Only two adventurers

[Ixidor92]

So I have a decent amount of DM experience, but it has always been with 3-5 adventurers at the table. Soon, it looks like I will be DMing for a pair of friends, and we don't have any prospects for other players. I don't want to create a DM-PC, because I don't like the amount of control that gives me over the players' possible actions.

Does anyone have recommendations for encounter-building and dungeon/adventure design when there are only two regular characters? I have them starting at lvl 3, and the party consists of a dragonborn dragon-blooded sorcerer, as well as a tabaxi totem barbarian.

[PhoenixPhyre]

So I have a decent amount of DM experience, but it has always been with 3-5 adventurers at the table. Soon, it looks like I will be DMing for a pair of friends, and we don't have any prospects for other players. I don't want to create a DM-PC, because I don't like the amount of control that gives me over the players' possible actions.

Does anyone have recommendations for encounter-building and dungeon/adventure design when there are only two regular characters? I have them starting at lvl 3, and the party consists of a dragonborn dragon-blooded sorcerer, as well as a tabaxi totem barbarian.

I've run two groups with 2 PCs recently.

One group hired a pair of PC-classed hirelings. Those were a) lower level, b) worse stats, c) controlled in combat by the PCs, and d) generally voiceless. They were there to fill needed roles and provide a little flavor (a fanatic cleric, for example), nothing more.

The other group hired a disposable guide (using the Thug stat block) for a while, then acquired a pet Giant Lizard (commanded by the PCs, but I tended to run him) and an intelligent pseudodragon familiar.

As long as you remember that action economy trumps all, balance isn't so bad. Follow the DMG's guidance--if you stick to the adventuring day recommendations and don't throw anything above hard at them, they should have a very low chance of dying. I'd allow them to hire NPC-stat-block hirelings and then scale to that. That particular party won't have healing/condition-removal, so give them plenty of opportunities to take short rests.

[Leith]

Encourage your players to play smart, don't take unnecessary risks. I think you'll find the game moves more quickly with only two people at the helm.

If you're worried about balancing encounters, the above advice is good, also consider reducing the HP of higher CR enemies while still using them at their full offensive strength. It creates an interesting dynamic for a small party with limited health and resources. A CR 5 creature is meant to face off against (and lose to) a level 5 party of 3-5, but at half health it can be a fun encounter for a 2 person party with similar results.

[CTurbo]

I'd let the Barb have a pet/companion(Panther maybe?) somehow and the Sorcerer a Psuedodragon Familiar.

Even a regular familiar is a tremendous help for 2 character parties.

Of course they COULD have been smarter when developed their characters to cover obvious weaknesses.

My Bro-In-Law and I did a 2 man campaign and we built our characters accordingly. I was a Chain Pact Warlock/Vengeance Paladin, and he was a Beastmaster Ranger(UA)/Assassin. Both Human, I took Alert as my free feat and he took Ritual Caster. We were both Dex based and were very stealthy. We tried to cover any obvious weakness. He had a super high Wis and was the perceptive one, and I had the super high Cha and was the face. It was really fun.



A 2 man party of a Draconic Sorc and a Totem Barb are going to have a lot of glaring weaknesses outside of combat. It's going to be rough on them.