D&D 5E One-on-one adventuring in 5e

[Sunseeker]

Given how swingy I've seen encounters get at even odds (ie: equal numbers of monsters and PCs) with parties of 4 or more, that's a little surprising. I suppose if you're one or two PCs, mostly facing single monsters, the possibility of 'focus fire' from the opposition is, at least, no longer a factor...

I think it becomes a bigger issue when you reach "normal party" size. Each mob putting out ~1d8+/-1 with a 60-75% chance to hit against a player can take out most characters fairly quickly, assuming they're coordinated enough to do so. My player and I go up against anywhere from 2-5 foes, depending on the CR.

Actual fights in the game are a little more tangential than an expected sort of thing. There's a lot of sneaking and role-play and opportunities to resolve situations without starting a fight. I also rarely run foes, even in my full-party games, where the enemies are intelligent enough to focus fire. Those are seriously dangerous fights. Healer>Mage/DPS>tank. Ignore taunts and dogpile the squishies. I usually win those fights.