WayOfTheFourElements
Hero
I don't think you need house rules, but I would consider not starting them off at level 2, instead of level 1. They will need the extra hit points.
If you like roleplaying and not just tactics, having 2 PCs is really hard to roleplay. I'd advise against that.
This is such an obvious solution it blows my mind that people don't think of it first. I've been running 1 on 1 games (often with a DMPC but often without) for over 25 years and the answer is ALWAYS "adjust to the group."or do nothing different and just throw fewer/weaker monsters at them
If you like roleplaying and not just tactics, having 2 PCs is really hard to roleplay. I'd advise against that.
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Sidekicks are a decent plan. That is different than a DMPC or a 2nd PC, as the sidekick is definitely a supporting character. Players can control the sidekick 90%+ of the time, and know that they aren't "their character".
Not a bad idea, but in this case it's novice players so it's not an option.I would just let them play 2 PCs each.