1001 Single player Ideas and Advice

[Broutchev]

I've been DM'ing and playing for a couple years now but recently my girlfriend wanted to try DnD. She didn't however wanted to play with my friends or random people, and since we haven't found players in her circle she proposed to do a single-player campaign. It will be 3.5 with a couple splatbooks if that matters.

Since I want to know what works, what are traps to go around and such for single PC campaign I'm quite sure to share ideas, tips, anecdotes and such would be more of use for me but for other DM's and by sharing stories, make the thread a little bit more interesting. This is not a Dungeon and Dragons centric thread, advices for general TTRPG's are welcomed.

So here goes what I found out so far:

1- Rogues, Bards, Investigator; Single player all-around class can evolve by themselves with self made plot-hooks.

2- Sneak thievery; Thieves guilds, assassination, cat burglary. Be the Catwoman or the Batman.

3- Significant Npcs; Mercenaries and contacts can also provide support in and out of adventure.

4- DMPC; Discuss OOC upfront

5- BBEG and Plot over Sandbox; This is more about new players than seasonned but still, the PC is ''THE ONE AND ONLY HERO''^tm , it would make sense for a more movie generic type of story.

6- Death; How to deal with an alone adventurer in the midst of a long-forgotten crypt devoured by ghast. Rescue can get old fast.

7- Background, Motivation and PC character growth.

8- Alternate course of actions; PC is making the calls, and therefore, railroading should be all-time low.

I'm quite aware there has been thread like this here and there, but I wanted to get Gitp advice.

[Jay R]

I recommend henchmen, hirelings, followers, and cohorts. Use NPCs, under her control unless she tries to make them suicide for her.

Particularly, I don't recommend a DMPC, especially if the DMPC would be half the party and run by the only person who knows the game.

[JeenLeen]

I think your choice should in part depend upon the gaming system. You mention 3.5, so I think servants or co-workers make sense. I can see DMPC working, as long as you (as playing said DMPC) make that character take a backseat. They are a friend tagging along, or something like that, and not a decision maker. That way you don't overshadow her PC, but you can offer advice in-game if she, as a newbie to the system, needs some 'in-world' common sense.

Options 1-2 are probably the best, but with contacts she could call on for bigger missions.

Death is a big issue, and I think it should be discussed OOC before game starts about how to handle it. Does she want to suffer the consequences and have to start a new PC? Or should death just be a setback?
If going a batman route, maybe the PC is a member of a rich family, so death is temporary. Your butler-cleric simply uses a scroll to revive you. (Er, maybe handwave how high-level this requires the butler to be.) The villain won the day, but 'Batman' is back the next night. (Probably a good cover to act as an undead vigilante while really being living.)