So a buddy of mine wants me to arrange a one-off session of D&D

>>50374549
1. Clear, concise plot that fits into one session (assuming something like 3-4 hours it's more then enough time)
2.Don't be afraid to push the action / slightly railroad, this is not an epic country-spanning campaign, it's one conflict at best. A good way to do it might be time limit - say, the ship PCs are travelling on is sinking and they must cooperate to escape by a boat.
3. Premade characters. Make a few templates with a couple of trait suggestions, then disribute them/let players choose.
4. Fast and loose. Again, push the action. Things that may take a lot of time/coordination/rolls (like trying to save other passengers) you can shorten to three or four rolls then tell players how they did it (or let them tell, preferrably).
In general, three rolls per encounter is a good guideline.

>>50374549
I think 5e has a short intro adventure called "A most potent brew". Could try that.

Although, maybe you should ask around for the new player's expectations. There's a pretty good chance low-level murderhoboing isn't actually that appealing as an intro for someone who thought there'll be epic adventures.

I also think D&D is wasted on oneshots, but eh.

You could try the adventures from the Adventurer's League. Most of them are designed to be completed within four hours.

>>50374653
>>50374672
appriciate it, but I don't enjoy running premade modules.

>>50374623
Hm, yes.thanks.

>>50374549
I'm doing a Christmas 1 shot for my regular group, not everything I am suggesting will be good for a new player though.

I based my plot on a Christmas special of fraggle rock.

I am starting their characters at level 10 (Not a good idea for new guys but I want my guys to have the option of trying something completely new at a highish lvl)

They are all suffering from a mild form of amnesia that can be cured by hearing a bell in a specific temple ring - this is common knowledge in the setting, it's also the reason a bunch of characters with no background are travelling together and looking for the same thing, a cure to their shared condition. This is railroading that allows them not to worry about their character backgrounds too much, it also excuses their lack of knowledge about the setting in character.

I've worked out based on experience with this group how many encounters I can fit into a normal session.

Now I am just coming up with characters for them to interact with on the way to recovering this bell and their memories with it.

- Setting
- Motivation
- Objective
- Challenges

After you have those 4 things it's all flavour.

>>50374549
The biggest hurdle might be getting the new player to stay engaged. You're probably not going to be able to rely on them for much the first game, so try to keep the action moving. If they hesitate too long, throw something at them that the need to react to immediately.