What is a Bounty?
Bounties are Learn to Play One-Shots or custom games that players have requested to run at a specific time.
How do I submit a Bounty as a player?
Players can request a Learn to Play One-Shot for a specific game system, which are expected to help them learn the basics of a system and take a short amount of time.
You can also request custom bounties, where you are asking for specific game systems, themes, or VTTs to use. Under My Games on your profile, travel to the Bounties tab, and you can Submit a Bounty:
You get to choose when the campaign or one-shot would be scheduled, and for how long:
You let the GM know how many will be in the party, whether this is a private event (such as someone requesting a GM for their current established party or perhaps a birthday game). The minimum cost per player changes based on how many people will be in the party:
You'll input your experience level, and give a description of what you are looking for in a custom bounty:
Once the bounty is submitted, it will be available for GMs to accept. You'll get a confirmation email that your Bounty was submitted, and also when a GM has claimed your Bounty:
From there, you can review the proposals and choose which one you want to play!
Who has access to the Bounty Board?
Any player can submit a Bounty request!
Only Game Masters with Top GM Status or Rising GM Status are eligible to accept requests on the Bounty Board. If chosen, you will now have access to the Bounty Board tab. Qualifications and benefits of those statuses can be found here.
To access the Bounty Board, you must have an approved Starter Set Template. Ensure your Starter Set Template is submitted and approved to gain access.
Standard Templates cannot be used to claim bounties, even if they are approved for the game system.
GMs who are not eligible for Bounty Board will not see the Bounty Board tab. Common access issues include losing access after claiming bounties due to bounty denial or release, or technical timeouts caused by managing bounties across multiple tabs or windows.
Bounty Board Games
To run a Bounty Board game, you will need to make a Starter Set template.
Starter Set templates restrict certain sections with pre-filled information. This helps us keep the player experiences consistent across games. A key limitation to highlight is that the game systems for these templates cannot be modified once selected, emphasizing the importance of choosing the correct system during setup. If you select the wrong game system during template creation, you will need to create a new template with the correct system.
Setting Up Your Starter Set Template
To set up a Starter Set adventure that is streamlined and effective:
Focus on a specific one-shot adventure. Ensure it is self-contained and can be completed within the allotted session, keeping the experience concise and engaging.
Carefully select the game system during the initial setup to align with your planned adventure; this is a critical step as it cannot be changed later.
The pre-filled sections are as follows:
Format - One-Shot
Session Duration - 2 Hours
Player Age Range - 18+
Experience Required - Beginner
Session Cost - $20
Equipment - Internet, Computer, and Microphone
Safety Tools - Deck of Player Safety
Character Creation - "(GM's Name) will provide pre-made character sheets for you to choose from after you sign up or at the start of the game."
Safety Tools
The Deck of Player Safety is required for all Bounty Board games. However, you can also add on other Safety Tools you like to use (Stars & Wishes, XNO Cards, etc.)
All Learn to Play Bounty Board games are required to comply with this standardized format.
Custom Games will have an option to Bid on them. Learn to Play Games will have the option to Claim them.
How to Claim a Learn to Play Bounty
Go to the Bounty Board
Find a bounty on a day and time that works for you
Click Claim
Fill out the Claim Bounty form within 5 minutes
Click Claim
Standardized Adventures
Just like Starter Set templates have pre-filled selections, your Adventures will too.
Minimum Number of Players - 1
Maximum Number of Players - 6
Game Styles - Your choice of Combat Heavy, Dungeon Crawl, Roleplay Heavy, Rule of Cool, Rules as Written, or Theater of the Mind.
Other Game Style tags not in this list will not be listed as options.
How to Bid on a Custom Bounty
Go to the Bounty Board
Find a bounty on a day and time that works for you
Click Bid
Fill out the Bounty Bid form within 5 minutes
Hit Save
The player will review all submissions. If your bid is chosen, you'll be notified of the booking and be able to message the player like a normal game.
Additional Questions
Can I include a multi-session campaign in a Starter Set Template?
No, Starter Set Templates are specifically designed for one-shot adventures.
What happens if I choose the wrong game system?
If you select the wrong game system during template creation, you will need to create a new template with the correct system. Templates cannot be edited to change the game system after creation.
Can I reuse a Starter Set Template for different one-shots?
Yes, you can reuse a template as long as the one-shot adventure aligns with the game system and setup of the template.
What Level Should Characters Be?
Pre-generated characters should be anywhere from Level 1-5. We don’t want to over complicate their game with too many abilities and stat blocks!
What Adventure Should I Run?
You can run any adventure you want, as long as it is beginner friendly. If you need a starting place, we recommend checking out these D&D resources as inspiration for quick, beginner friendly adventures:
Pre-Written Adventures
Note: One Shot Wonders has Adventures for Levels 1-20
Resources for Creating Adventures
Biggest Advice: Keep it Simple!
The entire session runs 2 hours, including your intros and closing the game. You'll also be answering questions from beginners (there's a lot to look at on that character sheet!), so keep it simple for you and your players.
Give them a taste of the fundamentals (exploration, social interaction, and combat), but don’t get too in the weeds.