Descending into the hellish landscape of Avernus is not for the faint of heart. In a well-crafted One Shot adventure, the infernal realm of Avernus offers a thrilling, high-stakes journey through fire, brimstone, and moral ambiguity. Whether you’re an experienced Dungeon Master or a first-time adventurer, a One Shot in Avernus can deliver intense roleplay, brutal combat, and darkly intriguing choices all within a single game session. This unique setting, famously featured in Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus, provides a backdrop where heroes may fall, deals with devils are commonplace, and survival is never guaranteed.
Setting the Stage in Avernus
What is Avernus?
Avernus is the first layer of the Nine Hells in Dungeons & Dragons lore. It’s a war-torn wasteland filled with rivers of lava, demonic war machines, cursed souls, and the lingering stench of corruption. As the front line in the eternal Blood War between demons and devils, it is a place where morality is tested, and power often comes at a price.
For a One Shot, Avernus is perfect it’s hostile, visually dramatic, and full of dangerous factions. Whether your players are chasing an artifact, trying to escape a devilish deal, or simply surviving, the stakes are always high in this infernal domain.
Why Use Avernus for a One Shot?
Unlike extended campaigns, a One Shot offers a compact narrative that can unfold in three to five hours. Avernus naturally supports this structure because its danger and urgency create instant tension. There’s no need to build slow-burn arcs or deep politics the environment itself presents life-or-death situations and choices from the very first scene.
Plot Hooks and Adventure Seeds
Here are a few ideas to inspire your One Shot in Avernus:
- The Infernal Bargain: The party must retrieve a soul coin before a doomed soul is claimed by a pit fiend.
- The Devil’s Race: Characters are coerced into racing infernal war machines across the hellscape to win their freedom.
- The Broken Pact: A powerful devil has gone rogue, and the players must seal a contract to prevent chaos from spilling into the Material Plane.
- The Fallen Fortress: An abandoned fortress in Avernus is rumored to contain relics that could end the Blood War if only someone can reach it first.
Each of these hooks provides instant drama, a ticking clock, and the moral complexity that makes Avernus such a memorable setting.
Designing the One Shot Adventure
Structure and Flow
A successful One Shot typically includes three acts: introduction, conflict, and climax. In Avernus, this structure might look like:
- Act I Arrival in Avernus: The players wake in a blasted wasteland, summoned by accident or pulled into a deal gone wrong.
- Act II The Journey: Traveling across the infernal plains, the party faces moral dilemmas, fiendish ambushes, or cursed terrain.
- Act III The Final Choice: The climax centers around a critical decision fight a devil, betray an ally, or escape at a cost?
Time management is key. Focus on 2-3 impactful encounters and 1-2 intense roleplay moments to keep pacing tight and engaging.
NPCs and Factions
Even in a short adventure, NPCs make the world feel alive. Avernus is home to conniving devils, desperate souls, and demonic horrors. Introduce a few key NPCs:
- Zariax the Soul Broker: A devil who offers help for a price.
- Captain Irwenna: Leader of a lost mortal platoon seeking redemption.
- Screech: A mad kenku who pilots a stolen war machine and knows too much.
These characters can either guide, hinder, or betray the players depending on choices made throughout the session.
Combat and Challenges
Balancing Encounters
Combat in Avernus should feel brutal but winnable. Consider environmental hazards like rivers of fire, infernal storms, or cursed zones that amplify magic unpredictably. Enemies may include:
- Bearded devils (great for low to mid-level threats)
- Hell hounds that chase players across rocky ridges
- Infernal constructs or possessed war machines
- Succubi/incubi with charm-based abilities that disrupt teamwork
Use legendary actions sparingly but effectively to create an unforgettable boss fight, especially if facing a named devil or powerful fiend.
Non-Combat Obstacles
Avernus isn’t only about fighting. Non-combat encounters can include:
- Moral Dilemmas: Save a soul from a soul coin or use it to fuel the party’s survival?
- Devilish Contracts: Negotiate with a devil who always keeps their word but twists its meaning.
- Hazardous Terrain: Crossing a bridge of bones while fending off psychic whispers.
These moments deepen roleplay and add emotional weight to the adventure.
Integrating Themes and Tone
Grit, Greed, and Redemption
The tone of an Avernus One Shot should be grim but not hopeless. Characters are constantly tempted with power, revenge, or escape at a price. Encourage players to roleplay their character’s weaknesses and desires. Maybe a paladin considers sacrificing a prisoner for a shortcut, or a warlock wonders whether to pledge their soul in exchange for strength.
Visual and Sensory Description
Help players immerse themselves with vivid details:
- The red sky rumbles with thunder that sounds like screaming.
- The ground is cracked and scorched, bones of ancient titans littering the wastes.
- The scent of sulfur chokes the air, and everywhere, chains seem to move with a mind of their own.
Even without props or maps, good narration builds atmosphere and tension.
Wrapping Up the One Shot
Final Confrontation
The climax should test everything the players have experienced combat, trust, temptation. Maybe they face a devil to earn their freedom, or choose between saving an NPC and escaping with their lives. This final moment should give each player a chance to shine and feel the impact of their choices.
Possible Endings
- Heroic Escape: The party escapes Avernus, changed by the experience.
- Tragic Ending: Someone is left behind or consumed by their choices.
- New Bargain: The players strike a deal to survive at the cost of another soul.
Allow for open-ended conclusions if the players want to return to Avernus in future sessions.
A One Shot in Avernus is more than just a quick game it’s a story of survival, temptation, and consequences in a hostile infernal world. With strong themes, compact storytelling, and intense encounters, it can deliver one of the most memorable gaming experiences at your table. Whether you’re guiding heroes through the heat of hell or watching them make impossible choices, Avernus offers the perfect setting for unforgettable one-night adventures.