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View Full Version : One-off D&D night... for one guy?



Rolaran
2007-03-08, 02:09 PM
Okay, here's the situation. My bro has never played D&D, and I told him I'd run him through a quick adventure so he can see what it's like. Problem is, he's likely going to be the only one playing while I DM. At this point, I'm thinking a fairly simple adventure, something along the lines of "Hi, I'm the king, oh no there's a monster eating people, help us brave adventurer." My question is, any tips for how to work with just one PC? I was thinking send two or three weak NPCs for backup. Also, would it be wise to start at a higher level than first? (Nothing ridiculous, I'm just thinking that if he and his "party" were 3rd-5th level, I could use more interesting monsters.)

All other background information of note: He'll probably be playing either a ranger or a soulknife, and I was thinking of sending something like a bard, a fighter and a sorceror with him. Maybe in the end putting them against a flightless manticore or something like that.

Any comments greatly appreciated.

Bryn
2007-03-08, 03:35 PM
It might complicate things too much, but using the Gestalt rules should hels in a 1-player situation. He won't be able to abuse it, being new, and it will make him slightly more powerful. I'm sure you will be careful to keep him and not the NPCs in the spotlight.

Since he's new, you could teach him the rules as he plays by using different encounters focussed on different aspects of the rules. For example, you could have a grappling-focussed encounter, and one that shows bullrushing, and a spellcaster at various points.

Indon
2007-03-08, 03:56 PM
I'd toss in a healer into the group, if you're pretty sure he's not going to be a full healer.

Vaynor
2007-03-08, 04:09 PM
Just give him a cleric of Pelor and throw him against some rather large fiendish rats or something.

Amiria
2007-03-08, 04:15 PM
Starting as high as 3rd level would be ok. My first AD&D characters started at that level. You don't die so easily (unless you are hit critically by the greataxe of a raging orc barbarian) and your class features aren't so numerous that they overwhelm you if you are new.

A bard or a cleric as healing support would be a good idea. Maybe rather a cloistered cleric.

rollfrenzy
2007-03-08, 04:19 PM
I would keep it as basic and fun as possible. I

ran my fiancee's first game. I made it a school and taught her Game mechanics IC. With some added roleplaying thrown in. His teacher send him and a classmate through a preplanned school dungeon. You can gimp monsters and throw him up agianst whatever you want.

I would not go higher than level three at most. I reccommend first, especially if he is gonna roll up his own character.

Throw in some helpful support NPC's and let him have fun

Dausuul
2007-03-08, 04:21 PM
Okay, here's the situation. My bro has never played D&D, and I told him I'd run him through a quick adventure so he can see what it's like. Problem is, he's likely going to be the only one playing while I DM. At this point, I'm thinking a fairly simple adventure, something along the lines of "Hi, I'm the king, oh no there's a monster eating people, help us brave adventurer." My question is, any tips for how to work with just one PC? I was thinking send two or three weak NPCs for backup. Also, would it be wise to start at a higher level than first? (Nothing ridiculous, I'm just thinking that if he and his "party" were 3rd-5th level, I could use more interesting monsters.)

All other background information of note: He'll probably be playing either a ranger or a soulknife, and I was thinking of sending something like a bard, a fighter and a sorceror with him. Maybe in the end putting them against a flightless manticore or something like that.

Any comments greatly appreciated.

I'd say give him a heal-bot type character for backup; say a cleric with crap physical stats whose only job is to cast healing and buff spells on him. Any more NPC companions would just be distractions, though.

For starting level, I'd say 3-5. Definitely not less than 3, or he'll be way too fragile, and things start getting too complicated if you get much beyond 5.

Rolaran
2007-03-08, 05:35 PM
Thanks for the tips all!

Just talked to him, he wants to try a more martial type. So here's what I'm planning...

Fighter (played by him) - a nice, basic setup.
Bard - For buffing and some healing.
Druid - The suggested healbot, too low level for wildshape and not strong enough to be a real threat in combat.
Sorceror - A little blasting.


And some things they might fight...

A pair of kobold muggers (first fight, easy peasy)
A black dragon wyrmling
An owlbear skeleton
A colony of Small spiders, for Poison 101
A couple drow, so the spellcasters will have a tougher time (more for the fighter to smash!)
And I like the manticore, so I'll make that the Big Bad Hungry Monster.

Variable Arcana
2007-03-08, 05:43 PM
The danger with adding 3 DM-npcs is that your brother will be spending time tapping his fingers (and learning that D&D is boring -- presumably not what you're trying to teach him) whenever you have to decide what the other three characters do.

Rolaran
2007-03-08, 06:19 PM
I know... which is why I'm planning on treating them more as cohorts than as party members. They will be two levels lower than him after all...

NullAshton
2007-03-08, 06:24 PM
You could simply have NPC party members, at the same level as him. Run them like any other DMPC, just make sure that they don't hog the spotlight. That'll give him a chance to practice working with other people as well.

Just have them pitch in when your brother needs to do something he can't do himself, but stick to the background otherwise.

purple gelatinous cube o' Doom
2007-03-08, 10:47 PM
I'd make sure there's at least 1 dungeon crawl, and some role playing. I think any new player needs to get a feel for doing both. As others have suggested, NPCing the rest of the party was a good idea, but an even better idea would be to have him jump in a session you participate in with your regular group. As for starting class, I'd highly suggest he play a fighter. They're by far the easiest class to learn the game with.

Rolaran
2007-03-08, 11:31 PM
I'd make sure there's at least 1 dungeon crawl, and some role playing. I think any new player needs to get a feel for doing both.

Agreed. I'm planning to make him sweet-talk an uncooperative majordomo to gain an audience with the baron of his homeland, and if all goes as planned, he ends up looking for the Big Bad Hungry Monster in a cave (which contains traps set by some unscrupulous characters who are trying to capture the BBHM alive).


As others have suggested, NPCing the rest of the party was a good idea, but an even better idea would be to have him jump in a session you participate in with your regular group.That would be the ideal solution, but I'm currently attending university in another city, and he'd have to drive 3 hours to attend a session. :smallfrown:

Luckily I'm heading home this weekend, so I figured this way he'd at least get to see how it's done.


As for starting class, I'd highly suggest he play a fighter. They're by far the easiest class to learn the game with.Luckily for me, he has told me that what he wants to try is a half-orc fighter. Doesn't get much more straightforward than that. :smallbiggrin:

Ranis
2007-03-09, 08:53 AM
Simplicity is definitely the way to go. I think that some people lose sight of the game mechanics because of other, let's go with the word 'unscrupulous' players may sidetrack it to be a bad experience unless the group is cool and willing to work with him.

So I'm all for him learning this weekend by his lonesome, and if he really likes it, you may be able to introduce him into your group's sessions in your stead while you're away :)

Saph
2007-03-09, 09:56 AM
Thanks for the tips all!

Just talked to him, he wants to try a more martial type. So here's what I'm planning...

Fighter (played by him) - a nice, basic setup.
Bard - For buffing and some healing.
Druid - The suggested healbot, too low level for wildshape and not strong enough to be a real threat in combat.
Sorceror - A little blasting.

I actually think this is a bad idea. Running a team of characters really isn't much fun and makes D&D more like a wargame. And if the DM runs the characters instead, then the player will be sitting around for way too long.

Just have the player play one character, on his own. Yes, this means things can be dangerous, but don't send him against anything very powerful. Most of the game can be exploration/adventure rather than combat. He can run away from problems if he's in trouble, and heal up from some conveniently placed potion stock or NPC.

Make it something like those "Fighting Fantasy" gamebooks - you're a guy on your own with a sword and some equipment. And those were lots of fun. :)

- Saph

LotharBot
2007-03-09, 02:56 PM
Let him play something with a couple racial hitdice so he won't be too fragile. Something like a centaur ranger, maybe. Make sure the loot includes the occasional healing potion. Send a max of ONE NPC along with him -- you want him to be playing the game, not watching you play it.

Rydax
2007-03-09, 03:33 PM
I would actually suggest keeping to the Player's Handbook for his first game. Things like gestalt rules and racial hit dice are a bit complicated to try to teach the game on. Also, have you thought about not adding in any NPCs to the party? It's best to give him all of the action that you can. Look to one-player RPGs such as Champions of Norrath for ideas on how what to do for a single PC. If you're worried about him being too weak, then lower the challenges rather than buffing up the party. He would probably have more fun if you at least create the illusion that his character is actually making a difference rather than being just another piece in the puzzle. Try to get yourself out of the mindset of D&D = Party of fighter, magic user, rogue, or whatever you might substitute. You don't need the steriotypical party build to have fun. You just need to customize the encounters to best fit what you do have, which is no different from what a DM is supposed to do anyway.

daggaz
2007-03-09, 05:38 PM
Level 3. Fighter. Give him power rolls (like 5d6 drop the lowest two) or a power point buy. Give him an npc cleric cohort who is a conscientious objector. Wont fight, but follows the fighter around, heals, carries things, offers advice on occasion. Make the plot really simple, make treasure higher than normal. Keep it core only and be careful what you send him against... (even a baby dragon is big trouble for low levels). Also, be very very lenient and lax with some of the rules, so the game flows smooth and easy the first time. Just concentrate on the most basic rules at first, the essentials of combat, the key social skills, and skill checks outside of combat.

Bryn
2007-03-09, 05:51 PM
I wouldn't really reccomend power rolls, etc - you don't want to convince him that anything less than 3 18s is a useless character. At least, I wouldn't.

daggaz
2007-03-09, 06:18 PM
oh, nothing convincing about it. Tell him its overpowered, but you are doing it so that its easier (his first time, and solo) and to just make it a little more fun.. (powered games are often fun at first. later you learn the truth..).

The_Snark
2007-03-09, 06:30 PM
Yeah, don't have very many people accompanying him. I'd say just him and his (cloistered) cleric buddy, who can buff and heal him but isn't any good with a weapon. That way, you aren't making long tactical decisions, just things like, "Okay, your friend casts a spell on you. You get +1 to attack and damage rolls." Handling this with more than one NPC usually takes longer. And if you let him handle the NPCs, you're back to the complexity problem; he'll have to deal with what spells to cast or whether or not to use bardic music, and his fighter suddenly doesn't seem as important. Running more than one character (maybe two) as a player isn't really any fun; I've done it before.

If it's a two-person party, make sure he only gets sent up against things that aren't too tough; they definitely shouldn't be any higher CR than his level (3 is a good level, incidentally). Even if you go with more people than that, watch the enemies. Especially the dragon. In fact, you might want to cut the dragon entirely. Wyrmlings are actually pretty tough for a party of equivalent CR.

I don't know about giving high stats, but I reccomend letting him reroll bad HP rolls. At low levels, those really matter a lot, and just one or two can screw you over badly.

Amiria
2007-03-09, 06:43 PM
Running more than one character (maybe two) as a player isn't really any fun; I've done it before.

My RL group consists of me and my buddy Neos Dionysos (not very active on the boards), sad but true. We play whole groups of characters and have fun with it. We even manage good individual character development.

I played City of the Spider Queen with him as the DM (he also played a DM character). I played four characters and later also a planar ally in that campaign and still remember it as one of the best I ever played.

LotharBot
2007-03-09, 07:01 PM
My wife's DMing a campaign where I'm running 4 PC's plus a cohort. Everyone else dropped out, but I wanted to finish the story...

Weezer
2007-03-09, 09:12 PM
I've played plenty of times with my brother when theirs only one PC or maybe one PC and a DMPC, the key is to give healing potions as loot and to play towards his strengths not weaknesses