10 Amazing DMsGuild One Shots for D&D 5e
There are a ton of DMsGuild one shots available for fifth edition. But which ones are actually worth playing? We break out some of our favorites.
While playing in a longterm D&D campaign is an amazing experience, sometimes nothing beats a down and dirty one shot adventure that can be wrapped up in a single session. In the past, we’ve looked at some of the very best D&D 5e one shots that can be enjoyed in a just few hours. One recurring theme we noticed is that a good number of our favorite one shots were available exclusively on DMsGuild, the popular D&D content platform.
The issue with DMsGuild, however, is the sheer number of one shot adventures that are available, with new options coming out all the time, all of which can vary in quality and content. With that in mind, we thought we’d put together our list of the the 10 amazing DMsGuild one shots for D&D 5e. So grab your dice bag and let’s roll into ’em!
1. The Lost City of Oren Bran
Developed by the team at Eren Chronicles, this modular one shot is designed for 3-5 characters of Levels 4-8 and can be wrapped up in about 6-8 hours. The adventure combines classic dungeon crawling with cosmic horror and takes place in an abandoned dwarven city infested with an otherworldy Lovecraftian evil. Featuring puzzle solving, exploration and combat, the adventure also includes several new monsters, magic items and optional encounters. The artwork, maps, writing and storytelling are all absolutely top notch, making this easily one of the best one shots on DMsGuild.
2. Hunted!
Created by long-time RPG game designer Tony Petrecca, Hunted! is a one shot adventure for 4-6 players of Levels 5-7 that can be wrapped up in about 6-10 hours. The adventure takes place in the remote frontier village of Northwood’s Rest in the Forgotten Realms, where players are tasked with tracking down a mysterious beast that’s been killing the local livestock. The party soon finds itself caught up a larger and more deadly mystery, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. The adventure is a solid combination of exploration, investigation, role-playing and combat – offering a little bit of something for everyone. It also features solid art, several new monsters and magic items, and some impressive maps designed by Elven Tower Cartography. The result is a smart, plot-driven one shot that every DM should run at least once.
3. The Secrets of Skyhorn Lighthouse
Created by popular RPG designer Kelsey Dionne of The Arcane Library, this one shot adventure is designed for Level 5 characters and can be completed in about 5-7 hours. The story centers around a remote lighthouse where strange happenings are afoot, with the players facing down sketchy NPCs, deadly pirates, man-eating sharks and slippery eelman (a new species of monster created just for the adventure). That being said, what really makes The Secrets of Skyhorn Lighthouse so amazing (not to mention one of the most downloaded DMsGuild one shots of all time) is just how flexible it is, with complex yet easy-to-run encounters that can be tailored to just about any playstyle. Throw in some amazing printable handouts and maps (with the ability to integrate with Roll20, Fantasy Grounds and other VTTs) and you’ve got one of the best one shots ever created.
4. The Haunt
Developed by popular indie D&D designer Phil Beckwith, The Haunt combines a satisfying dose of D&D one shot horror with a classic dungeon crawl experience. Written for Level 4-5 characters, the adventure can be wrapped up in about 6-8 hours and works well in just about DnD 5e campaign. The story takes place in an ancient town that was long destroyed by orcs, with the only surviving building, known as Montarthas Manor, rumored to contain vast treasures and an unspeakable evil. It’s a surprisingly creepy adventure with plenty of combat, exploration and puzzle solving. Notably, Beckwith has also released two sequels to The Haunt which are also worth picking up if you’re looking for more hack n’ slash horror goodness.
5. A Most Potent Brew
Developed by the team at Winghorn Press, this is a perfect one shot for new D&D players, with the adventure is designed for 1st level characters and easily wrapped up in just a few hours. Players are tasked with exterminating a nest of giant rats which have taken up residence in the beer cellar beneath the world famous Wizard’s Tower Brewery. The party must then end up exploring the strange underground passages underneath the brewery, encountering new monsters and magic items along the way. A solid introductory blend of puzzles, exploration and combat, A Most Potent Brew also happens to be a pay-what-you-want offering, making it one of the most downloaded DMsGuild one shots of all time.
6. To the End of Time
Another one shot created by the designers at Winghorn Press, this particular adventure offers players a taste of epic, high-level action and can be wrapped up in about 5-6 hours. Players can choose from a series of pre-generated Level 20 characters or create their own epic hero. The adventure begins after the players are summoned by a powerful angel at the very moment of their deaths and tasked with saving the world one last time, battling godlike monsters and tapping into earth-shattering powers that most players rarely get to use. It’s an incredibly fun experience that’s completely unlike your typical one shot adventure.
7. The House of the Midnight Violet
Written by prolific indie game designer Jeff Stevens, this standalone adventure offers a hefty dose of horror-themed dungeon crawling that’s designed for 4-5 characters of Level 4-6 and can be wrapped up in about 3 hours (making it a perfect option for a Halloween one shot). The adventure kicks off after the party is hired by a local innkeeper-turned-alchemist to recover a mysterious flower from the depths of an abandoned old mansion. As the players explore the ruins, they learn about the family who once lived there and the cause of their demise, encountering new creatures, puzzles and magic items. Smarty plotted and beautifully designed, The House of the Midnight Violet is a short but incredibly satisfying one shot.
8. The Lich-Queen’s Begotten
Created by game designer M.T Black, this one shot shot is designed for Level 11-16 characters and can be wrapped up in about 4-6 hours of play. The story takes place in the Astral Plane itself, where the players must square off against the infamous Lich-Queen of the Githyanki, an evil entity seeking to expand her power base and threaten to unravel the fabric of the Planes of Existence itself. The adventure borrows heavily from monsters and mechanics featured in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes and has also been designed so that it’s completely legal to play as part of Wizards of the Coast’s ongoing Adventurer’s League, making it an epic one shot with plenty of playability.
9. Madness of the Rat King
Developed by Maniac Brews, this quirky adventure is designed for low-level characters and has been a popular one shot on DMsGuild for years. The adventure takes place in the depths of mad alchemist’s lab and features mutant rats, strange loot and a range of impressive maps created by Ross McConnell of 2minutetabletop.com. DMs looking for a quick game will find plenty to love here with minimal set up required. The adventure also features a number of new monsters and magic items, making it a solid outing if you’re looking for a fun one shot that’s a little weirder than your standard hack n’ slash D&D fare.
10. Banquet of the Damned
Created by RPG designer Benoit de Bernardy, Banquet of the Damned is a satisfying one shot for 4th level characters that offers a delicious mix of mystery, horror and action that can be devoured in about 4-6 hours. The story takes place in the Forgotten Realms during the village of Womford’s annual pie contest, where the players are tasked with uncovering a hungry evil lurking in the shadows. Featuring solid artwork, new monsters and digital maps for both in-person and VTT play, and you’ve got a recipe for a perfectly prepared D&D one shot.
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Ollie Delano is a Staff Writer who lives in Chicago, Illinois where he majored in Journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He’s been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 10 years and currently plays in a weekly game group where he rolls way too many natural 1s and chugs way too much Mountain Dew. His favorite D&D campaign setting is Eberron and his favorite character to play was a Tiefling rogue named Draxiss who enjoys both literal and figurative backstabbing.
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