PDA

View Full Version : 1 Person Campaign



Erts
2010-08-09, 12:58 PM
So, I'm on vacation with a friend. Being rather bored, we've decided to actually play DND, rather than sitting around and merely talking about playing. Thus, he is the DM (much more experience) and I'm the player.

Who else has done something similar to this before? Any ideas? How many PC should I try to have in a party? House rules to accommodate the fact I'm the only player?

Leolo
2010-08-09, 01:13 PM
I have done such campaigns as a player and as a DM.

From my point of view the best game experience is reached if you do have only one character. Playing the whole group simultanous is not really a good idea, you will end up to much like in a game with silent group members and no fun.

A true solo character campaign gaves you a different game experience, and you will have to use different tactics to survive.

Scarey Nerd
2010-08-09, 01:20 PM
My advice: Solo campaign, play a class that interests you and you think you could make a good character for, and have at it.

Changeling Rogue/Human Dragon Shaman/Halfling Factotum/Elf Duskblade are examples of basic builds that would be fun to play and easy to do as a solo campaign.

Erts
2010-08-09, 01:24 PM
What about a simple paladin?

Morph Bark
2010-08-09, 01:39 PM
What about a simple paladin?

Just Paladin and not Paladin/Samurai/Knight/Shintao Monk/Kensai with some Vow feats?

I keed, I keed. With a single player and the campaign being keyed to a Paladin, it could work out very well. Just beware your options are limited though.

Erts
2010-08-09, 01:40 PM
Just Paladin and not Paladin/Samurai/Knight/Shintao Monk/Kensai with some Vow feats?

I keed, I keed. With a single player and the campaign being keyed to a Paladin, it could work out very well. Just beware your options are limited though.

GM pc for skill monkeyer...

Toliudar
2010-08-09, 02:02 PM
I'm currently running my first solo campaign, and I'm finding it difficult to find the middle ground between "you didn't even notice this challenge" and "this should have killed you." Save or dies/loses become very unattractive options for NPC's.

Fiery Diamond
2010-08-09, 02:40 PM
I've been involved in three such campaigns:

1) I was the player, my brother was the DM. I played a sorcerer with a combination primarily of illusion and evocation spells. It was mostly a stealth-oriented campaign, with fights being either avoidable or 1 on 1 (I encountered the BBEG and his henchmen by infiltrating his mansion several levels before the fight with him and survived due to successful running away which involved Invisibility, grease, and Unseen Servant). The final fight was actually me + random wizard mooks + wizard several levels higher than me vs. wizard of even higher level + several decently high (but lower than me) level martial mooks. It took place indoors in a mansion. The "team leader" NPC on my side mainly got his a** handed to him by the villain while I fought off the enemy lackeys with the low-level wizards as support. Then I acted as backup and saved the NPC team leader and we double-teamed the villain. It was pretty epic.

2) I was the player, my brother was the DM. It was gestalt, and I was a Cleric//Sorcerer. It was higher level and pretty much just a "kill things" campaign. Didn't last that long.

3) I was the DM, my brother was the player. It was gestalt, and my brother was a wizard//rogue. It started at level 7. It was story and character focused, with frequent battles, most of which were possible to avoid (which he did). Tactics and battle-field control were the order of the day in battle. It got interrupted. It was good while it lasted.

So, I strongly recommend that you have casting ability as the player. Either go gestalt or pick up druid, cleric, sorcerer, or wizard.

Kylarra
2010-08-09, 02:42 PM
I'd say try to go gestalt for a 1 player game, just to give yourself more options.

Drascin
2010-08-09, 05:30 PM
I did one of these with a friend of mine - he played an Urban Ranger and contracted himself as a kind of detective/bounty hunter, setting up an office in a bustling metropolis and riffing noir cliches and everything. Made him an NPC partner that would take care of the more "bookish" side of the equation, a bugbear bard, and off they went.

It was a pretty fun campaign, overall. But we had to shift the focus - classic adventuring needs a party, and the GM trying to control everyone in the party except one rarely works out, if only for the schizophrenia factor of having to spend so much time talking to yourself :smalltongue:. Rather, the campaign should focus on the particular objectives of this one person, appropiately scaled.

Shadowleaf
2010-08-09, 05:38 PM
Having a bit of experience from the Assassins Vs Bodyguards set of games, I can safely say: Gestalt is a good idea.
You want the NPCs to shy away from save or dies, and reward the player for creative way of avoiding/dealing with obstacles. Do not get stuck in the "Challeneges must be killed in order to yield XP" mindset. Reward him the same XP for crashing the room, sneaking by, seducing his way through and what not.
Don't do DMPCs - they'll probably not contribute anything at all. Have him join a faction of some sort, where he can draw upon specialists should he need them - hire a Wizard to cast Knock for him, hire a Rogue to disable a few traps and then get out, etc.

Encourage planning, exploring roleplaying options (goals, housing, family, friends), and creative combat.

Calmar
2010-08-09, 05:53 PM
Changeling Rogue/Human Dragon Shaman/Halfling Factotum/Elf Duskblade are examples of basic builds that would be fun to play and easy to do as a solo campaign.

Being tired, on first glance this looked to me like some extremely long and cheesy combination of a whole bunch of classes and PrCs. :smallbiggrin:

Erts
2010-08-09, 05:55 PM
Well, the setting is a wilderness expedition; strange sightings have been noticed by outposts of the duchy in the barren wasteland to the east. My guy is hired to go across them, and figure out what is going on.

Thoughts on class choice now?

Shadowleaf
2010-08-09, 07:06 PM
Depends on what he wants to play, of course.

Gestalt suggestions:

I'd recommend a class with some sort of self healing, combined with a wilderness type character - but it depends on the level.

It could be an exploring nature-flavored Crusader//Cleric, which wouldn't be terrible in terms of power (Buffs and healing from Cleric, damage and a bit of healing from Crusader).

He could play a wilderness wanderer - a Zen Archery Cleric//Ranger focusing on ranged combat.

Factotum//Something for more jack of all trades type of character.

Warlock//Rogue for a scoundrel type of character.


The possibilities are endless, of course.


Non-gestalt:

Druid, Cleric, Warlock, Binder.

World Eater
2010-08-09, 07:24 PM
Well, the setting is a wilderness expedition; strange sightings have been noticed by outposts of the duchy in the barren wasteland to the east. My guy is hired to go across them, and figure out what is going on.

Thoughts on class choice now?

Scout seems like the obvious choice.

Wonton
2010-08-09, 07:26 PM
I'd say try to go gestalt for a 1 player game, just to give yourself more options.

Agreed. I played a Rogue/Swashbuckler/Invisible Blade for a solo campaign, and he got killed in the very first fight (some kind of monstrous spider). You always want to have a solid offensive and defensive option at your disposal.

LibraryOgre
2010-08-09, 07:29 PM
Some depends on edition, but the character I have always wanted to play for a solo game is a simple thief/rogue/whatever you call 'em. Monk is also a good option, especially in 1e.

They're classes that really shine when the other classes are not around. No clanky fighters. No wizards to outshine you. Just you, your skills, and whatever your target is. Playing a monk (or monk-like) in this kind of game lets you have fun with their weird wu-shu stuff you always wanted to try, but got lost when other folks were playing.

Alternatively, do some "orc and pie" gaming. Get some concepts ironed out, or try out a new game that you're not real sure about.

Choco
2010-08-09, 07:35 PM
Go gestalt. You can cover more bases that way.

Also, have the PC be in some position of power. Like a king or a prince at least, out to prove his worth or something similar. This is something most people don't get to experience in a group game because of the imbalances this causes. It will also explain why he has skilled minions (healbots, skill monkeys, diviners) at his disposal and most importantly under his command.

miibtp
2010-08-09, 07:38 PM
take 2 characters?

i would, and have successfuly managed to do so.

i took paladin (combat and healing) and druid (sneak skills, combat, magic)

it actually worked pretty well.

Crossblade
2010-08-09, 07:47 PM
Well, the setting is a wilderness expedition; strange sightings have been noticed by outposts of the duchy in the barren wasteland to the east. My guy is hired to go across them, and figure out what is going on.

Thoughts on class choice now?


What about a simple paladin?

You want to play a paladin? Play a paladin. Your steed can get you across said wasteland. A good DM will cater the story to his player(s).
Communicate with your DM about what you both expect from the play and what you would like to attempt to achieve or do in character.

Earlier you asked how many characters there should be; in the solo game I DM with my girlfriend, she has her PC, 3 npc's and she made me have a DMPC (the game started off with just her character a plan to have 1 pet, which has chanced twice, and my DMPC as a romance character. Later she dragged along a Mystic Theurge Dwarf who she let leave in exchange for a different Dwarf, and just last weekend she picked up a knight).

She says she loves it, I think it's overkill. But since she enjoys it, it works.

Shadowleaf
2010-08-09, 07:49 PM
Some depends on edition, but the character I have always wanted to play for a solo game is a simple thief/rogue/whatever you call 'em. Monk is also a good option, especially in 1e.

They're classes that really shine when the other classes are not around. No clanky fighters. No wizards to outshine you. Just you, your skills, and whatever your target is. Playing a monk (or monk-like) in this kind of game lets you have fun with their weird wu-shu stuff you always wanted to try, but got lost when other folks were playing.

Alternatively, do some "orc and pie" gaming. Get some concepts ironed out, or try out a new game that you're not real sure about.
I'm playing a Kobold Rogue/Swordsage/Assassin in the Assassins Vs Bodyguards game (which is basicly solo), and I agree to this. However, you'll be scared, very scared, when going toe to toe with Wizards - knowing you just have to fail your Will save, and you lose.

Erts
2010-08-09, 10:00 PM
Well, there is an NPC ranger/rogue guide....
Thoughts on dragon shaman?

HunterOfJello
2010-08-09, 10:08 PM
sounds like a good oppurtunity for a gestalt character

dextercorvia
2010-08-09, 10:30 PM
If you are starting at level 1, I recommend picking up the Wild Cohort feat if you can. That gives you a little something extra between you and the bad guys. Animal Companion, and Improved familiar also work in this roll if you end up playing a class that offers them.

Morph Bark
2010-08-10, 03:43 AM
If you are starting at level 1, I recommend picking up the Wild Cohort feat if you can. That gives you a little something extra between you and the bad guys. Animal Companion, and Improved familiar also work in this roll if you end up playing a class that offers them.

Oohh... Sorcerer//Crusader with both those and Leadership... yum!