D&D: The Best Adventures You Can Finish In One Night (2024)

Many groups default to playing long campaigns composed of interlocking adventures and running storylines. This can be a great way to play D&D, but it's far from the only way. Some groups have rotating members or only meet occasionally, making an episodic structure more optimal.

Luckily, hundreds of published D&D adventures accommodate this style of play. These adventures give players a complete experience in just one sitting since the story beats all wrap up at the end. They work great as one-shots for groups who won't necessarily play together again or to fill in a night when some players are missing.

Updated on June 18th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This list of short D&D one-shots and adventures has been updated with three more entries for players' reference, all three of them from the Candlekeep Mysteries book. While it's always fun to play an epic campaign, some groups just want to explore Faerûn in digestible chunks here and there, so one-night adventures are a must. For every Vecna: Eve of Ruin or Tomb of Annihilation, there's also a short, sweet adventure that can fit any group's schedule.

20 Kobold Hall Is a Basic, Introductory Adventure Starring Iconic Monsters

The introductory adventure in the Fourth Edition Dungeon Master's Guide is short and sweet and delivers everything a good dungeon should. Characters must stop a series of kobold raids by investigating their lair in the ruins of an old manor house. The kobolds use their pet drakes to keep the characters at bay, along with classic traps like boulders and darts.

One of this D&D adventure's highlights is a tetherball-like game the kobolds play that involves trying to knock characters into a pit of slime with a heavy weight suspended from the ceiling. "Kobold Hall" culminates with a battle against a young white dragon, giving players a taste of one of the game's most iconic monsters.

19 Death House Is a Brief Yet Brutal Visit to Barovia

"Death House" is an optional introductory adventure for Curse of Strahd. It's included in an appendix rather than the book's main body and can be played standalone with no connection to the campaign. It follows PCs attempting to escape the titular Death House as they fight against the horrors within.

"Death House" has an infamous reputation for its difficulty. It includes many encounters that can be lethal if the players make a single misstep. However, it can be played very quickly. The player characters can triumph and escape in a handful of hours. Alternatively, they'll meet a grim end before the night is out. Players should also note that this classic setting returns in the Vecna: Eve of Ruin adventure, though navigating this haunted house will feel considerably easier this time.

18 The Wild Sheep Chase Is a Goofy, Carefree Standalone Adventure

"The Wild Sheep Chase" is deliberately designed to be completed within a single D&D session. Its contents are estimated to take less than six hours to complete, even if the players drag their heels. Its low-stakes story and neutral setting make it perfect for a standalone session in a greater campaign.

"The Wild Sheep Chase" isn't just short. It's also convenient. The adventure lets a DM run it with the bare minimum of preparation. The Dungeon Master won't have to take much more time for it than the players. The positive reviews earned by "The Wild Sheep Chase" highlight it as a funny and exciting way to play no-strings-attached D&D on a short notice.

17 Goblin Arrows Is a Novice-Friendly Exploration of Dungeons & Dragons

Though "Goblin Arrows" is only the first chapter of the bigger Fifth Edition adventure, The Lost Mines of Phandelver, it makes a great adventure on its own. The full adventure has the characters escorting a shipment to Phandalin on behalf of their patron, Gundren Rockseeker, when a goblin raiding party ambushes them.

To finish the adventure in one night, the Dungeon Master can have Gundren be in the goblin cave rather than needing to find him later. This small dungeon is surprisingly dense. Traps, terrain, and enemies within make it a difficult but achievable challenge for a single session. For beginner-level players, it's a cool, entry-level dungeon crawl that can help novices get a feel for the game and its many fun challenges.

16 The Crucible Is a Cool Prison Break Adventure

Jailbreaks are classic D&D adventure fodder. The one-shot adventure "The Crucible" takes things to another level by setting events in an extraplanar githyanki prison. It's designed for adventurers between fifth and ninth level, with a good mixture of combat, problem-solving, and more to occupy players.

"The Crucible" doesn't just pit players against the titular githyanki prison and its guards. They must also contend with some of its other inhabitants. Despite the scale of the challenge, players should be able to escape the Astral Plane within an evening. "The Crucible" can be the start of a series of adventures, but works as a good one-and-done in its own right.

15 Salvage Operation Is Set Entirely on the High Seas

"Salvage Operation" is an unusual dungeon crawl from Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Every adventure in the book is designed to be playable as a one-shot, included in a pre-existing campaign, or strung together into a single narrative. "Salvage Operation" is one of the shortest adventures in the book, but also one of the best.

The PCs travel to the derelict ship Emperor of the Waves, seeking a magical lockbox. They must battle their way through the ship's new occupants to find it. Once they have it, they must make a mad dash to escape the ship before a giant octopus scuttles it. "Salvage Operation" can be light on roleplaying. Nonetheless, it's an excellent, short dungeon crawl with an epic set piece at the end.

14 A Most Potent Brew Is Good For New Players Seeking a Simple Challenge

A short, one-session adventure is a great way to introduce new players to Dungeons & Dragons. It lets them experience the game's fun without committing to anything long-term. "A Most Potent Brew" is explicitly designed for this purpose. It's available from author Richard Jansen-Parkes' and publisher Winghorn Press' DM'sGuild pages.

Players go to exterminate some rats, only to wander into the ruins of a wizard's tower. "A Most Potent Brew" features some of the wacky, fantastical fun of D&D without making things too in-depth or challenging. It can easily be played over one evening with only the D&D Basic Rules.

13 Harried In Hillsfar Is Set Near an Elf Town

"Harried In Hillsfar" is a series of Adventurer's League mini-adventures designed for very new characters. It deals with a series of odd occurrences near the town of Hillsfar, each related to D&D's vicious demons.

Part of what makes "Harried in Hillsfar" perfect for single sessions is its sheer flexibility. It comprises five mini-adventures that should take a group around an hour to complete. A DM can give players as many as they want within a single session. It will still end on a somewhat complete note if they don't manage all five.

12 A Dish Best Served Cold Involves Frost Giants

Functioning as an easy dovetail into the Storm King's Thunder campaign, "A Dish Best Served Cold" turns the tables and has the characters working to broker peace between a town and their frost giant neighbors. A group of monster hunters called the Blood Riders kidnaps a young frost giant, endangering a long-lasting treaty between the giants and the village of Stagwick.

The adventure doesn't lean too far in any one direction. It has elements of exploration, roleplaying, and combat. Despite that, "A Dish Best Served Cold" is very tightly woven. Players can enjoy every part of Dungeons & Dragons within a short, contained session.

11 In Volo's Wake Is a Quick Adventure in Phandalin

Part of the Adventurers League lead-up to the release of Volo's Guide to Monsters, "In Volo's Wake" comprises six mini-adventures. It takes place after the wizard Volo travels through Phandalin. He moves through the city while researching for his latest book and leaves a complex situation behind him.

The book's success brings a wave of tourism to Phandalin and heaps of trouble. This unique premise makes "In Volo's Wake" a memorable adventure. The modular nature of this adventure makes it easy to play for as little or as long as the group needs.

10 The Curse Of Dread Pirate Zarr Is a Fun Adventure With Zombie Pirates

"The Curse of Dread Pirate Zarr" is a nautical-themed adventure has the characters investigating the undead pirate captain Zarr. He is wreaking revenge on the town after its navy executed him, or so the story goes. The Dread Pirate himself has a fairly complex history to uncover, and it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to events than the navy is letting on.

The adventure can be easily read on a smartphone. It contains invaluable and intuitive internal links to make navigation a breeze. It's easy to run in a pinch without needing much preparation. "The Curse of the Dread Pirate Zarr" is available on itch.io.

9 Fiend Of Hollow Mine is a Robust Adventure About Curses

Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel contains shorter adventures than many other D&D premade anthology campaigns. Its adventures introduce players to non-Western fantasy, using themes, folklore, and creatures from non-Western cultures. "Fiend of Hollow Mine" is a moderately long adventure in the book, but it can be finished in one night.

Players must undo a lethal curse known as sereno. To do so, they need to overcome a fiend called a tlacatecolo. The adventure has social interaction, exploration, and its fair share of combat. It can be a slight squeeze to fit it all into one session, but it's more than manageable.

8 1-6 Oozes In The Dark Involves Cave Exploration and Sinister Oozes

Oozes take center stage in "1-6 Oozes in the Dark", a D&D 5e hex-crawl, as the name suggests. The characters set out into a series of caves in search of treasure and are met with a colony of gray oozes intent on devouring them and their equipment. 1-6 Oozes in the dark creates a tense survival experience. However, it also pushes the PCs into action so they finish the adventure expediently.

The module also contains a small random encounter table to complicate travel between cave entrances and a list of treasures and notable locals. A beautiful print-and-play version can be found on itch.io, published by Deus Ex Minima.

7 To The End Of Time Is Meant For Players Seeking a High-Level Challenge

"To The End of Time - An Epic One-Shot" offers a rare Dungeons & Dragons opportunity. Players rarely reach epic levels in ordinary D&D 5e play. It requires a significant time investment to reach that level, and the game starts to fall apart. In addition, there's almost no printed material for D&D 5e's highest levels.

"To The End of Time" casts players as epic adventurers on their deathbeds. They're given the opportunity to save the world once more from a terrible threat. Due to the freedom of epic-level D&D, players need to buy into the adventure's premise and goals. If they do, however, it's a well-made and well-balanced slice of Dungeons & Dragons' highest power levels.

6 Bakto's Terrifying Cuisine Is a Silly Adventure About Food

"Bakto's Terrifying Cuisine" is a comedic, food-themed mini-adventure. The characters must create an original dish to please the demon Bakto to escape certain death. Alternatively, they can attempt to deduce Bakto's secret allergy and attempt to poison him.

Since "Bakto's Terrifying Cuisine" is written to be mostly system-neutral, it will need some small adjustments to use with D&D 5e. The adventure is just two pages long. However, it contains a 14-room dungeon, plus several random encounters. The printable adventure, designed to fold up like a diner menu, can be found on Roll 4 Tarrasque's itch.io page.

5 A Deep and Creeping Darkness Sends Players to a Creepy Mining Town

"A Deep and Creeping Darkness" is one of the 17 adventures found in the anthology book Candlekeep Mysteries, and like all other adventures in that publication, "A Deep and Creeping Darkness" starts when the party picks up a particular book to peruse. The party will find themselves in a remote region near some mountains, home to an abandoned mine.

After chatting up local NPCs in a small town, the party will learn more about the eerie mine and its connected town, then go investigate. There, the party will come across the chilling sight of an abandoned settlement, including the mayor's luxurious yet unoccupied home. The entire time, the party will feel like they're being watched, and sure enough, they aren't so alone after all. Small, evil fey creatures called meenlocks are responsible for all the mining town's woes, and the party must confront them sooner or later.

4 The Price of Beauty Welcomes Players to a Not-So-Innocent Bathhouse

"The Price of Beauty" is another adventure found in Candlekeep Mysteries, and just like "A Deep and Creeping Darkness," it features fey as the villains, but not mere meenlocks this time. The party will arrive at a secluded, charming bathhouse called the Temple of the Restful Lily, run by three beautiful elves — or at least, that's what the owners look like. In reality, they are a coven of hags who don't mind victimizing their customers.

They even have a disguised cambion on staff, meaning devils are involved in this place's sinister plots. The party can rest and relax at the bathhouse if they choose, but they can also explore the place and realize that something is horribly wrong there. The party will even meet the Temple's original owner, a water naiad who's imprisoned on the premises, and the party will also find out the dark truth of what happens when the Temple's patrons are immortalized in fresh paintings.

3 The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces Sends Players to a Secluded Mansion Loaded With Fun Secrets

"The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces" is the first standalone adventure that appears in the Candlekeep Mysteries book, which is why it's written for such low-level characters. This makes it a wonderful one-shot for players new to the game who are testing out their level 1 characters. Or, veteran players can enjoy a delightful, low-stress adventure where mystery and creativity come before action and challenges.

This little adventure sends players to a fancy mansion that was created with a permanent version of the Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion spell, a house filled with books, paintings, housecats, a pair of hardworking homunculi, and even some tricky creatures like a chair-shaped mimic and some faerie dragons. Once inside the mansion, the players must gather seven books whose spines spell out the word to open the exit doors.

2 Zikran's Zephyrean Tome Pits the Party Against an Ambitious Evil Wizard

The adventure "Zikran's Zephyrean Tome" involves some classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters, including a dragon NPC and a genie, along with some eerie cloud giant ghosts the party will meet later in this one-night adventure. The plot hook is simple: find a way to free the benign genie who is trapped in the Zikran's Zephyrean book, which will involve confronting an evil wizard named Zikran.

This adventure will take players to a partially flooded cave, in which they will meet a vain yet benevolent dragon with a coral crown, and from there, the party may find clues to where Zikran may be found. He's in the remains of a cloud giant fortress in the mountains, working on his plans to make a flying fortress armed with one or more magical air cannons to devastate his enemies.

1 The Scrivener's Tale is a Meaty One-Shot About a Trapped Princess and a Fallen Kingdom

"The Scrivener's Tale" is one of the lengthier adventures in the Candlekeep Mysteries book, and if a D&D party runs it exactly as written, it might actually take two sessions to finish, especially if the party stops to explore every detail of the world along the way. Still, "The Scrivener's Tale" can be neatly finished in one night if the DM streamlines the adventure a bit or if the players are pretty sharp about how they play.

This adventure presents the players with a book that houses a deadly fey, the Princess of Shadow Glass, who implores the party to aid her. Cursed text from the book will appear on their arms, putting the players under pressure to resolve this issue ASAP. The adventure gets underway when the party ventures first to Baldur's Gate, then to the ruins of a fallen kingdom to learn more about the Princess, the circ*mstances of her capture, and whether they should even trust that captive fey or not. The adventure includes cool NPCs, brutal fights, and a short yet delightful dungeon, underground facility called the Haven of the Red Quill.

Dungeons and Dragons

A fantasy roleplaying tabletop game designed for adventure-seekers, the original incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax in 1974.

Franchise

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

January 26, 1974

Publisher

Wizards of the Coast , TSR Inc.

Designer

E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson

Player Count

4-8 Players Recommended

Age Recommendation

12+

Length per Game

3 hours +

Expansions

Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

Summary

Dungeons & Dragons is the fantasy tabletop role-playing game that has persevered for nearly 50 years and continues to grow strong. Created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the game first made publication in 1974 and now falls under the Wizards of the Coast publishing wing. A typical game of DnD consists of 4-6 players, with one player acting as the Dungeon Master. Players can take a sheet and by consulting the various rule books and expansions, can create their own character with weapons, skills, and physical appearance. Once all characters are created, the Dungeon Master sets them off in a campaign of their choosing or design, where players will have to follow the rules of the DM as they roleplay their way through storylines. The characters will level up, find equipment, and experience permanent changes based on the way the story plays out. A roll of the dice can mean the difference between a successful hit, and a painful end. The most recent edition of Dungeons & Dragons is the 5th edition rule book.