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I have been trying to get some players together to play this with my wife but it just keeps getting pushed off. We can't find anyone to watch our kids every other week so it has to be at our house and we just can't seem to get the ball rolling.
So I have decided to run it with just my wife as a player. I have not run one with just one player so I could use some pointers.
Do I have her and three NPC's that I control?
Do I have her control all four?
Do I just have her and make the encounters easier and have a lot random clerics running around?
I just don't know how this is done so I could use some help. I know some people have run this with just one player, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
So I have decided to run it with just my wife as a player. I have not run one with just one player so I could use some pointers.
Do I have her and three NPC's that I control?
Do I have her control all four?
Do I just have her and make the encounters easier and have a lot random clerics running around?I just don't know how this is done so I could use some help. I know some people have run this with just one player, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
I'd recommend #3. If she makes the effort to recruit help then add the NPCs.
You can scale the fights down if you like or you can designate a "leader" in the opposition. The leader is the one who primarily engages the PC while the others use "aid another" checks to enhance the leader. Once the leader is defeated, the rest flee, etc. Also, slant the fights to the single PCs strengths, infrequently on the weaknesses.
Another advantage is that you can do a lot of in-depth role-playing too. Getting much more involved and dramatic.
What is character is she going to play?
I'd start her off at a higher level, for one. Then give her one or two simplistic NPCs to help. You'll have to make sure healing is plentiful, and still scale down the encounters slightly, but it shouldn't be too terribly complicated.
I would make her a Gestalt character http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm.
and create two basic NPCs a Cleric a heal bot and a Fighter an attack bot
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Thanks for all the suggestions.
She likes playing rogues but if she is by herself I don't think that would work very well. If she maxes her UMD she might be able to get some wands and then maybe just one NPC to take advantage of flanking.
We will be using the PRPG rules with racial bonus to hit points. I think we will start out and she how she does through the first goblin attack and then she can bring on an NPC or two if she feels she needs them.
We might try it this Saturday, I will post back on the results.
If it were me running it, I would have create a single PC and I would then create additional NPCs to fill in as party members. I would control those NPCs most of the time but would let her control them during combat (unless she would prefer that you do).
Basically, you can then run it as written and yet focus a lot of the story on the single character. There can be a lot more in depth role playing as other players don't feel they're missing out on the spotlight.
I think at least one of the adventure logs on this site was written for this campaign with a single player (the player has two characters and there are two NPCs in the party).
Sean Mahoney
One of the best Story Hours on the site
You should have a stable of NPCs that she can choose to use or not. I've run a one PC game for a long time and, trust me, you want her to have some allies to pull her out of the fire on occasion, or simply someone for her to role play with.
Every single PC game needs: a BFF, a love interest, a social antagonist, a pet, a mentor, and some one-note contacts.
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Thanks Joey :)
Dreamweaver: I think the answer depends on how comfortable your wife is at running more than one character. It can be a bit confusing to run more than one PC, but then what she can do is have one of her PC's be very outgoing and talkative, and the other(s) can be much more low-key, personality-wise.
And of course there is more math involved with running more than one PC. But I think the fights are going to be rather boring for her if you run all the monsters, and 3 NPC's on top of it, and she just has control over her single character.
I've played a few campaigns so far with just me and one other friend. Typically, whoever's the player controls 2-3 PC's, and the DM has 1-2 DM-PC's/NPCs as well. So it makes a party of 4-5 people.
Currently, we're playing an Age of Worms campaign, and I have 3 PC's. It's working out well, because they all have very different personalities and voices. When I speak in-character, I don't even have to say which character's talking, because he can tell right away just by the voice I use. :)
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I am playing CotCT as a solo player with my girlfriend as DM.
I am playing two gestalt players (a ranger/bard and a cleric/wizard). With good stats the DM can run the campaign without changes.
I find that I can play a double-act with a strong relationship as well as I can a single character (sometimes better) and it's easier on the DM.
Although, two gestalt characters is quite an elaborate set of rules to play with.