4 Takeaways from Dimension 20 LIVE to Use in Your One Shots
A Surprising Lesson in the Art of One Shots
It was a delightful twist of fate that Dimension 20’s recent UK and Ireland tour lined up with a trip to Dublin that Brian and I already had planned. And so, I logged on at 4 am EST to buy tickets to see Brennan and the Intrepid Heroes (for a show that sold out in under 10 minutes), knowing it would be a special addition to what was already set to be a wonderful trip. But now, having seen the crew in action, performing live as a mish-mosh of all the best D20 characters from across all seasons, I realize that there are many aspects of their live shows that can double as a masterclass in the art of one shots.
Don’t Overcomplicate Your Characters
For their UK and Ireland tour, the D20 crew used Bingo cages and balls to randomly compile a cast of characters from across all the Intrepid Heroes seasons. And while Ricky Matsui and Princess Rosamund du Prix need no introduction for fans of the show, Brennan, as DM, did take the time to give each character a small introductory scene—emphasis on the word small. The goal was the explain how each character came to be here, as part of this group, and to assign one or two qualities to the character, and that’s it. In a one shot you don’t have time to do a deep dive into every player’s psyche. Ricky was boiled down a law-abiding New Yorker simply wanting to get back to his family and Rosamund bounced back and forth between wanting to find her prince and being a-OK being single. Each character was far deeper and more complex than that in their respective seasons, but for a one shot it’s best to keep things simple.
Half Role Play, Half Combat
Time is of the essence in a one shot, whether you have only an hour or an entire afternoon. Dividing your time in half allows everyone an opportunity to use cool class features for both role playing and combat, while still maintaining some sense of order and better allowing you, as a GM, to keep on track. Dimension 20 started their live show with social interactions that helped build a dynamic between the characters and set up the task at hand. Then, after a brief intermission, it was time to get down to business with an escalation of battles all leading up to the main challenge. Rather than bouncing between RP and combat, testing the waters of each and allowing people to play it safe, split your one shot cleanly in two (with maybe a little extra RP on the end to wrap things up) to really focus in on the things you and your players want to achieve.
Be Decisive
Brian and I discuss this all the time, but one of the best moves you can make as a GM is to decisively declare the beginnings and ends of scenes, especially if you’re strapped for time with a one shot. It may feel like you’re depriving your players of the opportunity to do something they really want, but I assure you, if they feel slighted, they will let you know, and you can always back up and reset. But realistically, declaring “OK, great! You all move through the castle and find yourselves in the kitchens where you find the witch’s potions brewing” will ultimately allow your players to spend more time diving into the mystery you’ve built. This is something Brennan is especially good at and a tool he used often in the live show in order to move the plot along—all without denying his players chances to do the silly bits they love so much.
Use an Intermission
OK, so you and your home crew likely won’t call it an intermission, but taking a 5, 10 or even 20 minute break in the middle of play allows the GM time to assess and pivot in much the same way they might between sessions of a larger campaign. I’ll admit I am making an assumption here, but after spending the first half of the live show role playing, building character relationships, and explaining the problem the characters had to solve, I suspect Brennan took time during the intermission to examine how the first half had played out and what it meant for his combat plans in the second half. Build an intermission or break into your one shot, both to give yourself time for snacks or to rest and to look at the bigger picture of what you had planned for this session. Maybe you’ll realize you want to make some things harder or easier, or maybe you’ll realize it would be way funnier to make the generic BBE one of the character’s twin brother. Give yourself the gift of time in what is already a shortened one shot.
— Abby
It’s Good Now
Reflecting on 4-Months of Full Time Game Designing
About a month after quitting my day job, I was chatting with J Strautman about the year ahead.
“In like 6 months, it’s gonna be so good.” I said, looking out over all the yet-incomplete milestones of being my own boss, planning for the moments where I would feel like I had “figured it out.”
What they said back was one of those simple life-changing sentences that I think about every day.
“What if it’s good now?”
I didn’t quit my job to have made games. I quit my job to make games. It’s a common refrain of artists but you have to love the process as much or more than you love the product. The hours of creating will always outweigh the hours of reveling in what you created.
Want to know more about Elliot’s game design journey? Let us know what questions you have with a comment below.
I am not the best practitioner of this perspective. I’ve just come off of one of those weeks where none of the work feels worth it, where I hate assigning myself the daily tasks that add up to the life I’m fighting to create. The point of J’s question is not to say that every day will be good. It’s a practice to even ask yourself the question and to hold onto the days and weeks where you can confidently say “it is good now”.
When I was still in my day job and dreaming of my future life as a game designer, one of the things I imagined was those moments where fulfilling orders would be the task of the day—checking books, packing a box with bubble wrap and crumpled paper, sealing it up, using my little 4x6 label printer, and taking a walk to the post office.
I recently had one of those days. I found myself emotional as I dropped a box of 20 copies of Project ECCO off at the post office. On the walk home, I thought to myself:
“It’s good now.”
And in 6 months? It’s gonna be so good.
— Elliot
🗞️ News Worthy
The All Night Society and Godkiller: Oblivion take home awards for actual play at the LA Webfest for Best Actual Play and Best Ensemble Cast, respectively.
Soul Muppet announces Paint The Town Red a game about sad, gay vampires that’s a collaboration between Zach Cox (Orbital Blues) and Johan Nohr (Mork Borg).
The Mothership 1E Core Set is now available in a physical edition.
🎲 What We’re Bringing to The Table
🎥 Watch: The Panic Table: Unaccompanied Miners for an excellent Mothership actual play
📚 Read: Lin Codega’s “Playing Games Amidst the Revolution”
🎧 Listen: Malevolent is a listener-influenced, Lovecraftian audio drama
🎙️ New From The Studio
My First Dungeon presents: The Wildsea: Episode 1 - Of Whispers and Song