1 Master & 1 Player RPG games / modules

[Don Peste]

Sometimes is hard to find enough players to play some good ol tabletop RPGs.

Sometimes is just... HER. Again.


So, I've introduced her to The Board Games World. She likes it. So, phase two in this nerd crusade is to play an RPG module. Dungeons, Warhammer, Cthulhu, whatever.

Do you know any good modules or games that just require one player? I remember Corbitt House. That was a good module. I think solo games (like those Choose your own Adventure books) are fine too.
I've found this: http://dnd.chromesphere.com

thanks

 

[Ulminati]

Can't say I know of any good 2-player scenarios. (Although Suicide King has way more points pooled into Knowledge(Obscure P&P RPGs) than me).

Just, whatever you do, don't introduce her to F.A.T.A.L.


Also, "1 Master & 1 Player RPG games" sounds suspiciously like you're looking for new equipment to add to the S&M cellar.

 

[Telengard]

The major trouble I've had with 1 on 1 is it can set the GM up in an adversarial position, which can be problematic, particularly with newbies. The best results have come from games that had other things going on (high LARP content). Games such as Pendragon, where you are also building your family and House, and which has both a structure and lore that is suited to solo adventuring.

That's my major recommendation, but since you did ask about solos and 1on1 modules, here's what I know of:

1. Old and out of print, but still findable: TSR did do a series it titled "1 on 1". There's 10 of them. I really enjoyed the one I played at the time, but it's been a lot of years.
2. TSR also made a large number of solo modules, of which I only did M1 (uses an invisible ink pen - ick). I didn't like it that much, but the solos had a large following around here.
3. Mythic RPG has a system where you don't need a GM, and co-op RPG might be a direction you want to look into. http://www.mythic.wordpr.com/page14/page14.html

 

[SinVraal]

TSR's "Challenge Series" for 2e AD&D features 8 adventures for 1 DM & 1 player. They are class specific but with clever use of hirelings and such you can easily use all 8 for a single class. Also, Good ol' Tunnels & Trolls.

 

[Father Walker]

Vampire (any edition) is pretty good to run solos with. You can set the game in the city you live in, so that she can actually visit WoD versions of places she knows in RL. Since vampire is a pretty social game, it might actually work with her if she's not into bashing things with swords.

 

[Erebus]

Just, whatever you do, don't introduce her to F.A.T.A.L.

You just had to use the word "introduce" in the same sentence as "F.A.T.AL.", didn't you ?
(To be honest, though, I've always suspected F.A.T.AL. of being an elaborate troll.)

Some gamebooks could be adapted as single-player RPG scenario fairly easily. I recommend the very good "Blood Sword" series.

 

[Don Peste]

Those are very good recommendations, thank you very much!

Ulminati: You're staff now, congrats. I thought the title sounded weird... but... well, I'm not very good with titles.
This FATAL... mmmmm...

 

[Ulminati]

FATAL was meant to be a joke. Actually attempting to "introduce" the missus to it is the quickets way to get a divorce and a restraining order.
Here, have an honest and accurate review of it: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14567.phtml

 

[lightbane]

If you want a challenge, try Promethean: The Created. It's perfectly playable with just one player, as it is a very personal and "deep" rpg. It is also emotionally challenging and one of its themes is about the human nature. Unfortunately, no-one plays it, it is even more rare than Changeling

 

[Tripicus]

TSR's "Challenge Series" for 2e AD&D features 8 adventures for 1 DM & 1 player. They are class specific but with clever use of hirelings and such you can easily use all 8 for a single class. Also, Good ol' Tunnels & Trolls.

These modules are fairly well done, and I had good success with these when I first started playing AD&D as it started out as just me and one friend.

The majority of my early AD&D gaming was done with a GM and usually 2 players, so this wasn't generally unfamiliar territory.

 

[Alex]

I never played it his way, but the Pendragon system is supposedly pretty good for this kind of play. Of course it is more fun with other PC knights, but I imagine it would still be a lot of fun with only 1, and you can throw all kinds of weird, customized challenges at that person without feeling your are putting her above the rest of the group.The great campaign of the 5th editions is a hell of a book too.

 

[Morkar Left]

Choose a scenario you are comfortable with (and is detailed) and you know he/she will get easily into it. Maybe provide a short (!) narrative inroduction into the world and how the char fits into. Then go completely freestyle. Really, modules suck for 1 dm / 1 player constellation. Take this 1-1 situation to it's advantage: give some clues what the player could do and then let him decide what he wants to do. Explain rules accordingly when necessary.

 

[Don Peste]

Thanks! We have started with Mythic. It seems an interesting tool for casual gamers or as support for DMs.

 

[oscar]

Wraith: The Oblivion is another very personal one that I could see working with two people.

 

[lightbane]

Nope, it needs at least two players for every PC due the weird way it works (the Shadow thing).

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Oh, you just had to ask this question. Well, boy do I have a module for you!

The Pleasure Prison of the B'thuvian Demon Whore is a tongue in cheek game where the DM runs the player through an adventure to stop the villainous Alayshia and rescue the fair elven Queen from her clutches. The player has to play the pre-generated barbarian, Krunk of the Frozen Wastes. The overpowered Krunk battles his way through hordes of minions and has to dominate the Demon Whore and avoid being dominated in turn. http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=XRP6666

This module is a spin-off from the first of the Fear of Girls web series. I do recommend Fear of Girls Episode 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI&feature=plcp) and the even better Fear of Girls Episode 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP3GYdrW450&feature=plcp). I can't recommend Episode 3, though.

The module isn't very well rated, but it should have some Codexian love from the title and front cover picture alone. On the other hand, the publisher is Expeditious Retreat Press and they did other 1 DM/ 1 PC modules under their 1 on 1 adventures line.

 

[Don Peste]

Looks interesting! And thanks for the videos, I've already watched the first one. Are there only three of them?

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Looks interesting! And thanks for the videos, I've already watched the first one. Are there only three of them?

Yes, there are only three episodes. I suppose the third episode did so poorly that they decided to call it quits. There are some more videos on the Fear of Girls youtube page: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...-4DQCw&usg=AFQjCNEwGEhakZ8LjnlqQ_ymdbOTG4vCLA

But I stopped watching everything those guys put together after the poorly done Fear of Girls Episode 3.