Playing with a lone kid?


Beginner Box

Silver Crusade

So I introduced my nephews and their mother (my sister) to Pathfinder through the Beginner Box. I GMed them through the Black Fang adventure and some of the Beginner Box Bash stuff. My 12 year old nephew has gotten really into it, but his older brother and mother aren't as enthusiastic.

So I'd like to find a way to keep playing with the one kid who's really into it, but it's really designed to be a group activity, so I know it'll be tough to play with just one player and one GM. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to handle this?

I usually play Pathfinder Society at public venues, which I'd like to bring him to. But my usual Monday evening group runs too late to bring him. There's also a Saturday afternoon group, but it's farther away. I may look into taking him to that one occasionally, but I doubt if it'll be convenient to bring him more than about once per month.


One on One play (aka Solo play) can be fun, it just has to be tailored to the player and the player's character.

I've tended to handle it as more roleplay, less combat, but again, match game to player. As a rule of thumb subtract 3 from the character level to find the appropriate CR (in place of using CR=APL) and adjust from there.


Check out this post for some links to d20 and PF solo adventures.

And this old post on ENworld for even more d20/d&d solo adventures

As for newer stuff I think Kobold Press has some solo adventures.

Silver Crusade

HerosBackpack wrote:

One on One play (aka Solo play) can be fun, it just has to be tailored to the player and the player's character.

I've tended to handle it as more roleplay, less combat, but again, match game to player. As a rule of thumb subtract 3 from the character level to find the appropriate CR (in place of using CR=APL) and adjust from there.

Well, he's a 12 year old kid with ADHD who just wants to bash things with a sword, so the "more roleplay, less combat" route would be exactly the opposite of what he wants.

Thanks for the suggestions, though. I'll definitely check out Thanael's links.


If he just wants to bash things with a sword, what about dungeon crawling board games? Something like the Castle Ravenloft board game to start him off, then maybe move into more complex games like descent or talisman. With the wizards of the coast dungeon crawlers you can even play with him (its against the game, not a 'dm'). Might be better then trying to do 1on1 gameplay with a child who just wants to hack and slash.


You can always run published modules/adventures and create 2 or 3 appropriate NPCs to travel with him and offer support, make him the tead 'leader' and let him give them orders in combat and even roll the dice for them if he wants. Maybe you can even use the NPCs to introduce him more to the roleplay aspects of the game.


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You can always let him bash things and let the RP creep in slowly...

The Kobold Press/Open Design solo adventure line is called Party of One btw. and the modules are for true solo i.e. GM-less play.

But you should be able to adapt many standard adventures to solo play if you choose the one for about 2-3 levels less than he is.

Another nice thing for GM-less play or GMing assistance is the Mythic GM Emulator a product that has received high praises. It is a system-neutral campaign/adventure/plottwist generator. There's a free website version available (see the product discussion thread) but you'll probably need the PDF for explanation.


Let him try to bash some enemies and get in over his head... And then talk his way out of it!


Thanael wrote:

You can always let him bash things and let the RP creep in slowly...

The Kobold Press/Open Design solo adventure line is called Party of One btw. and the modules are for true solo i.e. GM-less play.

But you should be able to adapt many standard adventures to solo play if you choose the one for about 2-3 levels less than he is.

Another nice thing for GM-less play or GMing assistance is the Mythic GM Emulator a product that has received high praises. It is a system-neutral campaign/adventure/plottwist generator. There's a free website version available (see the product discussion thread) but you'll probably need the PDF for explanation.

I actually use this flash tool frequently when I'm bored with tv at night- just break out a character and run with it. FUN! I got an offline, browser based version of it (A friend sent it to me- I'm not savy enough to figure out how he got it) so I can use it on my tablet even with no wifi. Between that & HeroLab, they hafta pay me to leave the coffee shop some days. ;D


Ive been running PF for my son solo (beginning with the beginner box) for a few months now and it has worked out.

Like your nephew he started out just wanting to bash things with his sword and it was too easy to just let him do that. Just give hima "job board" or an NPC that give him missions and let him do some bashing with a little story of course so he wont get bored.

Every now and agian present him with an chance to RP and eventually he will take it. Wether it be a recurring NPC that he bonds with, a sword he is building, training an animal companion (which my son is currently into), or a BBEG that he learns to despise.

The key to designing encounters I found was to play to the strengths of his character and keep the encounters about APL -3 or so. Also the occasional NPC helper is a good idea.


what i would suggest is to find out who else likes it, any of his friends?, or if that doesn't work out you could take on the role of some of the heroes who tag along with him for part of it, maybe get killed then new ones come along.

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