Running for a Solo Player

[Zephyrus]

For the last few months I've had very little enthusiasm for running D&D and the primary reason why is that my group at best consists of 3 people and now since once of them got a different job their almost never available anymore as they work weekends most of the time now. The other remaining player happens to also be my roommate, is unemployed and is getting cabin fever as it were and suffering gaming withdrawl on top of that. This is resulting in him becoming more and more agressive in wanting to play D&D that its starting to drive me nuts.

The point of this is that I'm thinking of running a game with his char and a GM-PC and I'm at a loss for how to gear up a good adventure and campaign that wont fall appart like previous small party games have resulted in. I'm great at running module games, my players hardly ever if at all notice when I change things from RAW and I'm usually able to create enough of a dramatic aura that they dont care even if they do notice. But w/o a module I tend to fall apart as a GM as my style is usally too off the cuff that I revert into a 'what monster should I throw at them this time' and the story suffers often greatly.

So what I'm asking (if you stuck with me this long) is... what can I do to make an interesting 2 character (1 PC + GM-PC) campaign. Most of my attempts without a Module fail before 4th level. I'm seriously trying to come up with a campaign that can be challenging and interesting at least up till 10th level. So can anyone help me?

A little background on the person and likly character they will use. They tend to be semi-often agressive fighter type characters with a leaning twords finesse though if he can get finesse and brute power he's all the more happy. So I was thinking of having him use a Swashbuckler (he is not opposed to creating his character, I'm great at character design) and likly will take the feat that allows Dex to Damage (I think this was in a Dragon Magazine) so he would be completly a Dex based combatant. The GM-PC I Was thinking of making was that of a Bard specializing in Bardic music feats (Dragonsong, Song of the Heart, Haunting Melody, etc...) to act as a support character and provide healing. That and a Bard and a Swashbuckler would complement each other conceptabually as well.

I've got almost all the 3.5 sourcebooks as dispite not playing much I want to maintain a collection. I was considering possible a stormwrack game as having the character eventaully command a ship would have some apeal to him (and to a degree, me as well.. the idea of drawing of a custom ship floor plan is kinda cool to me). Running this in Eberron is okay as well but not required. I just want it to be fun and interesting but also be able to maintain the pace of an adventure without it falling appart of me.

Idea's anyone?

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

I'm in nearly the exact same situation. I've recently become rather burned out on gaming, but at the same time, my wife has become more interested. So, to compromise, I'm going to run a a game where she plays the main PC and I'll play a DM ran PC.

Here is the problem though, since I'm burned out, I'd rather run a module instead of a adventure I have to write myself. This has positives and negatives. The positive is that I don't have to do much prep work. This is good because, as I've said, I need a little break from gaming. I still love gaming though, so this will allow me to play, and yet require little prep work. This seems to be the best of both worlds.

On the negative side, D&D is designed in such a way that pre-written modules don't work unless you have a fighter-type, a rogue-type, a arcane caster-type, and a cleric-type character. So what am I going to do?

My current plan is to run her through the Sunless Citadel. We'll start at 2nd level, and we'll be using the Gestalt rules from Unearthed Arcana. She'll be playing a Human Rogue/Wizard and I'll be playing a Huamn Fighter/Favored Soul. 42 point buy stats. Hopefully, since our characters will be so powerful, they'll be able to survive adventures written for a group of four characters one level lower than they are.

We'll see...

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I've done plenty of extended campaigns with a similar set-up. With only one player, that person needs to be equally as committed to keeping the game going.

The Swashbuckler + Bard "sidekick" sounds like a good combo. I would recommend sitting down with the player to have a long discussion about the campaign, and both what he wants out of it and what you want.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

This is no problem! This is an opportunity!

You have a wonderful chance to DM a game where the player really is the hero. Normally, you have to deal with several players. So if you make one guy the descendant of some magical bloodline, everyone else wants in on the fun.

So load this dude up on powers and other such things. Get nuts. Maybe give him an extra ability every odd-numbered level. Overuse heroic cliches like starting him out with amneisa in a world where some evil doer wants him dead for the PC is a scion of prophecy! What's to lose? Game balance? There is no need for game balance with just one guy! Take your favorite video game that he's never played and toss him into it. Or maybe a novel or movie. This can be a lot of fun.

Happy gaming!

 

[Zephyrus]

Here is the problem though, since I'm burned out, I'd rather run a module instead of a adventure I have to write myself.

I'm starting to feel the burn as well which I might should have mentioned before. You point out exactly what I'm afraid of. To run a module means the characters need to be multi-talented. I dont want to have to invest alot of energy into the sidekick character need only make checks now and then when needed. Is useful but not a foreground character.

I've done plenty of extended campaigns with a similar set-up. With only one player, that person needs to be equally as committed to keeping the game going.

The Swashbuckler + Bard "sidekick" sounds like a good combo. I would recommend sitting down with the player to have a long discussion about the campaign, and both what he wants out of it and what you want.

This is also partly the reason why I am petitioning ENWorld for help. We already talk about alot of stuff to the point that we're doing more harm than good. I know he'll want to keep the game going. He's desperate. that too is part of the problem. He wants to play and prolly would be happy with almost anything I came up with.

So load this dude up on powers and other such things. Get nuts.

Sadly if I do this I'll have killed the campaign before it even got off the ground. I tend to build fairly powerful characters from the get go without having to resort to extra bonus stuff. For me and this player this is the wrong approach as its destroyed a couple of games before they barely got out of the starting gate already.

 

[Elminster's Son]

Well the first thing I'd do is talk to him and see what kind of character said person wants to play. Is he going to be a pirate? Captain of a Nation's vessel? Freelancer? Mercenary? Etc.

Big Ship? Little Ship? Medium Ship?

Also, what level are you guys gonna be starting at? Something like this, I'm thinking 4th or 5th level?

Once you figure all that out, you can go through the various Monster Manuals and bookmark the aquatic enemies as a start (especially if you're going to do the whole aspect of 'What am I gonna throw at 'em this time?' angle).

And aren't there like 50 or 100 adventure ideas in the Stormwrack book?

~~~~~~~~~~~

Maybe it would help if I knew the specifics.

What level are you going to be starting at?
Any variant rules?
Is he going to be working for the Half-Elves in Eberron?
Is he going to have his own ship?
Are you going to be using the Gestalt rules from Unearthed Arcana?
Do you intend on dropping him into the Last War? IE near the end of it?

 

[Herobizkit]

Having run (and currently running) numerous solo campaigns, I have a few tips for you.

The campaign, obviously, will have to be hero-centric. Plot-wise, everything should revolve around your central PC. Don't waste your time on epic adventures or far-arching plots that require a flowchart to keep track of. Think more episodic, and link the episodes together (or not) like a TV series.

If you plan on keeping the party to two, and one is a Bard and one is a Fighter, consider that your fighter has a few obvious weaknesses. Keep the fights small. Use lots of mooks (ie guys that die in one hit regardless of damage). Make the titanic clashes one-on-one or two-on-two.

It might also be a good idea to keep the campaign small. Keep it in one city, or a chain of small islands, or a small barony perhaps. Be sure to make the hero a local celebrity... people (both friends and foes) will hear of his exploits and react accordingly. Watch a few episodes of Hercules or Xena and you'll see what I mean.

Lastly, consider using this alternate character creation method. It essentially allows a character to advance in two classes at once by combining their strong points into a gestalt class. Very very nice rule for solo campaigns.

 

[Zephyrus]

Gestalt has already been brought up and I dont really want to do that. I can build sick enough characters without making them Gestalt, I'll only give myself a heart attack instead of the occational heart murmur that occures with what I can do without the gestalt character rules *smirkgrins*.

I am for the moment thinking 'not eberron' but I its okay to be eberron like. As for varient rules I suspect I'll be sticking to the standard rules except I often use Weapon Groups and flaws but I'm thinking I will core without much in the way of varient rules this time around. I might use weapon groups but I'm thinking I'm gonna stay away from Flaws this time.

As far as ship size. I'm not sure, that often is a reflection on how powerful the character is. I am thinking of maybe running a few adventures from 2nd level to get the characters up to 4-5th and then have him encounter the Sable Drake and as a means of him aquiring the Priate Brig as his own ship and using whatever rewards to help fix it up, outfit it and stuff like that. but that alone doesnt make an campaign.

I am thinking that he might become either a Scarlet Coursair or Legendary Captain (i'm considering allowing the Insightful Strike of the Swashbuckler to count as 1d6 of sneak attack to allow a straight swashbuckler to qualify). Both of these could possible take the game in different directions however. As I said, its not so much a matter of what he wants. I know he'll prolly be happy with just about anything right now. What I want is something I can carry along and make into a full campaign adventure (even if episodic) and not fizzle after a few sessions.

BTW-Elminster's Son - Bruce Says "Hi", Yes, I'm the Evil Genius Rat Bastard DM that he cant decide is a good or bad idea for us to put our heads together or not.

 

[Elminster's Son]

*Grins evilly as I rub my hands together briskly.* Lemme get back to you on this. Though it is too bad you don't want to do Gestalt characters. I could have seen his Anti-hero being a Swashbuckler/Warmage.

Tell him that the torture will begin shortly. And that I need Hanin's portfolio by December 20th.

 

[Nifft]

I highgly recommend one near full level sidekick, especially a Bard, and a couple lower-level mooks.

Your adventures will be more "character-driven" -- most of your more interesting adventures & plot twists should come from the backgrounds of the NPCs.

It's fun.

-- N