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Adventures to start your TTRPG journey RIGHT NOW

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) can offer hours if not years of memorable stories but they can feel intimidating to the uninitiated. Well, today I encourage you to reconsider giving a chance to the hobby as I feel that anybody can enjoy it in his/her way. Yes, rule reading and prep work takes time but the good news is, there are plenty of accessible alternatives to start having fun right away. This blog post will list some easy-to-run adventures I highly recommend you try. Each of them requires minimal or no preparation, can be played for a single session (so no commitment if you don‘t like it) and is FREE (the best price frankly). Whether you‘re interested in exploring dungeons, solving mysteries or just having a fun time, there‘s something for everyone. Let‘s dig in.

TTRPG as good fun

Sometimes, you just want to gather your friends, roll some dice and have fun. If this is what you seek, you can‘t go wrong with more mainstream options. In that way, modern Dungeon & Dragons (DnD) has a lot of material to offer. While some official DnD material is worth a look, few are as clean, accessible, quick and easy as the adventure A Wild Sheep Chase by Winghorn Press. This popular option for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (DnD 5e) was written by Michael "Wizards" Herring and released by Wizards of the Coast as part of a series of beginner-friendly DnD adventures. At its release, it was widely praised for its engaging story and light-hearted tone. The plot revolves around a seemingly absurd quest to recover a stolen sheep. In the playtime of a single session, it subtly introduces key DnD mechanics, character interactions, and problem-solving at the foundation of modern DnD.

Simple. Fun. Humorous. And even if the stakes are low, it still has plenty of opportunities for players to roleplay and interact with NPCs. A great way to start for a group without a veteran to guide them. I have introduced about half a dozen players to DnD with this one. Worked like a charm every time.

Recommendation: A Wild Sheep Chase (DnD 5e)

https://winghornpress.com/adventures/a-wild-sheep-chase/

  • Free.
  • No pre-generated characters (but easy enough to create some with free rules).
  • Minimal preparation (Should be no more than 30 minutes).
  • Game Master required (gives some directions to help)

TTRPG as immersion

Role-playing games can also help escape your worries and immerse yourself in another world. As always, many great options are available with many TTRPGs focusing on a specific mood or emotion. Taste does always differ but, in my opinion, starting with a horror/investigative adventure is a great way to immediately grasp your players‘ attention. This is why I propose to you “The Haunting“ from Call of Cthulhu. This scenario Is one of the most iconic and widely known for the game and has been continuously in print since the very first edition in 1982. In fact, this was the very first scenario played by the creators of the game themselves. It makes for an excellent introduction to the dark and eldritch world of H.P. Lovecraft‘s mythos and the themes of the game. The adventure is fine-tuned to be short, suspenseful and eerie.

Players are investigators hired by a wealthy man, Mr. John Danvers, to investigate an abandoned house vacant for many years. Of course, the mansion has the sinister reputation of being haunted and cursed. This classic setup leads to great investigation opportunities, colourful characters, combat and, of course, maddened players.

Since the 7th edition, the scenario is included with the free quick-start rules AND comes along 5 premade characters. What's more, the Call of Cthulhu system (Basic Roleplaying) is simple, demands minimal material (you can manage with 2D10, a couple of D6 and a pencil) and, most importantly, quick to learn. The scenario book is also well-detailed, not too long and easy to improvise on. I should point out that some handouts are available if you want to give them to your players, but you can easily manage without them (as I have done before). A classic for good reasons.

Recommendation : The Haunting (Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition)

https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-quickstart/

  • Free (given in the free quick-start rules for the 7th Edition).
  • 5 pre-generated characters (parts of their sheets could be filled in, but not necessary for a one-shot frankly).
  • Minimal preparation (should take no more than an hour to read the adventure through).
  • Game Master required (the adventure gives plenty of help).

TTRPG as dungeon crawling

Some of you might have read the above options (or just the section titles) and thought: “Fun? Immersion? No! What I want is action, swords and sorcery!“ Well, rest assured that I did not forget the roots of TTRPGs: the dungeon crawling. In my humble opinion, while there are many great modern iterations to the genre, many of them are more suited to longer campaigns or demand some kind of investment from yourself or your players. Surprisingly, one of the best ways to experience dungeon crawling for a single session is to go back where it started: the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons (a debatable choice of words, but let‘s just call it ADnD for simplicity‘s sake). Why not more modern iterations? Well, frankly, every edition is different and when we go to later editions, the focus goes more and more on long-form content or, you know, NOT FREE options. Indeed, ADnD is free on the Internet Archive in its entirety for us to enjoy. Now, some caveats. One: this system is old and it shows - be prepared for that. Two: the nature of the material made at the time necessitates more preparation than options above. Some of you might be searching for that though. Three: As I said, the system is old, so if you want to stick to a safer system to learn you should go back to my recommendation for DnD5e. For the others, THIS is the most authentic dungeon crawling experience you can get in a single session.

Now: to recommend some ADnD adventures. Do you just want a deadly dungeon for an evening, expecting - demanding even - a few dead players? Go for the “S“ series of modules. My recommendation is the first of them (S1): Tomb of Horrors. A classic And a devilish one at that. For a more “standard“ experience, you should really consider module T1: The Village of Hommlet. This iconic adventure introduced the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign setting that inspired pretty much every other DnD setting hereafter. The adventure is notable for its blend of exploration, roleplaying with NPCs, tactical combat, and uncovering the secrets surrounding the village and nearby temple. Can easily be played in one sitting and fulfill the complete ADnD experience within that time. Truly, only dragons are missing. Furthermore, this module was followed by T2, T2 and T4 which enriches the Temple of Elemental Evil further. Your players will have plenty more to chew on if they enjoy their evening.

I have to mention the G1-G3 (or up to G6 if you are motivated) as another great option If you prefer the feeling of infiltrating an enemy stronghold and beating up everything that moves. B2 is awesome if you want to build your own stronghold. The Isle of Dread (X1) is also loads of fun if you prefer a sandbox experience within a sandbox. I‘ll stop there, for now, reserving more recommendations for another post. Maybe not the best alternative for everyone, but I know that for at least a few of you, THIS will be the best recommendation I could give you.

Recommendation: The Village of Hommlet (ADnD)

https://ia800204.us.archive.org/7/items/set-1-basic-rules-box-set_202404/ADnD%20T1%20The%20Village%20of%20Hommlet_text.pdf

  • Free (now available for free in the Internet Archive).
  • No pre-generated characters (just need to roll basic stats and items though).
  • Some preparation (still not that bad - about 1-2 hours MAX for my recommendations).
  • Game Master required. I have to say that I would suggest some minimal experience before tackling this one: ADnD has some quite detailed adventures, but still some notable gaps in them. Take it as a chance to exercise your imagination.

TTRPG as acting

For the theatre fanatics out there, TTRPGs have much to offer you. My suggestion here would be to research the ample indie options out there. With that said, my recommendation for a single session is Lady Blackbird by John Harper. It’s a narrative-driven, rules-light game set in a steampunk world full of airships, political intrigue, and personal drama. At the heart of the game are six pre-generated characters that the players will assume, each with unique abilities, backstories, motivations and clear personal goals. From experience, these prompts are perfect to create some tension and secrecy between your players. Each of them will feel that they contribute to world-building and narrative in meaningful ways. The game is known for its fast-paced and improvisational style. In that way, NOT preparing anything for it makes it better, not worse. A word of warning: remember that the game expects your players to be comfortable with improvisation and acting. Make sure your players are up for it and you will have an excellent time.

Recommendation: Lady Blackbird

https://ladyblackbird.org/

  • Free.
  • 6 pre-generated characters (MUST be played with)
  • Minimal preparation (even better without).
  • No game master is required, but all players should be comfortable with improvisation.

TTRPG as storytelling

TTRPGs can offer fun and drama. But we do need to remember that, at its core, roleplaying is all about being with a group of friends and building a narrative together. The Quiet Year by Avery Alder is a bit out there in structure but fills that role remarkably AND in a stress-free way. This narrative-driven game is all about community building, decision-making, and storytelling set in a post-apocalyptic world. Unlike traditional TTRPGs, no need for dice. Instead, it is a map-making game that focuses on collaboration and the story of the development and struggles of a community over a year. The map starts blank, and players take turns drawing it as they narrate the developments in the community. Locations on the map might include camps, shelters, or places of danger, and each location can be explored or developed as the game progresses. No talent in drawing is required. Turns are driven by a deck of cards. Each card represents a specific event or challenge that the community - and the players - will face together. For each, players need to reach an agreement on how the community will respond to the situation. This could involve choosing between different approaches, deciding where to allocate resources, or how to handle conflicts. This recommendation is a bit of a cheat as the game is not free. Technically, you COULD play using only the (free) reference to the cards and knowing the rules. But please: support Avery Alder for her magnificent work. She deserves it and you won't regret it.

Recommendation: The Quiet Year

https://buriedwithoutceremony.com/the-quiet-year

  • Technically free, but DO support Avery for her work!
  • No characters needed = no worries.
  • No preparation.
  • No game master required

Conclusion

With this, I hope you‘ll find your next obsession with one of the above. To end things properly, I want to give you some quick advice:

  • Start small: Limit yourself to a single session. Then commit to a complete adventure (or campaign!) if you feel it is worth your time.
  • Be forgiving: Even veterans make mistakes all the time and, frankly, they are part of the fun. You and your players should be patient.
  • Pre-generated characters are a godsend.
  • Have fun!

If you want more, I‘ll list a few more quick and easy options (not all free). For the rest, good luck in your next session.

See you next week,

Other recommendations

Official starter sets that are worth it

  • Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Starter Set
  • DND essential kit

Other Indie quick, easy and minimal preparation options

  • Honey Heist - https://gshowitt.itch.io/honey-heist
  • Alice is Missing
  • Mythic Emulator - https://www.wordmillgames.com/mythic.html