How well does 4e play with just two players? Obviously some of the roles won't be covered. I ask because my daughter wants to learn to play and with my schedule the only other player would be her mother.
Quick Question: Only two players
- Thread starter Doc_Klueless
- Start date
renau1g
First Post
I played with two players before and it was fine. 1 was a wizard, the other a fighter. I ran a Companion character Cleric who used Righteous Brand to help make them look better. The XP budgets must be monitored a little more closely and Solo's are not recommended as they're balanced against a group of 4-6 so they need to have more actions, but against 2 it's very difficult and becomes very grind-y with all its hp.
I'd suggest Controller is the least important to fill, but I ended up using a lot of minions as the group didn't have a striker. The wizard had fun bringing the pain to them and the fighter kept the main foes off of her.
Really focus on PC interaction, with each other and important NPC's. We spent nearly the first four hour session just RP'ing and the party doing some investigation into who'd want to kill one of the NPC's.
I hope this helps
I'd suggest Controller is the least important to fill, but I ended up using a lot of minions as the group didn't have a striker. The wizard had fun bringing the pain to them and the fighter kept the main foes off of her.
Really focus on PC interaction, with each other and important NPC's. We spent nearly the first four hour session just RP'ing and the party doing some investigation into who'd want to kill one of the NPC's.
I hope this helps
sunrisekid
Explorer
For encounter construction I typically have one monster of equal level then four minions; sometimes all minions, but that can backfire if the group is overrun by shifty monsters.
Encounters should include environmental elements that a clever player can use against their foes.
Players are safer playing classes with high defences, but I've run many sessions with only a couple "weaker" classes and we still had fun. But I also fudged numbers and dice when appropriate.
I emphasized more roleplaying and story telling aspects of the game.
Given that there are only two players they will have to rely on each to solve problems (fewer brains for brainstorming) so challenges shouldn't only ever have one correct approach.
my 2 cents,
Encounters should include environmental elements that a clever player can use against their foes.
Players are safer playing classes with high defences, but I've run many sessions with only a couple "weaker" classes and we still had fun. But I also fudged numbers and dice when appropriate.
I emphasized more roleplaying and story telling aspects of the game.
Given that there are only two players they will have to rely on each to solve problems (fewer brains for brainstorming) so challenges shouldn't only ever have one correct approach.
my 2 cents,
Thanks for the helpful replies.
I've been playing D&D and such since around 1980, so I have an idea how to do adventures and stuff. It's just the changes to 4e that's gonna throw me for a loop.
I've been playing D&D and such since around 1980, so I have an idea how to do adventures and stuff. It's just the changes to 4e that's gonna throw me for a loop.
Prestidigitalis
First Post
I think it's possible that the real constraint you face is not the number of players, but who they are. Your daughter is new to the game, and if I read correctly between the lines, her mother is probably not a hard core D&D player. Is that accurate?
If so, I suggest that you start with combats that are easy to the point of trivial. Watch their reactions; their expectations may be completely different from what you anticipate. If they don't need Level + 3 encounters to have fun, don't bother with them.
Also, you might encourage them to really get into the roleplaying of the combats -- the swings and misses, the jumping on tables and charging about. They might get a lot more satisfaction out of that -- taking their time to have fun with it -- than from a much harder encounter that really challenged them.
Of course, they might both in time develop into seasoned tactical CharOp fanatics -- you never know.
If so, I suggest that you start with combats that are easy to the point of trivial. Watch their reactions; their expectations may be completely different from what you anticipate. If they don't need Level + 3 encounters to have fun, don't bother with them.
Also, you might encourage them to really get into the roleplaying of the combats -- the swings and misses, the jumping on tables and charging about. They might get a lot more satisfaction out of that -- taking their time to have fun with it -- than from a much harder encounter that really challenged them.
Of course, they might both in time develop into seasoned tactical CharOp fanatics -- you never know.
Merlin the Tuna
First Post
Depending on how well they can handle having a variety of powers, you may want to give them a couple extra ones so that they have a little bit more to do as a party during a fight. I'm running a party of 3 characters at low heroic right now, and I let them each grab an additional level 1 encounter power to start. As a result, the party had 6 encounter powers between them at level 1 (compared to a normal party of five's 5) and 9 between them at level 3 (compared to the normal 10). It's helped add a lot of longevity and versatility to them during combat, which in turn has allowed me to add a little more spice to their encounters.
I've played with 2 players (characters really.. I was DM, and played 1 character) once, and it can be done. make sure there's some character synergy (in my case it was to show a new player how dnd work, new player was a rogue, so I made a warlord. good flanking buddy, decent healing). rule changes, extra powers etc were not necessary.
Aulirophile
First Post
Tough melee striker (Barbarian, Ranger, Slayer, Avenger, or similar) and a melee Leader (really have to go with a Warlord) is a very tough party. Just remove minions from a standard encounter and it'll work out fine, drop down solos a level or two and remove 1/4-1/2 their HP.
Ok. If I'm reading right:
- Best combo is a Defender/Melee type with a Leader type.
- Drop or greatly reduce minions
- Drop levels of Solos
- Best combo is a Defender/Melee type with a Leader type.
- Drop or greatly reduce minions
- Drop levels of Solos
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