Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ZMJaxx 11-16-06, 07:09 PM	D&D (Table top): Can I play without other people? I know how to play D&D but there is nobody to play with. Is it possible to set up a game that I can play by myself? If you know of anyway i can play by myself >>>or even with just 1 other person<<< please let me know. Please don't tell me about all of the conventions and hobby stores I can go to to play with strangers. I already know about them Thanks
pukunui 11-16-06, 07:27 PM	D&D (Table top): Can I play without other people? I know how to play D&D but there is nobody to play with. Is it possible to set up a game that I can play by myself? If you know of anyway i can play by myself >>>or even with just 1 other person<<< please let me know. Thanks Theoretically you can play it by yourself, but I think that would be both sad and not very much fun (like going to see a movie at the theater by yourself). D&D is designed as a cooperative game. You really need to have at least one other person in order to have some semblance of fun, otherwise, what would be the point? You might as well just get Neverwinter Nights and play that instead. For some good ideas for 1-on-1 play, check out this thread: guide to solo campaigns (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=553739) Cheers.
Wharin 11-16-06, 07:29 PM	D&D (Table top): Can I play without other people? I know how to play D&D but there is nobody to play with. Is it possible to set up a game that I can play by myself? If you know of anyway i can play by myself >>>or even with just 1 other person<<< please let me know. Please don't tell me about all of the conventions and hobby stores I can go to to play with strangers. I already know about them Thanks If you truely already knew how to play DnD, then you'd already know the answer. It the same answer to if you can play Magic:the Gathering or 20 questions or chess by yourself.
Sim_antix 11-16-06, 07:31 PM	I play chess by myself all the time. It is a great skill building excercise. D&D cannot be played by one person.
Millennium 11-16-06, 07:33 PM	There are some DM-less adventures out there, but truth be told, you're better off picking up the Lone Wolf series. They're not all that easy to find anymore, but they're designed for this sort of thing: they feel like choose-your-own-adventure novels with a combat system.
DarkPawn 11-16-06, 07:33 PM	D&D (Table top): Can I play without other people? I know how to play D&D but there is nobody to play with. Is it possible to set up a game that I can play by myself? If you know of anyway i can play by myself >>>or even with just 1 other person<<< please let me know. Please don't tell me about all of the conventions and hobby stores I can go to to play with strangers. I already know about them Thanks Well I guess technically you could sit down and make random encounters. You could then make random action cards. Then roll dice and consult the creature or creatures you run into, and what happens with your random action cards. This would cover the "playing" aspect but the but as for "roleplaying" that would be a bit odd by yourself. Unless you normally hold conversations with yourself. If you have multiple personalities then you'd be set. ;)
LukiLoki 11-16-06, 07:38 PM	20 questions. heh. my kid has this little electronic thing that you play 20 questions with, and it's the weirdest thing. it gets stuff you'd never think it could, and even when it guesses wrong, it's close. Like, my sister tried "a glass eye" one time and it came up with "glasses." I'm scared of the thing, honestly. What's that? I'm totally OT? Oh, okay. sure. No, you can't play D&D solo. Unless you're crazy.
Seeker95 11-16-06, 07:45 PM	You can playtest by yourself. But playing D&D by yourself is like playing Monopoly by yourself. You can, but why would you want to?
pukunui 11-16-06, 07:50 PM	20 questions. heh. my kid has this little electronic thing that you play 20 questions with, and it's the weirdest thing. it gets stuff you'd never think it could, and even when it guesses wrong, it's close. Like, my sister tried "a glass eye" one time and it came up with "glasses." I'm scared of the thing, honestly. Next thing you know, it'll be making you coffee in the morning ... ;) It's aliiiiiiiive .... and it knows where you live!
Sim_antix 11-16-06, 07:53 PM	Linked for great justice Everything you need to play with just one other person.
pukunui 11-16-06, 07:56 PM	Linked for great justice Everything you need to play with just one other person. I beat you to it, Sim. Check my initial post (#2).
Azezel 11-16-06, 08:07 PM	Both sad and not very much fun (like going to see a movie at the theater by yourself). I always go to the flicks alone, so I am curious, why would it be better going with someone else (or why is it sad and not fun to go alone)?
Sim_antix 11-16-06, 08:12 PM	I beat you to it, Sim. Check my initial post (#2). That you did.
pukunui 11-16-06, 08:14 PM	I always go to the flicks alone, so I am curious, why would it be better going with someone else (or why is it sad and not fun to go alone)? Because going to the theater is meant to be a social activity. At least, in my experience it is. No offense meant to you in the slightest, but the only people I've ever known who go to the theater by themselves are the sad sorts who don't have any friends ... Perhaps it's just because of the environment in which I grew up, but I have never gone to see a movie in the theater by myself nor have I ever wanted to ... Sure, you can't really talk to your mates during the film the way you could if you were at a restaurant, but it's still a shared experience that you can talk about later. "Remember when we went and saw [insert movie name here]? Good times ..."
Sorcen_Anenooata 11-16-06, 08:28 PM	You can play DnD by yourself, and really each of you does that when you come up with character concepts and their backstories and such, well, at least the roleplaying part. Nobody around here plays unless I get on em about sitting down for a quick game so I usually just run scenarios in my head whenever I get bored, really helps you sit still and space out on those situations you dont want to be in. :D
Solaris 11-16-06, 08:29 PM	I play chess by myself all the time. It is a great skill building excercise. I tried it once, but I found that not only did I know what the other guy was planning, but he knew what I was planning too. The only thing that ever made me a better chess-player was playing against people who were better than me.
Adam Smite 11-16-06, 08:31 PM	I always go to the flicks alone, so I am curious, why would it be better going with someone else (or why is it sad and not fun to go alone)? I can see the reasons for going on your own, but it's just assumed that a movie theatre is something to go to with friends or family. I'll admit though, that I am not a very socially knowledgable person, and often miss easy faux-paux.
DarkPawn 11-16-06, 08:34 PM	I can see the reasons for going on your own, but it's just assumed that a movie theatre is something to go to with friends or family. You know when you think about it, this is really dumb. One of the biggest rules at a movie theatre is not to speak during the movie....ssssshhhhh! So why not go alone? You really can't talk during the movie, I rarely talk during the movie, so why bring someone with...why does it matter? ;)
tankschmidt 11-16-06, 08:35 PM	TSR came out with a random solo adventure set back in the early nineties. It was called CARDMASTER: Adventure Design Deck or something like that. I think it's still sitting in some closet in my parents' house. If you found a copy on ebay or Amazon, I'm sure you could work something out with some simple conversions to 3.5. Heck, I'm tempted to pull it out again just to get my fix... EDIT: Here's a link to it! http://www.amazon.com/Cardmaster-Adventure-Advanced-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/1560766123/sr=11-1/qid=1163727378/ref=sr_11_1/103-1562535-5878222
pukunui 11-16-06, 08:39 PM	You know when you think about it, this is really dumb. One of the biggest rules at a movie theatre is not to speak during the movie....ssssshhhhh! So why not go alone? You really can't talk during the movie, I rarely talk during the movie, so why bring someone with...why does it matter? ;)Because conversation isn't necessary in order to share an experience with someone ... especially if the person you're going with is your sweetheart ... ;) Besides, there's always the before and after during which you can talk. All I know is, in suburban Philadelphia, where I grew up, going to the movies by yourself = being a loser. That's not necessarily how I feel about it, though. Just saying, is all. If you like going to a movie by yourself, I don't have a problem with it. I just know I'd never want to do that.
Sim_antix 11-16-06, 08:51 PM	I tried it once, but I found that not only did I know what the other guy was planning, but he knew what I was planning too. The only thing that ever made me a better chess-player was playing against people who were better than me. Playing against other who are better than you is always the best way to go, but you can still learn from playing by yourself. Yes you know what you are trying to do so try and stop yourself. Figure out the weakness in your approach and then see if you can eliminate that weakness. Anyways this is all off topic so I better stop...
pukunui 11-16-06, 09:13 PM	Anyways this is all off topic so I better stop...Yeah, cos you wouldn't want to be accused of spamming this thread, eh, Sim! ;) Seriously, though, I think it's easier to play by yourself in chess than d&d because chess doesn't have any "story" or "roleplaying" elements. If you're playing d&d by yourself, you have to be both the DM and the player, so in your "player" role, there's no mystery or surprise as far as the story is concerned because you already know all that's going to happen thanks to your "DM" role. However, you can feasibly just act out d&d combats by yourself because there is always the randomness factor that the dice bring to the game ... but if you're going to do that, you're better of investing in some minis and the Miniatures Handbook and just playing a wargame instead of a roleplaying game.
ZMJaxx 11-16-06, 09:20 PM	Wow...I think more people talked about movie theaters than D&D. Thanks for the help guys. P.S. I should have said that I have not MASTERED the game, but I do know the basics and then some.
rudie 11-16-06, 09:33 PM	I found an obscure book in a hobby shop in my town... cant really remember the name of it..I think it was "solo adventures"..it had a guy fighting a minatour on it if that helps...(but it probably doesnt) Oh, and just a curious question to the OP: Why dont you like going to hobby shops and joining a game with strangers? I thought it was lame too, but I tried it, sure there are some creeps that hang out and game in hobby shops..but on the bright side, your not alone in their basement. :P
pukunui 11-16-06, 09:43 PM	Thanks for the help guys.You're welcome ... and good luck! but on the bright side, your not alone in their basement. :P :gah:
makeshiftwings 11-16-06, 10:07 PM	D&D Minis has some solitaire scenarios. If you mostly just wanted to play some battles, you could use a variation of that. Like this one: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mi/20050714a Basically, you decide beforehand that each monster has to do a certain thing under certain conditions, and then you try to beat the encounter with a group of characters. DM's sometimes do something similar to test out new monsters and encounter situations before throwing them at the party.
Tequila_Sunrise 11-16-06, 10:14 PM	The bottom line is that, yes you can play d&d alone, because I've done it before but it's not as fun because you're taking on the role of DM and player at the same time. Really, anyone can do anything alone like playing chess and seeing a movie but it's never as much fun as doing it with someone else because humans are by nature a social species.
pukunui 11-16-06, 10:18 PM	Really, anyone can do anything alone like playing chess and seeing a movie but it's never as much fun as doing it with someone else because humans are by nature a social species. QFT Amen to that.
rudie 11-16-06, 10:55 PM	:gah: eh, if you cant make fun of yourself, you cant make fun of anything.
pukunui 11-16-06, 11:31 PM	eh, if you cant make fun of yourself, you cant make fun of anything. I thought I was making fun. :P
Darkxarth 11-17-06, 01:19 AM	I too, have played D&D alone. It was actually really fun, for quite a while. I created a solo character, too many PCs would've made combat insane, and played through an entire campaign. It involved lots of combat and no puzzles, obviously, but there was still roleplaying involved. Maybe it's just because I have an extremely insane imagination, but I was able to hold entire multi-person conversations between my PC, NPCs, villains, etc. in my head. It was really a lot of fun. He actually went into Epic levels, and began battling Archdevils (not the Nine Lords) in Baator before he was killed by a meeting of BBEGs. Anyway, the whole campaign was great and I found myself coming up with all kinds of cool situations and adventures that I could use for my players. So, if you think you can keep yourself entertained for long enough to run a real solo campaign, go for it. :D
Bullgrit 11-17-06, 10:21 AM	Secretly watch a 5-6 year old playing with action figures/dolls in their room alone. Solo role playing is indeed possible, and apparently very enjoyable. And seems to be quite natural/normal, too. Bullgrit
Sulaco 11-17-06, 10:24 AM	D&D (Table top): Can I play without other people? I know how to play D&D but there is nobody to play with. Is it possible to set up a game that I can play by myself? Why would you want to? The whole point of D&D is that it is a social game. If you've no one else to game with and you are unwillin got try to find or join a group then just play video games.
Sulaco 11-17-06, 10:28 AM	Secretly watch a 5-6 year old playing with action figures/dolls in their room alone. Solo role playing is indeed possible, and apparently very enjoyable. And seems to be quite natural/normal, too. And how many times does that 5-6 year old roll a d20 or look something up in the DMG? You don't need other people to use your imagaintion, you do need other people to play D&D.
Bullgrit 11-17-06, 10:37 AM	And how many times does that 5-6 year old roll a d20 or look something up in the DMG? You don't need other people to use your imagaintion, you do need other people to play D&D.How many people does it take to roll a d20 or look something up in the DMG? You can play basketball by yourself. You can play golf by yourself. You can play World of Warcraft by yourself. You can play chess by yourself. You can play D&D by yourself. It may not be the standard or normal way to play the games, but it is not impossible, and not even unheard of. Bullgrit
Godzilla 11-17-06, 10:49 AM	I play D&D by myself all the time. It'd be more fun with someone, but I still have fun. And D&D is all about having fun, not having the best looking bit of stats.
Neutronium_Dragon 11-17-06, 10:51 AM	> you're better off picking up the Lone Wolf series. > They're not all that easy to find anymore, Oh yes they are! http://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/Home
Gorteck 11-17-06, 10:55 AM	Because going to the theater is meant to be a social activity. At least, in my experience it is. No offense meant to you in the slightest, but the only people I've ever known who go to the theater by themselves are the sad sorts who don't have any friends ... Perhaps it's just because of the environment in which I grew up, but I have never gone to see a movie in the theater by myself nor have I ever wanted to ... Sure, you can't really talk to your mates during the film the way you could if you were at a restaurant, but it's still a shared experience that you can talk about later. "Remember when we went and saw [insert movie name here]? Good times ..." :( i...i still talk to the friends about a movie we didnt all go off and see simple ... They go see and watch a movie early in the morning when i gotta do work ... later in the day i go watch the same movie then that after noon your with ur friends talking about the movie ... And the only thing ur missing is ur friends had some guy who keept making farting noises during the movie but its still funny to hear about it ... right? I Go to movies on my own all the time and i still talk about the movies with my friends ... that or i just dount go coz i dount wanna see a nother lame ass horror movie (YES i beleve there all pretty much lame ass) :weep: so your saying im a sad person and dount have as good of a life as you? :weep:
Gorteck 11-17-06, 11:06 AM	Yeah, cos you wouldn't want to be accused of spamming this thread, eh, Sim! ;) Seriously, though, I think it's easier to play by yourself in chess than d&d because chess doesn't have any "story" or "roleplaying" elements. If you're playing d&d by yourself, you have to be both the DM and the player, so in your "player" role, there's no mystery or surprise as far as the story is concerned because you already know all that's going to happen thanks to your "DM" role. However, you can feasibly just act out d&d combats by yourself because there is always the randomness factor that the dice bring to the game ... but if you're going to do that, you're better of investing in some minis and the Miniatures Handbook and just playing a wargame instead of a roleplaying game. You mean you arnt spaming this tread? OF Course your not you have important things to say :D Lay off the guys back :P And again :weep: Coz i useoly go to the movies alone ... and still able to share the experince with people after words ... poor you have to be with people :lol: No offince :D
elondir 11-17-06, 11:09 AM	Probably 95% of all the D&D I've played is alone. I actually find it more enjoyable than the normal group setting (I'm a bit introverted so making friends is difficult and maintaining friendship just seems like too much work to bother making more than one or two friends at a time). The D&D groups I play in tend to just whiz on by after maybe ten or so sessions, then I never see the people again. So for me, the solo game is great. Solo D&D a lot like playing video games (particularly NWN, Diablo, and Final Fantasy I). The plot is in your head, there are no puzzles (although traps are still usable), and there are tons of monsters. I used the random dungeon tables from the first edition DMG and random encounter tables. It's a different experience from group play but still can be quite fun, particularly if you like crunch. If you use minis it's like playing chess or solitaire solo. If you paly solo, consider a gish build or gestalt classes. You will need to be a healer, a tank, a trapfinder, and a blaster, and you will probably face melee a lot. A gestalt druid/wizard is a nice combo, since you can blast, fight, and heal, and you're not going to need raise dead. I haven't tried solo 3.5, but I'm guessing that if you don't use gestalt you could probably get by as a druid, an artificer, an eldritch knight, or a mystic theurge with lots of items. One other thing to note is the faster advancement and treasure since you're not sharing with three to five other people. And you can give out as much or as little treasure as you like. Summon spells are good for distracting monsters. I usually try to roleplay the monsters as if I were DMing a group, although I have occasionally just let my character stomp all over the monsters (as in cloudkill on a few hundred orcs). EDIT: Epic play can be really fun since your character is as powerful as an entire party. Also CR is balanced for four characters, not one, so figure out what a good balance is.
rudie 11-17-06, 12:26 PM	Yeah, you CAN play alone, ive known people whove done it just because they had a cool character concept they wanted to play. I just dont see why you would want to other than that, it takes away the whole atmosphere of the game. No offence to people who enjoy it but it seems dull and pointless. Also its really easy to cheat yourself, "k, so I roll for the bad guy....18, hit..k, 27 damage....which would bring my character to.... -8..ok, 4 damage it is!" Why dont you try to find a play by post online or go to the chat rooms, they have games there all the time and they would be happy to let you join in.
pukunui 11-17-06, 02:14 PM	Let me put it this way: As I have already said, yes, it is possible to play some form of d&d by yourself ... however, because it designed as a cooperative game, then in order to get the most out of it, you need to play with other people. By playing by yourself, you'll never experience the magic of discovering the plot -- unless ... you've got multiple personalities that you can swap at will so one will be the DM and can hide things from the "players". ;) :weep: so your saying im a sad person and dount have as good of a life as you? :weep:I certainly don't think my life is better than yours. I don't even know you. I'll reiterate that I have nothing against people who do like going to the movies by themselves, but I would never want to do that myself. You mean you arnt spaming this tread? OF Course your not you have important things to say :D Lay off the guys back :PI was teasing Sim_antix with that comment. He's got a whole bunch of stuff in his sig about spamming. To think that I have more important things to say than anyone else would be very presumptuous of me. Now - whose back are you telling me to lay off? I'm not entirely sure ... The OP's? poor you have to be with people :lol: No offince :DNone taken, but I don't consider it poor that I like to do things with others. If you knew me at all, you'd know that I spent a lot of my childhood playing by myself, so these days I'm really enjoying having lots of friends and being able to be a social butterfly, as it were. Although now that I'm in New Zealand, that's kind of died down a bit as I don't know many people outside of my in-laws and former colleagues. Sigh ... The whole "solo movies" thing definitely stems from the culture in which I grew up. When I was a teenager, if you didn't want people to think you were a loser with no friends, you didn't go to the movies by yourself. I'm not saying that's right or wrong. That's just what I'm used to ... EDIT: Please note, it was never my intention to insult anyone with my initial movie-going comment (although I acknowledge that I may have done so unintentionally). Considering that it's off-topic, perhaps we should stop talking about it and go back to discussing whether or not you can play d&d alone or not.
Sulaco 11-17-06, 02:36 PM	How many people does it take to roll a d20 or look something up in the DMG? You can play basketball by yourself. You can play golf by yourself. You can play World of Warcraft by yourself. You can play chess by yourself. You can play D&D by yourself. It may not be the standard or normal way to play the games, but it is not impossible, and not even unheard of. You cannot play basketball by yourself, you can merely shoot some hoops. You cannot play gold by yourself, you can practice the course. You cannot play World of Warcraft by yourself, you can simply choose to ignore the other players. You cannot play chess by yourself, you can play with a chess-set. It is not impossible, it just misses the entire point. It is neither the normal or standard way to play for a good reason.
otakutaylor 11-17-06, 03:00 PM	I've run a few battles alone for DnD but never really run a full game by myself. it seems rather silly to me to play a game where I'm the only one who can possibly roleplay, which is not my strong suit. Instead of playing exactally, If I want a lone DnD adventure I actualy write a story, then work out the mechanics or anyhting the characters do using game terms. Thus if the main character gets into a fight I write what happens based on an actual fight between the characters using the battle grid and everything. it makes it rather interesting to see how the fight turns out. (and is good proof that normal attacks in DnD can have a bit of flavor if you take the time to word it right.) I don't know about playing with only one person much, I've done it as the player, and it was a bit annoying sicne I had to control two characters at once, just so we'd have a full 4 person party. personal opinion: playing DnD/ going to the movies with friends is fun, but it does not garuntee you enjoy the activity itself. I far more enjoy movies I go see alone. I far more enjoy battles in DnD that I control. Neither of those is terribly much fun though, you usually need friends for that. A lot of friends however, tends to make the game more fun, but less enjoyable. DnD is a tough game to enjoy and have fun doing.
pukunui 11-17-06, 03:14 PM	You cannot play basketball by yourself, you can merely shoot some hoops. You cannot play gold by yourself, you can practice the course. You cannot play World of Warcraft by yourself, you can simply choose to ignore the other players. You cannot play chess by yourself, you can play with a chess-set. You cannot play d&d by yourself, you can play the d&d miniatures wargame. ;) personal opinion: playing DnD/ going to the movies with friends is fun, but it does not garuntee you enjoy the activity itself. I far more enjoy movies I go see alone. I far more enjoy battles in DnD that I control. Neither of those is terribly much fun though, you usually need friends for that. A lot of friends however, tends to make the game more fun, but less enjoyable.So are "fun" and "enjoyment" inversely proportional for you? The more fun something is, the less enjoyment you get out of it? I mean, I can understand that it's possible to enjoy something that isn't fun (for instance, I really enjoy chocolate, but I wouldn't say that the act of eating it is fun) ... but saying that your enjoyment decreases when the fun increases doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Could you please explain?
Sim_antix 11-17-06, 03:57 PM	I was teasing Sim_antix with that comment. He's got a whole bunch of stuff in his sig about spamming. Yes it was well understood by me and I even thought that I should make sure I said that I got the joke so that this situation wouldn't come up.
Elessara 11-17-06, 04:29 PM	I think it has been established that yes you CAN play D&D alone. But really for those who are saying you can't, just because you wouldn't want to doesn't mean it couldn't be done. If D&D is supposed to be something you do for fun, then it is whatever you want it to be. If you have more fun/enjoyement out of playing the game with more than one person well that's great but please don't try to someone they can't enjoy playing by themselves or its pointless to even try. Ele~
pukunui 11-17-06, 05:57 PM	I think it has been established that yes you CAN play D&D alone. But really for those who are saying you can't, just because you wouldn't want to doesn't mean it couldn't be done. If D&D is supposed to be something you do for fun, then it is whatever you want it to be. If you have more fun/enjoyement out of playing the game with more than one person well that's great but please don't try to someone they can't enjoy playing by themselves or its pointless to even try. Ele~ I won't try and speak for the other naysayers, but I for one have been saying that technically you can play some semblance of d&d by yourself, but you can't play it properly -- that is to say, the way it was designed -- without at least one other person. You just can't experience the game to its full potential when attempting to play it alone. There's the whole DM-player dynamic on which you'll be missing out. Unless, of course, you've got some amazing ability to keep information from yourself? We're really getting into semantic territory here. The argument is more about what constitutes playing a game than anything else. If a game has been designed with more than one person in mind, can you really actually play it by yourself? If you think the answer is yes, fine. Enjoy. If you think the answer is no, then you'll agree with Sulaco and me (and anyone else who shares our point of view) that while you may think you're playing a multiplayer game by yourself, in essence you're doing something else (albeit very similar).
DragonRockLtd 11-17-06, 07:19 PM	I'd call playing D&D by your self writing a novel. :)
Solaris 11-17-06, 07:32 PM	[Nevermind. Thought better of it.]
Elessara 11-17-06, 07:50 PM	pukunui: I agree that there are certain aspects of the game that cannot be fully realized when playing alone. I was speaking more towards those who sounded (or as I read them) as though it were absolutely impossible to play alone and how dare anyone even think it. I probably overreacted, but I got annoyed (enough to post anyway) when some of the posts (not yours) came across to me as saying: You are NOT allowed to play alone because that is not how I think the game should be played. The only issue I had with any of your posts was the discussion about going to the movies alone. ;) Well not that I had an issue as such, I just don't see a problem with it but then I don't go to the movies much at all and never did even as a teenager (and I live near Philly). Ele~
pukunui 11-17-06, 07:58 PM	I agree that there are certain aspects of the game that cannot be fully realized when playing alone. I was speaking more towards those who sounded (or as I read them) as though it were absolutely impossible to play alone and how dare anyone even think it.Cool. We're on the same page here. I probably overreacted, but I got annoyed (enough to post anyway) when some of the posts (not yours) came across to me as saying: You are NOT allowed to play alone because that is not how I think the game should be played.I don't think you were overreacting. Nowhere does it say you're not allowed to attempt to play d&d by yourself. There's no warning that says the Mindflayers In Black (:coolcthul) will come to your house and eat your brains if you do ... The only issue I had with any of your posts was the discussion about going to the movies alone. ;) Well not that I had an issue as such, I just don't see a problem with it but then I don't go to the movies much at all and never did even as a teenager (and I live near Philly).Yeah, I think that got blown out of proportion a bit, and I probably didn't help matters much with subsequent posts. I hope that's behind us, though, as it is very much off-topic. :D
otakutaylor 11-18-06, 01:36 AM	So are "fun" and "enjoyment" inversely proportional for you? The more fun something is, the less enjoyment you get out of it? I mean, I can understand that it's possible to enjoy something that isn't fun (for instance, I really enjoy chocolate, but I wouldn't say that the act of eating it is fun) ... but saying that your enjoyment decreases when the fun increases doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Could you please explain? Often times fun and enjoyment are one and the same, but enjoyment can be had without fun and something can be made fun, reguardless of weither you enjoyed it. A very sad, touching movie that nearly makes you cry (and that's your favorite type of movie) is enjoyable, but not terribly fun. A night out with your friends can be fun, but they can decide to go to a movie you hate. (let's say you don't like seeing horror movies, and they all do) it can be fun because you're making jokes, chatting, or talking about stuff with your friends. But you likely didn't enjoy the movie at all. In a DnD game, the more people there are the more likely that there will be different defenitions of enjoyment. Some people like to do battle, others roleplay, some just like saying they're ninja all the time. But it's likely your group has a mostly similar idea of fun, the same kind of jokes, silly gestures, and general chat. Thus for most DnD groups, the more people, the more fun, but a less enjoyable game. Some people really are there just to have fun, they'd be perfectly fine with just sitting and chatting the whole time instead of rolling any dice, except for jokes. Some people are only there to enjoy the game, who will admit it was fun, but didn't have the in game experience they wanted. if there's one player, you can make sure you do what you enjoy, but you may not have fun doing so. The DM of a multi person game has to make sure a game contains something enjoyable for everyone, or I personally believe a game will likely just boil down to fun without enjoyment. Idealy, a game will contain an equal portion of all the things players enjoy, that way everyone is enjoying the game. And hopefully everyone will be having fun at the get-together, because in most cases, if you enjoy something you have fun doing that. small note: if one player enjoys killing other PC's and they enjoy living, you might have a problem with people enjoying the game. But that doesn't mean they won't have fun during the game.
Sim_antix 11-18-06, 01:42 AM	You can enjoy something that wasn't "fun" but unless you are the grinch anytime something was fun then it was also enjoyed.
Solaris 11-18-06, 01:50 AM	People sure will argue about anything.
pukunui 11-18-06, 02:14 AM	You can enjoy something that wasn't "fun" but unless you are the grinch anytime something was fun then it was also enjoyed. Yes, that's what I was getting at, more or less. As I already said, I can understand the "enjoy sans fun" scenario, but I really can't understand the "fun sans enjoyment" scenario. If you're having fun, you're enjoying yourself; and you can enjoy yourself without having fun; but I honestly don't see how you can have fun without also enjoying yourself. Also, "fun" and "enjoyable" are synonyms. That means that anytime you could say something was "fun", you could also say it was "enjoyable" instead, and you'd still be saying pretty much the same thing.
Darkxarth 11-18-06, 02:43 AM	I think it has been established that yes you CAN play D&D alone. But really for those who are saying you can't, just because you wouldn't want to doesn't mean it couldn't be done. If D&D is supposed to be something you do for fun, then it is whatever you want it to be. If you have more fun/enjoyement out of playing the game with more than one person well that's great but please don't try to someone they can't enjoy playing by themselves or its pointless to even try. Ele~ I'm glad someone beat me to this, because I probably would not have been so nice. :embarrass As I said, I played an entire campaign, from level 1 to Epic, and had a great time of it. :D I was playing D&D. I was getting the most out of it. I was having fun and enjoying it. :P I also play chess by myself. ;) -DX
taski 11-18-06, 03:41 AM	As I already said, I can understand the "enjoy sans fun" scenario, but I really can't understand the "fun sans enjoyment" scenario. If you're having fun, you're enjoying yourself; and you can enjoy yourself without having fun; but I honestly don't see how you can have fun without also enjoying yourself. Also, "fun" and "enjoyable" are synonyms. That means that anytime you could say something was "fun", you could also say it was "enjoyable" instead, and you'd still be saying pretty much the same thing. I think what the guy was getting at is that the "fun" one has with a group of friends is not the same as the "enjoyment" of the topic that the group is seeing/doing. You can have fun with friends while watching a crappy movie (think MST3K). You enjoy the jokes and your friends, but the movie considered by itself, without the friends, is not enjoyable, and you'd rather gouge your eyes out than watch it sans peanut gallery. In effect, you are enjoying yourself, but you are not enjoying the movie.
pukunui 11-18-06, 04:51 AM	I think what the guy was getting at is that the "fun" one has with a group of friends is not the same as the "enjoyment" of the topic that the group is seeing/doing. You can have fun with friends while watching a crappy movie (think MST3K). You enjoy the jokes and your friends, but the movie considered by itself, without the friends, is not enjoyable, and you'd rather gouge your eyes out than watch it sans peanut gallery. In effect, you are enjoying yourself, but you are not enjoying the movie. Fair enough. I will concede your point. It's a worthy distinction. Cheers. p.s. I really miss MST3K ... I can't get it here in New Zealand, either on TV or DVD. Then again, I can't get Rita's Water Ice, Goldenberg Peanut Chews, Sioux City Sarsaparilla ... uh, right, anyway. I'm not homesick. No, not at all.
Romtos 11-18-06, 05:15 AM	Because going to the theater is meant to be a social activity. At least, in my experience it is. No offense meant to you in the slightest, but the only people I've ever known who go to the theater by themselves are the sad sorts who don't have any friends ... Perhaps it's just because of the environment in which I grew up, but I have never gone to see a movie in the theater by myself nor have I ever wanted to ... Sure, you can't really talk to your mates during the film the way you could if you were at a restaurant, but it's still a shared experience that you can talk about later. "Remember when we went and saw [insert movie name here]? Good times ..." I never went alone to the cinema, but if there's a movie I want to see and nobody wants to come along, I'd go alone. Doesn't mean my friends will vanish into thin air. :D
rudie 11-18-06, 11:53 AM	People sure will argue about anything. Damn straight! :P
Androlphas 11-18-06, 02:07 PM	I saw Casino Royale alone. The girlfriend worked a 12-hr day and the best friend thought it would be better to stay at home and scratch his nether regions. They both missed out on an awesome movie. But on to the thread: Ways (that I know of) to play D&D alone: 1- D&D Miniatures Handbook, delve rules. 2- Dragon Compendium, "Solo Dungeons" article 3- Old D&D Bsolo-series of modules. There were also some solo adventures for the "newer" (circa 1990) Challenger-series modules. 4- AD&D 2nd Ed. Cardmaster deck (as someone already mentioned, I think) 5- Lone Wolf. The first one is available as a free download on Mongoose Publishing's site. 6- Mythic. Probably the best way I know of. http://www.mythic.wordpr.com/ While any of these methods can get you through the boring times, and are probably a good way to learn the game, it's definitely not the same as the group experience. And don't let anyone here tell you that you can't have fun alone. I mean, you used to play with action figures alone as a kid. D&D isn't much different :P
Cincinnati 11-18-06, 04:44 PM	Because going to the theater is meant to be a social activity. At least, in my experience it is. No offense meant to you in the slightest, but the only people I've ever known who go to the theater by themselves are the sad sorts who don't have any friends ... Yep, sitting in the dark for a couple hours staring straight ahead really seems like a social activity to me! :D
Alton 11-19-06, 02:25 PM	If you don't have any person to play Dnd try creating some of your own world, adventures campaigne. I once try to play with my self but that is not DnD anymore the meaning of dnd is lost. I sometimes create adventures or campaigne when i am not playing dnd
Tequila_Sunrise 11-19-06, 05:13 PM	I saw Casino Royale alone. How was it? Haven't gotten a chance to go myself yet, but gotta love the Bond!
PSchirf 11-19-06, 09:03 PM	If you want to something that may be fun and help your D&D experiences later, why not spend your alone time working on an original game setting and original adventures for use when you find others to play D&D? Being a good DM takes a LOT of time. Creating an original setting takes a lot of time. If you have the time now, but nobody to play with, why not get some of that planning out of the way?
jeffepp 11-27-06, 06:26 PM	Dungeon Bash is a d20 product decind to be "DM-less" http://www.theothergamecompany.com/bash/index.htm (http://www.theothergamecompany.com/bash/index.htm)
Skeletor 11-28-06, 03:00 PM	Hey if you want straight answers without the psychoanalysis BS from this thread, then go to this link: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=10761385#post10761385
WillinCT 11-28-06, 03:30 PM	Is there a computer product that can make this happen? Not a pay-for-play multi-player on-line game, just a CD game where one can build a party and have an adventure . . or, ideally, a related series of adventures? I haven't played in about 10 years and that's what I'm looking for. There used to be such products, and I still have the old floppies, they just won't work on my 21st Century OS. Any direction any one can provide would be appreciated.
Prak, the Mad 11-29-06, 06:02 PM	Because going to the theater is meant to be a social activity. At least, in my experience it is. No offense meant to you in the slightest, but the only people I've ever known who go to the theater by themselves are the sad sorts who don't have any friends ... Perhaps it's just because of the environment in which I grew up, but I have never gone to see a movie in the theater by myself nor have I ever wanted to ... Sure, you can't really talk to your mates during the film the way you could if you were at a restaurant, but it's still a shared experience that you can talk about later. "Remember when we went and saw [insert movie name here]? Good times ..." actually, the point of going to the movies is to see a movie. it's just more fun to go with another person(or people). You can play D&D by yourself, but it's boring, that's why people like me hate making classes and monsters, cause then you have to playtest them and it's boring as hell, you're just sitting there rolling dice and marking numbers...
boozerker 11-30-06, 04:57 PM	Look into Steve Jackson's Sorcery! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorcery%21). It's a five-book single player collection and looks good. They're part of the Fighting Fantasy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Fantasy) series (normally stand-alone books). Both webpages have links to official websites for purchasing the books. And if you can still find the following... Solo Dungeon (http://www.gamebooks.org/show_item.php?id=2204&PHPSESSID=dcc6cbd7de9120dec87303af70f1d5 c4) from 1978, unreleased? Maybe a copy's floating around online. Also, try searching for Solo Dungeon adventures by Tunnels & Trolls. More probably exist than are listed below. Buffalo Castle Deathtrap Equalizer Dungeon Labyrinth Naked Doom City of Terrors Sorcerer Solitaire Sword for Hire Arena of Khazan Sewers of Oblivion Sea of Mystery Gamesmen of Kasar Nothing above is d20, but they could provide ideas and/or be fun. Good luck!
thanatos_lich 12-05-06, 08:07 AM	Great game, fighting fantasy. Especialy sorcery.
Deagar 12-05-06, 09:17 AM	You can play by yourself. Most people don't want to or wouldn't want to because they want to compete with the GM or be surprised by the unknown. Playing by yourself is definately possible, don't let people dissuade you of that.
WillinCT 12-11-06, 02:54 PM	Are there no stand-alone computer products any more?
Chimaera2000 12-12-06, 02:20 AM	Well, it's certainly possible to have a D & D-style experience alone with a game like Temple of Elemental Evil (which, after applying some Circle of Eight patches, I'd heartily recommend). For playing D & D tabletop alone, it wouldn't be the same experience as having multiple people, but it's still possible. It'd be neat for testing out character builds and the like. I do like the analogy made to playing with action figures: solo roleplaying is possible. I know that I loved action figures as a kid and I love D & D now; maybe I'll give a solo campaign a try. :)
EntropyDawn 12-12-06, 02:38 PM	I think it would be next to impossible at the least to be both the dm and the player, the npcs, and then to talk yourself into a situation (per Dm instruction) and reply to it (per player response).. Soo more than likely no:(