10 Best Dungeons and Dragons One-Shots for People New to D&D

When people are new to Dungeons & DragonsOne of the best places to start is playing a one-shot adventure rather than diving straight into a more extended campaign. The best DND One-shots can give new players a taste of the game without any long-term commitment. It can also be a fun way to try out new classes or styles of play in an established group that is still relatively new DND.

One-shot adventures are designed to be completed in just one sessionWhich players can usually do in a few hours. Some new DND Players do not know what they need to play or may not be able to commit to a long campaign; However, they still want to try playing DND. One-shots are an excellent way for DMs to teach new players how to run their characters. As the adventures are self-contained, they’re easy to get up and running in a short amount of time, which makes them great for people new to 5e.

June and the Hunt for the Lost Horn is a retro throwback

Released for free as part of DNDs 50th anniversary celebration in 2024, June and the dog for the lost horn Makes a game for nostalgia in bringing back characters from the 80s animated DND Series. This does not mean that it should be dismissed by newcomers, however, as knowledge of the source material is not required to enjoy it. The lighthearted fantasy elements may actually be perfect for an introductory adventure, focusing on a classic style of straightforward fun.

June and the dog for the lost horn Uses level four characters, which should provide plenty of exciting abilities without being terribly overwhelming for newcomers (lower might still be better, though). A story about freeing a unicorn and defeating a mage only takes a few hours to complete, and a ticking clock element for the final stretch should prevent it from rolling over into a second session.

Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye provides a tough dungeon

Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye is designed as a prequel adventure to the full-length campaign Vecna: Eve of RuinBut it might actually work better as an introductory module for 5e. While dealing with level three letters makes Nest of the Eldritch Eye Difficult to connect with the starting point of level 10 eve of destructionThe low level is perfect for new players. It’s also designed to be completed in one sitting, and it offers a taste of a truly great bad at the time.

making Nest of the Eldritch Eye In a great one-shot it might require a bit of modification, as it’s essentially just a good dungeon experience rather than a fully-featured story. therefore, It is a choice best reserved for an experienced DM who is confident in how they are introducing new players to the gameBut it’s worth a look in context.

Found in the anthology book Candlekeep Mysteries“The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces” is a great starter for level one characters. Throwing the party into an extradimensional mansion, the module tasks them with finding a set of puzzle books that reveal a necessary command word.

“The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces” has a solid mix of action, puzzle solving and interesting rooms to exploreAnd the mansion setting is a fun way to do a first dungeon without too much intensity. It’s on the long side for a potential one-shot, likely running four to six hours, but it can be cut down fairly easily or spaced out over two sessions without losing the fun factor.

Dead House is a horror-themed DND one-shot

Dead house is an adventure for level-one players found in the appendix of Curse of Strahd. This mini-adventure can be run as a one-shot or an introduction to the full one DND Campaign of Curse of Strahd. The player’s character will progress to level three during this mini-adventure using milestone leveling, which means achieving specific goals rather than killing enemies.

Dead house is one of the best DND One-shot for new players, as it offers few distractions beyond the goals given to them. As the creeping fog of Barovia surrounds the house, players cannot leave and must stay on task, which can sometimes be a problem for one-shots trying to pack in too much. The death house itself essentially funnels the players to their final encounters without ever making the player feel train.

however, Dead house Can also be a steep learning curve for newbies DND PlayersSo it is better to have an experienced DM to avoid a TPK. There are many points where the low-level DND Party faces multiple enemies, and it is very easy for them to be overwhelmed. DMs shouldn’t be afraid to tweak encounters, simplify the house’s many rooms and levels, or even start the adventure at level two.

Frozen Sick is a crucial role in one-shot for new players

Frozen sick is a free adventure available on D&D Beyond and Roll20 as part of an adventure preview Explorer’s Guide to Wildmount. Set in the critical role world of Exandria, Frozen sick will take players from levels one to three as they investigate an unknown threat to the inhabitants of Palebank Village. There is room for players to be creative with roleplaying solutions alongside combat encounters throughout the adventure.

Frozen sick Can be streamlined further for a one-shot, run as a mini-adventure or as an introduction to a larger campaign. Although set in Wildmount, Frozen sick Could easily be converted into a Forgotten Realms DND Adventure and, with its icy setting, connect nicely with Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. Frozen sick is one of the best DND One rating for new players because it offers players a well-written, compelling mystery, along with some interesting dungeon elements.

The Gribbits Detective Agency One-Shot: DND Detectives

The Gribitz Detective Agency is a free one-shot adventure for level one players, set in a tight three-hour time frame. Players are tasked with investigating the disappearance of Janos Meer, a powerful underworld figureWhile also going against a rival adventuring party hired to find Meer, the dragon friends. DMs can decide if they want to keep the dragon friends as “off-screen” motivators to keep the players on task or have them occasionally greet the party during the mission.

The Gribitz Detective Agency Offers a fun mystery with a good mix of DND Roleplay and teamwork opportunities as well as combat. DMS can run the event in real-time; However, it may be better to “press pause” on the clock during combat encounters. The Gribitz Detective Agency is set in three acts, making it easy to manage for both DMs who want to keep track of the current and new DND Players in need of some structure.

The Delian Tomb helps DMs learn the ropes

Get the hang of DND Being a player can be challenging, but understanding the game as a first time DM is even more profound. DMs have a lot to juggle, and the responsibility to ensure that everyone else understands what’s going to happen falls heavily on them as well. For a new DM, it’s best to choose a one-shot that is a little instructive on both sides of the exchange, and The Delian Tomb is the perfect fit.

Created by popular DM Matt Colville and covered in the first episode of his Running the game Youtube series, The Delian Tomb is a finished dungeon that comes with extra context behind it. The following in the video helps reveal the thought process behind adventure planning, and the whole thing follows a simple structure to eliminate the need for any serious prep.

Icewind Mail has ideal D&D encounters for new players

The & the next Post messages often and, as part of the messages, offer an encounter of the week, although no new encounters have been added since Halloween 2021. Back in 2020, the site was a series of encounters named Icewind MailWhich was to act as an introductory mini adventure for Icewind Dale. Icewind Mail is designed for both new and experienced DND players, and the nine-part encounter series is a great introduction to the game.

Icewind Mail is primarily character-driven, with plenty of room to customize the pre-built DND NPCs and player roleplays. This might be one of the best DND One-shot for new players because it allows them to learn how to play their class in a controlled way that makes them feel like they’re driving the story. Icewind Mail Can be slimmed down as needed to be played as a one-shot by limiting the number of deliveries players have to make and using “quick travel” rather than playing every travel day.

A wild sheep chase is not half for new players

The Wild Sheep ChaseAvailable as a free PDF from Winghorn Pressis funny and funny DND One shot that can be played multiple times, with each one being a completely unique adventure. There are a few different endings to the adventure depending on the party’s dice rolls, choices made and their campaign DND Character alignment, some of which are hysterical.

Although described as an adventure for fourth- or fifth-level characters, The Wild Sheep Chase Works wonderfully as a one-shot for newbies DND Players. The premise is simple, and using a few higher-level characters can give newer players a taste of what it might feel like to level up characters. Through a full campaign.

The Wild Sheep Chase is a hilarious one-shot for newbies DND Players that really show how much fun and versatile the game can be. This adventure is short and sweet but full of opportunities for players to find creative ways to solve problems. The Wild Sheep Chase Can easily run in a single night for a quick taste of that DND Can be.

Defiance in Flan has great bite-sized adventures

Adventurers League is DNDs official solution for organized play, but there’s a lot of Adventurer’s League content that’s great to use even outside of that context. One standout for new players is Defiance in planA level one adventure in five short parts that can be parceled out as necessary.

The first bit of Defiance in plan“The Meeting in the Deepnight,” has all the perfect basics for a start. Characters encounter a mysterious hooded figure in the common room of the inn, receive a mission to pose as merchants and place a magical tracking device on a target. With good opportunities to establish characters, role-play and get into action, all in an hour or less, “The Encounter in the Deepnight” could hardly be a more effective introduction to Dungeons & Dragons.

Sources: Dungeons & Dragons/ YouTube, Matt Colville/YouTube, Winghorn Press