotted into an ongoing campaign or run as a separate standalone game, with little preparationrequired by the DM. These can come from a variety of sources, including the official2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, several official books, or adventures from websites such asDMs Guild. In fact, there are numerous possibilities, and this is just a small sampling of options for quick one shots.
10The Lost City: An Updated Version Of An Original Teaching Tool
Quests From The Infinite Staircase, Level 1
The Lost Citywas originally released in 1982 as an introductory adventure forDnD. The adventure has been updated and revised with therelease ofQuests from the Infinite Staircasein 2024, and is all set for a DM to pick up the book and run a session. Designed for four to six people playing level one characters, it can be a one shot, with enough content to easily take two or three sessions depending on time, or used to kick off a campaign with the other adventures in the book.
Although the DM may want to read through the adventure ahead of time, the bookincludes the maps, highlighted portions to be read aloud to players, plenty of random encounters, and explanations for most everything that a DM could need. An appendix at the back of the book includes pictures and full stat blocks for any monsters not commonly found in the Monsters Manual.
9Little House On The Scary: Very Little Improv Or Voices Required From A DM
Available For Purchase On DMs Guild, Levels 1-4
Little House on the Scaryis an ideal quick adventure for DMs who don’t have time to come up with lots of content and who are playing with people who enjoy a bit of the ridiculous side ofDnD. Available onDMs Guild, the short adventure is part of a larger series of encounters in theRavenloftsetting, but can easily be played on its own. The story revolves aroundan abandoned inn where everything inside is a Mimic. Chairs, rugs, even the building itself are all variations on Mimics, with the building having access to lair actions after it is provoked.
Because the story takes place in one small location, there isn’t much that a DM needs to do to set the scene. Additionally, due to the monsters being Mimics, if a DM doesn’t want to do voices or much dialogue, they really don’t need to. The silly adventure is quick and while it requires a sense of humor from all involved, it doesn’t require much work. Maps for the campaign are available for download as noted by the author.
8Frozen Sick: Ideal For DMs Who Love Critical Role
Free Adventure On D&D Beyond, Level 1
As part of advertising for the bookExplorer’s Guide to Wildemount, there is a free adventure from the campaign available onD&D Beyond. Though an introduction to a larger campaign, it can be played as a standalone session.Players must investigate a strange disease that is turning people into ice statues, leading them across a frozen wilderness full of danger and mystery, not to mention some moral dilemmas about whom to save or how to contain the spread.
DMs who are fans of theDnDlivestream showCritical Role, may already be very familiar with many of the areas of Wildemount, particularly Eiselcross and Aeor. This means they would not require as much research to know the area, and are likely more able to come up with things off the cuff if needed during a game.
7The Contract: A Replayable One Shot Where Dice Rolls Determine The Plot
The Contract: Replayable One-Shot for D&D 5eis a wonderful opportunity for DMs to let player actions and the roll of the dice guide the adventure. This adventure is said tohave more than 1,000 possible story combinationsas the DM rolls for plot points, combat encounters, and more. Meanwhile, players roll at the start of the game to see if they have any secret objectives that make their character a part of the story.
Revolving around the basic objective of a party of adventurers being tasked with keeping the Heir of the town alive, with the threat of violence and chaos if he dies. The entire campaign takes place over one in-game night, with three to five players simply trying to survive with a bit of a murder-mystery dinner type of feeling to it. The adventure is available for purchase onDMs Guild.
6The Fouled Stream: A Short Example Adventure Shows The Flexibility Of DnD
2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, Level 1
Recently, one ofScreen Rant’s experienced DMs ran an impromptu gamewith his friends with no prep from any of them. Using the very small example adventure, The Fouled Stream, which is supplied in Chapter 4 of the2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, he took on the challenge of attempting to run the session using this bare-bones adventure outline to see how it went.
It proves that extemporizing experience isn’t necessary to work something out with a basic hook and a few encounters. - Ben Brosofsky, Screen Rant
The adventure is very basic, with little supplied to the DMin the half of a page that it takes up. Though this is in stark contrast to the other recommendations in this list, which are more focused on supplying everything a DM needs, it shows that even with very little to go on, DMs can still create a fun experience. As stated in theScreen Rantarticle, “it proves that extemporizing experience isn’t necessary to work something out with a basic hook and a few encounters.”
5Secrets Of The Blind Palace: A Fun Mystery With Minimal Prep
Taking place inside a palace full of undead mysteries,Secrets of the Blind Palaceis perfect for getting players to explore and investigate in a dangerous building.Hired by a wealthy family to find the body of their dead son inside a haunted palaceand return him to the land of the living, party members are guided by the sole survivor of the last group who attempted the feat. This bard has been left unable to speak or sing since she escaped, which adds further mystery to the task.
The adventure includes suggested quotes from NPCs, maps that can be printed out for use, and has enough content for two or three games, taking up to around 5 to 8 hours if the party is not entirely focused on a direct path to completion.Secrets of the Blind Palaceis available for a small cost onDMs Guild.
4A Most Potent Brew: An Easy And Quick Adventure With Basic Rules
Available For Purchase On DMs Guild, Level 1
Available for purchase onDMs Guild,A Most Potent Brewuses simple rules fromDnD5E and runs pretty quickly, depending on the party. Given a simple-sounding job of dealing with some giant rats in a cellar, players quickly move on to exploring ruins of an ancient Wizard’s Tower and all that comes with it.
For a DM who doesn’t have a lot of time,this adventure is easy to understand with plenty of descriptions and ways to adjust as needed. It is designed in a way that is good at teachingDnDto new players, with a very classic approach to the game without getting very deep in gameplay mechanics, yet offering plenty of exciting combat and creative puzzles for players to solve.
3The Stygian Gambit: An Ocean’s Eleven Style Casino Heist
Keys From The Golden Vault, Level 2
Sometimes a good old-fashioned heist is the best way to go when a DM doesn’t have a lot of time to prepare,as a heist will put much of the planning and work into the hands of the players as they must figure out how to complete an objective. Included in theofficialKeys from the Golden Vaultbook,The Stygian Gambitruns like anOcean’s Elevenheist experience.
Ranking Every Heist In Dungeons & Dragon’s Keys From The Golden Vault
Keys From The Golden Vaults has 13 excellent adventures to choose from for D&D players and DMs to embark on their heist-themed adventures.
The book includes everything the DM needs to be able to steer the narrative, while players attempt to figure out how to steal the prize from a prestigious tournament at a large casino in the Nine Hells. Several of the NPCs that are described in the book add a lot of interesting characters to the story, and a DM short on time can easily read from these snippets and sit back to watch their players attempt to cause all the mischief.
2A Wild Sheep Chase: Classic Magical Fun
Free Adventure From Winghorn Press, Levels 4-5
A Wild Sheep Chaseis another free option for DMs, available fromWinghorn Press, with much of the adventure depending solely on the dice rolls and choices of party members. It is a strange and silly one shot, with the possibility of multiple endings, which also allows for it to be played several times. Therefore, even if one or two people at the table have played it before, it could be a completely unique experience with each new attempt.
Played at levels four or five, theparty members are interrupted by a frantic sheep who has a scroll of Speak with Animalsand is not going to let them ignore it. The sheep tells players that it is a wizard that was polymorphed by an evil apprentice. The sheep-wizard is now being hunted by assassins and needs the help of party members to save it. This entire adventure can be a comical experience, full of puns and quirky characters.
1Affair On The Concordant Express:
Keys From The Golden Vault, Level 9
Another heist story from the bookKeys from the Golden Vault, thisinterplanar train heist is designed for players to be level 9and is another great one for DMs who haven’t had much time to prepare, as the players are the ones who must solve the problems brought to their attention and the setting is confined primarily to a train. This story brings some of the feeling ofMurder on the Orient ExpresstoDnDas players board a magical train with the task of interrogating an outlaw known as the Stranger, but naturally chaos ensues.
D&D: Tips For Creating A Heist Crew For Keys From The Golden Vault
Pulling off the perfect heist takes skill and a crew that works well together. Here are a few tips to help put together the best D&D heist party.
With murders, mysteries, and even a rival party that is getting in the way, player choices dictate how things will go on board this train. These types of mechanics are ideal for a DM who is short on time, as the pressure of the story is taken off of their shoulders and put on the players themselves to come up with at the moment. Often, the craziness that comes from these types of gaming sessions can become stories that will be told atDungeons and Dragonstables for a long time, and nobody even has to know that the DM wasn’t able to fully prepare.
Sources: DMs Guild (1,2,3,4,5)D&D Beyond,Winghorn Press
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.
