How best to run 2 PCs through the official modules? KOTS etc

[Silverblade The Ench]

thnaks folks
hm will see.
oh very little chance of more players, alas.

 

[Nytmare]

I've been running my son through his first game. It's KOTS and he has one character and I run an NPC. I'm still trying to find the right balance, but I've been doing roughly half the listed encounter (which is what, 5 characters?) and then doing half hitpoints for the monsters as well. It's not quite right, and I still have to fudge a little here and there, but I think it's close.

If you have two players, I think that having to keep track of an NPC is way more work than retailoring the encounters so that they can handle them.

 

[Dragonblade]

maybe a bit too much...

use real gestalt characters

two classes taken simultaneous, and elite defenses (1Ap per encounter, +2 to defenses and saves)... don´t change monsters...

The problem with that is you are still behind in the number actions per round that you get. This puts a party of two PCs at a huge disadvantage when fighting 5 monsters who can basically attack every PC twice for each attack the PCs get in turn. Even with +2 to defenses, PCs are still going to get hit a lot and will have to spend even more of their precious actions to heal themselves, especially if you keep their HP the same.

My solution solves that issue by allowing the PCs actions to be twice as effective without doubling the number of actions you give them. I avoided doubling the number of actions because that would bog down combat even more and still doesn't address the fact that they would get hit more and take more damage just because they face more enemies. If you want to double actions, you might as well just have each player play two characters. That would be the easiest approach but it didn't seem like the OP liked that option.

Also condition effects are much more devastating in the way they could cripple a party of two much more effectively than a party of four, hence the need for the +5 bonus to saves.