Advice on running a solo 3.5 game

[Mordar]

Hi all -

I'm going to be running a 3.5 game for a solo player. I've got my storyline in mind, and he's going to enjoy it from a thematic perspective. No worries about railroading - we both subscribe to the "bite the plot hook" school of thought.

Game will be set in Forgotten Realms, pre-Cyric/Shar conspiracy (though that will be a pivotal driver in the plot). The player is going to reprise an old favorite character, de-leveled a bit. Will be a combination caster (wizard/cleric) around 10 total levels to start, probably finishing around 12/13 total levels. Will be close to a core-only game, and the player is fairly adept, so I won't have to worry about the character being behind on the power curve.

I *really* don't want to run a DMPC, so I think I'm going to provide an enhanced familiar/companion (a Weave Elemental) to help the game along, both from a combat/survivability sense and a plot driver. The character will have Spellfire, but it may be toned down a bit, and she will not be a Chosen, exactly. Finally, there will be a couple of slightly overpowered magic items to help keep her going when she might otherwise have to stop every 2.x encounters.

I anticipate a lot of undead, and a fair degree of uncover the location/solve the mystery/find the MacGuffin.

All of that being said, what pitfalls should I watch for? How should I structure encounters from a CR stand point? Anything that would be really "dirty pool"?

Thanks in advance!

- M

[limejuicepowder]

As an experienced solo player (from both sides the screen), I highly recommend some sort of companion. Call it something besides a DMPC if it makes you feel better, but you need some way to talk to the player in game. Otherwise, roleplaying, combat strategy, and even some basic interactions go out the window. The player might get bored and you will get seriously taxed for content.

It's also much easier to plan encounters for a party (even if it's only 2) rather than a single character. Know all the problems a single BBEG has fighting a party? Well now that BBEG is the player. A poor initiative roll could be the end.

[Palanan]

I strongly second the idea of running an independent ally to complement the PC. In my one long solo campaign, the player ran a small group of PCs while I ran two DMPCs, all of whom interacted with and bounced off each other, sometimes hilariously and always unpredictably.

In fact, some of the best roleplaying I've ever been a part of was in that campaign, when I played the DMPCs to the hilt and the player matched me at every step with his own contingent. It was invaluable to the game, both for roleplaying and tactical synergy, to have someone else in the party who brought completely different goals, skills and perspectives to the situation.

[Fyermind]

I run a lot of totally solo games (where I am DM and ALL the players*). I have found that for a single character, Animal companions/familiars are dreadfully important. As is redundant survival mechanisms. When soloing challenges I usually run gestalt so I can play with published adventures and write more freely. Certain items that would otherwise be overpowered begin to make more sense. That list includes: Bracers of Wings of Cover (at will, immediate action), Contingent teleport/revify, continuous item of lesser vigor.

D&D is such a binary game (success/failure not gradients of success) that one on one fights are actually worse than many on one, and are worst than many on many, in terms of balance and predictability/influence of strategy. Things to be careful of are things that break suspension of disbelief. Specifically opponents who would likely prepare specifically for the PC. Any weaknesses the PC has will be glaring, and action economy is a reliable fallback. Look to give the PC items to mitigate weaknesses (traps can be another huge weakness) and encourage balance over min-maxing. Mins will hurt. Badly.

*by Pelor I am boring, though perhaps not alone here

[Mordar]

Thanks for the advice so far!

What about challenge ratings? If the PC is 10th level, and will be accompanied by probably the equivalent of a 8th level hybrid fighter-type...should I consider CR 8 as "equal" and CR 10 as "challenging"? Or would that be too high, and think of it more along the lines of 7/9?

Will certainly avoid 'mage killer" scenarios, but there will be times of mass mooks + boss type.

Thanks!

[Fouredged Sword]

I like to make a small stable of DMPC's that the player gets to choose who helps him. Make a few builds that fill general party rolls. Make them effective without being overpowering or scene stealing. Then give the player knowledge of them in game. I like to run a series of encounters that the player gets help from each in turn, and then give him some in character excuse to pick one to go with him.

Give the player control over who is helping. It makes the character more about the player's choice than the DM's character.

[Mordar]

So, proceeding with the character...3/3/4 Cleric/Wizard/Theurge elf. Character is a Diviner. Not a super-optimized character, but a very competent player.

I was considering a couple of story items, specifically a sword and a "misc" item (could be ring slot, or gloves slot, depending on what he choses for WBL). These are items I would not consider in a normal game, so please consider that in your comments. Additionally, he does not know these are coming.

Mages' Slayer: Long Sword +2, Persistent Divine Power. I think it will also be a daemonslayer (character believes he is hounded by a yugoloth, and I want to foster that mistaken belief) or some power that reduces SR/DR or specific resistances, but requires an actual physical strike to take effect. Anything else that should be added? Considered some sort of HP boost.

Metamagic Gauntlet (will have a better name, especially once I know the slot): Provides a Sudden a) Empower; b) Extend; c) Maximize; d) Quicken; e) Silent/Still Metamagic use, once per day, no more than one applied per spell.

Any thoughts on these ideas?

Thanks!

- M

[Phelix-Mu]

If the player is canny, then you should put into the area/towns/cities a certain number of resources that the player might think to turn to when in need of help. Similar to the "DMPC pool" mentioned about, but more discreet, and with more out of combat utility. For instance, maybe the bartender at a frequented pub is also an information broker of some kind, with connections to x or y local resources that the player might need (maybe not the best example for a diviner). Another good one might be some kind of item crafter, since chances to make needed items in a small party seems more unlikely (though maybe easier to schedule downtime with less moving parts).

The player might or might not think to have the character exploit said resources, but if they do, this encourages cooperation, friend-making, and other diplomancer type stuff.

I, too, have a great deal of experience in irl two-people campaigns. If you are a good DM and can keep character/DM roles separate (not rocket science), DMPC need hardly be a bad word. Some of my most memorable campaigns as a player were with a DM that had at least one character that was a permanent party member. Worked fine, and the story ended up much better than if I had controlled all of the significant party members.

BTW, those magic items sound fine. I would also add as much complication into the sword's backstory/function without making it an unappealing option to use. In a campaign with fewer players, you don't have to worry about only giving the awesome to one member of the group, and an item that has cool connection to plot, special appearance, evolving/scaling abilities can become a kind of demi-character or feature of the storyline in its own right. Maybe instead of adding extra hp, it has some kind of supped up vampiric touch ability to grant part of damage dealt as healing to wielder (Artemis Entreri's dagger in Drizzt books was pure awesome).