Post/Author/DateTime	Post
General_Ridley 07-03-06, 03:39 PM	Well, I'm going to get the ball rolling with a game I've intended to start with my brother. Unfortunately, we don't have anyone else we know who would be interested in playing. So It's just the two of us, with me as DM and him in his first ever game. I've asked him if he wants to run just one character, or if he'd like to run a full party by himself. He hasn't decided which, so I have no idea what's going to happen. All I know is I will tone down the game if he plays a single character. If anyone has advice on how to DM for just one character (in the event he chooses this), I would love to hear it.
Bohica 07-03-06, 03:49 PM	I would suggest you start with maybe one player and one NPC under your control. It would work if he played a fighter and your NPC was a cleric or rogue. I think it would keep it simple enough since it seems that you are both pretty new to the game. Bohica
EldonG 07-03-06, 03:51 PM	Loads of good stuff, right here: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=553739 And I'd definitely stick with 1 character...let him concentrate on getting into that one, if you actually want him to roleplay. :)
General_Ridley 07-03-06, 04:08 PM	I would suggest you start with maybe one player and one NPC under your control. It would work if he played a fighter and your NPC was a cleric or rogue. I think it would keep it simple enough since it seems that you are both pretty new to the game. Bohica only he is new. I've just never encountered the situation of 1 player before, and have little to no experience in this area.
KJW 07-03-06, 06:10 PM	Follow that link that EldonG gave it has lots of great stuff...though, yes, I am biased. ;) Seriously, it will really help you handle a solo campaign, which as you suspect is quite a bit different than a group campaign. I would strongly advise against letting your player handle more than one character. A solo campaign provides so much more for the player to do that handling more than one character will be overwhelming. The trick to solo campaigns is realizing they are deeper than group campaigns. A group campaign is like the LOTR trilogy as it was released in the theaters, a solo campaign is the extended version of the LOTR trilogy released on DVD. You explore the game in more detail, but it is easier for the DM to be successful as you are only dealing with one player. Focus more on roleplaying and the wants of the player and that is a good place to start.
EldonG 07-03-06, 07:06 PM	But, KJW...you have done good, my son, and a bias in this case...is warranted... *taking off the learned mentor hat...nice RP role, damn shame it doesn't fit so well* It really is a cool thread. I'm running a solo game right now...the guy has started as a Rgr3...with yuan-ti in his future...bwhahahaha...bwhahaha... I've done this before, more than once, but I'll be referencing the thread regularly, anyhow. :)
KJW 07-03-06, 07:15 PM	Thanks! My instinct is that a surprisingly large percentage of D&D games are actually solo campaigns, by large I would guess from 5-10%. It just makes sense when you consider scheduling, recruitment, and time constraints.
EldonG 07-03-06, 07:17 PM	Thanks! My instinct is that a surprisingly large percentage of D&D games are actually solo campaigns, by large I would guess from 5-10%. It just makes sense when you consider scheduling, recruitment, and time constraints. I get the strange feeling that you've been there... ;)
TheGreatGlen 07-03-06, 07:17 PM	Strangely enough, I have very recently (yesterday) started this exact same endeavor. I was sick of DMing games for my brother's friends so we started a game that was one on one. Here are my thoughts thus far, though I'm not sure what kind of game you're aiming for so... 1. I'm trying to keep my game somewhat lighthearted. Some of the other replies have pointed out that a one on one game is a good chance to do some detailed, meaningful story development and thats great. But, if you're like me and you have a very friendly, chummy relationship with your brother, this is a great opportunity to have a few good laughs as you encounter a group of very stupid goblins, blunder a few skill checks, or whatever. I'm also suggesting this because, as a new player, your bro might be frustrated by having to carry a story and manuver through a set of game rules that are new to him. 2. Also, I'm trying to keep my game quite free-form. I didn't restrict what class my brother could play, what feats he could take, etc. I also didn't plan much prior to our game session. If you're good at Monty Pythoning this is a great oppportunity to cater to your player's interests and desires. For example: My brother has always wanted to play an evil cleric/necromancer, but he never had the oppertunity to do so while playing in a group. Now we're both having a good time as his cleric/necro navigates his way to super evil stardom. Best of luck to you and your brother!