The holiday season is the perfect time to gather your party for a festive one-shot adventure. Whether you’re snowed in or just looking for a cozy 2–4 hour session, a well-crafted holiday campaign can deliver laughs, drama, and a touch of magic — all wrapped up in a single night.
This guide walks you through the process of building a holiday one-shot that feels polished and memorable, covering story structure, formatting with Homebrewery, map creation, creature reskinning, and campaign planning tools.
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🎁 1. Start with the Right Structure
Before diving into mechanics, think about the shape of your adventure. A one-shot is different from a campaign: it needs to be self-contained, easy to run, and paced tightly enough to finish in one sitting. The holidays add another layer — you want something festive, lighthearted, but still epic enough to feel like D&D.
Key principles:
- Self-contained: The adventure should resolve in one session, with no dangling plot threads.
- Flexible: Allow players to use pre-generated characters for quick setup, or bring their regular PCs if they want continuity.
- Time-conscious: Aim for 2–4 hours of playtime, with clear goals and pacing that keeps the story moving.
Plot Hooks to Try:
- “The Gift That Wasn’t Meant to Be”: A cursed present wreaks havoc in a snowy village.
- “Frostfang’s Feast”: A winter wolf demands tribute — or the town freezes.
- “The Nutcracker Warlock”: A possessed toy leads an army of enchanted decorations.
📜 2. Format It Like a Pro with Homebrewery
Presentation matters. Players love when a one-shot looks like it came straight from Wizards of the Coast. That’s where Homebrewery comes in — a free online tool that lets you format adventures in the recognizable D&D style using Markdown.
Why it’s useful:
- It gives your adventure a professional look, making it easier to read and reference.
- You can export to PDF and share with your players or DM friends.
- It helps organize your content into sections that mirror official modules.
Tips for Formatting:
- Use headers like
## Adventure Summaryand### Encounter 1: The Snowbound Tavern. - Include boxed text for read-aloud moments.
- Add stat blocks using the
monstersnippet or copy from existing SRD entries. - Create a festive cover page with a title like “A Cold Night in Candlepine”.
🗺️ 3. Build Your Map with Digital Tools
Maps are more than visuals — they anchor your players in the world. A snowy battlefield or cozy tavern map instantly sets the mood. Digital map makers make this easy, even if you’re not an artist.
Why maps matter:
- They help players visualize the environment.
- They make combat encounters smoother.
- They add immersion, especially when themed for the holidays.
Top Tools:
- Inkarnate — Best for towns and landscapes; drag-and-drop interface makes it beginner-friendly.
- Dungeondraft — Great for tactical battle maps; supports snowy textures and icy terrain.
- Dungeon Scrawl — Fast, minimalist layouts for dungeons and interiors.
🧟♂️ 4. Modify Monsters for a Winter Twist
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel — reskinning existing creatures is the fastest way to add holiday flavor. By tweaking descriptions, abilities, or resistances, you can make familiar monsters feel fresh and thematic.
Why reskinning works:
- Saves prep time.
- Keeps mechanics balanced.
- Adds novelty without overwhelming players.
Ideas:
- Snow Golem: Use Stone Golem stats, swap slam for “ice smash.”
- Frost Goblins: Goblins with cold resistance and snowball attacks.
- Krampusfiend: A fiendish version of a barbed devil with chains and fear aura.
- Reindeer Worgs: Worgs with antlers and festive rage.
🗒️ 5. Plan with Obsidian + RPG Manager
Even the best one-shots need solid prep. Obsidian, a free notes app, is perfect for organizing your adventure. With the RPG Manager extension, you can structure your campaign notes like a professional DM. (The link takes you to GitHub, but you can easily browse and install community extensions from within Obsidian’s settings.)
Why Obsidian is powerful:
- Markdown-based, so it’s lightweight and flexible.
- Links notes together, making it easy to track NPCs, locations, and encounters.
- RPG Manager adds templates for sessions, adventures, and stat blocks.
How to use it:
- Create a folder for your one-shot.
- Use RPG Manager’s templates to outline encounters, treasure, and NPCs.
- Link notes for quick navigation (e.g., “Snowbound Tavern” links to “Encounter 1”).
- Export or share notes with co-DMs or players if needed.
This combo keeps your prep organized and ensures you don’t lose track of details mid-session.
🎄 6. Wrap It All Up
Before game night:
- Print or share your Homebrewery PDF.
- Upload your map to Roll20 or Foundry.
- Share character sheets or pre-gens.
- Add a festive playlist (think tavern carols and icy ambiance).
Your players will thank you for the effort — and you’ll have a seasonal tradition worth repeating.
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