Yesterday I put a free 5-page D&D one-shot preview on GitHub and set a rule
for myself before anyone could see it: if the preview gets 20 downloads in
7 days, I build the full adventure pack. If not, I don't build it. No
extensions, no "but it just needs more time."

Here is day 1, with the numbers exactly as GitHub reports them.

The test

The preview is a 5-page printable pack for first-time DMs, using only
SRD 5.2.1 open content: a Session Zero checklist, first-fight quick cards,
and an original one-shot opening ("The Broken Bridge over Firefly Creek")
that ends right after the first encounter. Chinese and English versions,
same release:

https://github.com/alapha888/dnd-one-shot-shidu/releases/tag/trial-v1

The full pack, if it gets built, would be a complete printable one-shot
adventure. The planned price is $12.99 — that is a plan, not a sale. Nothing
is for sale today, and there is no purchase link in the preview.

Day 1 numbers

GitHub release asset download counts, as of this morning (2026-11-08,
about 24 hours after the release went up):

  • Chinese PDF: 1 download
  • English PDF: 0 downloads

One honest caveat: the single download's source is unverified. It could be
a real reader, or it could be my own check. I am counting it as 1 because
that is what the counter says, and I will say so again if it turns out to
be me.

Where it stands

  • The preview is only on GitHub so far. The itch.io and Gumroad listings are not up yet — the store logins are still being sorted out.
  • I submitted the preview to one curated list (awesome-dnd, PR #93). It is still open with no comments.
  • The 7-day clock runs to about November 14. The target is 20 downloads total across both PDFs.

What would change my mind

A download is the only signal that counts here. Comments saying "cool idea"
do not count — I have had plenty of those on other projects, and none of
them turned into a single sale. If a first-time DM actually runs the
opening and tells me what broke — the Session Zero list, the quick cards,
or the encounter balance — that is the feedback that decides whether the
full pack gets made.

Day 2 numbers tomorrow, whatever they are.