One-on-one games

[Asmor]

Hey everyone, I've got a question about one-on-one games. What's your experience with them?

I'm interested in running one with my fiancée, because we're both jonesing to play and it would give me a chance to practice my DMing in an environment where I'm not too worried about making a good impression.

However... I just feel really weird! Just the thought of my sitting at a table with one other person makes me feel... uneasy. It just feels weird. And this isn't just with anybody, this is with the love of my life, with whom I am very very comfortable (for example, if I pass gas near her, rather than be ashamed, I fully invite her to breathe deeply my aromas! She claims not to like it, but I know that deep down she appreciates that I'm so comfortable around her )

So... have you all got any advice on how I might get a bit more comfortable with this, as well as any advice on situations unique to a one-on-one game?

 

[jdrakeh]

In my experience, running a 1-on-1 game is just like running any other game, except that there is only one protagonist. In that respect, I tend to find runnning 1-on-1 games to be less of a chore than running a full-blown 'party' adventure. The only situations that seem to be truly unique to a 1-on-1 adventure hinge on balancing encounters - remember that what would challenge a typical party of PCs will typically kill a single PC dead.

 

[Zander]

Hey everyone, I've got a question about one-on-one games. What's your experience with them?

I'm interested in running one with my fiancée... However... I just feel really weird! Just the thought of my sitting at a table with one other person makes me feel... uneasy. It just feels weird.

I've DMed one person before and I know what you mean about it feeling awkward. To give the game legitimacy, use a published scenario such as one from Dungeon. You'll need to scale it down of course.

You may also want to introduce an NPC party member - a character with low INT (and therefore one that doesn't have many ideas) but with magical healing is a good choice.

If your fiancee is new to RPGs, you should go easy on her and fudge rolls whenever necessary to keep her PC alive. Even if she's an experienced gamer, you'll probably want to make things fairly easy.

Hope that helps.

 

[Bagpuss]

You tend to get through more in one-on-one games since there is less dicussion about what path to take, tactics, etc. So plan ahead. If they aren't taking levels in Cleric then consider sending an NPC cleric with them, also allows for some interaction. Failiing that play Iron Heroes wear a divine healer isn't a requirement, or provide a large stash of cure potions.

 

[Xath]

My boyfriend and I play quite a few one on one games, for a few reasons.

1. Our group doesn't meet very regularly and we're D&D junkies. With our 1on1, we could play every day if we wanted to.
2. He DM's the group game we're in. We've had experiences before where the SO of the DM has had an advantage over the rest of the group in being able to talk to the DM in down time and figure out what's going on in the game. We play our 1 on 1 to avoid that sort of problem and to keep things equal amongst the players of the group campaign.

 

[birdchili]

A few things:

One on one lets you use really focused "thief" adventures that are more complicated to run in a mixed party. Running a PC that's evil or otherwise anti-social is also a lot simpler.

The biggest thing I found dming a single player is how *much* material you can cover in a session. Without the bickering and planning that goes with a bunch of players, actions are taken quickly and you can just fly through material.

Bad decisions are also more likely to go unchecked when decisions are made rapidly, and without anyone else acting as a sounding board. More clues will also go unnoticed.

I'd resist the urge to have the player control more than one PC. In my experience this is less fun.

 

[Asmor]

There's some great advice in here, thanks guys. Still a little unsure about the whole thing... but I guess every new thing is hard at first.

 

[Crothian]

Okay, at first its going to seem wierd. But you know what? Gaming for the first time can also feel weird. Once you get into the game be that into the tactical part of the role playing, or whatever, that wierdness goes away.

Solo games are great as you can focus entirely on one person. I am currently doing the insane World Largest Dungeon Solo and have done years of solo camapgining before this. I like to have plenty of NPCs but not have the PC for a group of them like a normal adventuireing party. I like to keep things a bit more in cities with intrigue and plenty of roleplying oppurtunities, but a few solo dungeon explorations when the character is of a good enough level can really be fun.

 

[JoeBlank]

XRP has a module designed for a single player that sounds pretty cool:

1 on 1 Adventures #1: Gambler's Quest
http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=product&productid=129122

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

I will also throw in my vote for 1 on 1 games. I have run 1 on 1 games with my wife for almost 10 years. The biggest pitfalls for me have been a lack of opinions/decisions and balancing encounters. I also have a player, in my wife, who is a hack-n-slasher and would rather be led through an adventure than do a lot of thinking.

My advice would be to be willing to lead. If the player doesn't come up with the solution to a puzzle, give her a roll to let her character figure it out (or hoke up some other method). Don't be afraid to be generous (here is her chance to play a souped up character without worrying about other players). Death = imprisoned (or rescued at the last second). Keep the campaign alive, even if a fatal blow is landed (rules, bah). You don't even have to roleplay what the character's allies/enemies do while she is out, just skip to the part where she wakes up in Rivendell. Captured? No problem, how about some gladiatorial combat until freedom is earned, or a prison break.

I could probably add more, but I am supposed to be troubleshooting a production problem at work, so I'll let you go with the following: While playing in a group has been fun, it doesn't compare to the enjoyment I've had with a few of my 1 on 1 campaigns...