Since my Kingmaker group fell apart due to schedule conflicts, I have some free time on my hands. Realizing this, the remaing player with no conflicts asked me if she could try CoT solo (she sat in on a session a few months ago, but it was too late to introduce new players) and since I like challenges, I said yes. Now (as I have never converted an AP for solo runs) I'm wondering if it's even possible without reworking 70% of the campaign.
Has anyone tried this? Even if it's another AP, I'd appreciate the input.
Since my Kingmaker group fell apart due to schedule conflicts, I have some free time on my hands. Realizing this, the remaing player with no conflicts asked me if she could try CoT solo (she sat in on a session a few months ago, but it was too late to introduce new players) and since I like challenges, I said yes. Now (as I have never converted an AP for solo runs) I'm wondering if it's even possible without reworking 70% of the campaign.
Has anyone tried this? Even if it's another AP, I'd appreciate the input.
You will have to do some reworking. There is also the issue of how to handle character death since there is no party to bring you back to life.
Maybe letting the new player run 2 characters would mean less work for you since it opens up more ways for the player to get things done.
Ironically, out of the solo games I've run, I've never had a character die (didn't alter rolls either). Then again, those games were usually with rogue/stealth types who picked off enemies one at a time and avoided obviously lethal situations.
Two characters is something I hadn't considered since she mentioned possibly starting at a higher level, but that would definitely cut the workload down. Thanks.
CoT with a solo player should work really well actually.. just let the Children of Westcrown take a more active part in the adventuring, or use them as a recruiting pool. Then you can leave the encounters as is.
You could also consider letting her make a gestalt character (from Unearthed Arcana).
There are a few bits that will be difficult on both ends of the table. For instance the play in the Sixfold Trial. It's built for and assumes four players and four PCs. Yes, you could hand-wave and just have your player get one of the four roles but their involvement would be severely curtailed. It wouldn't feel as about her as it normally would.
Most other challenges could be handled by a sufficiently beefy and cautious stealth character, but with a lot of work for both you and her.
Honestly, what I'd recommend is pitching at her that she runs two PCs (ideally a primary damage dealer like a fighter or rogue, and a primary caster like a wizard or sorcerer) and you run a DMPC (cleric or similar support role). If the DMPC gives your player a wall to bounce ideas off of, and a pile of resources her characters don't have, that could work. Just don't let the DMPC "shine". It unlocks locks when she asks, it heals when she asks, it knows to do those things on its own, but it rarely gets the finishing blow on the Big Bad Evil Guy.
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Give her the pick of the Children of Westcrown to run with as her crew (give them all PC levels at level 1). She should then think in terms of being the captain of a team, issuing orders (maybe even making rolls for the other characters). It means some more work on her end, but then you'll be putting more work in at your end too.
I'm running a solo game with my wife for this AP. She controls a party of 6 players. I've not had to modify the AP except for areas of personal preferences.
Assuming she doesn't want to control a party of 2 or 6, in addition to great ideas above, I'd certainly recommend her taking espionage and diplomacy skills so her character has negotiation and/ or evasion as alternatives to combat encounters. I'd also just give her a free wand of cure light wounds.
I'd also just give her a free wand of cure light wounds.
Actually, that's sort of interesting. CoT is strewn with wands, scrolls, and potions of useful repair spells. I think they were deliberately making it so anyone with UMD could stand in and allow a cleric-less party.
Can she run 4 PCs? I've been in situations like this, both as DM and a player. It can be kind of fun to run a whole team by yourself.
Otherwise, if you do stick to just one PC, please post how it works out for you. I've considered running a single PC adventure just to see how it works out. I figured that I'd start our solo adventurer at 4th level, and let the normal XP progression play out. However, we've always opted for more PCs rather than experiment.
First off, thanks for the suggestions everyone; major props to Are for reminding me about gestalt characters (glad I still have the book). The input has definitely been useful.
She did NOT want to manage multiple characters, but really liked the gestalt system (no surprise there). Picking a race has never taken so long in my entire GM/DMing career...from drow to zombie lords to bariaur. After sneaking a look at #26's bestiary (printout - I never bring entire books for this very reason), she wanted to play a graveknight; I told her about an evil campaign I'm setting in Taldor (Cassomir) for October and suggested that she keep it in mind for that campaign. With that issue out of the way, she settled on a tiefling. Choosing a class combination (gestalt character) was the real problem. She decided on a rogue(standard)/oracle of bone build, but really wanted a climb speed. Instead I gave her flight in the form of an altered half-fiend template on a human base. The theme I had in mind was a really "human" fiendspawn: wingless flight, no natural attacks, all the normal immunities/DR/SR, no Smite Good, and all the spell-like abilities and attribute bonuses.
She started out at level three and has chosen to build a small lair in the sewers. Once she's had enough of playing Dungeon Keeper, we'll get on with the campaign. I've decided to build a "rival" adventuring group that Janiven initially invites to Visio's and see where things go from there. Even though it's more work than I had planned on, I'm excited about the opportunities. I always wanted to run a Thief-style game (even have an eye picked out for "Garrett"); I might just get a beta test.
Otherwise, if you do stick to just one PC, please post how it works out for you.
Count on it; I'm having a lot of fun with it so far.
Update - second session:
First, the player invested in several sets of wall-mounted manacles and proceeded to command/chain/release all the undead she could find (two zombies and a skeleton); leaving them in the bolt-hole she claimed near a sewer entrance.
Next, she left the sewers and began casing temples and expensive homes in Rego Sacero. She spent a week (in-game) observing nocturnal guard patrols, servant/slave traffic, etc before making a move. She raided a small Abadar temple without incident (meaning she only sneak-sapped the priests instead of killing them), but had to leave behind some of the more valuable items: two 4ft gold-trimmed ceramic statues.
After spending a few days to fence the take, she snuck into the large, old Ghival estate that I threw together on the spot. She didn't keep track of her time and got stuck inside the manor after daybreak, yet managed to stay out of sight. During this time, she listen to many conversations and came to the conclusion that she despises Wiscrani nobility. I gave the manor a good amount of hidden passages and cellar space; including some walled-up sections (think Cask of Amontillado). She explored every bit of the estate, even finding the passages leading to the old walled-off cellar. The masonry was fairly new so she was able to break through it with a crowbar she was lugging around. The Ghival patriarch and matriarch have a strange routine. The patriarch buys attractive slaves (either gender) for unpleasant purposes; afterwards his jealous (and mentally unstable) wife binds the slaves and crushes their faces with hammers, chains, or whatever is available at the time. The old man's been able to hide the corpses from the rest of his family for a while, but he's running out of space and self-restraint. On opening the old cellar, the player discovered the cadavers. Something about the ruined faces really unnerved the player.
The player decided that the Ghival line had gone on long enough. She first began scaring away the staff by leaving the corpses in odd spaces: bathtubs, closets, behind doors, in the matriarch's bed, and so on (there were a LOT of bodies). Once the staff was reduced to only a butler, lady's maid, cook, and footman, the player took off the gloves. The guards went first (only three), next came the children (poisoned "mercifully"), followed by the older daughters (one of the two put up a fight), and at last the Ghival family elders. The patriarch was drowned in his bathtub and the matriarch was tied to her bed and beaten to death with a hammer found downstairs. The player forgot about the family heir who soon awoke after the screams started. The Ghival Scion battle lasted a while and dealt the player serious damage before she finally put him down. Following the massacre, the player barricaded the front doors to prevent any dottari/visitors entering. Next she collected the remaining corpses and laid them out in the front parlor for anyone to find (her idea of "justice"). At last she collected all the loot she could carry and headed for the servants entrance; only to hear approaching dottari responding to the screams. She escaped by flying out a window and sneaking around on rooftops until she reached the sewer entrance.
This improvised and unintentional side-quest lasted nearly four hours. I've shifted her alignment to CE from CN and given her enough XP to level simply because of the planning, time spent and overall "success". At this point, I'm wondering if I need to utilize "infamy" points or just a fame penalty? The destruction of the main branch of a Wiscrani noble family has to have long-term effects.
Update - third session:
We managed to clear a couple of hours and ran through actual campaign material. Albeit altered, of course.
I've decided to run two separate groups at once: the player and a rival group of adventurers who play the "canon" role in the AP. This way events will continue to progress and the player will still effect Westcrown in her own twisted way.
The player went to a fence and sold off the Ghival goods she swiped; later that week (while casing other prospects) she received word that the fence was caught selling said goods. She learned that the fence will soon be taken to the nearby Hellknight fortress; the fence has been caught one-too-many times with "illegal" history books and artwork. While the fence has survived several Hellknight interrogations before, a stay in Citadel Rivad might change that record; she soon came to the same conclusion. After rolling a 20 on a Knowledge(Local) check, she learned that a group associated with the Children of Westcrown (a group of concerned citizens and busy-bodies) have been asking around about the Hellknight's movements and plans regarding recent prisoners.
She tracked this group to the old Aroden shrine and sneaks inside. The player followed the group (from a lofty height) to the ambush site and waited in nearby trees. After the ambush played out (and one of the rival group dies from a ballista crit), the surviving "PCs" rescued Arael and release the fence. The fence fled into the nearby forest and Arael and his new comrades head back for Westcrown. The player had it in her head that the fence already gave her up, so she promptly disemboweled him. As he bled out, she demanded the names of his interrogators; he spit in her face, appalled that she would question his loyalty to his suppliers...and then he died. This took her by surprise; disturbed by her actions, she decided to bury the man (without a shovel, it took some time). Afterwards she began to head back, but was distracted by surviving Hellknights regrouping and planning their next move. After a failed surprise round, she managed to kill the wounded Hellknights; no extra fame for the rival group.
After healing herself, the player headed back to Westcrown and snuck in on foot (and heavily disguised). She overheard Ulvano's rant at the stables and was able to follow the group back to the shrine; once again stealthily crawling into the shrine via rooftop. After sitting through (in-game) hours of excited chatter and an embellished of the rival group's attack on the Hellknights, the player was rewarded with info concerning the Bastards of Erebus. The player decided to do a little detective work.
She found the Bastard's base and did some recon; soon she found out almost everything useful to know about the all-tiefling murder/theft squad. Once she discovered the two skeletal wolves locked away, she picked her way in and made two new friends (after a few attempts); the canine undead were soon released into the Children of Westcrown's hideout as a distraction. Now Arael and Janiven are convinced their hideout is compromised. With that the session was concluded.
*Things I've learned*
I'm not planning on anymore red herrings and side quests if I can help it. While the player would gladly take on those challenges, she's interested in the AP's story and won't know the difference between my own creations and what the campaign actually offers. The side quests offered within the AP (not that I've used them yet) are nice diversions for groups, but a single player might get lost in them.
~scribbles some notes since I will be running my GF through a campaign~
Belated update - fourth (and final) session:
The last session, almost a week ago, failed from the start (thanks to Dragon Age's Witch Hunt DLC and the Dragon Age 2 trailer) since neither the GM or player wanted to return to Westcrown anytime soon. It began with the player customizing her character's appearance in order to further emulate the female Qunari shown in DA2's Destiny trailer; once I asked after her inspiration, the session crumbled.
Other players stopped by to sit in on the session (they couldn't regularly make the schedule to play, but apparently like sitting in on solo campaigns) and before I realized it, they were talking about rolling up characters for a Thedas (Dragon Age) campaign setting.
* Despite ending the AP before clearing the first book, I've learned a great deal.
- Running a linear AP as a non-linear solo campaign is foolish.
- Unless the players (all of them) are psyched about liberating Westcrown, use Janiven and her buddies as background elements. The group tends to drag things down for some reason. One of my regular players compared it to goofing around in Anne Frank's attic.
- Always keep an eye on upcoming games/DLCs that the player will likely dive into; transplant elements of these games so that the player won't completely lose interest in the current campaign. I usually manage this without fail, but dark fantasy doesn't play well with high fantasy.
- The players need an early encounter (before the tavern meet-up) to help establish group cohesion.
This is the last update; thanks again for the advice everyone.