What's the best one-shot game you've DMed/played?

[W3bDragon]

Hi folks, I'm interested in hearing about people's experiences with one-shot games. I myself have played and DMed several, and though some of them remain memorable, almost none of them actually finished in one day and were thus left unfinished.

Mainly I'm looking for a DM perspective, though a player's input on what he/she enjoyed in a one shot is also be very welcome.

What was the one-shot game you enjoyed the most? What made it memorable? How was the short time available handled so it wasn't a hindrance? What level was the game played at? Was it a pre-made game or the DM's creation? Did it finish in one day? Did it matter if it didn't?

[TypoNinja]

Played a game once that wasn't planned at all, while everybody sitting around the table kicking character ideas around we eventually settled on, wait for it, 4 pallies.

Yes, the Brothers of Torm. Four identical quadruplets, hilariously sterotyped. Blonde Hair, blue eyes, six foot. Jaw lines right out of a cartoon.

Our signature move was linking arms and doing a high kick like a chorus line to kick in a door.

We all took biblical themed names, each a different weapon, we opened a weapon shop in a town we saved (The Armory of Torm), everybody had a different smithing skill.

It was the most laughs we've ever had, it was hilarious, and hilariously bad.

[only1doug]

a one shot WFRP game that I ran, Horror scenario: explore the spooky mansion. plenty of traps, occasional cultist encounters, rare undead encounter culminating in a frankenstein the necromancer encounter.

Man chanting within pentagram, PC's cannot get though the mystical barriers to reach him, until they decide to attack the ornate candlesticks at the cardinal points of the pentagram.

The cut through the candlesticks and reach the chanting man, cutting him down while with his dying breath he utters one last word...

The Pc's victory celebrations are interupted by a moan, which came from the large shrouded lump upon the table (also within the pentagram) when the PCs look a huge man shaped figure sits up from within the shroud... and then starts attacking the party.

Will it never die? Well, eventually yes, but the party had to hack it to pieces and even then the pieces still kept attacking them (with less and less weapon skill and damage) until the witch hunter set fire to the building (with the rest of the party still inside) and there was a mad dash to find a safe escape route.



What made it memorable?
the monster that just wouldn't die (actually i raised its hitpoint total about three times over as I thought it would of been too soon for it to die (from my original stats it would of died within the first round)) and the escape from the flames.

How was the short time available handled so it wasn't a hindrance?
The final encounter had two potential locations, based on what RL time the party arrived at them, as they were making quick progress I had the encounter occur in the 2nd location, if they had been slower it would of happened at whichever place they first reached.

What level was the game played at?
Warhammer Fantasy roleplay- 2nd career completed characters.

Was it a pre-made game or the DM's creation?
My own creation, using a mansion house map set I had found in a shop.

Did it finish in one day?
Yes

Did it matter if it didn't?
Yes, this wasn't a regular group but instead had players we don't often play with, this combined with limited time made it a now or never deal.

[Gerrtt]

The best one-shot I ever did was actually one I did recently. I had 4 new players who were trying to see what the game was all about. We ran through the worldwide D&D gameday module from a few years ago because I had it handy.

We had plenty of fun and we're currently gearing up for a regular campaign. That's why it was successful in my eyes.