This video reviews "Quarter Shots," a collection of short D&D adventures published by Deck and Dice Games. The creator argues that existing D&D adventures are often overly verbose and require significant DM prep, while Quarter Shots offers practical, useful adventures for DMs of all skill levels. The video demonstrates how to apply Quarter Shots' design concepts to one's own game preparation.
This template integrates the formatting choices and adventure-creation formula from Quarter Shots, along with advice from the video, to create dynamic and efficient D&D sessions.
I. Scenario Design: The Shrinking Technique
Concept: Begin with a simple, self-contained scenario ("shrinking"). This could be a single encounter, a short quest, or a self-contained problem. Examples: rescuing a cat from a tree, investigating a strange noise in the night, escorting a wagon through dangerous territory. The key is to keep it concise and focused.
Setting: Briefly describe the location. Keep it evocative, but avoid excessive detail. Example: "A dimly lit alleyway, reeking of refuse and desperation. Rain slicks the cobblestones."
Setup (Certainties): Describe the core situation. What is undeniably true when the scenario begins? This section should be clear and concise, eliminating ambiguity. Example: "The players are hired to escort a wagon carrying a mysterious cargo to the nearby village of Oakhaven." Use Arrows (→) to highlight immediately apparent information.
Complications: Introduce elements that create uncertainty and dynamism. These should be brief, open-ended prompts, not fully fleshed-out scenarios. Example:
II. Session Structure: Embracing Uncertainty
Initial Setup: The session begins with the certainties. Use the arrow symbols (→) to highlight information directly presented to the players, allowing for quick reference during play.
Complication Introduction: Introduce complications organically as the players progress. Don't reveal all the complications at once. Use the magnifying glass symbol (🔎) to denote details needing investigation. Example: "As you travel, you notice the driver is sweating profusely and keeps glancing nervously over his shoulder (→). A closer inspection of the wagon reveals faint scratches on the wood (🔎)."
Player Agency: Let player choices drive the narrative. Don't over-plan. Your preparation focuses on potential complications and open-ended outcomes. The players' actions will determine which complications become significant and how the scenario unfolds.
Open-Ended Outcomes: Resist the urge to completely resolve the scenario. Leave room for ambiguity and follow-up. The "decoy wagon" example in the video illustrates this perfectly – the discovery of rusty nails ends the immediate scenario but creates various potential follow-up questions and new adventures.
III. Note-Taking: Bullet Points Over Paragraphs
Use bullet points to organize your notes. This allows for quick reference and avoids the wordiness of traditional adventure writing. For example, instead of a paragraph describing a room, use bullet points:
IV. Symbols and Terminology
This template encourages a more improvisational and player-driven approach to D&D, emphasizing the excitement of unpredictable narratives while maintaining efficient preparation through concise, clearly organized notes. Remember to embrace the uncertainties; that's where the most memorable moments often arise.
Quarter Shots employs a unique approach to adventure design, focusing on brevity, clarity, and player agency. This is achieved through specific formatting choices and a formula for creating dynamic, unpredictable scenarios.
I. Formatting Choices: Concise and Accessible Information
Quarter Shots adventures are notably short, typically spanning just two pages. This brevity is achieved by prioritizing essential information and utilizing a system of visual cues to guide the Dungeon Master (DM). The core of this system lies in three key symbols:
Arrows (→): These indicate information immediately apparent to players. This is factual, indisputable information presented directly to the players upon encountering the described situation or location. No interpretation or investigation is required. Example: "→A rickety wooden bridge spans a churning river."
Magnifying Glasses (🔎): These signal details requiring investigation. Players won't automatically know this information; they must actively search, examine, or interact with their environment to uncover it. Example: "🔎A closer inspection reveals faint scratches on the bridge's wooden supports."
Question Marks (?): These denote optional details that add flavor or potential complications but aren't essential to the core scenario. The DM can choose to incorporate these based on the flow of the game and player choices. Example: "?Local legend says the river is haunted by a mischievous water spirit."
Beyond these symbols, Quarter Shots employs a bullet-point format for presenting information. This replaces lengthy descriptive paragraphs with concise, easily scannable lists. This allows DMs to quickly find relevant information during gameplay without needing to wade through pages of text. This concise structure makes the information directly applicable to in-game decisions.
II. Formula for Creating Dynamic Adventures
Quarter Shots' adventures follow a formula designed to maximize player agency and create engaging, unpredictable scenarios. The formula can be broken down into these key components:
The Setup (Certainties): Every adventure begins with a clear, concise setup. This establishes the core situation, the players' initial position, and the objective (if any). This section utilizes arrows (→) to highlight information directly available to the players. The goal here is to establish a definite starting point with no room for ambiguity. Example: "→The players are hired to escort a valuable cargo to the nearby town of Oakhaven."
Complication Introduction: Once the setup is established, the adventure introduces complications. These are unexpected events, obstacles, or revelations that challenge the players and inject uncertainty into the narrative. Complications can be:
Open-Ended: These offer a starting point but don't prescribe a specific outcome. The DM improvises the resolution based on player choices. Example: "→The wagon driver is secretly inexperienced and easily frightened." (What will happen because of this is not determined beforehand; it depends on the players' actions.)
Optional (?): These are included as potential additions, but the DM can choose to ignore them or incorporate them as desired based on the flow of the game. Example: "?Local rumors suggest the route is haunted."
Immediate (→): Some complications can be immediately apparent, adding to the initial setup or occurring very early in the adventure. This type of complication is clearly marked with an arrow.
Uncertainties and Player Choices: The core of the dynamic approach is the embrace of uncertainty. The DM doesn't meticulously plan every possible outcome. Instead, the focus is on creating compelling complications that react to player decisions. The use of open-ended complications forces the DM and players into collaborative storytelling.
Open Endings: Quarter Shots adventures often conclude with open endings. This means the scenario doesn't neatly wrap up; it leaves unresolved questions, potential consequences, and opportunities for future adventures. Example: The players successfully escort the wagon, only to discover the cargo is worthless. What do they do now? This ambiguity sparks creativity and continues the campaign's momentum.
III. Synthesizing Formatting and Formula:
The formatting choices and adventure formula work together synergistically. The concise bullet-point format and clear visual cues (arrows, magnifying glasses, question marks) allow DMs to easily navigate the limited information provided, adapting it to the players' choices. This system streamlines game preparation without sacrificing narrative depth or player agency. The open-ended nature of the complications ensures the adventure remains flexible and unpredictable, even if the core concept is simple. The result is an efficient yet dynamic approach to D&D, emphasizing collaborative storytelling and player-driven narratives.
