Suggestions for Solo Campaigns?

[Cicciograna]

Hello fellow Playgrounders!

In the near future I'll have to begin DMing a Solo campaign (D&D 3.5 Edition) with a friend of mine. I've never DMed for just one person, and can easily see that things are much more different from having a party of PCs, both for the DM and the player.
Do you have any suggestion on adventure styles, to challenge the player without overcoming him with monsters? What classes would be more suitable for him to choose (he's a newbie)? Do you have some general advice for this peculiar type of campaign?

[BooNL]

Especially when he's a newbie, ask him what kind of character he wants to play. Is his preference magic, melee, rogueish, etc.

The advantage of a solo game is that you can adjust the game to his wishes. If he wants to play a wizard from level 1, cool. Just make sure you adjust your encounters so he doesn't die to a single hit.

Gestalt is a good idea as well. Maybe a DMPC he can call on (last part is important!), something like a guide or a partner, who'll only help him if he wants him to.

[flabort]

no matter the setting, make all the NPC's as fleshed out as possible, as absolutely possible, so that his interactions can bring them with him, as if they were PCs. so you throw some hundred DMPCs at him, and he gets to choose which ones come with him.

traps/puzzles involving multiple characters should be easier to solve than with a party of PCs, because the DMPCs are under YOUR control, not someone playing against you, therefore making them more "predictable" for the player.

I'd suggest a simple class within core to start with, like a fighter. wizards take time to play, what with spell lists/tables, and all. even spontanious casters like sorcerer take more time to figure out than, say, a barbarian, because simple character sheets take less time. simple characters for simple players, or novices as the cas may be.

sorry, that did not come out quite right... almost came out as an insult. I'm just saying he may not be ready for a wizard.

[WarKitty]

Also depends on the person. How much time are they willing to spend figuring things out? My very first character was a druid...but then I spent several hours reading rules and figuring out what my best spells were, etc.

Oh, and might I recommend http://dnd3rd.sourceforge.net/ ? It's an online character generator that I've found pretty useful for lower-level players.

[Eldonauran]

My first character was a sorcerer that carried around a buckler and shortspear. Magic missile was my best friend!

I managed to take out 4 kobolds and a goblin riding a riding dog (seperate encounters) before I got knocked to zero hitpoints. I got off a last second attack, killing the goblin (dog died from magic missle after a few attacks) and fell down to -1 hp. I stabalized (yay for 14 CON) and managed to level up because of it. I walked out with 4 hitpoints and some nice treasure.

[Vaecae]

I actually do alot of solo and duo games, more often then a regular one usually. I normally start a solo player at 3rd to 4th level so that they're not a one round kill to a cat. With advanced players I like to give them the choice of gestalt or playing multiple characters, whichever they choice or that I feel will be easiest for them. Like with my husband he perfers a single gestalt, where as my sissy prefers a pair of adverage characters.

For encounters I focus more on the mental challenges rather then physical ones, and the combat oriented stuff tends to be buffer zoned with some cannon fodder npcs. Puzzles and social challenges, those will make the player have to develope a real sense for what they're going to do rather then just rolling dice and working numbers. Kinda think Zelda with a bit less hacking thru things.

I personally prefer to play a rogue or sorc when I play solo with someone, either one of those or one of the many homebrews that are floating around in my notebooks. The reason is I tend to avoid combat at all costs but I like to have the flex to be able to do many things either via spells or skills. As a new player you want this person to have some flex so that they don't run too much risk of being flusterated by not being able to do something they want to do, which is why I encourage pairrd characters or gestalted ones.

Always be sure there's at least two solutions to a given problem, even when it comes to combat there might be another way, such as using environment to their advantage instead of just going toe to toe. Maybe instead of picking a lock they could break it somehow.

Hirelings are decent to once the player has the money for them. I've found with solo games as there's less characters playing I can take more liberties with npcs, giving them more personality and letting them fill the missing social gaps. It can be really fun, and even cute sometimes. My husband's cleric/wizard spent a small part of his last session explaining to a baby kobold (don't ask) who Vecna was.

Needless to say you can also put forth some more exotic situations then with a group sense you only have to predict one person's actions. Talking to and having positive social interactions with Kobolds is not something I'd hope for with most groups, but for him it kinda fits his character and his current goals. Which in a solo game the goal is to advance in such a way that the player enjoys it making as situation fit their needs and desires is usually a legitimate course of action as long as they don't overshoot their potential. Good Luck.

[Cicciograna]

Thank you everybody, but especially you, Vaecae, for your extensive and complete answer!

[Vaecae]

Thank you everybody, but especially you, Vaecae, for your extensive and complete answer!

Also known as wall of text.

One last thing is alch items are great for soloist because they can give an otherwise none magical character more things they can do with realtive ease. They can even make decent pieces of loot!

[Cicciograna]

Also known as wall of text.

And everybody here knows how Wall spells are good

[Yahzi]

DMing a Solo campaign

In the Olden Days, players were leaders of armies. Perhaps your player can be a noble with a retinue of lesser beings (wizards, clerics, etc.) to back him up.

Of course, that worked better when characters were easier to make. and run.

[strider24seven]

Leadership could be fun here if the player (and you) don't mind bookkeeping.

+1 for Gestalt.

Just my two pennies.

[balistafreak]

For my solo or duo campaigns/sessions, I found it handy to make it clear that they were a small fish in a big pond. Throw them into a conflict with two clearly defined sides, then let them pick one. Points if you don't make them good and evil, because that's just lame. Grey and grey morality. Watch him sweat.

Don't throw him against a bunch of goblins. Have him travelling with a few soldiers when they are all ambushed.

Try not to have PC equals, though, in my opinion. Have mooks, and have overlords, but not something in between. That just gets confusing and they won't know who to pay attention. They are the hero, not your character.

Unless they ask for that, of course.

And for the ultimate in let's-not-instantly-die, Gestalt makes things quite easier when he's the only guy who is.