D&D Beyond the Campaign: Embracing One-Shot Adventures and the Challenges of Balance

In a dusk-lit meadow, five figures stand shoulder to shoulder, shooting nervous glances at the darkness beyond the trees. They know that the monster is coming. They can smell the sulphur, hear the ominous wind raised by its bat-like wings. But they are not afraid. The wizard grips his jeweled staff as a hulking construct steps up to protect him. The druid summons the power of lightning, her purple hair standing up. The warlock begins to melt into the shadows, ready to strike. When the towering devil steps into the meadow, fire trailing on its heels, they know this can be their last battle, but they are ready.

Sometimes, a break from a long-running Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign is needed. A recent trend involves embracing shorter, self-contained adventures, often inspired by shows like Faster, Purple Worm!, which flips traditional D&D concepts by focusing on the inevitability of character death.

Faster, Purple Worm!: D&D Meets Improv Comedy

Faster, Purple Worm! is a “D&D meets improv comedy” show created by Beadle & Grimm’s Matthew Lillard.¹ In each episode, a party of 1st-level adventurers faces deadly monsters, with the understanding that survival isn’t the goal. Faster, Purple Worm! Everybody Dies Vol. 1, published in 2025 and released on D&D Beyond in February, is a collection of 15 of these one-shot adventures.

These adventures offer a quick and entertaining alternative to lengthy campaigns, providing a chance for players and Dungeon Masters (DMs) to relax and enjoy the game without the pressure of long-term consequences.

Balancing High-Level Characters in Low-Level Adventures

One DM found a way to integrate their veteran characters from a previous campaign into a Faster, Purple Worm! adventure. Facing the challenge of pitting level 10 characters against a scenario designed for level 1, the DM creatively adjusted the encounter. The adventure “Everybody Dies Eating Mushroom Soufflé” was chosen for its dream-like setting, allowing for a narrative explanation for potential character deaths.

The DM initially selected Bael, a Duke of Hell from Monsters of the Multiverse, boosting his challenge rating (CR) and adding abilities. However, the party defeated Bael surprisingly easily, highlighting a common issue in D&D 5th edition: characters often become significantly more powerful than monsters as they level up.

The Challenge of Encounter Balance in D&D 5e

The DM’s experience underscored the difficulty of balancing encounters in D&D 5e. While the game provides guidelines for encounter building, these are often more suggestions than strict rules. The DM found that a single, high-CR monster wasn’t enough to challenge a well-equipped party, emphasizing the importance of wearing down players through multiple encounters rather than relying on a single “boss fight.”

Factors contributing to the party’s success included a powerful magic item (a Shield Guardian Amulet) and the addition of a level 6 NPC paladin. These elements, combined with the inherent power scaling of the game, led to a quicker-than-expected victory.

The Value of One-Shots and Faster, Purple Worm!

Despite the imbalance, the session was enjoyable for all involved. The experience reinforced the value of one-shot adventures as a break from longer campaigns. Faster, Purple Worm! Everybody Dies Vol. 1 is recommended for those seeking a different kind of D&D experience.

In a follow-up session, the DM ran another one-shot “by the book,” with the party of third-level characters facing a Death Knight in “Everybody Conveniently Dies in a Cemetery,” and, as the title suggests, everyone died.