D&D 3E/3.5 Level Adjustments and Balance in a Solo 3.5 Game

[Fairytale]

Hey there. I'm just looking for a few opinions and a bit of advice really. I'm running a solo game where the PC, Draknar, has begun play as a half-dragon human rogue 1. The level adjustment for a half-dragon template is +3 so Draknar's effective character level is 4. His AC is high at 20, due to his +4 natural armour, he has natural bite and claw attacks and once per day he can breath a 60-foot line of lightning. This guy has a lot of power...but he only has 7hp. One lucky strike from a goblin and he's down. Knowing he'd be easily taken down by a couple of stray natural 20's I allowed him to travel with a level 4 cleric with no fighting ability, simply as a means of keeping him from falling too fast, before he has the chance to level up and gain some more hp.

Because of the level adjustment Draknar won't reach level 2 until he's accumulated 10,000 XP...thats a lot of natural 20's to avoid! He's about a third of the way to levelling up and I've had to fudge the rolls a couple of times, which I hate doing, just because it would suck to let him be taken out by a lone orc with a javelin.

Any suggestions on how I can keep him alive? Should I have him find a magic item to boost his AC to a considerable ammount or perhaps give him an extra HD? I don't really want to break the rules, I'll bend them to a degree but without the rules in place he'll just start to feel invincible which will lessen the fun for both of us. I've had a 4th level sorcerer join him for some firepower and I'm planning to have him meet up with a paladin in the next adventure. Will this be enough to keep him alive? And even so I'd have liked for him to be able to spend the majority of his adventures alone. Do the rules just not accommodate single adventurer gameplay?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[GreyLord]

Hey there. I'm just looking for a few opinions and a bit of advice really. I'm running a solo game where the PC, Draknar, has begun play as a half-dragon human rogue 1. The level adjustment for a half-dragon template is +3 so Draknar's effective character level is 4. His AC is high at 20, due to his +4 natural armour, he has natural bite and claw attacks and once per day he can breath a 60-foot line of lightning. This guy has a lot of power...but he only has 7hp. One lucky strike from a goblin and he's down. Knowing he'd be easily taken down by a couple of stray natural 20's I allowed him to travel with a level 4 cleric with no fighting ability, simply as a means of keeping him from falling too fast, before he has the chance to level up and gain some more hp.

Because of the level adjustment Draknar won't reach level 2 until he's accumulated 10,000 XP...thats a lot of natural 20's to avoid! He's about a third of the way to levelling up and I've had to fudge the rolls a couple of times, which I hate doing, just because it would suck to let him be taken out by a lone orc with a javelin.

Any suggestions on how I can keep him alive? Should I have him find a magic item to boost his AC to a considerable ammount or perhaps give him an extra HD? I don't really want to break the rules, I'll bend them to a degree but without the rules in place he'll just start to feel invincible which will lessen the fun for both of us. I've had a 4th level sorcerer join him for some firepower and I'm planning to have him meet up with a paladin in the next adventure. Will this be enough to keep him alive? And even so I'd have liked for him to be able to spend the majority of his adventures alone. Do the rules just not accommodate single adventurer gameplay?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

How attached to his character is he?

If very, perhaps continue to pit him against low level creatures below the CR he'd normally face. Remember as well...1 CR is for a Creature that would challenge a PARTY of at least 4 characters. So if he's truly the only one in the party...a 1 CR creature is more like a 3 CR creature for him. That means a one hit to kill him may be about right.

However if he's really attached to the character...maybe pit him against weaker foes like Orcs, kobolds, skeletons and the like, just like you would with a 1st level party. If they hit him, they take the chances. If you really are concerned you could do a two hit fudge...aka...if any creature hits him on the first hit with enough damage to kill him, he is instead reduced to 1 HP. The next hit WILL reduce him to under 0.

If you have that cleric there to utilize heal and healing on him, you could perhaps just use the cleric to bring him back and continue the battle as long as the cleric and he don't get hit whilst the cleric is healing.

If he's not as attached to the character...keep low level creatures at him still (Remember the CR thing...so one or two orcs is going to be right up his alley) but don't do any fudging. If he dies...well so goes the early adventurer's life.

 

[Angrydad]

I'll second Greylord's sentiments. If Draknar is indeed the only character, just have him count as whatever his class levels are instead of his LA. While Draknar does have some power as a half-dragon, he is exceedingly squishy, so kobolds, orcs, etc. are a good way to go.

 

[skyth]

One thing to consider also is that he starts with 6,000 xp not 0 xp as he starts as a 4th level character and he should start with equivalent equipment to a 4th level character.

 

[krupintupple]

unfortunately, he's almost worse off than a glass-cannon, as at least glass has some tensile resilience: he's more like a pudding-cannon.

my honest suggestion? make him a draconic human rogue 3. the LA is reduced to +1 due to draconic, and rogue 3 should have FAR more survivability. yes, he won't be as 'dragon-y' as a half-dragon, but then maybe let him team up with a like-minded dragon shaman, or dragonfire adept, etc. maybe this buddy is a little older and wiser, and can offer information, at times when you'd like to slide a hint along. this can be great for a new player, especially when you can have the slightly-older-sidekick remark "...hmm, that bridge definitely looks too rickety, and probably a great location for an ambush. how about you try sneaking around the back, and seeing what's there, while i guard the front door?"

also, since it's a solo game, let him keep the breath weapon, as a once-a-day perk of his former heritage. you can say this is fair, because he's on his own and really, doing 25 or so damage to one encounter, once per day is really just a "I win" button to make him feel special, and or cool, but not really completely trainwreck the game.

 

[Herobizkit]

Non-lethal damage.

He doesn't have to pull punches. But because he's SO TOUGH, all of the damage he suffers is non-lethal. If he gets knocked out, he gets knocked out. He loses some coin and he's back in the fight a few turns later.

He may also want to start collecting friends. Sneak attack doesn't work that well alone unless his initiative count is through the roof.

Lastly, since it's just him, you may want to consider allowing him the Gestalt rules from the Unearthed Arcana. Basically, take two classes, take the better mechanical advantages between the two and all abilities, and poof, uber-character. He could choose to take Fighter, say, and get d10 HP, all martial weapon proficiencies and bonus feats as per warrior, PLUS all the good stuff the Rogue gets. Or take Cleric and get his own healin' spells... especially if you allow lesser vigor spells.

 

[skyth]

With his higher level, he should have the cash to purchase some pets (War dogs or similar) to give him a better chance as well.

 

[Fairytale]

Thanks guys, great advice. But what are war dogs?

 

[skyth]

Dogs trained to fight.

 

[Fairytale]

Oh right, I thought it was some special dnd thing. Good idea anyway.