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The core rules say to figure out APL first. If there is one PC ( me ) and one companion NPC, and we are both level 1, and it assumes a party of 4, then our APL is 1/2. That means encounters/monsters need to have a CR of 1/2 for them to be average and possible.
According to the core rules, an encounter with a CR of 1/2 should award 200xp. So my husband can throw in two components with a CR of 1/8 and one component with a CR of 1/4 for the encounter. Or one component of CR 1/2.
Good so far. I would also suggest that with only two PCs, who can only take two actions each round, things can get dangerous with multiple enemies, much more so than would happen if you had 4 PCs. So, while it's true that a battle with one CR 1/2 baboon might be an "even" fight, but a battle with four CR 1/8 hedgehogs could be much more difficult for you than the one baboon, even though both encounters are worth 200 SP.
This is because the hedgehogs would be acting twice as often (they get 4 attacks, you get only 2). It can add up very quickly.
Just something to be aware of.
Since the xp is divided among the assumed 4 party members, that means I will get 50xp per encounter as a level 1. Using the medium path, it will take 40 encounters for me to level up to 2.
Not quite true. You don't divide the XP among characters who are not there. So, if you kill that baboon, your group of two PCs gets 200 XP which divides by 2, not 4, for 100 XP each. If a group of 8 PCs killed the same baboon, their group would also get 200 XP divided by 8 so each member would get only 25 XP.
The total XP is always divided by the number of participants in the winning group.
In addition, I should collect around 25g worth of treasure per encounter in order to have around 1,000g by level 2. Again, this is coming from pages 396 and onwards in the core rules.
Does this make sense? Is this possible? I imagine we will create a couple of different NPC characters to switch out in situations where different class skills are needed. I thought about the possibility of making a gestalt NPC companion, but hubby didn't like that idea.
I don't blame him. I don't like gestalts either. I especially don't like them with players and GMs who are new to the system because gestalts are not part of the system, they break many rules and create many problems the system is not designed to handle which means that both the players and the GM need to be well-versed in the game system so they can know how to handle the gestalt-related challenges.
Creating multiple PCs to swap out is always fun, but so is sticking with one hero so you identify with that hero and watch him or her grow and evolve over a career of many adventures.
It's all fun.
You guys decide how you like to play and play that way - everybody wins.
ETA: Or, for a level 1 solo player with one companion, would it be best to subtract one level, making our APL 1/4 and adjusting CR's to that? Since CR will be lower, should we consider the fast experience track?
It won't be necessary to use the Fast XP Track just because the group is smaller - I suspect you think so because you're dividing the XP by 4 instead of by the actual number of group members.
The different XP tracks are there to allow for faster or slower (or normal) progression through the levels. This is a matter of play style and whether or not your player group (including GM) likes dragging things out and remaining at lower levels for longer times (simulating dangerous and gritty real-world feel) or prefer to quickly climb into the super-hero levels as fast as possible, or stick to the normal progression which is halfway in between those two extremes.
Group size is irrelevant to this consideration.
Although I might suggest that very small groups can be instantly slaughtered by one well cast Save-or-Die spell, such as a Dominate Person (as just one example of many) - if there are only two PCs and one of them suddenly turns and starts killing the other one WHILE the bad guy is also killing the one unaffected PC, it can be game over very fast. As such, small groups tend to be safer with lower levels where such deadly stuff is far less common, so maybe that's a valid argument for the slow XP track.
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What Point buy for PC and NPC?
What Wealth for PC and NPC?
NPC normaly have smaller build points.
The game Assumes 15 point buy, 4 person table and standar wealth.
In this case I would call both PC and NPC a PC.
I Would give 25 point builds and Max wealth for level 1 class
I would would not run any CR that is more that PC level +2.
As far EXP I add up total EXP form all mosters and dived by # of PCs.
Then use what ever EXP table you want. The Exp table is realy how fast you want to run your game. Your game as it will run fast because you are get 1/2 exp vs 1/4. So I would run med or slow just have some time learn your PC skill and tricks.
I would also look at class the give pets help out lose of action ecomany. I would all so stay away from mass buff types like bard and rouges that need flanks.
Truely eaziest way would be make 4 PC and play all 4 of them. It may not be the best for role play but it will make the Combat, exp and wealth normal.
Most importantly of all. Have fun doing it and tell each other if the fun element is failing or not. Doing an adventure like this is a challenge but also great fun if you succeed. So my main advice would be to have fun.