New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Nov 2018

    Default Rule Variants for Solo Game

    I’m going to be running my wife through the new Dragon of Icespire Peak adventure in a solo game. The Essentials Kit has very little as far as tips for running a solo game, basically coming down to “give them a sidekick.”

    I’ve googled and searched it but can’t find much on what, if any, variants to use for running solo. The best advice I have found is to use the “Healing Surge” variant in the DMG, which seems great for running solo.

    I’d like to ask the Playground: do you have any tips for running a solo game?

    Spoiler: Character Choice
    Show
    Although I’m looking to get general advice here, it’s a good idea to tell you all what she is playing.

    Her PC will be a wood elf monk and the sidekick a defender warrior. I used an altered point-buy system that gives her an additional +1 on any stat after picking stats, which gave her an 18 dex and 16 wis. She has 17AC at level 1; the warrior has 16AC.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Man_Over_Game's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Between SEA and PDX.
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Rule Variants for Solo Game

    With only one player, they'll feel very stale with their character, since theirs are the only features and abilities they'll ever see or interact with. Additionally, it'll be better to err towards making them stronger, as they'll generally have to be able to take a hit. Survivability scales faster than lethality, so more levels are better than fewer.

    That being said, I'd recommend doubling the amount of experience they gain. With a solo campaign, they run the risk of getting bored with their features, and if they have to use the same strategies more than 2 times then it's turning into a poor game. More levels will mix it up.

    Additionally, allow them to use their skills more often in combat. Maybe they can use Acrobatics to jump off a wall, or use a Medicine Check to refund a Hit Die when spent out of combat.

    More magic items will also help.

    Try to provide multiple NPCs for the character to interact with, or provide multiple directions to move towards. Since they're by themselves, they'll only ever hear one opinion, and so decision paralysis is a big problem.
    You'll want to be more upfront with your clues, as a clue in a group only needed to be solved by 1 person, but a clue for a solo player needs to be solved by 100% of the party.

    With fights, try to focus on implementing more rather than harder. More fights means that the player can make an active decision between pressing on or taking a rest. Additionally, since there's no other party members to "average" out the balance of the encounter, a single bad hit is enough to end a fight, and nobody wants to be taken out by a slightly unbalanced random encounter.
    With boss fights, make them highly interactive, with things to modify the player's circumstances. Maybe they can cause a chandelier to fall, or maybe they can retreat into a bottlenecked area to force enemies to fight from a single location. Make sure that they recognize that they have options, and that failure was something of their making.

    Or, basically, give them lots of options, lots of information, lots of time to grant them their own pacing, and lots of opportunities to mix things up.
    Last edited by Man_Over_Game; 2019-07-17 at 11:58 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by KOLE View Post
    MOG, design a darn RPG system. Seriously, the amount of ideas I’ve gleaned from your posts has been valuable. You’re a gem of the community here.

    5th Edition Homebrewery
    Prestige Options, changing primary attributes to open a world of new multiclassing.
    Adrenaline Surge, fitting Short Rests into combat to fix bosses/Short Rest Classes.
    Pain, using Exhaustion to make tactical martial combatants.
    Fate Sorcery, lucky winner of the 5e D&D Subclass Contest VII!

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Jun 2019

    Default Re: Rule Variants for Solo Game

    One of our house rules is that in 1 player campaigns is that the single player has to play topless.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Nov 2018

    Default Re: Rule Variants for Solo Game

    Thanks for the input MoG. I’m definitely erring on the side of caution and giving her opportunities to be awesome. We’re splitting the role playing of the sidekick at the moment.

    We played our first session last night:
    Spoiler: Solo Play DOIP - First Session
    Show

    Session began with the PC and sidekick entering Phandalin on the south road. They pass by several buildings and people, eventually asking where the Inn was, then making their way there. The PC monk examined the Luck Shrine and put a copper coin into the bowl hoping to gain some good luck.

    Eager for gold, they checked out the job board after grabbing some food and drink and booking their rooms. Toblen Stoenhill told them of the dragon sightings. They tried to get more info from the townmaster, who would only speak to them through a crack in the door, a chain preventing the door from fully opening. They couldn’t learn much, just that there is a dragon that’s been flying around.

    She decided to go to Umbrage Hill first, to convince a midwife to come to Phandalin for safety, as it was the closest location. On their way out of Phandalin I rolled the dice for the dragons location and it came up for Phandalin. This was neat, she got to see the dragon attack some fields and freeze a bunch of crops and some horses, with the dragon carrying away a partially frozen horse.

    Once the dragon left they continued on to Umbrage Hill. Approaching the windmill, they hear the threats and insults of a manticore attempting to get in and eat the woman inside. She yelled to the PC for help, giving her location away to the manticore.

    Upon seeing the PC and sidekick, the manticore demanded that they go inside and retrieve the human woman for it to eat and would spare their lives if they did. The PC rolled well and recognized the manticore for what it was, realizing that they are relatively dumb and can be bargained with. They were able to convince the manticore to leave and come back in a few hours, when they would have a horse for it to eat. Being dumb and gullible, the manticore bought the story and agrees to come back for the horse.

    The book says that Adabra will not agree to leave her windmill. I called shenanigans on that and allowed the PC and sidekick to talk her into going to Phandalin with many good points brought up and a good roll. Having just been attacked by a manticore, who agreed to come back in a few hours, and with news of a dragon about, she unhappily agrees to go to Phandalin with the PC.

    Once escorting her back to Phandalin and sleeping for the night, we ended the session with the characters gaining a level.

    Highlights:
    Interaction between the PC and NPCs was great. Solo play gives the player a lot of opportunity to ask questions and deal with scenarios without worrying about how the other players will feel about the interactions. The sidekick has a flaw that compels him to punch tall people in the groin, known as the “halfling hello,” which lead to a lot of fun where he and the PC tried to explain it away.

    The manticore is hard for level 1 characters and the book gives no indication that deceiving it would work, but I would definitely give the group that option. If they can promise it some food and roll well, I don’t see why it wouldn’t agree.

    We both had tons of fun and are excited to play again.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    DwarfFighterGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2014

    Default Re: Rule Variants for Solo Game

    That sounds awesome! If you want to continue posting more updates about your ongoing adventures, please feel free!

    As someone who is also looking to run a solo game with their wife, I'm watching this thread with a lot of interest

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Nov 2018

    Default Re: Rule Variants for Solo Game

    Quote Originally Posted by NRSASD View Post
    That sounds awesome! If you want to continue posting more updates about your ongoing adventures, please feel free!

    As someone who is also looking to run a solo game with their wife, I'm watching this thread with a lot of interest
    Hey there! I do plan on posting more updates; it’s nice to know you’re interested! We plan on playing again Friday, so I’ll likely have another update the next day. After a few sessions I’m planning on making a thread detailing the sessions and our advice for running a solo adventure.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Nov 2018

    Default Re: Rule Variants for Solo Game

    NRSASD, I made another thread to log the solo game, it can be found at

    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...9#post24046229

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Titan in the Playground
     
    J-H's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Texas
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Rule Variants for Solo Game

    It's been on pause, but here's the solo game I've been doing for my wife:

    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...rshoon-5e-solo

    I started with just her character, but now she's up to a full 4-person party with options.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Nov 2018

    Default Re: Rule Variants for Solo Game

    Quote Originally Posted by J-H View Post
    It's been on pause, but here's the solo game I've been doing for my wife:

    http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...rshoon-5e-solo

    I started with just her character, but now she's up to a full 4-person party with options.
    Thanks for linking this! Reading through it sometime today.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •