Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Riddlewind Jul 10, 2014 17:42:36	Do we know if 5e will support smaller parties?  The fiction is full of dynamic duos and terrible threesomes, and yet the avergae party is alwasy 4 or 5 PCs.  I have two regular players and while we frequently use 2 PCs, it gets complicated at higher levels, not to mention one always suffering in role play.
#2 alienux Jul 10, 2014 18:58:52	I have one group that has 2 PCs right now. As long as you use the encounter building table and balance CR and monster XP with the number of characters (instead of just using the number an adventure lists), it works pretty well. I do generally add an NPC to their party to help with combat and base my encounter building on 3 characters using the table when I do that.   During the playtest, I found that everything worked really well for parties of 2 to 3, and so far with the final rules it seems to be very similar.
#3 Shiroiken Jul 10, 2014 19:08:51	One of the nice aspects of 5E is that you don't have many roles that "have" to be filled, and it's not hard to fill multiple roles with a single character. Even the healer, which is still the most important role, can be gotten around with careful use of Rests. Backgrounds can provide proficiencies (such as thieves tools), and pretty much any warrior or cleric can fill the role of tank. I played in a 3 person party during the playtest, and we didn't have any problems at all.
#4 Fantasyfilmsman Jul 10, 2014 19:52:25	I'm DM'ing a 3 man party right now. The rules have been working great and with the encounter building rules it's been easy. As the above said none of the players are playing a healing class so they have been more cautious but still it's been tough but not brutal due to not using the higher monsters due to CR.
#5 Riddlewind Jul 11, 2014 12:07:49	Thanks!  Can't wait to get the full rules now to start planning a two man (and maybe 1 NPC) campaign.   EDIT:  Now a follow up question.  Is there going to be math in the DMG to support adjustments for smaller parties?
#6 Kye_Tyrad Jul 11, 2014 14:35:29	Using the encounter building rules regarding the CR and XP against the PCs level and number makes it easier to build adventures for smaller groups, as many have mentioned before.   Besides trying to tweak existing adventures to fit a smaller party, the small group I run will hire NPCs and promise them a cut or portion of the treasure or just hire them outright.  Currently this is just done on a whim without much thought.  I remember having to hire what amounted to fodder for many of the older original D&D adventures, but have not found a good resource for hiring adventurers now that I am actually running them myself.  If anyone has come across something, please share.
#7 Jbickley00 Jul 12, 2014 11:18:08	I run games with one or two players, my first 5e game was 1 char. So  far the rules work well... the party roles..controller, healer, defender, striker,  were an artifact of 4E that I did not particularly like. Though there was much to recommend in 4e.