Tag: Teamwork

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How to Write Engaging Game Scenarios That Fit a Tight Schedule

One of the biggest challenges when using roleplaying games in workplace settings is time. At home, a roleplaying session can happily sprawl across an entire afternoon or evening. Players chat about their week, argue with goblins for forty minutes, and somehow spend half the session buying rope. Conference environments are very different creatures entirely and run to an extremely tight schedule. Sessions need to start quickly, engage immediately, and conclude cleanly before attendees disappear into the next keynote presentation.

I have been asked to run a series of games for a communication conference in 2027 (I’ll post more details closer tot he time). There will be four sessions over two days, each 75 minutes long. The idea is to showcase how roleplaying games can help foster communication and develop leadership skills. Now I love playing short one shots, but they normally take a minimum of 3 hours. So, I have an interesting challenge: write two engaging scenarios that show case the player interaction and can be wrapped up with a debrief in one hour. Easy, right… right…

Rules

While I love D&D, Call of Cthulhu and others, they do contain pretty heavy rulesets. I will also be working under the assumption that none of the conference attendees will have any experience playing roleplaying games. Consequently, using an established ruleset is going to have too high of a learning curve.

In order for the players to get into the game quickly I’m going to use my own ruleset Play2Lead. Easy to learn in a couple of minutes participants should be able to get into the action straight away. In a similar vein there will be no character creation, rather pre generated characters will be provided for each scenario, with clear roles.

The Three Encounter Structure

I’ve written before about designing workplace scenarios before and i intend to follow the same design principles. As such each of these scenarios will a simple three encounter structure that I use for one-shots:

  1. Cold Open: Throw players straight into action—explosions, monsters, a chase. Skip the slow build.
  2. Middle Twist: Add a big revelation that flips the situation on its head.
  3. Final Showdown: End with a bang. The danger should feel real, and not everyone has to make it out alive. If possible add a difficult dilemma for the players to work through.

That’s all we have time for.

This structure creates momentum. Players immediately understand there is a clear objective and limited time to achieve it. As first-time players it’s important that they feel comfortable so they can quickly grasp the rhythm of the game.

Perhaps most importantly, it leaves room for some roleplay without letting the session drift into the wastes of overlong decision-making.

Why Familiar Genres Matter

One thing I’ve learned over years of introducing new players to RPGs is that unfamiliar rules are far less intimidating when wrapped inside familiar stories. People already understand the language of popular movies. They know how zombie survivors behave. The tension of an alien horror film is obvious. They instinctively grasp the heroic structure of fantasy quests. Of course, this means you can skip enormous amounts of explanation.

Nobody needs a twenty-minute briefing to understand: “Something is hunting us on this spaceship.” Or: “The dead are rising and we need to escape.”

The tropes do the heavy lifting for you. Players arrive with expectations already loaded into their brains like pre-installed software, allowing them to engage almost immediately.

As such my intention is to design my scenarios around popular movies. My initial thinking is Alien, Zombies and potentially a Lord of the Rings inspired one, this is roleplaying after all.

Everyone loves a good allien.

First Thoughts on an Alien Inspiration

Science fiction horror works beautifully in short-form workplace games because the pressure is immediate and constant. Everyone can visualise the close industrial tunnels of these types of film. The players can get straight into the game without much in the way of explanation.

Characters

The pre-generated characters for this session will include standard tropes: captain, engineer, science officer, medic, pilot each with a specific skill and piece of equipment.

Encounter One: The Distress Signal

Straight into the action, the crew of a salvage vessel begin by investigating a damaged research station after receiving a fragmented distress call. The station is mostly abandoned, lights flickering, alarms sounding intermittently, and signs of violence scattered throughout the corridors. The players must find the generator and restore power to the engines. What has caused such chaos?

Suddenly the hull will breach and the players need to work together to secure it, quickly. A nice bit of urgency right from the get go.

Encounter Two: Something is Loose

Now for the middle twist, although probably not unexpected given the theme. As the team explores deeper into the facility, they discover evidence of a hostile lifeform. Slime, scratch marks etc. Communications fail. The creature begins stalking them through vents, maintenance tunnels, and darkened laboratories.

Players must talk in whispers, or communicate through note or face attack from the creature. The scenario becomes about teamwork, communication, and managing panic under pressure.

Encounter Three: Escape

The players discover the only way out is aboard a damaged shuttle with limited seats and a failing reactor countdown. They must choose between rescuing survivors, destroying the station, or simply escaping alive. A very juicy dilemma!

This final encounter creates fantastic workplace discussions around leadership, decision-making, and competing priorities.

Keep It Simple, Keep It to a Tight Schedule

The key to designing this sort of adventure is that simplicity creates engagement.

Conference attendees do not need twenty pages of backstory and complicated rules.

They need:

  • A clear objective
  • Recognisable tropes
  • Immediate problems
  • Interesting decisions
  • A chance to contribute

That’s what creates memorable sessions.

Over the next few months I’ll be refining the design for 2-3 scenarios and sharing my thinking here.

But what i really want is to give those conference attendees signing up for my games to leave with a fun memory having experienced something different. And i hope the realisation that RPGs can be used as a fun way to practice both communication and leadership.

Particularly the bit where Dave from HR sacrificed himself to the space monster while screaming into a malfunctioning flamethrower.

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Why Hero Leadership Really Fails

There’s a particular story we love to tell about leadership.

One person stands at the front. They have the answers. When things go wrong, they step forward, make the hard call, and save the day. The team rallies. The credits roll.

It’s a great story. It’s just a terrible way to run a Dungeons & Dragons party… or any other organisation.

The Myth of the Hero Leader

Hero leadership is built on a simple idea: progress depends on a single exceptional individual. The hero leader is decisive, charismatic, endlessly capable. When the dragon appears or the quarterly results dip, they draw their sword (or pen) and fix it.

In D&D, this often shows up as the “main character” syndrome. One player dominates planning, talks to every NPC, solves every puzzle, and lands the killing blow. The rest of the party becomes a supporting cast, present but rarely essential.

In business, the same pattern plays out with the superstar manager or visionary executive. Decisions funnel upward. Problems wait for approval. Success is attributed to one person rather than the system around them.

In both cases, things may appear to work… for a while.

What Actually Happens at the Table

At a D&D table, hero leadership creates subtle damage long before it causes a wipe. Other players disengage. Why contribute if the paladin always decides the plan? Why risk a creative idea if the wizard will override it? The game becomes quieter, flatter, less surprising.

Worse still, the party becomes fragile. When the hero is absent, stunned, or simply wrong, everything collapses. A single failed saving throw can derail the entire session. D&D is designed around distributed competence. Different characters shine in different moments. When one player tries to carry the whole narrative, the system pushes back, usually with teeth.

The Workplace Version Is No Kinder

Hero leadership in business produces similar cracks. Teams stop thinking ahead. People wait to be told what to do. Initiative dries up, not because people lack ideas, but because they’ve learned those ideas won’t be used.

Decision bottlenecks form. The “hero” becomes exhausted, then indispensable, then overwhelmed. When they finally step away, the organisation discovers it hasn’t been developing leaders at all, only dependencies.

The scariest part? It often looks like success right up until it doesn’t.

Heroes Don’t Scale

A single hero can slay a goblin. They cannot sustainably run a campaign. Both D&D parties and businesses face complexity, uncertainty, and problems no one person can fully understand. Trying to centralise leadership in one figure reduces the system’s ability to adapt.

When leadership is shared, something different happens. People take ownership of their piece of the problem. Information flows faster. Mistakes are caught earlier. Success belongs to the group, not the loudest voice.

In D&D, this is when the rogue scouts ahead without being told, the cleric speaks up about risk, and the fighter suggests a plan that isn’t “kick in the door.”

In business, it’s when team members make decisions within their remit and feel safe doing so.

The Real Alternative Isn’t Leaderless Chaos

Rejecting hero leadership doesn’t mean abandoning leadership altogether.

It means shifting from “the leader has all the answers” to “the leader creates the conditions for good answers to emerge.”

In D&D, the best leaders are often the ones who ask questions:
“What do you think?”
“Who hasn’t spoken yet?”
“What’s another way this could go wrong?”

In business, strong leaders do the same thing. They clarify intent, set boundaries, and trust their teams to act within them. They step forward when needed and step back just as often.

Shared Leadership Creates Better Stories

The irony is that hero leadership actually makes for worse stories.

The most memorable D&D moments rarely come from flawless heroes. They come from messy plans, unexpected teamwork, and someone stepping up who wasn’t supposed to be the star. The same is true in organisations. The strongest cultures aren’t built around legendary individuals, but around teams who know how to think and work together under pressure.

If you want a campaign that lasts, or a business that survives its own success, retire the hero.

Build the party instead.

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Dealing with a Lone Wolf Player in D&D and Business

We all know that in both Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and the workplace, teamwork is essential for success. However, every group occasionally encounters a lone wolf—an individual who prefers to act independently rather than collaborate with the team. While independence can be a valuable trait in certain situations, a lone wolf’s behavior can be detrimental when it disrupts group cohesion, communication, and shared objectives. If left unchecked, a lone wolf can cause irreparable damage to a business or group.

What Is a Lone Wolf and Why Is It Detrimental?

A lone wolf is a player or employee who operates primarily on their own, often avoiding teamwork, disregarding group plans, and making decisions without consulting others. In D&D, this could be a character sneaking off to loot treasure without the party, or a player who constantly ignores group discussions in favor of their own agenda. In business, a lone wolf might be an employee who works in isolation, hoards information, doesn’t follow process or fails to engage in team projects.

Often individually a lone wolf can be successful. For example make great sales, or make a great in game fighter. However, their unwillingness to collaborate can cause significant issues, including:

  • Lack of synergy: The group is forced to work around the individual rather than integrating them into team efforts.
  • Poor communication: Important details are missed because the lone wolf operates separately.
  • Reduced trust: Team members may feel frustrated or disconnected when the individual ignores their input.
  • Lower efficiency: The group wastes time resolving conflicts instead of focusing on their shared goals.

Strategies for Dealing with a Lone Wolf in D&D

As a Dungeon Master, your goal is to balance individual player agency with team cohesion. Here are some ways to handle a lone wolf player effectively:

  1. Understand Their Motivation – Talk to the player to understand why they prefer to work alone. Are they roleplaying a specific character concept, or do they simply dislike group decision-making?
  2. Encourage Group Decision-Making – Implement moments where cooperation is necessary, such as puzzles, multi-step combat strategies, or social encounters requiring group input.
  3. Use Narrative Consequences – If the lone wolf consistently acts against the party’s interests, have the world react accordingly. NPCs may become untrusting, or the character may face in-game consequences for their isolationist behavior.
  4. Set Clear Expectations – Before the game, establish that D&D is a cooperative experience and that all players should engage with the group’s decisions.

Strategies for Dealing with a Lone Wolf in Business

Managing a lone wolf employee requires a balance of respecting their independence while ensuring they contribute to the team’s success. Here’s how leaders can address this behavior:

  1. Identify the Root Cause – Is the employee avoiding teamwork due to a lack of trust, unclear expectations, or personal preference? Understanding their reasoning helps tailor your approach.
  2. Encourage Open Communication – Lone wolves may not realize how their actions impact the team. Provide regular feedback and encourage dialogue to align them with team goals.
  3. Assign Team-Oriented Tasks – Give them projects that require collaboration, emphasizing shared success over individual achievement.
  4. Create Accountability – Ensure that responsibilities are clearly defined and that the lone wolf must provide updates and integrate their work with the team’s efforts.

Final Thoughts

While implementing the strategies above should bring a lone wolf around to integrating more with the team, there will be instances where they will refuse to do so. If this is the case and their behavior is having a detrimental impact on the team then you should seriously consider asking them to leave the gaming group. Or, in the case of a workplace begin enacting performance management. However, DMs and leaders alike can turn a lone wolf into a valuable team player. Whether in fantasy or the workplace, the best adventures—and successes—are built on cooperation.