Solo campaign?

[Shugercube]

So. I’m a pretty new dm, have only done 2 sessions. The full group isn’t interested in playing very often, but one player really wants to play pretty frequently, and I’d really like the practice tbh. Tips on running a campaign for only one PC??

[noob]

Read your player mind with your ilithid powers then eat his brain?
Anyway which kind of builds do this player usually do?
Now the thing is that you can plan around his character(and should in some cases)
For example if there is no way to access to a high level caster as an ally and that the player is a fighter do not start sending hordes of flying monsters that deal negative levels at range and can teleport as an immediate action.(totally possible with dnd 3.5 rules and that would not be a so high level encounter)

[Krazzman]

Rework Save or Lose and Save or Die spells to give multiple saves.

Give the player at least access to Gestalt to make everthing far more smooth. As well as Leadership for free or implement a companion system.

Remember that Action Economy will be far more in your favor now even with single enemies.

Good luck!

[Mike Miller]

Having the player control more than one character would help a lot if you plan on using a good deal of combat.

[daremetoidareyo]

Depending on the character class, you can set up contest, duels, and competitions to challenge them. Think of those anime shows where people on the sidelines talk about people's abilities during their duel. You should be able to get the player a few levels based on that concept alone

[ExLibrisMortis]

Give the PC a squire/apprentice/dogsbody, a horse/dog/eagle companion, and an intelligent sword/staff/amulet. Basically, give them half a party to work with.

[RoboEmperor]

Play out the encounters yourself to see if they are balanced or not. Fights should be usually 1v1. Your NPCs are going to have to be really, really weak because after 1 save-or-suck SLA or spell, there's no one who can save the PC.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I agree about giving him a pseudo-party to play. It's very difficult to go solo unless you're a druid or gestalt, and the latter can be extremely difficult for a new DM to challenge if the player is good at choosing synergistic options. Of course, challenging a druid in itself can be extremely difficult, especially at higher levels. So giving him a party of his own to play would be the best idea.

[Sam K]

It has been said before but it shall be said again:

Solo campaigns can get REALLY lethal, because anything that disables the main character tends to end the game. Unless your enemies are really big on taking prisoners.

Letting the one player run multiple characters is one solution, but it tends to make the game more of a strategy game than a roleplaying game. It's simply hard to compartmentalise several different main characters, especially if you're new. It can be done, but be aware of the challenge.

Another solution is, of course, to give the main PC a supporting party of sidekicks. (Wild) cohorts and such. You need to be careful to not fall into the trap of making a DMPC (that is, a fully fledged PC that's ran by you as a DM), but rather have them be sidekicks to the main hero. If the main PC is high optimisation, this is simple enough, if the PC is playing a rogue or a monk it may be trickier. Also, you run a risk of combat becoming extremely DM heavy; the DM running most of the party and the encounters can make the player feel a bit sidelined.

I personally prefer the second solution: the idea of a hero and his/her band of sidekicks is an old fantasy trope. If the player isn't big on optimisation, perhaps give him a couple of free levels and/or +LA templates. Make sure the NPC party feel like real people (put some effort into making them real personalities), but that they don't overshadow the PC. You might even consider using NPC classes for them, so if the main hero is a 3rd level wizard his entourage may be his all-around assistant (expert) and his porter (warrior). I would suggest you don't let the main PC run them or build them if they're "free" followers - you simply get the people you get.

Of course, you could run a pure solo campaign (one PC, no support). Even if that PC is extremely high OP, though, it will most likely come to a messy end sooner rather than later. But if you do it, pull your punches, and if you ever find yourself thinking "will this be too hard to handle", assume it will be. Don't send undead against rogues or flying enemies against a ground bound fighter. It may seem like an interesting challenge to you, but to most players it just feels like you're being yanked around and put in no-win situations. (Disclaimer: you know your player better than I do. Some people DO like those kind of games, but I find they're a minority).

[Eldariel]

An expert player with a strong build would probably be able to do fairly well in a solo campaign. At least on higher levels; low level play is really swingy and it's much harder to fail-proof your character. Even Abrupt Jaunt Wizard with animal companion is mortal, if superhard to take down on L1. But on level 9+, you can reach nigh' invulnerability through just core spells.

I'd agree: give them a cohort and make it a dynamic duo. Batman and Robin sorta deal. They can foolproof each other against immediate death due to save-or-X effects and they can further get some reroll stuff going (Luck domain, Luckblades, Alter Fortune spell, etc.). At least one should be a spellcaster or UMD user, preferably both, so they can remove conditions from one another. A small band does make things difficult to do in an uncoordinated party possible, including group stealth so that's something to abuse.

If one of the characters has a fighting companion such as animal companion, buffed Familiar or some Commanded/Rebuked/Animated Undead, you can have a rather survivable and robust party of "one". If either of the characters has any social skills or charming magic or such, they can adventure with NPCs to boot. Just remember to run the NPC as NPCs and let him enjoy the limelight. You can either let him run the cohort or run it yourself depending on his aptitude in playing multiple characters. Strategic playing in combat is likely fine but roleplaying multiple characters simultaneously can be difficult to some.

But yeah, run it like any other game: give him hooks and let him pick what he'd like to tackle. Remind him that adventuring alone is dangerous and recommend that he hire, find or diplomancy some aid for whatever he undertakes. And I definitely recommend some reasonable starting level; 3-10 is probably a good area to consider far as survivability and manageability goes.

[Fouredged Sword]

I am going to suggest a different track. Make it a social game. Give the player real social power in the world. Make him a full on lord of a royal line with land and troops and other lords to deal with. Or maybe the head of a wizard or thief guild, or a merchant head of a trade empire. Combat encounter are deadly, so dont make them the loint of the game.

Make the game about his ambitions and let him decide how to reach them.

Have him take leadership (or give it out for free).
Let him use followers and a loyal cohort and a world full of ecl-2 people he can talk into helping him.

I also suggest letting him be gestalt in a non gestalt world.

[DEMON]

As seen by the various responses above, it all depends on the single player's approach: whether he is willing to "play" multiple characters (familiars, companions, followers... or just plain out taking hold of multiple PCs) or wants to tackle the scenario alone.

If it's the latter, going gestalt would be a way to make sure he has the right tool in many different scenarios.

Therefore, I propose a 5 step approach to this:

1. Go gestalt
2.Be a Druid and...
3. Ranger (or Ranger/Scout)*
4. ACFs overload*
5. Profit (full BAB, all good saves, 6+ skill points, d8+ HP, full spellcasting, animal companion, possible additional companion, trapfinding, a metric ton and then some of other goodies, such as skirmish, arcane spells, favored enemies etc.; and it even fits fluff-wise, even with the Swift Hunter approach)*

*with urban ACFs this combo fits an urban campaign, too...

[Alcore]

The best part is that you only need to cater to one other guy. Ask him what he would like, or better yet assk if making a new character for those solo sessions.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

The best part is that you only need to cater to one other guy.That's what s/he said.

[Fouredged Sword]

I second a posible game solution to be having him play a gestalt druid // scout 3 / ranger 17 with swift hunter. That one hits all the right notes to play all the rolls.