| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 25 Oct 2004 : 18:44:51
Funny that I've been on WotC's boards for months and I haven't started a thread there yet, and here I am doing it here... Ahem.
Alright. After throwing the Dragonlance books at my older sister (Chronicles, Legends, a few others), she has decided that she wants to learn to play AD&D! I've had her read the first few chapters of the PHB (2E, of course), and she is still interested, and she's been bugging me to run a game with her. So, here's where it all starts.
I've DMed a few times, but not many or for extended periods. I wanted to start her first mini-game in Forgotten Realms, so I was hoping you wonderful sages here could give me some opinions. Have any of you ever actually run a 1-person game successfully before, in terms of enjoyability and survivability? My sister is interested in being a Wizard, and I think she's intelligent enough to pick up on it without having to go through the whole being-a-fighter-first deal. I was going to make a slightly higher level (2-3 levels) cleric, probably of Tyr, just a mini-personality NPC-type to make sure things go well and she doesn't get herself killed (too soon).
Now, I was going to make things quick and simple for this first time. I was considering setting up a sort of 'detective' adventure in a town, so that my sister would get used to the basics of roleplaying (interacting with the townsfolk) and the more social aspect of the game. Then eventually the trail would lead to an old dungeon somewhere near the town, where I would run her through it and get her used to the mechanics.
I was considering setting this in the Dalelands, because, well, I think that's a good place for a first-time character/player to start (as much as I love the Unapproachable East, the Shining South, and the Old Empires).
Does anyone have any opinions on this? Experiences with 1-person games? Suggestions as to possible dungeons/specific Dales to use? Anything? :) |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 28 Oct 2004 : 20:27:42
That was a wonderful little adventuring tale to read. Creative and just sheer fun, and sad, too! :) I like the "little lady" title... I think I'll use that. I can see a rogueish type using it for some reason..
I like the portal idea, too. Hm... |
| tauster |
Posted - 28 Oct 2004 : 10:07:18
funny that you decided to take battledale: i dm a 1 on 1 campaign (the player is a doomguide, a 2e speciality priest of kelemvor) where i linked tilverton with battledale. it became longer than I had intended, but in case you need inspiration, here´s how i did it:
the priest had heard about undead in tilvertons sewer system, and being a cleric of kelemvor, was almost bound to investigate. [you can take other plot hooks to get your player down there; i imagine that undead wouldn´t draw the "little lady" (1) down there...] he discovered and destroyed a group of ghouls (he was almost eaten by them before he succeded  ). [again, probably nothing you should include in a 1 on 1 with a lowlevel illusionist!]. finally he found a small spectral figure hovering at the end of a tunnel which dissapeared through a walled-up passage.
he searched for a secret door or other means of getting on the other side, but after several futile attempts chose to tear down the wall. he found steps plunging down, ending at another bricked up closure which he also pulled down with a sigh. on the other side was a small room with an blind archway across his entry and a small skeleton in a huddled-up position in one corner. he investigated the room and found several broken knives, all with their blades worn to a nub, and after searching the half- torn- off wall discovered that it was covered with countless deep scratches.
again the ghose appeared, hovering on the other side of the wall, looking quite sad and totally non-threatening. the cleric was struck between a rock and a hard place: should he destroy the undead as his creed demands or should he try to communicate with it before laying it to final rest? he decided to try the latter and talked to the ghost - who was happy to have a conversational partner after several decades who did not run away screaming.
his story: he (a halfling; it´s his bones over there in the corner) was a member of an adventuring party who had scoured the rouins of several of the ghost holds in battledale, a collection of abandoned mansions in the woods south of essembra. he had a childish streak (from being alone for longer than he could remember) and many gaps in his memory so the details were vague, but he could dimly recall that they had found a portal in the wine cellar of one ruin. they had discovered that the key for opening it from the cellar-side was to splash some whine on the wall, and to get back from the other (thitherto unknown) side one had to shatter the empty wine glass against the wall. they opened the portal, went through and discovered the small and empty bricked-up room. dissappointed ("no treasures here? bah!") each threw his glass against the wall and returned to get some tools for that wall, the halfling being the last. just before he intended to throw his glass against the wall, he dropped it, and with it his only means of activating the portal. he cursed his bad luck and waited for his friends to return. he waited in vain.
after a few hours, his last candle burned down. he had searched the walls times and again for a secret door and tried frantically to scratch his way through the bricked-up section until the blades of his knife and dagger were worn down. having neither food nor water, he huddled up in a corner and waited for his friends, and after abandoning all hope, for death. he died finally, but found that this was not the end. he could move freely within a certain distance of his corpse and tried for decades to lure someone down there. in vain, until now.
the priest was almost moved to tears (it was about 2:00 in the morning and i played the little guy to the hilt) and promised to do everything to lay him to final rest. he returned to the city above, hastily bought some equipment he deemed useful and activated the portal. on the other side he found himself being in a cellar, from the rotten furniture long abandoned. after searching a few rooms he came upon the current inhabitant: a hungry and angry owlbear. a fierce battle later he discovered several very old skeletons (perhaps the adventuring companions of the ghost) and a shelf full of decades-old wine bottles (my version of treasure ). he went upstairs, scoured the ruin above, found it an empty and totally dilapidated mansion, sorrounded by woods - and encountered a female owlbear which was very peeved that someone traipsed through her lair.
another battle and some hasty forestfire- fighting later (never use firespells when it´s summer and you´re in the woods! ) he returned to tilverton - now being in the (most certainly exclusive) know of a quick way to battledale and "owner" of a small fortune in wine.
pedderee the halfling ghost was intered on tilvertons cemetery (2) but came back some nights later as happy as a sandboy, playfully haunting the cemetery until the cleric investigated the rumors about the spook. the ghost had a "message from the other side": the cleric should take one of his knuckles, travel to a certain silvermine in daggerdale to obtain a special kind of very pure silver and have the metal and the knuckle forged into a new holy symbol. pedderee could still travel near his corpse, and with the bone in the holy smybol he could move between tilverton and wherever the cleric was, delivering messages between him and the clerks of the cemetery (which had become close friends of the priest after several roleplay- intense sessions). furthermore, he was appointed to the cleric, as a kind of contact bewenn him and "the other side".
the story does not end here, but the "sequel" is not of importance for the tilverton - battledale link.
(1) let some npc´s adress the gnome as "little lady", with a hinted patronizing undertone. i imagine that would lead to very interesting roleplaying! 
(2) imagine a funeral in the dead of the night with a cleric of kelemvor doing the eulogy, two gravediggers being the only attendees - and the ghost of the dead sitting on the tombstone, dangling his legs! pure bliss…
tauster |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 27 Oct 2004 : 23:33:01
Lashan: I was planning on doing something along the lines of the new D&D player things - using detect magic to activate things, requiring proficiency checks that my sister specifically has, etc. Battledale, you say? Sounds like a good idea to me. :) I'll go and look some stuff up on it! So it'll be from Battledale to Tilverton... And I'll see if the campaign goes further. If it does, a slave trade leading back to the Zhentarim seems like a fantastic idea.
Pathwarden: Roleplaying is definitely what I'm aiming for. *nods* I'm using the dungeon to introduce her to the mechanics, mostly, and before that I'm running a few mini-combat scenes with her.
Heh. She's playing a NE Forest Gnome Illusionist of Beshaba. Her character was exiled from the Chondalwood because of how twisted she was, so she hiked over to Chessenta, where she learned how much she liked being a 'lady.' So she wears a gown and gloves and doesn't like getting dirty and stuff. Not bad for a first-time character, I think. |
| PathWarden |
Posted - 26 Oct 2004 : 18:31:05
Our group size has fluctuated dramatically over my years of playing. We are now a mere three players (though it appears we may be adding 2-3 more this weekend), but there have been occasions where we have only one player, or a side adventure necessary for the overall campaign may require me (or whoever might be DMing at the time) to run a solo adventure.
As pointed out above, the problem w/ solo adventures can be the lack of group cooperation and the team dynamic. Of course a careful DM w/ some planning can create a successful and enjoyable solo campaign. The game should be designed to be challenging, playing on the characters strengths, but not too difficult to accomplish on their own. You would not want a fighter to be stuck in a trap that only a thief could manage to escape.
There are of course NPCs, henchmen, and the like, but to me, too many of any of these just bog the DM down w/ more things to cooridinate and may detract from the fun of the game.
I have found for our group it is best to rely more heavily on roleplay and limit combat, especially if your sister wishes to play a wizard. Perhaps have her investigate some ruins looking for a lost item, which may require some use of minor magic to locate or recover. |
| Lashan |
Posted - 25 Oct 2004 : 21:40:24
Hello Gothic Dan,
I think that you might want to follow some of the leads from the recent World DnD Day that was celebrated for the 30th anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons. There was a mini-adventure created for complete newbie players. Of course, it is 3E and you are wanting to play 2E. Still, there are a few techniques that they used that you can use in your home made module.
There were only a few rooms. I believe that only 4 of them were in the dungeon. This helped keep things simple. You may not need to have that few, but perhaps a not overly complex dungeon is best. Also, in the dungeon, they had elements for all the character classes to do something (unlock door, fight monster, detect magic items) to get to the next area. There was even one area that required a detect magic to find the magic key to get past the magic door. That could be useful if she is running a wizard. Perhaps the cleric is locked up with a magic lock that only a magic key can unlock. Sure, it is hocky, but it is a first time adventure, right?
For where in the Dalelands, I might recommend Battledale. There are many "ghost holds" in the area, which are all ruins of one sort or another. Pernhaps the puzzles were established much earlier and the banite priest just figured them out and took over the hold? It could work. It's also not too hard to get to Tilverton from there. What you can use as an overall plot point is that the zhentarium are smuggling arms and slaves from the Moonsea to Darkhold via the a route that links the Dalelands, Tilverton, Eveningstar, and Stonelands. This one banite priest is part of a larger chain, but keep this all a secret. To link it all to Tilverton, there can either be a magic portal (for instant transport) or a clue that links to someone in Tilverton (or both). This way, the player learns of a wider plot in a nearby city and still doesn't know about the overall plot that is going on. Personally, I wouldn't even mention the "black network" until very far into the plotline. It would keep the mystery interesting that way. Also, the plot seems to keep getting bigger and bigger. |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 25 Oct 2004 : 20:09:39
Beowulf: I'm not entirely sure if the game will last more than the single little adventure - mostly it's just an introduction of the AD&D system and the Forgotten Realms to my sister. After that, hopefully I'll be able to browbeat some of my friends into learning how to play (they want to play, they just don't feel like reading any of the books). But that won't be for a few months anyway.
You did give me an interesting idea about the group dynamic, though. Perhaps, if the game does extend to beyond the single adventure, I could hook up the character with a small (2-3) adventuring group. Hm.
Tauster: Wow. That's all I can say to those links. They're absolutely fantastic, as is the suggestion of Tilverton. I'm thinking maybe I can link the two ideas/dungeons. Maybe the dungeon under one of the Dales actually ends up linking to the dungeons under Tilvara's Hold (magically or physically). This way I could give my sister, if the primary adventure bits work, an avenue to explore further, and to come into a larger city, where I can really make use of the links you gave me. :)
Right now, I'm thinking about starting her at 3rd level with max HP, and with a 5th or 6th cleric of Tyr. I want the first, small-ish dungeon to have combat, but I want it also to be full of puzzles and mind-things, to highlight what a wizard's really good for. In addition to the cleric's abilities, I am thinking of perhaps having some of the puzzles grant rewards - minor magical baubles or healing.
I want the head hauncho to be a servant of some evil deity, typically Realmsian in feel. I'm thinking about going with the typical, "People have been disappearing.." route, and then having her track down all of the clues to a minor thieves guild underground in the Dale. This is where she'll rescue the cleric of Tyr (who was locked up for trying to interfere with the thieving activities), and the two of them will delve deeper underground, into the dungeon proper, where they will search for the missing persons.
I am thinking a cleric of Bane or Beshaba would work well here. They could either be using the missing persons in a slaving ring or to perhaps sacrifice them to some nasty fiend they're trying to summon. I am thinking about having the normal, "Note from the higher BBE" somewhere in the cleric's chambers.. Something along the lines of, "Good, deliver the slaves to X and Y, signed (Anonymous Letter)." I'm thinking of tying it to the Zhentarim in this fashion.
That will lead the plot on to Tilverton, where my sister will start asking questions and such, and maybe she will meet up with a few more adventurer NPCs who help her explore the dungeons under the Hold. Hopefully she will have gained a level or two by then.
Now, the questions arising from the following, in my mind:
- Why the heck would a dungeon of a cleric of Bane (who I'm leaning towards now) have puzzles that award you if you answer them? Perhaps it was the former abode of an older power - a wizard devoted to Tymora?
- How should I link the "letter from the higher power" back to Tilverton, specifically, the dungeons underneath the Hold?
Thanks again for help, and any future help. :) This is my first time DMing in the Realms, so it's a pretty important step for me. |
| tauster |
Posted - 25 Oct 2004 : 19:22:08
quote:
Originally posted by GothicDan
Now, I was going to make things quick and simple for this first time. I was considering setting up a sort of 'detective' adventure in a town, so that my sister would get used to the basics of roleplaying (interacting with the townsfolk) and the more social aspect of the game. Then eventually the trail would lead to an old dungeon somewhere near the town, where I would run her through it and get her used to the mechanics.
I was considering setting this in the Dalelands, because, well, I think that's a good place for a first-time character/player to start (as much as I love the Unapproachable East, the Shining South, and the Old Empires).
Does anyone have any opinions on this? Experiences with 1-person games? Suggestions as to possible dungeons/specific Dales to use? Anything? :)
you may consider Tilverton (before its extermination of course) as starting point. it´s a city near to the dales (mistle-, dagger- and shadowdale) as well as to the stonelands, two mountains (desertmouth mountains and thunderpeaks) and the desert of the anauroch. lots of different terrain for wilderness adventures.
IN the city live appr. 11.000 people, with a good deal of adventurers (and consequently, their "supply industry"). not too big (problems for the dm: too many npc´s and locations to manage) and not too smal, just large enough to conjure a "city- feeling"...
UNDER the city you have the dungeon beneath tilvara´s hold (though it´s a bit too dangerous for lowlevel characters, i suppose) and old dwarven tunnels (going from memory and my own version of tilverton here...).
some useful links about city adventuring (and design):
http://www.roleplayingtips.com/readissue.php?number=141
http://www.roleplayingtips.com/readissue.php?number=81
http://www.roleplayingtips.com/readissue.php?number=169
...and if you have really much time: 
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=239643
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=303723
tauster |
| Beowulf |
Posted - 25 Oct 2004 : 19:06:29
quote:
Originally posted by GothicDan
Have any of you ever actually run a 1-person game successfully before, in terms of enjoyability and survivability?
Well, the biggest thing that one-player games is the group dynamic and the various directions and ideas, and fun, that arise out of it.
I don't think that I've ever run a one player game that has lasted very long without the help of numerous henchmen and allied NPC's. Sometimes these are thinking, resourceful types, but I'm more inclined, initially, to make them big, dumb half-orc types that are capable of contributing little beyond bashing a few skulls and shielding the important character from untimely death.
Later on it's a good idea to place the player into alliances with small groups of NPC adventurers or whatever. This allows them to tackle greater and broader challenges, but also requires alot more work on the DM's part in terms of defining each NPC's personality and background, and creating somekind of evolving dynamic between them, eg. who likes who, who hates who, who would hate who if only they knew X, etc.
Gotta go for now. Hope that helps somewhat!!! |
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