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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6431239" data-attributes="member: 4937"><p>You no longer have to worry about balancing the spotlight or the goals of multiple players. This means your game can become as one dimensional as the player wants. Lots of low melodrama that is otherwise only spottily available at the table becomes something you can reasonably do all the time. Things that advance building relationships between the NPCs and the PC which don't otherwise advance the story become perfectly acceptable if the player is inclined to character exploration or thespianism. Suddenly, shopping for gear and getting to know a local merchant can be meaningful RP.</p><p> </p><p>Keep in mind that not only is the character about 1/4 as powerful as a party, but they are much more likely to enter into death spirals of suck. In a party, if you go unconscious or fail a save, someone is probably there to get you out of it. Solo, you're helpless. In my experience, about 90% of all deaths in my games have occurred when the party separated. Well, this is a party that has that weakness all the time. So ramp the challenge level of combat way down, for anything less than pun-pun. I don't think you have to boost the PC necessarily, but in D&D terms keep in mind that 1 kobold warrior is a reasonable encounter for a 1st level PC solo and 1 alert well armed orc is probably way too likely to go wrong. You are better off with things like 3 rats, 1 diminutive scorpion, a skeletal dog, etc. Even at higher levels, be conservative about what you are throwing your protagonist's way. CR-2 is a potentially tough boss fight. CR-3 can still be a challenge. Remember, the PC is one bad critical, one bad pull, or one failed saving throw from facing death in pretty much every fight. Also remember that the CR's in a game like D&D are based on the assumption that you have a balanced party capable of attacking the monsters Achilles heel. Undead CR should be treated as boosted if the solo player isn't a cleric. Anything that is countered by simple magic, has boosted CR if the PC lacks it. Anything that is immune to magic, has boosted CR if the PC depends on it.</p><p></p><p>Stealth, evasion, and negotiation are far more interesting options solo than straight up combat. Encourage them rather than the opposite. </p><p></p><p>Also keep in mind DM options to fail forward are much fairer and more universally reasonable when applied to a solo game. Instead of killing the PC, consider having them imprisoned or sold into slavery or suffering obscure deaths or deus ex machina from powerful spirits that intervene for their own motives. You don't have to worry about playing favorites or justifying this to the audience. You've got an audience of one.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 6431239, member: 4937"] You no longer have to worry about balancing the spotlight or the goals of multiple players. This means your game can become as one dimensional as the player wants. Lots of low melodrama that is otherwise only spottily available at the table becomes something you can reasonably do all the time. Things that advance building relationships between the NPCs and the PC which don't otherwise advance the story become perfectly acceptable if the player is inclined to character exploration or thespianism. Suddenly, shopping for gear and getting to know a local merchant can be meaningful RP. Keep in mind that not only is the character about 1/4 as powerful as a party, but they are much more likely to enter into death spirals of suck. In a party, if you go unconscious or fail a save, someone is probably there to get you out of it. Solo, you're helpless. In my experience, about 90% of all deaths in my games have occurred when the party separated. Well, this is a party that has that weakness all the time. So ramp the challenge level of combat way down, for anything less than pun-pun. I don't think you have to boost the PC necessarily, but in D&D terms keep in mind that 1 kobold warrior is a reasonable encounter for a 1st level PC solo and 1 alert well armed orc is probably way too likely to go wrong. You are better off with things like 3 rats, 1 diminutive scorpion, a skeletal dog, etc. Even at higher levels, be conservative about what you are throwing your protagonist's way. CR-2 is a potentially tough boss fight. CR-3 can still be a challenge. Remember, the PC is one bad critical, one bad pull, or one failed saving throw from facing death in pretty much every fight. Also remember that the CR's in a game like D&D are based on the assumption that you have a balanced party capable of attacking the monsters Achilles heel. Undead CR should be treated as boosted if the solo player isn't a cleric. Anything that is countered by simple magic, has boosted CR if the PC lacks it. Anything that is immune to magic, has boosted CR if the PC depends on it. Stealth, evasion, and negotiation are far more interesting options solo than straight up combat. Encourage them rather than the opposite. Also keep in mind DM options to fail forward are much fairer and more universally reasonable when applied to a solo game. Instead of killing the PC, consider having them imprisoned or sold into slavery or suffering obscure deaths or deus ex machina from powerful spirits that intervene for their own motives. You don't have to worry about playing favorites or justifying this to the audience. You've got an audience of one. [/QUOTE]
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