I like to game. More specifically, I like role-playing games such as Pathfinder, Dungeons & Dragons, Shadowrun, Savage Worlds, and others. I look forward to Wednesdays when the Mid-Week Geeks get together to roll some dice. With all that said, I HATE it when a game gets canceled.
That’s what happened this week. The GM canceled, and we were faced with having to wait another week to game. So, I panicked, and posted that I would volunteer to run a one-shot.
And then fail happened.
[I’ve run several successful campaigns over the course of two decades, so this one-shot shouldn’t have been a problem.]
I had only a couple of days to get ready for the game, so I tried to squeeze as much as I could. I had been mulling over a new fantasy setting in my head for awhile, one that was influenced heavily by religion, so I figured that this was a perfect time to test it out. Unfortunately, it was the beginning of a long list of mistakes…
I wrote out a setting page (two pages, actually). It explained the religion and how society was wrapped around it. Character concepts were heavily influenced by this as well.
Mistake #1: I spent way too much time developing the setting for a one-shot. I should have used an established or generic setting. Time was wasted, and the snowball effect began.
The Mid-Week Geeks have a Facebook page, and we use it a lot. It’s very helpful in communication between us and I can’t see us ever abandoning it. This is where I announced that I would run the one-shot, and that I would have pre-gens ready. I didn’t really use it again after that.
Mistake #2: This was the perfect opportunity to post all of the information on the setting. However, I did not do that. I did not post a primer what-so-ever, and I should have. Basically, I forgot, and then later I figured it would take only a minute to explain at the gaming table. In actuality, I spent several minutes at the table explaining the setting, several minutes well-wasted.
I told everyone that we would be using Savage Worlds -“Fast, Furious, Fun!” (something we haven’t played in a while), and that I would have pre-gens ready for them to use. When making the characters, I was tweaking a few of the powers so that they would better fit the new setting.
Mistake #3: Tweaking anything. I spent wayyy too much time making characters. Making new powers (and then printing those new powers on power cards) just took forever. In the end, I was able to complete only three out of six characters. When everyone showed up, I had those players with the most experience make up their own characters.
In order to really get the feel of the setting that I had created, I had the characters play at a high level. It was an epic story with epic characters pitted against epic foes (Pit Fiend, anyone?).
Mistake #4: With the characters at high levels, it took longer to get them made. On top of that, these player characters were brand new to the players, so there was some slow-playing as people were trying to figure out which powers to use, and then trying to figure out how to use them.
Since we were down a player, that brought our group count to one GM and five PCs. At the last minute, one of the players asked if he could bring along a friend. I said, “Great! The more the merrier!”
Mistake #5: This was a one-shot. We didn’t have a lot of time to play, and the spotlight already has trouble getting spread around the table. Add to the fact that this new player was a new player to roleplaying, and it slowed things down even more. Oh, and he needed a character made for him.
For this one-shot, I elected to use Savage Worlds. I like Savage Worlds – it’s lite, fits everything, and is easy to play.
Final Mistake: I used Savage Worlds. Savage Worlds is great, but I’ve never really had any success as a GM with it. I don’t understand why. I’ve run several adventures and campains using other systems, so what’s my problem with Savage? I don’t know, but (luckily) someone who is very familiar and comfortable with it acted as referee for the night.
In the end, I think everyone had a great time. We managed to stop demons and devils from forming a pact, blocked their doorway to the underworld, and helped a player character fulfill his destiny. I just wish that we had more time to do it. After wasting time on all of the failed prep work, and then throwing a birthday party for one of the players, we ended up with three hours of game time, three very short hours.
While our gaming night was a blast, I felt that my running of the game was a disaster. Everyone had fun, but I was completely flabbergasted inside.
I think I’ve learned my lesson. I think that running a one-shot takes up more prep time than for your regular game. And I think that the next time I run a one-shot, I will approach it much more wisely. +1 Wisdom!