Solo Play?

[Willis]

Anyone ever tried to run a game for one person? My son is interested but I'm having trouble finding folks to play with him. Any advice or ideas as to how to make this work?

[jamesrbrown]

This question has come up many times before, and by searching the forum you can find all kinds of advice. But, briefly I would say:

1. It can be done!
2. Consider giving him allies of Loremaster characters that either travel with him or show up during important scenes. You can either make all their rolls during combats like normal characters, or you can create an Allies in Battle table that allows you to make a single roll each round to decide their fate.
3. By giving the hero allies, he can still enjoy the advantages of having the Fellowship pool and choosing a Fellowship focus.
4. Go for it! You will have fun no matter what!

[spivo]

If the LM and player loves the setting, then it will be magical no matter what.

Remember, Bilbo was a solo player in The Hobbit. He has Gandalf as a patron who send him of on an adventure helping the dwarves, and I believe that campaign was pretty succesfull?

I think LotR is a bit different, in that the character Frodo forms much much tighter bond with the other characters, and the non-player characters also forms bonds with each other, which indicates them being more than just helpers to Frodo.
Also more obvious... In The Hobbit we see all(?) through Bilbos eyes, in LotR a lot happenes through other characters eyes (don't split the party!!!).

[Rich H]

There's also nothing wrong with a player controlling multiple characters themselves. It's how me and a friend starting gaming when we were the only two people playing in the village we lived in. You lose some elements (ie, the interaction of players/characters) but if needs must it's an option.

Also scaling the adventures for just one character is an option and/or increasing the competency of that lone character. I could easily se a Ranger of the North character being a perfectly reasonable basis for putting together a solo campaign with the occasional NPC introduced as a special guest every now and then to provide support on those particularly dangerous adventures.

[Willis]

How would I make an allies in battle table? Is that something I missed?

[zedturtle]

How would I make an allies in battle table? Is that something I missed?

Do you have Tales From Wilderland? The table idea that James is referencing is found in the Of Leaves and Stewed Hobbit adventure.

[Glorelendil]

Yet another one of these threads. We really need rules for companion LMCs.

[Willis]

I do have Tales. I'll give it a look.

[zedturtle]

We are having some interesting discussion on the subject here: viewtopic.php?f=56&t=7139