Setting up a game day can sometimes be as much of an adventure as the game itself! For our recent one-shot, “Curse of the Wraith King,” we got a behind-the-scenes look at the initial stages, and it wasn't without its little quirks. This particular adventure is a three-hour one-shot available as a PDF on DM's Guild, and our very efficient GM managed to get it prepped for Fantasy Grounds in about an hour. Always a bonus when the main villain is a recognizable monster from the Monster Manual!
The lead-up involved the typical player wrangling. One first-timer, James Wallace, was showing as online but inactive for a good three hours! He had planned to create his character on D&D Beyond and then port it over. We hope he eventually made it into the game! We also had another player who signed up for multiple sessions but ended up dropping or not showing. It sounds like getting new Saturday morning games to gain momentum can be a challenge, especially with the arrival of spring and people having more outdoor plans. Our GM even had to cancel his evening game due to the delay and lack of players initially.
Once things started to coalesce, we got some exciting character introductions:
- First up was Jerry, a Gold Dragonborn. Her background sounds intriguing, described as having grown up on the “Savior side of life” but also possessing a criminal history. She's picked up a few spells along the way and, most importantly, seems to enjoy diving headfirst into battle.
- Next, we met Will Robinson. His backstory is quite dramatic and involves a tragedy in the vastness of space. His family was aboard a Spelljammer ship that was raided by pirates and tragically killed. However, Will himself was spared thanks to his robot companion's timely warning – a classic “Danger Will Robinson!” moment. Since then, he's been living the adventuring life.
With these brief but evocative character introductions, and the GM sharing the cover art to give a nod to DM's Guild and the creator of “Curse of the Wraith King,” it felt like we were just on the cusp of a new adventure. Jerry was even set to take the first turn. Unfortunately, the transcript ends right as the game was about to begin, leaving the actual “curse” and the Wraith King himself a mystery for now! Hopefully, their session was a thrilling encounter.