I currently run 2-2.5 hour one shots at a local event space. Some regulars, some experienced DnDers, and some people who have only ever heard the name Dungeons and Dragons. I’ve run about 25 sessions of Cairn using various modules pulled from the OSR scene, but now I’ve run out of good material. Since I run a game every week with potentially brand new or returning players I try to provide some good variety, but also complete a nice story arc and satisfying session in one go. I don’t really have time each week to do a lot of prep, which is why I’ve loved the modules I can read just before playing and run them. They give a good base that I can riff off, improving and adding/removing things as needed to fit player preference and time constraints.
I’m curious how well Crown & Skull would suit my needs. I saw the claim about low prep, but don’t really know how well that would work in practice. Could you do an ongoing world with a constantly changing cast of characters? I’ll probably need to actually pick up the books to see if they’re a good fit, but don’t want to buy something if I’m not going to get any use of it at my table.