The 10 Best DnD Halloween One Shots for 5e
Looking to scare the crit out of your players? We dig up the best Halloween adventures for Dungeons & and Dragons fifth edition
While DnD 5e is mostly known as a game of heroic high fantasy, it’s also not without its fair share of horror. After all, we’re talking about a game filled with dark dungeons, haunted ruins and supernatural beings. Of course, not everyone wants to play in a long term DnD horror campaign like Curse of Strahd. Sometimes you just want a good one shot that can be wrapped up in a single blood-curdling night. And with Halloween right around the corner, there’s never been a better time to run your own terrifying DnD one shot.
The good news is that there are a ton of spooktacular DnD adventures that are perfect for All Hallow’s Eve and which can be wrapped up in a few hours. So grab your PCs and pumpkins, and get ready for a dose of tricks, treats and traps as we dig into… the 10 best DnD Halloween one shots for 5e.
10. Halloween in Phandalin
This DnD 5e one shot is designed for Level 3 to 5 characters that can be wrapped up in about 4 hours. While it’s technically a tie-in to the popular Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign set in the Forgotten Realms, you can also run it as a standalone adventure set in just about any campaign or fantasy location. The story takes place in the town of Phandalin, with players exploring a set of ancient underground tunnels located beneath the settlement. The party soon finds itself encountering a variety of undead creatures and dark powers drawn forth by an ancient curse. The adventure, however, is more than just a monster mash n’ slash, with plenty of roleplaying, exploration and problem solving – not to mention some surprisingly creepy moments. It also includes six original magic items and player handouts to add to the spine-tingling atmosphere. The end result is a satisfying DnD Halloween one shot that has something for just about everyone.
9. Curse of the Headless Horseman
Designed for fifth level characters, this DnD one shot is a perfect option for Halloween and can be wrapped up in about 3 or 4 hours. The 20 page adventure – which can also be dropped into just about any campaign setting – follows the titular Headless Horseman, a legendary Dark Lord who also appeared in previous editions of Ravenloft. Based loosely on Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow story, the adventure finds the players in the village of Kinderhook, where a Halloween-style festival is taking place. Unfortunately, the townsfolk are also being threatened by the spirit of a dark rider searching for his missing head. It’s up to the players to help stop the threat and uncover the mystery behind the horrifying horseman. It’s a fast-paced blend of roleplaying, combat and exploration, with plenty of scares along the way.
8. The Liching Hour
Created specifically for Halloween, this one shot also takes place in the town of Phandalin in the Forgotten Realms. Designed for Level 3 to 5 characters, the story kicks off on Liar’s Night – a time meant to celebrate all things supernatural. The players soon encounter a goblin necromancer named Fizzbang who is attempting to turn himself into a lich by summoning the dreaded undead wizard Vecna. The party will have until midnight (aka “the Liching Hour”) to either help or hinder Fizzbang in his nefarious efforts to achieve immortality. The adventure can be wrapped up in about 3 to 7 hours and includes 8 unique new magical items, 7 new monsters and NPCs, plus several detailed VTT maps and tokens, offering up a ton of TTRPG tricks and treats.
7. A Night of Masks and Monsters
This one-shot is designed for Level 3 characters and can be wrapped up in about 2-4 hours. As the name suggests, it’s also a perfect for choice for Halloween, offering up a blend of costumes and creatures with a DnD twist. The story takes place in Ibrido, a sprawling city inspired by Renaissance Italy (although you can easily tailor the adventure for about any setting). The players are invited to a lavish masquerade ball and soon find themselves caught up in a strange and unsettling mystery involving sinister monsters and supernatural forces. The adventure includes a campaign guide, printable cards, maps and a lore supplement, making it a solid Halloween one shot for players looking for something a little more cerebral with their scares.
6. Monster Hunts: Halloween
Okay, so technically this isn’t a single DnD one shot adventure. Instead, it’s a collection of ten Halloween-themed monster hunts, each of which can be wrapped up in a single session. The monsters themselves are inspired by a range of pop culture creatures and require minimal prep time to use. They’re also completely setting agnostic, meaning you can drop them into just about any existing DnD 5e campaign or adventure, with everything from urban environments to dungeons and wilderness areas. Each Halloween hunt uses the innovative system developed in the award-winning 100 Monster Hunts book and includes stats, lore, loot and roleplaying hooks. It’s incredibly fun and an amazing way to bring a range of creepy creatures to life as a horrifying Halloween one shot.
5. Treat or Trick: A Halloween Adventure
Designed for Level 2 characters, this one shot can be wrapped up in about 3-4 hours. The story takes place in the small village of Willowton – but could really take place in just about any campaign world. When the players arrive, the village is celebrating an annual festival known as Reaping Days, a Halloween-like event that pays homage to death and rebirth. But when the festivities get out of hand, it’s up to the players to save the town from a dark curse. The challenges, however, are all based on the games played during the festival – each of which is incredibly fun and features a magical twist. The adventure also includes three new Halloween-themed monsters, along with maps, adventure hooks and fully fleshed out NPCs. It’s a solid adventure with a ton of exploration, roleplaying, combat and things that go bump in the night.
4. Rise of the Pumpkin King
What’s Halloween without pumpkins? Fortunately, players will definitely get their fill in this DnD one shot adventure designed for Level 3 to 4 characters. The adventure can be wrapped up in about 3-6 hours and takes place in Goldgrain, a sleepy village whose legendary pumpkin-farmers now find themselves living in fear when their crop is afflicted by a magical curse that turns them into gore-spattered gourds. It’s up to the players to determine the root cause and face down a mysterious force who commands the foul, orange-skinned monsters. It’s worth noting that the adventure was such a Halloween hit that it even spawned a sequel entitled Realm of the Pumpkin King, making this a must-have for fans looking for a pumpkin smashing blast on All Hallow’s Eve.
3. The Haunt
Combining old school DnD dungeon crawling with modern horror sensibilities, this one shot is perfect for Halloween. Designed for players of levels 4-5 characters, it can be completed in about 6-8 hours and takes place in the depths of a long-abandoned town. There, the players encounter a decrepit old manor that contains both untold riches and a dark, bloodthirsty power. The end result is one of the most genuinely creepy one shots of all time, in addition to offering up a pitch-perfect blend of combat, exploration and puzzle solving. If you’re looking to give your players a good scare on All Hallow’s Eve, it doesn’t get much better than this.
2. The Madhouse of Tasha’s Kiss
One of the best DnD horror one shots ever made, this adventure is designed to scale to players of any level and can be completed in a single blood-soaked night. The story follows the exploits of Tasha’s Kiss, a once beautiful and skilled jester who is possessed by a demonic entity. Players soon find themselves transported to “The Madhouse,” a pocket dimension filled with deadly, sanity-warping tricks and traps designed to amuse the merciless demon. It’s an incredibly innovative and genuinely frightening one shot that’s perfect for players looking for something more sinister to celebrate the scariest night of the year.
1. Happy Jack’s Funhouse
Let’s face it: nothing is creepier than clowns. That’s what makes Happy Jack’s Funhouse the perfect DnD Halloween one shot. Scalable for players from levels 3 to 10, the adventure can be wrapped up in about 4 to 8 hours. The story centers around the titular Happy Jack, a Pennywise-style demonic clown who sets up a traveling carnival in the midst of a remote town. It’s up the players to stop Happy Jack from claiming the souls of the townsfolk, while surviving a funhouse filled with traps, monsters and deadly surprises. The award-winning adventure is an amazing blend of exploration, roleplaying and combat, alternating between whacky to downright bone chilling. The end result is one Halloween treat you and your fellow players won’t soon forget.
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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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