Solo 4E Adventures

[fissionessence]

I know there was a thread on this a while back, but it mostly focused on one person creating DMing a game for one particular other person. (That is, Bob making a game for Jane, etc.) Thus, the suggestions were generally, "Make a game that fits the character Jane made. If she's a rogue, make a stealthy game, and so forth." This was good advice; however, this thread is more about writing an adventure that could potentially be played by any one player with any one character.

How do you design an adventure that could be played by one wizard characer, or one warden character, or one bard, or one ranger, etc? What can you include to help ensure that a defender will be able to use his class features to good effect, but where a striker will still be able to succeed? How do you prevent one archetype of solo character from being strictly better than another archetype. That is, wouldn't a squishy solo character like a sorcerer be less optimal that a tough cleric who can hit hard and heal himself?

4E is very group-oriented, so a lot of powers and features are tailored toward that. Some builds might not work well alone, but theoretically I'd like to come up with stuff that would allow any class (if not build) to be viable.

Is this even possible? My initial thinking suggests that the solo character will at least need some kind of sidekick. (For the fighter, it could be a warlock to defend; for the barbarian, it could be a warlord to heal and assist him.)

~

 

[sfedi]

At first sight, I don't think that's possible.

How could an encounter be the same for a Barbarian or a Warlord with Commander's Strike and Wolfpack Tactics?

Maybe you can add diferent elements depending on role.

 

[Byronic]

Well, Hybrid characters might make it a bit easier.

 

[mlund]

Yup, the best solution is probably the side-kick NPC. Have an NPC Soldier or Skirmisher monster design - no real thrills or frills. He or she is not the hero, after all, just the side-kick. That'll give a fair enough amount of support to make the Defender feel like he's defending, give the Rogue a flank, and give the Leaders someone to hand bonuses and heals out to.

- Marty Lund

 

[D'karr]

I know there was a thread on this a while back, but it mostly focused on one person creating DMing a game for one particular other person. (That is, Bob making a game for Jane, etc.) Thus, the suggestions were generally, "Make a game that fits the character Jane made. If she's a rogue, make a stealthy game, and so forth." This was good advice; however, this thread is more about writing an adventure that could potentially be played by any one player with any one character.

How do you design an adventure that could be played by one wizard characer, or one warden character, or one bard, or one ranger, etc? What can you include to help ensure that a defender will be able to use his class features to good effect, but where a striker will still be able to succeed? How do you prevent one archetype of solo character from being strictly better than another archetype. That is, wouldn't a squishy solo character like a sorcerer be less optimal that a tough cleric who can hit hard and heal himself?

4E is very group-oriented, so a lot of powers and features are tailored toward that. Some builds might not work well alone, but theoretically I'd like to come up with stuff that would allow any class (if not build) to be viable.

Is this even possible? My initial thinking suggests that the solo character will at least need some kind of sidekick. (For the fighter, it could be a warlock to defend; for the barbarian, it could be a warlord to heal and assist him.)

~

Take a look at the "D&D Tiny Adventures" on Facebook. That will give you a good template to use for single character adventures.

In short, you encounter very small "encounters" and many of the encounters are not combat related.

 

[Jack7]

We use the Vadder. I recommend it. It works very well in these circumstances.

The Vadder is a sort of sub-class, and is an overlay that any other class or profession can take up on their own.

Vadding specifically includes a set of Renaissance skills (a wide range of varied skills) that single players can use to greatly increase their survival chances and to be successful at single agent missions and solo adventures.

Anyone can become a Vadder and once you get good at vadding you are much more likely to be able to survive operating independently and on solo missions.

Vadding skills include things like some thieving skills, basic unarmed combat skills, escape and evasion skills and training, security and survival skills, basic vadding, manhunting, tracking, surveilling and reconnaissance, foraging, and so forth. You might think of it as low grade Special Forces/Agent training.

It won't guarantee your survival but it will make you much, much better at surviving while operating alone and independently.