Gaming Brouhaha

Twice a year, we have a “game day” at the after-school club I run in which we get together on a Sunday and I run a game for everyone.  This is a big deal because we play for ~7 hours straight, instead of our typical 2-hour weekly sessions.   My original plan was to run a 4th edition one-shot game that would serve as the prequel to the a mini-campaign I have planned for the spring.  Unfortunately, due to last minute conflicts and at least one case of H1N1, the original six players (3 of which will be playing in the spring mini-campaign) has dropped to four (of which only one will be in the mini-campaign) and that kind of torpedoes the whole idea.  While I could still run what I had planned with just four players, it’s not really designed to be a true one-shot since it’s supposed to end on a kind of cliffhanger which would leave the players wanting more in the spring.  Which leaves me wondering what the heck I can do on Sunday with very limit prep time and not a whole lot of inspiration at the moment.

Of course I have a whole shelf full of great games, old and new, which is part of the problem – almost everything seems like a good idea but nothing has jumped right out and bit me.  I do have a few limitations:

• The game has to work for 4 or maybe 5 players.
• It needs to be easy to learn since I don’t want to spend two hours explaining the rules.
• It needs to be a self-contained, one-shot type game which can fill about 7 hours of gaming time.
• It needs to be appropriate and appeal for 16-18 year-old players.

Here’s what I’m considering:

1. Running an old D&D module using Labyrinth Lord – the advantages here is that there’s not a lot of prep, the rules are easy, and it’s something that they would probably like. The disadvantages is that most old modules are either low roleplay/high kill stuff and none of the adventures is really jumping out at me as a fun one-shot at the moment.
2. Run Dread – the advantage is that the mechanics are easy and can be very deep/intense storywise.   I think they might really like the Jenga mechanic. The disadvantage is that it’s possible for someone to die off very early in the day and that potentially means sitting on the sidelines (or adopting a new character) which isn’t ideal.  I also have never run it before which isn’t ideal for a game day situation.
3. Run Trail of Cthulhu – I think they’d really like ToC, especially in “pulp” mode.  I also have the Stunning Eldritch Tales book which means I have a set of ready-made scenarios.  The only down side is that I’ve not found the time to read the entire rulebook which means I would need to do so in a big hurry.
4. Run something using PDQ – I could run something using the Kidz or S7S rules but the kids like a bit more granularity to their games so I’m not sure how well it will go over.
5. Dogs in the Vineyard – guaranteed to be interesting and probably the one that requires the least prep.

So, what would you run if you were in my place?

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