A one-shot usually has custom characters and an elaborate set-up. Playing one tends to take from one session (three to five hours) to maybe three sessions, as they tend to not be done in time, and depending on the precise scenario.
A vignette is shorter, more of an (extended) scene than an elaborate situation, typically for 2-3 players and a game master. It might be over in a couple of rolls or require use of extended conflict resolution systems, all based on how the game goes.
The troll and the cottage
- Situation: A hungry troll has found a lone cottage in the woods. The resident might not appreciate this.
- Participants: one game master, 2+ players
- Character 1: a troll
- Character 2: someone living in the cottage
- Further characters: more residents of the cottage, or why not a traveller or another troll
- Beliefs: Choose beliefs that allow a variety of outcomes; maybe the troll is hungry, sees humans as weak, and is lonely.
- Gameplay: We start as the troll finds the cottage, maybe making some wise and scouting rolls to determine details, and various tests on the part of the resident to figure out if they have sheep and what condition is the cottage in. The game ends when the situation is resolved; maybe the troll sneaks in, snatches a sheep and the resident fails to track it, and we are done. Or maybe we have a duel of wits and then a fight after that. This is simple, low stakes play. We play to find out how the situation goes and what the characters make of it, with nobody having a preplanned plot arc in mind.
Generally, these vignettes are not an exercise in optimization; pick a character you have played before or burned before that suits the situation, or if you have none, burn a new one. Go for simple and obvious over complicated and powerful. There are no lifepath or exponent limits or recommendations over these guidelines. Starting artha is what the character had when last seen; otherwise, 3 fate and 2 persona. Tell the other participants at least roughly what you are playing, but do not coordinate carefully.
The point of reusing characters is to see a dear character once more, or to burn a new one if one likes that. Maybe use this as a way of playing a prelude and feeling out a character, or have a character whom you want to play when committing to a campaign is not really an option. Here you can still get some character advancement and similar joys of seeing the character grow.
Best practices for reuse: Do not use a character that ended up dead. Do take a bit of downtime if you have a character who fits, but not directly, so as to get them into the place. Whatever happens to the character here, carry it over to further games. This increases the stakes and excitement of the vignette.
The spider and the archmage
- Situation: A web-wyrd great spider has found out where a human archmage lives and wants to learn their secrets.
- Participants: one game master, 2+ players
- Character 1: the arcane spider
- Character 2: the archmage (or are they?)
- Further characters: companions, grogs or creations of the archmage
- Gameplay: Has the spider actually found an archmage, or are they mistaken? If they have, is the gap in communication too much; is the interloping spider killed as the monster they are, or do they manage to establish contact with the archmage and be taken seriously, or alternatively manage to sneak in and steal what they desire?
The purpose of the vignettes is to have gaming with a small social footprint, making participation easier and more lightweight. Playing together is a fine way of getting to know each other and creating shared experiences, thus also allowing stronger communication and more learning. These should also be a nice way of learning the rules system better, both the character burning, the core rules and the optional rules.
There are also further pedagogical goals: to hold a character lightly and to go into a situation without expectations of a particular character arc or other run of events. Also, to not fear or try to force extended conflicts: I encourage to use them if and only if they happen naturally in the gameplay, just to build up routine for them. Since the gameplay format is short, there should be time for an extended conflict.
The lovers’ duel
- Situation: An illegal duel between two lovers of the same beloved.
- Participants: one game master, 2+ players
- Character 1: a lover
- Character 2: a lover
- Further characters: The beloved. A representative of the forces of order out to stop the duel.
- Beliefs: Allow for a variety of outcomes, and have conflicting beliefs.
I encourage using the normal rules for artha rewards (with the game master’s or the group’s preferred house rules and interpretations). Also, have a trait vote, but remember that trait vote is not an advancement mechanic, but rather a change mechanic.
Here is how I would do it: after the session, everyone in the group should nominate each character for a trait or two just by trait name. For each one that roughly matches a trait the character already has, they get fate. If there was something the character clearly should have had but did not, they should get that as a character trait. If there is a trait they could have played but did not at all or acted against, remove the most blatant of such. This can also apply to die and call-on traits, though maybe they first go through demotion into a character trait. For earning die or call-on traits, only consider them if they were particularly noteworthy events of play and maybe also require alignment with a previous character trait in addition, or at least some BIT.
The two wolves
- Situation: An ancient forest; a spirit hunter and a ghost of the deeping wood meet.
- Participants: one game master, 2+ players
- Character 1: a spirit hunter
- Character 2: a ghost
- Further characters: allies of the previous
- Beliefs: Allow for a variety of outcomes, and have conflicting beliefs. This need not be a duel to death, though that, too, is a possibility.
Many of these vignettes are player character against player character, and hopefully can also teach how to deal with such constructively: play out your character fully, and let the consequences come.
As for consequences, remember that if you have a persona for will to live, you are not in danger of death, should you not want it. It is hard to get treatment in this type of scenario; a circles roll, even if unconscious, might allow it, but often you are due some nice wounded-type traits in the trait vote, I expect. Though maybe note everything always is worth dying for?
The lost orc
- Situation: The glorious victory against the elves turned out less gloriously for you and your dark friend: you are alone and lost. What now?
- Participants: one game master, 1+ players
- Character 1: the lost orc
- Character 2: the wolf mount
- Further characters: an elf or a random encounter
Inspirations: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6412452/, https://www.arkenstonepublishing.net/isabout/2021/02/18/the-sacrament-of-death/