Solo Adventures In C&C

[Kaiser_Kris]

I might be running a solo adventure for a friend of mine. Does anyone here have experience with doing solo adventures in Castles and Crusades and how one might modify that system? My friend wants to be either a (class and a half) rogue/wizard, which might help in and of itself, since that means more possible 'roles' that one would cover in a party.

[Breakdaddy]

Class and a half is your best option. Possibly a monk/mage to prevent the armor saving throw penalty and still retain a decent AC while being able to dole out damage and utility spells.

[Kaiser_Kris]

Breakdaddy wrote:
Class and a half is your best option. Possibly a monk/mage to prevent the armor saving throw penalty and still retain a decent AC while being able to dole out damage and utility spells.

While a monk mage would mechanically probably be an excellent option, there's also the player's desires to consider. I think the secret is also to tailor the campaign to the strengths of the character in question. A class-and-a-half rogue/wizard would be well suited to a campaign more based around intrigue and political/personal maneuverings than a traditional dungeon-crawler.

It'll be a challenge for sure, but I'm looking forward to it.

[Breakdaddy]

Sure, just make sure he has the level necessary to make both classes count and it should work out just fine.

[Eisenmann]

I just want to chime in to say that the Class and a Half rules rock.

[koralas]

Kaiser_Kris wrote:
I might be running a solo adventure for a friend of mine. Does anyone here have experience with doing solo adventures in Castles and Crusades and how one might modify that system? My friend wants to be either a (class and a half) rogue/wizard, which might help in and of itself, since that means more possible 'roles' that one would cover in a party.

I haven't done this with C&C, but did way back with 1st Ed. The game system doesn't really need modification, but the gaming style does. I like your thoughts about the intrigue and political maneuvering. Which class would take dominance? The "half" class can be a continuation from a personal background, or something added to help advance the characters goals.

For example, if the rogue is the predominant class the character might have had a relative that tried to teach him magic, but he was just to slow at it. Or perhaps he is not progressing within the guild as fast as he thinks he should, so he stole some books on magic, and began studying on his own, in order to give himself additional abilities to overcome his failings as a rogue.

Of course, the character could be built as a spell-filcher (if you have the ORIGINAL Incantantrix from Dragon Magazine, some ideas from there coule help, if not, I'll try and dig mine up) or some such, then it is all about the goals of the character.

The couple of times I ran individual games I worked with the player to get a few ideas on goals, then down selected to one. Some of those other goals came up as side quests, so don't discard them.

Typical dungeon delves are out... By that I mean the heavily stocked denizens of the nastiest of critters. But spelunking, small scale dungeon delving, catacombs, roof top chases, and flight across the plains all come into play in this style of game.

[alcyone]

This is a too-often neglected form of adventure, and I wish there were more ready-made modules for the purpose. Expeditious Retreat Press has a book of 1-on-1 adventures; I have played one for a cleric and one for a barbarian and both were fun.

I assume you are talking about adventures for 1 CK and 1 player. There exist some adventures for exactly 1 person also, which are fun too; Tunnels and Trolls seems to have the widest selection for their rules.

I am running a few 1-on-1 quests right now as part of a larger campaign; as filler between the A0 and A1 modules in the Umbrage Saga. They are not of the same scope as the group adventures; they focus on the specific character, class, and race, involve only a few encounters, and possibly introduce some minor companions; humanoid monsters, animals, commoners, squires seem like good choices; they let you connect the player to the story, provide some backup, but are clearly not in the same league as the player, who will be making every decision, whatever their normal role in the party is, this time they are the clear leader.

In a campaign, then, my aim is to use the 1-on-1 to get sort of a Rashomon-like group of perspectives on what would otherwise be the hook for the next module; if it works out, they'll be telling each other about the problem to be solved, instead of me dropping in an NPC to do it.

These are an excellent way to build backstory, account for normal class related quests (find a mount, find a familiar, level training, taking a tithe to your lord or bishop, etc.) Watch the lethality, make sure everything has a purpose, and give it a good clear ending; I think these work best if they are less chance-driven and freeform than how I run a group adventure.

On a side note, the old classic D&D 02 Blade of Vengeance is a very fun (if chaotic and frustrating at times) adventure of this type, for a 7th level elf, probably chosen mainly because of the versatility of that raceclass in D&D. The module 01 Gem and the Staff is very focused on thief skills, and is for a 7th level thief with some compensatory magic items.
_________________
Sir Aergraith Aethelmar of Cyrswud, CaCS,OotF

[JediOre]

I've done this several times using C&C.

The main key is to have several very short adventures early on that gives the PC time to rest between fight. I've also found it helpful to have the solo character to encounter a few pieces of magic right at the start to give him an edge.

My friend wanted to solo as an assassin so I modified a few small adventures from Dungeon Magazine. When we first set down, I had the assassin on the run from a major town, the reasons weren't relevant, i. e. neither of us really cared why. While crossing a forest glade he found a cave-in and at the bottom a small elven child who was hurt from a fall into the cave-in. The long & short of it was the child was rescued, the assassin had a small elven tribe as allies and was given, as a gift, a cloak and boots of elvenkind. This gave the PC needed protection for the small adventures that we put him through. He uses his cloak & boots in combination with his heavy crossbow. Great sneak attacks!

He has raided an old abandoned fort with a magic blade on loan from a paying customer. He protected a merchant from a blackmail scheme. He's had a couple of adventures that has had him infiltrate a nobleman's home to assassinate a target. In one he was paid to take out a corrupt tax collector. On the fly I had to come up with a well-placed informant, and to this day we laugh at my name I came up with: "Dirty Socks." Ol' Dirty Socks often has information for the PC, for a price of course.

By this point the PC was 5th level and I've begun running more traditional modules for first level characters. He has the tools and resources to do this now.

If you and your friend work together on this, you'll both have fun and explore what you can and can't do with one low-level PC.

[Omote]

There are really a few aspects of C&C, and adventure scenarios that I want to try out. It is not always possible to do all of this with a gaming group. I've thought about running solo adventures a great deal over the past year or so. It would be nice to see a 1-on-1 adventure series, because even these can be expanded by CKs to accomindate group play.

Oh how we CK love to modify!

~O
_________________
> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

[Breakdaddy]

Omote wrote:
There are really a few aspects of C&C, and adventure scenarios that I want to try out. It is not always possible to do all of this with a gaming group. I've thought about running solo adventures a great deal over the past year or so. It would be nice to see a 1-on-1 adventure series, because even these can be expanded by CKs to accomindate group play.

Oh how we CK love to modify!

~O

I'm Breakdaddy, and I approve this message.

[Kaiser_Kris]

koralas wrote:
I haven't done this with C&C, but did way back with 1st Ed. The game system doesn't really need modification, but the gaming style does. I like your thoughts about the intrigue and political maneuvering. Which class would take dominance? The "half" class can be a continuation from a personal background, or something added to help advance the characters goals.

For example, if the rogue is the predominant class the character might have had a relative that tried to teach him magic, but he was just to slow at it. Or perhaps he is not progressing within the guild as fast as he thinks he should, so he stole some books on magic, and began studying on his own, in order to give himself additional abilities to overcome his failings as a rogue.

Of course, the character could be built as a spell-filcher (if you have the ORIGINAL Incantantrix from Dragon Magazine, some ideas from there coule help, if not, I'll try and dig mine up) or some such, then it is all about the goals of the character.

The couple of times I ran individual games I worked with the player to get a few ideas on goals, then down selected to one. Some of those other goals came up as side quests, so don't discard them.

Typical dungeon delves are out... By that I mean the heavily stocked denizens of the nastiest of critters. But spelunking, small scale dungeon delving, catacombs, roof top chases, and flight across the plains all come into play in this style of game.

I think that the rogue is going to be the dominant class, and basically, I think the idea is that they have a 'talent' for magic, but it's been poorly developed since they never got access to true arcane training. So they're gonna basically be self-training in magic.

I think that the campaign itself is going to be pretty urban-based, so there won't be a true dungeon delve, but there will be lots of other things.

I'm toying with the idea of making the 'character' special in some other ways. I might add in, as a DM, a few other little ... traits. Just a little something to suggest a potential destiny.