Looking for TTRPG or DnD one shots? Our AMAZING community have created a bunch for you to check out! Yes, with the end of Adventure April, it’s time to take a look at what our community has been busy with! Here you’ll find over 30 free TTRPG and DnD one shots to run with your group, or to inspire your own! We’ve separated them into DnD 5th edition, other DnD systems, Pathfinder 2e and 1e, other RPG systems, and even system agnostic one-shots. Yup, there really is something for everyone!
Want to create one-shots like the ones in this list? Head to World Anvil and start creating!
Free DnD one shots for 5e
If you’re looking for 5e one shots, then here’s a bunch of awesome ones to check out!
Dowburne Mystery by Isaac Thompson
Let’s start the DnD one shots list with a murder mystery! It doesn’t have much combat, but it has the statblock you need to run that encounter, plus amazing profiles for all of the involved NPCs —and it has a couple of ideas if your players want to keep playing in Dowburne! Check out Dowburne Mystery!
Hidden Angel by Kefkejaco
The party will be on an escort mission in a science-fantasy settings (it’s got airships!). Of course, something goes wrong and they’ll have to act if they want the Royal family to survive. It has maps, interactive tables, and everything you’d expect from a full published one-shot. Check out Hidden Angel!
Monion’s Item Extravaganza by Jarhed
See that derpy goblin in the screenshot? Yep, that’s part of the character creation! Who says DnD one shots need to be all serious, right? Everyone (up to 8 players!) play a goblin character, which they are encouraged to draw in the worst art style possible. And it even has a little homebrew rule called “Fool’s rules” to make the game more unpredictable and fun! Check out Monion’s Item Extravaganza!
A God Stole Grandma’s Cookbook by Thechangeling
Fancy a heist one shot? In A God Stole Grandma’s Cookbook, the party is made up of relatives of one of the greatest cooks in the country. It includes maps, random tables, puzzles, and homebrew rules to add noise and flashbacks mechanics to spice up your game. Check out A God Stole Grandma’s Cookbook!
Sweet dreams by Dazzlinkat
Ahoy, matey! Ye fancy playin’ an’ blabberin’ on like a pirate? This ‘ere one shot ‘as ye covered! Players will be the crew of the Moonwalker, a pirate ship! This one shot has six pre-generated characters with a pirate flair so it’s ready to go. Arr, check out Sweet Dreams!
Strongholds & Felines by RiverFang
A cat has gone missing! Well, good thing there’s a group of adventurers ready to find it! This amazing one-shot includes optional pre-generated characters (including custom classes), pre-session resources, maps, several encounters, loot tables, and more! Check out Strongholds & Felines!
Prologue: A Pale Night by Heart
If you want your adventures to be extensive and detailed, this one’s for you! It’s designed to be played from level 1 to 3, and it has everything you need to run it, including interactive maps, statblocks, look tables, and it even has side-quests! Check out Prologue: A Pale Night!
The winter goddess’ sweater by MPoel
A devil stole and burned the winter goddess’ sweater —unless you want to start a new ice age, your players will need to find wool from Cirb the magical sheep to knit her a new one! It’s a fun and light-hearted one shot, perfect for some down-time filler! Check out The winter goddess’s sweater!
How Gonklin Got Its Groove Back by Loyalair
Looks like some bandits are stealing the town’s resources… and now the townsfolk is accusing the party! To redeem themselves, they’ll need to take on the bandits… and possibly something else? Check out How Gonklin Got Its Groove Back!
The Haunting of Ravens Hollow by Gillymaya
Mysterious disappearances have been haunting Ravens Hollow… good thing the party’s here to get to the bottom of this mystery! This is an amazingly-formatted page that will make running this adventure a breeze. It includes a very clear structure, with a virtual dice roller, interactive rollable tables, and NPC references. Check out The Haunting of Ravens Hollow!
Mystery of Thorngage Manor by Samsaratg
This is a balanced adventure, containing mystery, combat, horror, and role-play within a haunted manor. It has clear maps and scenes, rollable tables, and a very handy little guide to make sure you’re keeping giving your players enough agency! Check out Mystery of Thorngage Manor! (Note: This one-shot is now available to Patreon supporters only. Support George Sanders on Patreon if you want to access it!)
wLoss of Faith by Worldkeymaster (DnD5e/WFRP4e)
A war has started, and people fear for their safety in the capital. The players will find themselves in an assassination plot in this action-heavy high fantasy adventure! There are also optional pre-generated characters if your players are in a rush. Check out Loss of Faith!
The Night’s Sun Festival by Ellysium
Blackthorn Dale is celebrating! This fun one shot comes with three different festival activities and a combat encounter —because a festival is not a festival without monsters ruining the fun! It includes NPC profiles and the required statblocks. Check out The Night’s Sun Festival!
Wyvern Racing by pi_paints
Ever wanted to race on a wyvern? Me too! And thanks to this fun one shot, you can! It’s got custom wyvern racing mechanics, a combat encounter, magic item, and even the score of a song that a bard sings! Check out Wyvern Racing!
Drummstone Cave by Snake__Venom
There can’t be a list of DnD one shots without a classic dungeon crawl! The party has accepted a task to go to a cave and find a valuable artifact. There are monsters, magic items, and an abstract map to help you understand the cave’s layout! Check out Drummstone Cave!
DnD one shots for DnD 3.5e and other editions
If you want to go oldschool and 5th edition DnD isn’t your bag, check out these other DnD one shots! Our community has made one-shots for DnD 3.5e and more!
Theater of the Soul by C0gito (DnD 3.5e)
A bard is stealing the souls from a small village to regain his youth! The party will try to stop him, but they’ll need to escape their eventual imprisonment! This one shot is designed for 3.5e, but with small tweaks it can easily be adapted to 5e too! Check out Theater of the Soul!
Pathfinder one shots (1st and 2nd edition)
Pathfinder is a system and setting close to our hearts, and we just love that extra grit! These incredible one-shots will help you win over any party to the Pathfinder system. Check them out!
A golden beginning by MGatta (Pathfinder 1e one shot)
In this Pathfinder one shot, players are tasked with finding a missing teenager. It has all the tools you need to run the adventure, including read-aloud text, secrets that can be uncovered, and even character art references! Check out A Golden Beginning!
Meg-sery cannot be dead! by AzounIV
This one’s a rescue quest with a focus on investigation and interpersonal skills! It includes a solid guide for all scenes, including descriptions and detailed NPCs (with reference art!). And its estimated duration is just 3 hours at most —great for a light gaming evening! Check out Meg-sery cannot be dead!
Welcome to the Feywood by DinosaurBob (Pathfinder 2e one shot)
An amazing exploration-focused one shot to introduce the setting of Cartyrion! It includes pre-generated characters, a quick rules reference, and all the details you need to run a session, including maps and several fleshed-out scenes and interactions. Check out Welcome to the Feywood!
Airts and Anchors by SableAradia (Pathfinder 1e)
Looking for science-fiction? Airts and Anchors is a one shot with a ton of detail that takes the players on a journey to get a shipment of Star Mushroom spores. It includes optional pre-generated characters, tips for character creation, a clear structure with detailed mechanics, and more! Check out Airts and Anchors!
Rough start in Waldren by Draggin (Pathfinder 2e)
The party is working at a festival, taking care of different things like the kitchens or the bar —and they aren’t wearing any weapons, because, of course, what could possibly go wrong? This one shot includes statblocks for all the enemies and clear scene descriptions. Check out Rough Start in Waldren!
Free TTRPG one shots for other systems
We had many DnD one shots, but we saw other systems in the list too! Pathfinder one shots were the most popular one, but other systems like Shadowrun and Savage Worlds were also present.
Inn Too Deep by BCGR_Wurth (BCGR)
Someone has lost an important item —it’s up to the party to find it! This one shot include two different climax scenarios, to be picked depending on the players’ choices, plus a bunch of useful GM tools, such as an interactive map and statblocks for the relevant NPCs. Check out Inn too deep!
Hiding in Plain Sight by Flyteach (Starfinder one shot)
This sci fi one shot is designed as an introduction to the Starfinder system, but it also has a pre-generated starship and Starfinder character sheets! It’s a short one shot with a branching storyline and multiple combat encounters. Check out Hiding in Plain Sight!
Two bricks short of a full load by Michael Chandra (Shadowrun one shot)
This one’s for you cyberpunk fans! Someone important has been pranked, and the party has to discover what’s going exactly. It’s not a combat-heavy one host, but it’s not combat-free either —and of course, there’s alls the statblocks and mechanical details you need! Check out Two bricks short of a full load!
Ailing Achaicus’ Antidote by Wordigirl (EmunaRealm 1.0)
Oh no, an old man is ill and needs medicine! But it’s really hard to get, so the players will have to go on a quest to get all the ingredients for him. This is a detailed one shot with tons of visual references using a homebrew RPG system! Check out Ailing Achaicus’ Antidote!
Valkyrie by ErikBloodAxe (Savage Worlds one shot)
The party is in a spaceship, when suddenly it breaks down and a pirate vessel appears! This adventure has a clear-cut structure and challenging situations, along with 12 pre-generated characters to choose from. Perfect to teach the system to your players! Check out Valkyrie!
Free system-agnostic one shots
Playing a system not on this list? There were eight submissions designed to be played with any system —or with no system at all!
Testworld by Tillerz
This is an amazing one short where players all play as gnomes that wield weird items with hilarious random mechanics (they can explode on you!). This is not only system-agnostic, it also requires no character sheet at all, just a couple of dice, a pen, and a piece of paper! Check out Testworld!
Knot for the Faint of Heart by TJ
This short adventure will give you about four hours of fun with no combat, meaning that it can be used with characters of any level of experience. Note that this one shot is fun but also ridiculously lewd and only for adults —read at your own risk! Check out Knot for the faint of heart!
A backstage pass by Naelin
This is another adult system-agnostic one shot, this time focused on a performance by a famous band of musicians! It’s intended for a small party (or even a single player) and it includes safety tools to make sure everyone at the table feels comfortable. Check out A backstage pass!
Éldorine’s wedding by AmélieIS
This is a smaller one, both in duration and party size, but that doesn’t mean anything for its quality! It’s social-based one shot with no combat, and it has a bunch of helpful elements such as a very handy player’s handout (don’t risk spoilers!), art references, music and sound effects, and even a French translation! Check out Éldorine’s wedding!
Rotten Shebizi by Dejers
This is the perfect one shot for GMs who like improvisation! It’s an intrigue adventure that lays down the foundations for different options the players can take, creating a branching and engaging storyline. But be ready to come up with your own descriptions and extra NPCs and encounters! Check out Rotten Shebizi!
Burial Hill – Bring Out Your {un}Dead by LyraineAlei
There’s a riddle, there’s combat, and there are zombies! It’s a perfect one shot to insert into any campaign while the players are traveling, and thanks to the final choice the players must make, it can have long-lasting effects on the campaign if you want to! Check out Burial Hill – Bring Out Your {un}Dead!
The Solstice Assassination by Caffeiney
Got some bloodthirsty players? Well, that’s good, because in this one shot they’ll need to assassinate a politician! You can integrate this into any campaign, or play it as a stand-alone adventure using a custom system made specifically for this adventure. Check out Solstice Assassination!
Which was your favorite Adventure April entry? And if you took part in Adventure April, did you enjoy it? Let us know in the comments!
To create your own one shot, either to share to the world or just run at your table, create your free World Anvil account today!
Follow World Anvil Blog on WordPress.com
Want more posts like this? Subscribe to the World Anvil blog!
Fantastic list! Looking forward to experimenting with a few of these!
I renamed my Shadowrun world, so the link for the one-shot now is https://www.worldanvil.com/w/shadowland/a/two-bricks-short-of-a-full-load-plot
Whups, correction: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/shadowland/a/two-bricks-short-of-a-full-load