Anyone ever try a solo campaign? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Anyone ever try a solo campaign? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Navdi
05-27-05, 01:28 AM I was wondering if anyone had ever tried a solo campaign. Whether it worked out well and the likes. Thanks in advance.
ratt182
05-27-05, 01:37 AM Do you mean solo as in just you or you the DM and someone else. If it is the former, there was a thread about it a while back... but I still cannot see how it is done, though people claim it is possible
Bloodtide_the_Red
05-27-05, 01:55 AM Yes, I have run dozens and dozens of solo campaigns. They have always worked out. They have always been very heavy role-playing though, so not too much combat.
I've had two types-
1.The person who can't play with the group because of (whatever). This way they still get to game.
2.The person wishes to do something just for their character or simply add more depth. A lot of times theas happen 'in-between' the regular game. For example, the group enters a city and hops on a ship to go off on the adventure. A player wants to shop or just network, this would be done at another time in a solo game. Also, sometimes a character will leave the group for some reason, and go off solo, remeeting them at another point.

BT
SnowbearK
05-27-05, 03:11 AM Two answers.

If you mean one player + one DM:

Yes, usually with either my best friend or with my wife. Both are extremely talented roleplayers. I ran my wife through Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (2nd Ed) many years ago, our second 1-on-1 game and her second real roleplaying adventure experience -- her previous DM I wouldn't count as real roleplaying -- and it worked out quite well. A single 4th level fighter, with a 2nd level hobgoblin thief henchman (acquired in our first session, The Inheritance from Dungeon Mag) took on the whole module. She still hates kobolds to this day and many of her characters have had an insane desire to tar and feather every single one of the little reptiles (we won't go into what she did to poor Meepo!).

I don't pull punches in 1-on-1 either, though many DMs I know do, because I believe that almost any encounter can be survived, if not won, by using your head and knowing your surroundings, which is how every single "lone wolf" character in every decent (read: believable) novel/film survives. Caution is the lone hero's watchword, and running the hell away when caught by surprise -- I'm sorry, retreating to regroup with oneself -- is never a coward's action, as only a stupid (and therefore dead) loner sticks it out every single time.

I also encourage parley and diplomacy (always, always, always roleplay it, the player will never learn roleplaying if you don't!) as the primary means of achieving goals, along with proper intelligence gathering and planning.

================================

Now, if you mean solo as in you're the DM and player, then frankly you might as well whip out a deck of cards and play solitaire. Unless you have multiple simultaneously aware personalities (in which case drop D&D and get psychiatric help, you're not doing the D&D community any favors by playing), there's no way you can actually roleplay with yourself.

You can randomly design and populate a dungeon, sure, but at that point you might as well play Neverwinter Nights roulette: DL all the scenarios you can find, rename them all random junk -- oisdfo24356makf_art82501.etc -- and close your eyes while clicking randomly on them. Go back and delete that scenario when you're done.

Best you can hope for is a hack-n-slash adventure with no real sense of logic or story to it.

If that's your thing though, go for it, but understand that you're not roleplaying.
Navdi
05-27-05, 03:24 AM I mean as one person being a DM, and another being a player.
midniteprism
05-27-05, 03:59 AM I honestly think that the One player-One DM combo of gaming can be just as rewarding as playing in a group of people. I know a couple that do it all the time. Their schedules don't always allow them the opportunity to group with others so they run each other through adventures in their spare time. It's actually quite need to see them play. HEAVY in story and roleplaying, and they seem very comfortable with each other and it makes things easy (easier considering they are husband and wife).

Its actually quite easy to prepare an adventure for one person and I've found that the games pace can be altered almost on a whim. The pace of the game can be picked up or slowed down at will allowing a deep roleplaying aspect mixed with fast action battle scenes that have an added critical element considering that you dont have any back up.

So to answer youre question, YES, it CAN be done and is actually quite rewarding too with a good combo of player and DM that are not afraid of one on one contact and just enjoying one anothers company.
Asciiman
05-27-05, 04:13 AM Solo campaign is without a doubt one of the best ways to play D&D. The amount of time you can put into the roleplaying, character development and details are incredible.

I enjoy them as much as group games. This way one person can have all of the spotlight. The DM however is required to do a lot more work, tailoring encounters, and situations for the player. Still it is more then worth it.
brainsplitter
05-27-05, 08:30 AM i was running a solo campaign for about a half year with a friend. Heh, that was back when i was only a player and i wanted to show my friend the game so i started to DM for him... half a year later im running a group with 6 players hehe... cool part is, back when i was playing to solo with my friend i only had the players handbook and we did it all from that and educated guesses on monster stats.

so... its do-able and can be lots of fun or a real bore mattering on the player, my player is a hard-core role player so it was tons of fun... heh, making monsters with only a players handbook, that makes me laugh for some reason
babysamurai
05-27-05, 09:28 AM I have been running a solo campaign on and off for 18 years with the same player, his character is now 21st level (Fighter 12/Rogue 4/Wizard 5).

He's sort of a lone wolf Assassin type (Lawful Evil Drow, I know every one hates Drow, but we started this character way before we ever heard of that Drizzt poof). Its been fun converting him from 1st edition to 2nd edition and finally 3.5.

I DM, but I feel the character is as much mine as my players. When I think of his character it's like thinking of one of your favorite book/film characters.

Solo campaigns rock the free world!
snowlynx
05-27-05, 09:39 AM Solo campaigns are great: they often play out more like a story or legend then normal D&D, since the plot can focus on the actions on one individual and there are things you can do with them that might cause problems in a multiplayer group.

For example, is someone is inflicted with lycanthropy, this would normally be a headache for the group until the person was able to get it removed, as well as taking away from the rest of the players by focusing so on on character. Yet in one player, the DM and player can go through the character's horror and realization of the curse in a very personal manner, and can go into much greater depth, since there are no other players twiddling their thumbs waiting for their turn.

The one thing that is surely missing is the other players. This is sometimes a great loss; many people who roleplay do it as a social event (as I do) and only having one person to talk to, instead of four, can at times seem somewhat quiet.
Lord Stigius
05-27-05, 09:48 AM It can be done, and is very rewarding. My current campaign is a kind of "solo". Actually, it has two players, but the characters usually work separately, sometimes even plotting against each other (nothing murderous, though, just two greedy wizards competing for resources).

The campaig is roleplaying-heavy indeed, but combats and even typical dungeons are not unusual. NPCs and henchmen apper often, but the main work still must be done by the PCs. They are well suited to lone adventuring: a scheming gnome illusionist/bard with lots of little constructs, alchemical devices, wondrous items and scrolls, and a human wizard/fighter with decent physical scores, and powerful greatsword (which she had crafted herself). Both mostly wizards, but their multiclassing gives them some versatility.
Liwmial
05-27-05, 10:54 AM I mean as one person being a DM, and another being a player.

Can be easily done, just be sure to tailor you adventures to the one character classes needs, and work with a rotating cast of NPC's until they are strong enough to stand on their own two feet. This has worked best in my experience.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Navdi 05-27-05, 01:28 AM	I was wondering if anyone had ever tried a solo campaign. Whether it worked out well and the likes. Thanks in advance.
ratt182 05-27-05, 01:37 AM	Do you mean solo as in just you or you the DM and someone else. If it is the former, there was a thread about it a while back... but I still cannot see how it is done, though people claim it is possible
Bloodtide_the_Red 05-27-05, 01:55 AM	Yes, I have run dozens and dozens of solo campaigns. They have always worked out. They have always been very heavy role-playing though, so not too much combat. I've had two types- 1.The person who can't play with the group because of (whatever). This way they still get to game. 2.The person wishes to do something just for their character or simply add more depth. A lot of times theas happen 'in-between' the regular game. For example, the group enters a city and hops on a ship to go off on the adventure. A player wants to shop or just network, this would be done at another time in a solo game. Also, sometimes a character will leave the group for some reason, and go off solo, remeeting them at another point. BT
SnowbearK 05-27-05, 03:11 AM	Two answers. If you mean one player + one DM: Yes, usually with either my best friend or with my wife. Both are extremely talented roleplayers. I ran my wife through Return to the Keep on the Borderlands (2nd Ed) many years ago, our second 1-on-1 game and her second real roleplaying adventure experience -- her previous DM I wouldn't count as real roleplaying -- and it worked out quite well. A single 4th level fighter, with a 2nd level hobgoblin thief henchman (acquired in our first session, The Inheritance from Dungeon Mag) took on the whole module. She still hates kobolds to this day and many of her characters have had an insane desire to tar and feather every single one of the little reptiles (we won't go into what she did to poor Meepo!). I don't pull punches in 1-on-1 either, though many DMs I know do, because I believe that almost any encounter can be survived, if not won, by using your head and knowing your surroundings, which is how every single "lone wolf" character in every decent (read: believable) novel/film survives. Caution is the lone hero's watchword, and running the hell away when caught by surprise -- I'm sorry, retreating to regroup with oneself -- is never a coward's action, as only a stupid (and therefore dead) loner sticks it out every single time. I also encourage parley and diplomacy (always, always, always roleplay it, the player will never learn roleplaying if you don't!) as the primary means of achieving goals, along with proper intelligence gathering and planning. ================================ Now, if you mean solo as in you're the DM and player, then frankly you might as well whip out a deck of cards and play solitaire. Unless you have multiple simultaneously aware personalities (in which case drop D&D and get psychiatric help, you're not doing the D&D community any favors by playing), there's no way you can actually roleplay with yourself. You can randomly design and populate a dungeon, sure, but at that point you might as well play Neverwinter Nights roulette: DL all the scenarios you can find, rename them all random junk -- oisdfo24356makf_art82501.etc -- and close your eyes while clicking randomly on them. Go back and delete that scenario when you're done. Best you can hope for is a hack-n-slash adventure with no real sense of logic or story to it. If that's your thing though, go for it, but understand that you're not roleplaying.
Navdi 05-27-05, 03:24 AM	I mean as one person being a DM, and another being a player.
midniteprism 05-27-05, 03:59 AM	I honestly think that the One player-One DM combo of gaming can be just as rewarding as playing in a group of people. I know a couple that do it all the time. Their schedules don't always allow them the opportunity to group with others so they run each other through adventures in their spare time. It's actually quite need to see them play. HEAVY in story and roleplaying, and they seem very comfortable with each other and it makes things easy (easier considering they are husband and wife). Its actually quite easy to prepare an adventure for one person and I've found that the games pace can be altered almost on a whim. The pace of the game can be picked up or slowed down at will allowing a deep roleplaying aspect mixed with fast action battle scenes that have an added critical element considering that you dont have any back up. So to answer youre question, YES, it CAN be done and is actually quite rewarding too with a good combo of player and DM that are not afraid of one on one contact and just enjoying one anothers company.
Asciiman 05-27-05, 04:13 AM	Solo campaign is without a doubt one of the best ways to play D&D. The amount of time you can put into the roleplaying, character development and details are incredible. I enjoy them as much as group games. This way one person can have all of the spotlight. The DM however is required to do a lot more work, tailoring encounters, and situations for the player. Still it is more then worth it.
brainsplitter 05-27-05, 08:30 AM	i was running a solo campaign for about a half year with a friend. Heh, that was back when i was only a player and i wanted to show my friend the game so i started to DM for him... half a year later im running a group with 6 players hehe... cool part is, back when i was playing to solo with my friend i only had the players handbook and we did it all from that and educated guesses on monster stats. so... its do-able and can be lots of fun or a real bore mattering on the player, my player is a hard-core role player so it was tons of fun... heh, making monsters with only a players handbook, that makes me laugh for some reason
babysamurai 05-27-05, 09:28 AM	I have been running a solo campaign on and off for 18 years with the same player, his character is now 21st level (Fighter 12/Rogue 4/Wizard 5). He's sort of a lone wolf Assassin type (Lawful Evil Drow, I know every one hates Drow, but we started this character way before we ever heard of that Drizzt poof). Its been fun converting him from 1st edition to 2nd edition and finally 3.5. I DM, but I feel the character is as much mine as my players. When I think of his character it's like thinking of one of your favorite book/film characters. Solo campaigns rock the free world!
snowlynx 05-27-05, 09:39 AM	Solo campaigns are great: they often play out more like a story or legend then normal D&D, since the plot can focus on the actions on one individual and there are things you can do with them that might cause problems in a multiplayer group. For example, is someone is inflicted with lycanthropy, this would normally be a headache for the group until the person was able to get it removed, as well as taking away from the rest of the players by focusing so on on character. Yet in one player, the DM and player can go through the character's horror and realization of the curse in a very personal manner, and can go into much greater depth, since there are no other players twiddling their thumbs waiting for their turn. The one thing that is surely missing is the other players. This is sometimes a great loss; many people who roleplay do it as a social event (as I do) and only having one person to talk to, instead of four, can at times seem somewhat quiet.
Lord Stigius 05-27-05, 09:48 AM	It can be done, and is very rewarding. My current campaign is a kind of "solo". Actually, it has two players, but the characters usually work separately, sometimes even plotting against each other (nothing murderous, though, just two greedy wizards competing for resources). The campaig is roleplaying-heavy indeed, but combats and even typical dungeons are not unusual. NPCs and henchmen apper often, but the main work still must be done by the PCs. They are well suited to lone adventuring: a scheming gnome illusionist/bard with lots of little constructs, alchemical devices, wondrous items and scrolls, and a human wizard/fighter with decent physical scores, and powerful greatsword (which she had crafted herself). Both mostly wizards, but their multiclassing gives them some versatility.
Liwmial 05-27-05, 10:54 AM	I mean as one person being a DM, and another being a player. Can be easily done, just be sure to tailor you adventures to the one character classes needs, and work with a rotating cast of NPC's until they are strong enough to stand on their own two feet. This has worked best in my experience.