WADY 14: One Shots Part 4: Crafting Worlds & Encounters

Apr 18

Welcome to Episode 14 of We Aren’t Dead Yet, a podcast throwing magic missiles into the ttrpg, gamer and speculative fiction sphere and seeing whether we come out alive at the end.

Every Thursday will be WADY Day, a celebration of something gamer, literature or culture shocking with three friends who found each other online via World Anvil and went “Hey! Let’s talk”. We found out we all have a lot to say and different approaches to the same questions.

We have a veteran Dungeon Master, an award winning World Builder & Media Producer, and a bestselling cyberpunk + mythpunk author, here to snark, speak and speculate on fiction, creative professions and games.

Today’s episode… One Shots Part 4: Crafting Worlds & Encounters!

Join us in this episode as we delve into the intricacies of crafting immersive worlds and unforgettable encounters for one-shot TTRPG adventures. In the first half of the episode, we explore worldbuilding for one-shots, discussing essential elements like setting creation and establishing backstory. Then, we shift our focus to encounter design, talking techniques for crafting challenging encounters that drive the narrative forward and keep players on the edge of their seats. Learn how to balance tension, drama, and player agency to create moments that leave a lasting impression long after the game ends. Whether you're planning your first one-shot or looking to refine your craft, this episode provides valuable guidance and inspiration to help you master the art of worldbuilding and encounter design for one-shot TTRPGs.

If you want to support We Aren’t Dead Yet, please subscribe to become one of our Not Dead Knights and consider a paid tier, purchase something from our Merch Store, buy Macabre and Monstrous, our first anthology of horror stories and shout out about We Aren’t Dead Yet on social media.

Have a question you want to ask about the episode, the writing sphere or table top role playing games? Hit us up with comments on substack, down in the comments section below, or by throwing a question up on X @usurperkings or @e__armstrong.

Every little bit helps.

Cheers for now,

We’ll see you next week for the final episode of our One Shot series!