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Solo Adventures?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
brainstem
Jul 30, 2008 22:12:22 I may be starting up a Modern campaign as a solo adventure with my girlfriend, but I'm having some trouble figureing out how to put Adventures together. For example, in the Core Book, which is all I have save Critical Locations, the only opponents that seem suitable in groups (fighting single opponents too many times just seems a bit boring in my opinion) are things like ferrets or dogs, most of which I just can't see building a combat around ("You walk into the abandoned building and a horde of ornery ferrets charge at you!"). Tips?
#2
rosakaftor
Jul 31, 2008 2:53:47 depends on what she's playing, but i find that solo play tends to work better for stealth/investigation characters. but if combat's your gig, then i just tend to fudge one particular aspect of opponents (at least the ordinaries) to make for entertaining, challenging, but winnable battles:

their hp.

keep them able to hit, keep them able to dodge, keep them able to make a save, but make it so that one or two bullets, and they're toast.

i ran a three man campaign based loosely around the condemned series of video games, and the three characters (dedicated/investigator, strong/martial artist, and tough/enforcer) had challenging, visceral combats with multiple opponents (usually outnumbering them), but with no more than 12 hp. a good shotgun blast, a wayward swing of a lead pipe, and they're done. however, when 4 of these guys run to you intent on breaking you to pieces, you aren't thinking about the single 12-gauge shell it'll take to drop one; you're thinking about what you're going to do about the 3 others now in melee.

so yeah, little bit of a rant, but that's a trick i've used. see if that works.
#3
brainstem
Jul 31, 2008 6:19:36 Well, it's probably going to be less combat intensive, but I do recognize that combat is inevitable. I don't want to start at a higher level, but the book doesn't really have rules for making opponents at a CR of less than 1, so it puts me in a bit of a rut.

So basically "minionize" the enemies? Is there anything you do other than dropping their HP? Would it be reasonable, then, to take a CR1 enemy, drop its HP to just enough for one hit to kill it, and say it's CR 1/2?
#4
kjw
Jul 31, 2008 6:43:36 While it deals with 3e D&D this is probably the definitive source on duet campaigns (1 GM / 1 player), but I am biased:
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=553739

Also I do have a lot of duet stuff on my blogs (i.e. Duet Dialogues) here:
http://www.gleemax.com/Comms/Pages/Communities/DisplayProfile.aspx

Finally, here is an article about gaming with your significant other that originally appeared in Knowledge Arcana 7:
http://www.freewebs.com/bluemoonaurora/duetarticle1.htm

I probably need to put this all back into my signature I guess.
#5
j0lt
Jul 31, 2008 6:52:18 Look at the section about Ordinaries (page 270).
All of the "low level" builds in the book are CR1, they're made from the combination of two ordinary class levels.

You can make CR1/2 baddies pretty easily by putting together a single class level ordinary character. Make one of each base class and you have 6 distinct badguys to throw at your girlfriend that won't really overpower her.

Your Strong Ordinary baddie will only have about 5 or 6 HP, and he'll be great for a two round fight as a thug. Same with the Tough Ordinary, though he'll have at least one or two more HP depending on how you build 'em.
Your Fast Ordinary will also have only 5 or so HP, but he'll be more of a shooter or gang member type.
The Dedicated, Smart and Charismatic Ordinaries can fill out your minor badguy roster mainly as non-combatants, though the Dedicated Ordinary isn't quite so bad as the other ones.
#6
azisien
Jul 31, 2008 8:22:44 You could have your player's level higher than the bad guy's she encounters. 3rd or 4th level fighting 1st level ordinaries, the odd 2nd.

Alternatively you can add in NPCs to follow the one PC and help her out. Not all NPCs have to be opponents, do they?
#7
octavian_5
Jul 31, 2008 12:19:38 True dat. Or, you could simply fudge one other thing:

Their Constitution Score.

Most people forget about Massive Damage. If an opponent in your campaign has 10 CON, then a 9mm has a decent chance of taking them out in a single shot.

And a 12-gauge? Yikes....
#8
brainstem
Jul 31, 2008 15:40:05 I definitely forgot about using only a single level Ordinary.

Also, I have considered throwing in NPCs, but I wouldn't want to go the route of the dreaded DMNPC.
#9
j0lt
Jul 31, 2008 21:38:37 I've got some statblocks somewhere of the single level Ordinaries that I built a LONG time ago... I'll see if I can dig 'em up for you.

GMPCs aren't so bad if you don't take the spotlight away from the player. I usually use a GMPC just as a kind of sidekick character in any game with fewer than 3 players. They never make any decisions or do anything exciting, that's all for the PC, but they do help out in combat, etc...

In my Saga campaign, the two PCs are a pilot and a force-sensitive scoundrel. The GMPC is the co-pilot/mechanic who stays with the ship.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 brainstem Jul 30, 2008 22:12:22	I may be starting up a Modern campaign as a solo adventure with my girlfriend, but I'm having some trouble figureing out how to put Adventures together. For example, in the Core Book, which is all I have save Critical Locations, the only opponents that seem suitable in groups (fighting single opponents too many times just seems a bit boring in my opinion) are things like ferrets or dogs, most of which I just can't see building a combat around ("You walk into the abandoned building and a horde of ornery ferrets charge at you!"). Tips?
#2 rosakaftor Jul 31, 2008 2:53:47	depends on what she's playing, but i find that solo play tends to work better for stealth/investigation characters. but if combat's your gig, then i just tend to fudge one particular aspect of opponents (at least the ordinaries) to make for entertaining, challenging, but winnable battles: their hp. keep them able to hit, keep them able to dodge, keep them able to make a save, but make it so that one or two bullets, and they're toast. i ran a three man campaign based loosely around the condemned series of video games, and the three characters (dedicated/investigator, strong/martial artist, and tough/enforcer) had challenging, visceral combats with multiple opponents (usually outnumbering them), but with no more than 12 hp. a good shotgun blast, a wayward swing of a lead pipe, and they're done. however, when 4 of these guys run to you intent on breaking you to pieces, you aren't thinking about the single 12-gauge shell it'll take to drop one; you're thinking about what you're going to do about the 3 others now in melee. so yeah, little bit of a rant, but that's a trick i've used. see if that works.
#3 brainstem Jul 31, 2008 6:19:36	Well, it's probably going to be less combat intensive, but I do recognize that combat is inevitable. I don't want to start at a higher level, but the book doesn't really have rules for making opponents at a CR of less than 1, so it puts me in a bit of a rut. So basically "minionize" the enemies? Is there anything you do other than dropping their HP? Would it be reasonable, then, to take a CR1 enemy, drop its HP to just enough for one hit to kill it, and say it's CR 1/2?
#4 kjw Jul 31, 2008 6:43:36	While it deals with 3e D&D this is probably the definitive source on duet campaigns (1 GM / 1 player), but I am biased: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=553739 Also I do have a lot of duet stuff on my blogs (i.e. Duet Dialogues) here: http://www.gleemax.com/Comms/Pages/Communities/DisplayProfile.aspx Finally, here is an article about gaming with your significant other that originally appeared in Knowledge Arcana 7: http://www.freewebs.com/bluemoonaurora/duetarticle1.htm I probably need to put this all back into my signature I guess.
#5 j0lt Jul 31, 2008 6:52:18	Look at the section about Ordinaries (page 270). All of the "low level" builds in the book are CR1, they're made from the combination of two ordinary class levels. You can make CR1/2 baddies pretty easily by putting together a single class level ordinary character. Make one of each base class and you have 6 distinct badguys to throw at your girlfriend that won't really overpower her. Your Strong Ordinary baddie will only have about 5 or 6 HP, and he'll be great for a two round fight as a thug. Same with the Tough Ordinary, though he'll have at least one or two more HP depending on how you build 'em. Your Fast Ordinary will also have only 5 or so HP, but he'll be more of a shooter or gang member type. The Dedicated, Smart and Charismatic Ordinaries can fill out your minor badguy roster mainly as non-combatants, though the Dedicated Ordinary isn't quite so bad as the other ones.
#6 azisien Jul 31, 2008 8:22:44	You could have your player's level higher than the bad guy's she encounters. 3rd or 4th level fighting 1st level ordinaries, the odd 2nd. Alternatively you can add in NPCs to follow the one PC and help her out. Not all NPCs have to be opponents, do they?
#7 octavian_5 Jul 31, 2008 12:19:38	True dat. Or, you could simply fudge one other thing: Their Constitution Score. Most people forget about Massive Damage. If an opponent in your campaign has 10 CON, then a 9mm has a decent chance of taking them out in a single shot. And a 12-gauge? Yikes....
#8 brainstem Jul 31, 2008 15:40:05	I definitely forgot about using only a single level Ordinary. Also, I have considered throwing in NPCs, but I wouldn't want to go the route of the dreaded DMNPC.
#9 j0lt Jul 31, 2008 21:38:37	I've got some statblocks somewhere of the single level Ordinaries that I built a LONG time ago... I'll see if I can dig 'em up for you. GMPCs aren't so bad if you don't take the spotlight away from the player. I usually use a GMPC just as a kind of sidekick character in any game with fewer than 3 players. They never make any decisions or do anything exciting, that's all for the PC, but they do help out in combat, etc... In my Saga campaign, the two PCs are a pilot and a force-sensitive scoundrel. The GMPC is the co-pilot/mechanic who stays with the ship.