I often do this for new players with a modified version of the Matt Mercer Stephen Colbert game. It has a bit of combat, a bit of exploration, some roleplaying, a DMPC to keep them on track and a nice neat ending. Highly recommend!
I have done this so many times for friends or kids who couldn't make a larger game. I found it's the best way to introduce kids to the game. They can find their voice in a setting where the competition for attention isn't a problem.
A friend and I did this for a couple of years, cuz as you adult schedules change. We had tons of fun switching off between the DM/player roles. Then we tried to get back into group play and we hated it. Lol
You just accidentally inspired this lonely madman to dungeonmaster for himself. I'm like; "Wait... YOU CAN DO THAT?" *glances at stack of dusty books nearby*
Let the player control the sidekick in combat. It means theres less instances of the DM rolling dice against themselves and just describing stuff while the player zones out
If you don't have a video on Monty Hall and min/max campaigns, I would love to see one. As a Gen Xer I remember back in the day soo many people ran these over powered ridiculous campaigns and it was nauseating. Seemed like our crew were the only ones who played D&D and Cthulhu without a tool box full of magic items. These douchey players and GM's who were showered with wealth ,magic, and min maxed characters literally gave campaigns AIDS.
My only experience with RPing is one-on-one and it ended up being an incredibly detailed ongoing campaign that was more like two co-writers creating a world and a story. Good times! :)
Yeah. I had an experience like that in a play-by-text game that sprung out of one of those king-of-the-hill forum games. Looking back at it, it isn't great writing or super immersive, but I still draw inspiration from those two characters to this day, and the character I played has become my go-to for impromptu villains in games I DM.
My players once stumbled across an inoperative android in the early stages of a puzzle dungeon. They reactivated her and asked if she could provide clues as to how to get through the puzzles. The response: "I'm not programmed to provide assistance, only make sarcastic observations" The players "Even better!"
I once plopped an authentically enchanted 8-Ball (even glowed for detect magic with the illusion school...btw) in the early territory of a dungeon. I'd gone so far as to have a chart behind the GM-screen, with the various things it could say, and numbers assigned for dice-rolling... The thing WAS entirely random... What ensued, was such an entertaining series of mental gymnastics among the Players for the Party to continue carrying AND USING the stupid thing that I (at least) will never forget it. Now... admittedly... the first couple of rolls I made were dubiously parallel or close to "dead on" predictions as they'd asked and shook the ball... BUT it was still just an 8-ball with an illusion spell to respond to questions with the random answers... That's it... I'm confident at least a couple of my Players were truly amused at their own endeavors to defend the thing as "mysterious" or "vague" instead of "wrong" or stupid... BUT the adventures created out of it were HILARIOUS... ;o)
I ran a solo campaign for my son way back in the 4E days. I had him play as a ranger so that he could run with a companion, and on some missions where I wanted to have bigger groups of baddies, he was paired with an NPC who would usually be more badass power-wise, but would defer to my son's character for story decisions. It was working pretty well for the most part. It helped my son learn how to play the game, and gave us that one on one time. We eventually got to a point where other people we knew wanted to play, so we started a whole new campaign, but I really enjoyed where the solo adventure was going. It was going to be pretty epic in the end (chosen of Bahamut with a gold dragon companion, fighting against the forces of Tiamat in an epic final battle). Maybe some day I'll be able to get back to running something like that again.
Seth: I like duet but that sounds more romantic than how mine go Me: *sips coffee* Seth: So let's talk about these small intimate games... Me: *sips coffee with undertones of irony*
The npc/talking the problem out loud is totally a thing in development that some call Rubber Ducking. It comes from a tale of a lone coder who realized explaining the problem out loud engaged a different area of the brain but didn't have a colleague to talk with. So he kept a rubber duck in his drawer and would pull it out to explain the problem to it. Most of the time it went like in the video, partway through the explanation the solution presented itself.
When I first got started gaming, many moons ago, I'd say 40 to 70% of my gaming was trading the GM seat with another guy, running a solo game for each other. We were young and stupid, and the games were invariably a train wreck. But it is still to this day THE experience I try to recreate and recapture every time I sit down to play.
This was the way I learned RPG's with my brother and honestly remains my preferred method of play. I feel like big groups end up turning things into a comedy session or a slog while one-on-one remains focused. Downside is as a DM you do burn through content faster than in a larger group when they take much more time to make decisions and the solo player doesn't quite have that need to deliberate before acting. Everything you say here is spot on Seth. I hope this introduces people to a style they may not have considered before.
With regards to tailoring the character: I've always liked the idea of the character sheet representing the player's challenge wishlist. If the player puts a bunch of points into stealth, the GM should take that as a sign that the player wants to encounter lots of stealth opportunities. If the player puts very little into investigation, then that's perhaps an opportunity for some contained drama. Definitely sprinkle in other encounters that the player's not good at to either keep them humble or make them feel extra awesome for overcoming the odds to get a bonus, but try to base the main challenge on what the player is asking for.
Agreed. You can't (and shouldn't) cater to all your players all the time (even with just one player) but keeping what they shine at in mind when setting up challenges is always a good idea. At the same time, you shouldn't let them get into the habit of always expecting to use the same bag of tricks or becoming so overspecialized that they can't take alternate approaches to problem solving. It's a balancing act.
Yes, and you (as GM) should know the characters well enough to be able to tailor your descriptions to the individual characters. The stealthy character may notice how squeaky the floorboards are. The master investigator may see the little piece of glass on the floor, whereas the novice investigator may first discover it by the crunching sound that emerges when stepping on that piece of glass.
Love that you're talking about this. My hubby and I are both GMs and one of us always has a game running for the other (even if we have group games running at the same time) - we switch turns hehe. I use a lot of NPCs - the player is never alone and can rely on their friends and contacts - I let him choose who he wants in his team. The player will usually be in a group with 2 or 3 sidekicks, depending on the setting and adventure - it can be more. And I agree with you - it's way better to learn to GM with only one player!
Don't research Seth's past... his younger friend went missing in his childhood. Some say Seth was involved but the cops could never prove it. They say he's a mastermind who bested even the FBI and L.
I think learning to DM 1 on 1 is a must especially of you have small parties. I mean it might just be me but my players have such a low show up rate that I can have 6-7 players in the campaign and still end up doing 1-2 sessions. Must say not having any plans for 1-1 sessions has been kind of foolish on my part (especially with the sessions with smaller pools I've been doing recently). Am I hte only one in this situation?
I used to have similar situations. One thing that can help, if you're having issues with player attendance, is to sit down with them and explain the amount of work you have to put in for each session, and to explain that if you're going to commit a considerable amount of your free time to planning the sessions, you'd like them to at least commit the time and effort to show up regularly. However, sometimes life happens and players can't show for no fault of their own, at which point it is nice to have some one, two, and three player session ideas on the back burner if you can work them naturally into your campaign.
Every game I’ve ever been apart of has been this way. Game 1- everybody and their girlfriend is there with a character. Straight up 6 or 7 Beer. Pizza. Laughs. Tears. Fun. By Game 5 - X isn’t here because he broke up with his girlfriend. Y isn’t there because he’s currently with Xs girlfriend. Z is stalwart and will always show. I am Z in this example lol
I dont allow last minute cancellations, except for work or health. Theres hefty penalties , because, as i tell the players, youre not upsetting ME the gm, but you are wasting the time of everyone who did show up. People spend a lot of their time and energy to play dnd so for someone to not show up is super rude. It is a commitment, unless you have a more open door policy. Id say, youre nicer than most if you allow these cancellations. But if you find that you cant get more new players, and you dont want to punish the ones you have too much, maybe you should frame your game as an open door table, so the story doesnt require anyone to be there. Yeah the pcs take a more backseat role, but anyone can go or come as they please. The game would have to be more setting driven rather than goal driven, and each game would likely be more vignetted and less episodic, and mayb you could have a rp chat room for in between games. I use discord for this, and a lot of rp actually happens between games, which can help the longevity of the game as players will be more involved
Just bought a new system and was planning on doing one with my brother. And then I saw this. Stop spying on me Seth, it was funny before. Now its just terrifying
It's pure coincidence. I promise. By the way, you're getting low on milk and should pick some more up soon. Also, get some more of those chips that I like.
Your videos are always informative, interesting, amusing, and oddly calming. They have saved a small portion of my sanity over the past year, so thanks!
Usually I run one of these if there's a system or setting I really want to try but can only scrounge up one friend to try it. I also call them solo games. Running and playing yourself is called "writing a novel."
14:00 I was scared you were going to say a companion should offer advice. I think Matthew Colville goes into detail on the logic of why not but obviously that's a bad idea. The roleplaying actually added something Matthew couldn't present as well because it showed how a companion can fill the pauses without trying to give answers. Really liked that, clarified a lot.
I'm fine with the companion reminding the player of items or abilities they have that they might be overlooking, but I hold back on doing that until the player first mentions an idea that they're just struggling to come up with a method of implementing.
Agreed, its best to ask the player if they want help first, some people really hate “smart” npc helpers, even if it means they fail, they failed on their own. Mostly, only new players usually need or want the help imo. Im glad seth mentioned skills because in dnd and pf, skills are one of the biggest balancing issues due to the four pc party format, so npcs can really help flesh out the skills. Theres also rules for hiring npcs which can be nice, i use rules for contacts, and also a cost per day for skilling services. Crafting is one skill that usually ends up needing some hired help
Oh no, have the companion offer advice, but it is all over the place, very much from their point of view, and a bit selfish. 😏 Then if they stick with it, it's more to learn more about the npc as a character, then a hint. 😉
E. G. "How do we get past these ogre guards?" Npc quietly explains a backstory connection and feud with ogre raiders, he thinks he remembers how to say to them, "Get off my land", in their tongue. Cautions about rushing in and dying, getting eaten, as much as he would *love* to kill them. Then asks the pc/pcs if they have any means of getting around the ogres. Back on track, more rp, get them to find a solution.
@@The_Custos But that leaves the plan being the go round the ogre. Sure it's all in character. But all that mean sis that the character you create says the advice. Remember an idea doesn't need to be good for players to follow it. It just has to feel good. And if it comes from eh mouth if the DM (even through an NPC) it feels like it must be good.
Me and my partner have been running one on ones four years now and find them very enjoyable. And yes sidekicks are super important. I recommend 2 partners to the player. They help add skills and balance combat. They also provide somone for the player to RP with consistently.
There is a big side effect of this playstyle, it might inspire you to write an epic bestselling fantasy series like the Malazan book of the fallen, use at your own risk.
I write so many “solo adventures” for my players, so that their 2-weeks-off income has a story. When they want to. It’s fun to write a TOTALLY rogue centric encounter for the halfling, or an intrigue riddled court scenario for the charismatic ranger.
I've always referred to it as a "solo adventure", at it's an adventure with a single PC, rather than a "solo game", which implies that the game itself is "solo", and thus, played when alone.
Solo games are also a great way to give a player who may have missed a regular game session a chance to earn some experience. For games like D&D that keeps the group from having huge level gaps between players.
The first time I watched Big Trouble in Little China I didn't like it. Why was the main character such a bumbling doofus? Second time I watched it I suddenly realized I wasn't watching an American action movie following the hero, I was watching a Chinese fantasy movie following the comedy sidekick. Suddenly the movie was far more entertaining ;~)
Internet era makes this so much easier. Lot's of sessions produce incidents that Me and a single player get back to during the week in between sessions, one on one
They can be a ton of fun if you've got a partner, sibling, or child that wants to play but getting a full group together is tough. My wife and I have played several duet games, even a full campaign, and really enjoyed the dynamic.
I did actually do a 1 on 1 game during a CoC campaign. I had setup hooks for the Mr. Corbitt scenario (thanks to Seth's review of it) since the beginning. During a few weeks where it was me and the single player around, we played it and it was pretty fun. All on his own, he developed a fear of loose body parts, fed his pet snake hallucinogens, and almost got himself arrested by the police during a nervous breakdown. Then the creepy basement monster got out and started a grotesque rampage outside of town till federal officers took it down. Good times. I also did another 1 on 1 with the same player to practice Pulp Cthulhu rules.
My favorite rpg for a "duet" or a "trio" game was the old Victory Games James Bond 007 Game. It is one of the best genres and rulesets for "duet" play. The player creates a 00 agent level character or plays Bond himself. The 00 agents have the skills to make in through a scenario on its own.
This is highly relevant content, Seth, as I've only recently (two weeks ago) started playing in my first proper one-on-one campaign, where I'm the player and my Curse of Strahd GM is yet again GM-ing for me. It's going very well and we're both having quite a bit of fun. It's a lighthearted isekai/harem setting, where I primarily use monster corpses and rocks as weapons (Tavern Brawler) and wrestle everything else by way of an off-color grapple build (Fighter + Phoenix Sorcerer + homebrew Grappler class from dnd5ewikidot). Similarly, I had a Session -1 for Curse of Strahd where I played a mini one-on-one campaign that established my character's backstory and it was, hands-down, the best time I've ever had playing DnD (granted, I've only actively played DnD for ~3-4 months now, but still).
I've only run a very few one-on-one games like this. The first was a woman who was the only one to show for the game that day. I pulled out a little scenario I'd had just for such and occasion, but she left after only an hour. The other two were pick-up games for people who had not been able to make several games, but were now planning on coming back to the regular game, so I used the one-on-ones as both a reintroduction to what was going on and to give them a little information that could be useful to the rest of the group. Those were both a great deal of fun. By the way, I didn't see the link to the other video in your description.
I've been running 1 on 1 sessions called sideventures with my players after my campaign went on haitus at the end of it's 'Act 2'. Not only have these sessions been much less stressful for me but after asking for feedback from each player, they said they thoroughly enjoyed their own sideventures! They've allowed me to have a deep dive in their backstories without them feeling any pressure of 'wasting other player's time', allowed me to introduce new NPC connections to them and really help just flesh out their characters in a way that might not be really possible in the 'main plot' of the normal campaign. I will be running these sideventures in all future campaigns I run from now on, I highly recommend other DMs try them out.
13:10 if the alter is too heavy to move into the moon's beam of light, simply move the moon to the correct position. Amateurs... Erb! Stand on my broad and manly shoulders! You are half way there!
I can see solo games as being kind of difficult to pull off if the system, like D&D, isn't really balanced for single players. Though you could still do them if you either cut out combat entirely (maybe make it a skill check or something) or introduce a few Player NPCs (PNPCs) that the Player also controls during a combat (perhaps with the help of the DM if the Player is overwhelmed by running multiple characters, just be sure that the PNPCs are as straightforward and uncomplicated as possible). PNPCs could also help with specialties and skills that the PC doesn't have, so the PC doesn't have to be able to do everything and spread their points too thin.
The whole thing about having *someone* (sidekick) to explain the problem to and naturally come to a solution has a name when it comes to software engineering: Rubber Duck Debugging (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging), where you're encouraged to explain your coding problem to (traditionally) a rubber duck on your desk! In pop culture, it has been featured in other forms in a couple Sherlock-type "genius" stories. For instance, in House, at some point, Dr. House doesn't have his trusted assistants to brainstorm with, so he grabs the janitor and brings him into his office. The Janitor has obviously no medical knowledge and is utterly unable to help in a professional way, but House knows that the Janitor's simple and naive questions are still necessary to his thought process, and won't let him go until he solves the episode's problem!
I have dm'd a session for a single player, and he played a character who was imprisoned and had to escape this nightmarish prison inside this fortress. Let me tell you what I have learned, a solo session can be TERRIFYING for the player. It was literally a horror session and he was so careful the entire time. So many things happened that session!
I just started with my son he’s 8. I am going to have my hands full because I’m designing a party to help him along so we can have those melees. Making characters is my favorite part anyway
One-on-one games are also handy for nervous GMs learning to run games. Find a friend you're comfortable hanging out with and run one-on-ones to get used to narrating, managing plot threads, and running combat in your system.
You are never going to believe this, but a few days ago I was trying to plan a one-on-one game for a friend, and thought you had made a video on it (I mistook one shot for one-on-one). This could not come at a better time for me, thank you so much.
I was thinking this would be a great way for me to introduce my second grader son to dungeons and dragons but I can imagine my wife screaming at me to just let him win. If his character gets into any conflict.
This was very helpful! I recently started coming up with a mechanic to include down the road for a Call of Cthulhu modern day paranormal investigator campaign (inspired in the first place by your "Haunting" review) where they have their own network of contacts and maybe even spin-off shows that I could use solo adventures for.
One on one games are great for scouting in my experience. When one player is going to scout out a location ahead of the group I have that player come in an hour or two early. People don't have to sit and watch as they scout and later during the game they get to explain where to go and what to watch out for. The party doesn't just know from meta knowledge.
Another thing on sidekicks, in my opinion. One great part of rpgs are the growing relationships between characters as they learn more about each other and develop more friendship (hopefully). A sidekick gives the player someone engaging to talk to while traveling, And allows for character relationship development as they learn about the NPC. Also, simply having another friendly character around would likely increase the amount the player speaks as their character, helping them get into the role better.
Oh thank goodness, a Seth video. I needed something to shore up my love of roleplaying, just wasted an inordinate amount of time listening to a prat ruin it.
DM Tip: If you're running a 1 on 1 game and your player doesn't have a sidekick, do not use creatures that have something like Pack Tactics. My wife tried to run a 1 on 1 game. My paladin got surrounded by hyenas. My character lasted longer in the creation phase than he did in game.
I've GM'd one-on-one games for decades, great fun, and most players like it a lot once they've tried it. Solo games--see Fighting Fantasy or the Lone Wolf gamebook series by Joe Dever. Actually, the solo in the 7th edition CoC starter set is one of the better solo games I've played designed for a fully fledged RPG. Dig it, baby!
I love that Pulp Cthulhu has an actual Sidekick archetype to use. My player's driver (heavily, um, "inspired" by Kato) has saved more than one solo game from ending in tragedy.
I have a lot of experience with one-on-one as a player. I tend to be the only one who makes characters that have larger ambitions and goals (e.g. my steampunk noble is very heavy on intrigue, business, and influence). And we try to leave these things largely between sessions. Sometimes GM decides that a full one-on-one session is needed. It can of course increase the GM's workload (so I really appreciate it). And it's a pity that other players aren't there if something exciting happens to happen. But on the other hand, these side events will give material to GM: news, rumors, NPCs, plot hooks, ways to share information needed for the main game through me, ideas, locations, even whole quest lines. And my GM seems to enjoy when something that I did comes back later to bite the party's ass: Other players try to figure out what went wrong while I try to act innocent while being in shock...
Early 1990s. Backroads around Avon, Clancy, Wolf Creek Canyon, MT. Toyota Supra. I used two dice, a D20, D6 in the ashtray (clean) Buddy is a driving prodigy. I would DM from the passenger seat & read the paperwork with the vanity-light on the visor. He would drive & talk, and I would roll. We ran Vault, Homlett, & some homegrown. Best friends. Effing halcyon days.
Back in the day (80's for me) playing D&D with your brother was the only way you could game. My little bro still plays in my group to this day. Never told him how much I appreciated all those one on one games. This game night I will.
I like to run one on one prologue sessions for my players, sometimes two on one, before they all meet up for the first campaign session. This was especially useful for my current group, which consists of all first time players.
Also very applicable to mages scouting on their own while astral projecting. Shadowrun's got kind of a lot of "not party friendly" activities baked in - even meeting contacts can work better when you don't drag the whole group along.
Solo games were great when friends in the game group was busy, out of town, TDY ect. But those few left who still was in the mood to have a game, this was the way to go. I like the example of one player mini adventures. Lets be honest almost every party with a rouge... wants to go out and do rouge things. Now is the perfect chance to do so, while the party's paladin isn't looking ;)
Yup. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend the commentary track of John Carpenter and Kurt Russell did for it. They talk about that and discuss that almost no one got that Jack Burton was the sidekick (I hadn't before, either. But it suddenly makes a lot of sense when you watch it knowing he's the goofy sidekick). Then the commentary sort of progresses into these two old friends who have done a bunch of movies together chatting about their lives and everything while the movie just plays in the background. It's like being a fly on the wall as these guys reminisce and occasionally get back to discussing the movie that's playing.
Hey Seth just got and finished your Ashes of Onyx audio book yesterday. It was a fantastic experience. You got yourself a lifelong fan and subscriber. With your permission I would like to use the your magic system in Ashes in my next home campaign. May I? (If yes, would you mind if I tweak certain aspects of Lexes for balance purposes?)
Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And it is an honor for any fantasy author to have their magic system taken and used in home games. It's your game. Use and change it up all you want. I'm thrilled to have inspired my part in it. Hope you all have fun.
I once had a D&D character who was a 1920's style fem-fatale actress; rolled high out of combat, hard to hit things during combat. I was able to excuse it away in-character with "Oh, well, I didn't *really* want to get near him; I mean, such uncouth VIOLENCE is beneath me!"
My dice collection used to be this mix of random crap I'd pulled out of boxed games over the course of decades starting way back in the 1970s, and I'd just grab whatever I needed at random from it. Spent a whole evening never getting over a 9 on any d20 check, and when I looked afterward I realized I'd snagged one of those ancient twenty-siders that were numbered 0-9 twice - you were intended to either use it as a d10 (which didn't exist if you go back far enough) or color half the die with a marker for use as a d20, which I hadn't done with this one. That was fun. Purged my dice bin of all of those after that incident.
24 y o. Tyler :" I want to play a dwarf who can't be hurt & I want the final boss to be the man who killed my father." Me : " No." Tyler: " Then I'll make my own Dungeon & Dragons !"
When the player couldn't figure out the puzzle solution, I half expected the DM to just tell him he took so long the beam eventually aligned naturally.
Solo games are a good way to learn the game as a new player too
I often do this for new players with a modified version of the Matt Mercer Stephen Colbert game. It has a bit of combat, a bit of exploration, some roleplaying, a DMPC to keep them on track and a nice neat ending. Highly recommend!
This is one-to-one. Solo is something else.
I have done this so many times for friends or kids who couldn't make a larger game. I found it's the best way to introduce kids to the game. They can find their voice in a setting where the competition for attention isn't a problem.
Not just kids, new players in general.
It is how I introduced my mother to the game.
Some people are really shy and it’s a good way to get them into the game.
A friend and I did this for a couple of years, cuz as you adult schedules change. We had tons of fun switching off between the DM/player roles. Then we tried to get back into group play and we hated it. Lol
Groups can suck.
You just accidentally inspired this lonely madman to dungeonmaster for himself.
I'm like; "Wait... YOU CAN DO THAT?"
*glances at stack of dusty books nearby*
Done this a few times to break new players into a full campaign. Like the topic! Keep the vids coming!
Pelgrane press do some great one to one games. I ran nights black agents solo ops for a friend. It was a blast. Really enjoy cthulhu confidential too.
Let the player control the sidekick in combat. It means theres less instances of the DM rolling dice against themselves and just describing stuff while the player zones out
If you don't have a video on Monty Hall and min/max campaigns, I would love to see one. As a Gen Xer I remember back in the day soo many people ran these over powered ridiculous campaigns and it was nauseating. Seemed like our crew were the only ones who played D&D and Cthulhu without a tool box full of magic items. These douchey players and GM's who were showered with wealth ,magic, and min maxed characters literally gave campaigns AIDS.
My only experience with RPing is one-on-one and it ended up being an incredibly detailed ongoing campaign that was more like two co-writers creating a world and a story. Good times! :)
That is a valid point about a unique feature of the solo game - it lends itself to the player creating as much of the experience as the GM does.
Some of the best are small groups. (roll d20 for getting a good table at the inn.)
Yeah. I had an experience like that in a play-by-text game that sprung out of one of those king-of-the-hill forum games.
Looking back at it, it isn't great writing or super immersive, but I still draw inspiration from those two characters to this day, and the character I played has become my go-to for impromptu villains in games I DM.
ah, yes. The "Have your girlfriend try the game" game
Gonna have my gf try out paper chase in not too long so this is accurate
I'm in this comment and I don't like it.
@@UOUPv2 Same
@@thefallencat2080 wow. i looked up this video because i'm going to run paper chase for my girlfriend pretty soon. guess i'm not alone haha.
@@brush5004 Well, I don't wanna shit on your attempt...
But she left me lmao
My therapist: "Chaotic evil monochrome Seth doesn't exist and can't hurt you"
Seths new upload:
Serpent Woman Seth, OTOH is all too real. :)
I can't wait for Seth to teach us how to play with ourselves.
Hehehehe
Hehehehehehe
He's an expert, having a four way session in many videos, all by himself.
The expression when he said at least today was amazing
Pin it, seth
Its kinda creepy how I was wondering “I’ve never ran a solo game, wonder if Seth is gonna do a video?” And then i log onto youtube
His spies are watching...
I was about to run my first solo game... ;p
Its very Cthulhu of him
One-to-one. Solo is something else.
You thought it, your phone learned it and sold the info. to Seth!
"I love how Duet Games sound but my games usually aren't that romantic" USUALLY
AWOOGA * eyes pop out of head , jaw drops to the floor, tongue rolls out of mouth and my heart starts pulsating out of my chest *
My players once stumbled across an inoperative android in the early stages of a puzzle dungeon. They reactivated her and asked if she could provide clues as to how to get through the puzzles.
The response: "I'm not programmed to provide assistance, only make sarcastic observations"
The players "Even better!"
I once plopped an authentically enchanted 8-Ball (even glowed for detect magic with the illusion school...btw) in the early territory of a dungeon. I'd gone so far as to have a chart behind the GM-screen, with the various things it could say, and numbers assigned for dice-rolling... The thing WAS entirely random...
What ensued, was such an entertaining series of mental gymnastics among the Players for the Party to continue carrying AND USING the stupid thing that I (at least) will never forget it.
Now... admittedly... the first couple of rolls I made were dubiously parallel or close to "dead on" predictions as they'd asked and shook the ball... BUT it was still just an 8-ball with an illusion spell to respond to questions with the random answers... That's it... I'm confident at least a couple of my Players were truly amused at their own endeavors to defend the thing as "mysterious" or "vague" instead of "wrong" or stupid... BUT the adventures created out of it were HILARIOUS... ;o)
So... She is basically that robot from Portal?
Amazing.
@@remixtheidiot5771 Quiet, Meatbag!
@@remixtheidiot5771 everybody loves GLaDOS
I want to point out that it's "Fewer people to silence", but that might get me added to the list...
Stannis Baratheon kept pointing that out, and look what happened to him.
I ran a solo campaign for my son way back in the 4E days. I had him play as a ranger so that he could run with a companion, and on some missions where I wanted to have bigger groups of baddies, he was paired with an NPC who would usually be more badass power-wise, but would defer to my son's character for story decisions. It was working pretty well for the most part. It helped my son learn how to play the game, and gave us that one on one time. We eventually got to a point where other people we knew wanted to play, so we started a whole new campaign, but I really enjoyed where the solo adventure was going. It was going to be pretty epic in the end (chosen of Bahamut with a gold dragon companion, fighting against the forces of Tiamat in an epic final battle). Maybe some day I'll be able to get back to running something like that again.
New term: limelight games.
Seth: I like duet but that sounds more romantic than how mine go
Me: *sips coffee*
Seth: So let's talk about these small intimate games...
Me: *sips coffee with undertones of irony*
The npc/talking the problem out loud is totally a thing in development that some call Rubber Ducking. It comes from a tale of a lone coder who realized explaining the problem out loud engaged a different area of the brain but didn't have a colleague to talk with. So he kept a rubber duck in his drawer and would pull it out to explain the problem to it. Most of the time it went like in the video, partway through the explanation the solution presented itself.
Learned something new!
Also known sometimes as cardboard programming ( you explain the problem to any colleague but they might as well be a cardboard cutout for the purpose)
When I first got started gaming, many moons ago, I'd say 40 to 70% of my gaming was trading the GM seat with another guy, running a solo game for each other.
We were young and stupid, and the games were invariably a train wreck. But it is still to this day THE experience I try to recreate and recapture every time I sit down to play.
This was the way I learned RPG's with my brother and honestly remains my preferred method of play. I feel like big groups end up turning things into a comedy session or a slog while one-on-one remains focused. Downside is as a DM you do burn through content faster than in a larger group when they take much more time to make decisions and the solo player doesn't quite have that need to deliberate before acting. Everything you say here is spot on Seth. I hope this introduces people to a style they may not have considered before.
👍👍👍👍
With regards to tailoring the character: I've always liked the idea of the character sheet representing the player's challenge wishlist. If the player puts a bunch of points into stealth, the GM should take that as a sign that the player wants to encounter lots of stealth opportunities. If the player puts very little into investigation, then that's perhaps an opportunity for some contained drama. Definitely sprinkle in other encounters that the player's not good at to either keep them humble or make them feel extra awesome for overcoming the odds to get a bonus, but try to base the main challenge on what the player is asking for.
Agreed. You can't (and shouldn't) cater to all your players all the time (even with just one player) but keeping what they shine at in mind when setting up challenges is always a good idea. At the same time, you shouldn't let them get into the habit of always expecting to use the same bag of tricks or becoming so overspecialized that they can't take alternate approaches to problem solving. It's a balancing act.
Yes, and you (as GM) should know the characters well enough to be able to tailor your descriptions to the individual characters.
The stealthy character may notice how squeaky the floorboards are.
The master investigator may see the little piece of glass on the floor, whereas the novice investigator may first discover it by the crunching sound that emerges when stepping on that piece of glass.
Great idea.
Took bow and martial arts in cyberpunk. Gm gave me plenty of archery opportunities and... basic tech.
*Sad bow monk noises* 😔
Love that you're talking about this. My hubby and I are both GMs and one of us always has a game running for the other (even if we have group games running at the same time) - we switch turns hehe.
I use a lot of NPCs - the player is never alone and can rely on their friends and contacts - I let him choose who he wants in his team. The player will usually be in a group with 2 or 3 sidekicks, depending on the setting and adventure - it can be more.
And I agree with you - it's way better to learn to GM with only one player!
that "less people to silence" was far too sinister to be a joke
Don't research Seth's past... his younger friend went missing in his childhood. Some say Seth was involved but the cops could never prove it. They say he's a mastermind who bested even the FBI and L.
@@sturat5166 shhhhhhhh. Do you want us to to disappear too???
Joke?.. You thought it was a joke?
No one survived to remember the famous last word:
Bombshell!!!
"Based on a true story"
I think learning to DM 1 on 1 is a must especially of you have small parties. I mean it might just be me but my players have such a low show up rate that I can have 6-7 players in the campaign and still end up doing 1-2 sessions. Must say not having any plans for 1-1 sessions has been kind of foolish on my part (especially with the sessions with smaller pools I've been doing recently). Am I hte only one in this situation?
I used to have similar situations. One thing that can help, if you're having issues with player attendance, is to sit down with them and explain the amount of work you have to put in for each session, and to explain that if you're going to commit a considerable amount of your free time to planning the sessions, you'd like them to at least commit the time and effort to show up regularly. However, sometimes life happens and players can't show for no fault of their own, at which point it is nice to have some one, two, and three player session ideas on the back burner if you can work them naturally into your campaign.
Every game I’ve ever been apart of has been this way.
Game 1- everybody and their girlfriend is there with a character. Straight up 6 or 7 Beer. Pizza. Laughs. Tears. Fun.
By Game 5 - X isn’t here because he broke up with his girlfriend. Y isn’t there because he’s currently with Xs girlfriend. Z is stalwart and will always show.
I am Z in this example lol
I dont allow last minute cancellations, except for work or health. Theres hefty penalties , because, as i tell the players, youre not upsetting ME the gm, but you are wasting the time of everyone who did show up. People spend a lot of their time and energy to play dnd so for someone to not show up is super rude. It is a commitment, unless you have a more open door policy. Id say, youre nicer than most if you allow these cancellations. But if you find that you cant get more new players, and you dont want to punish the ones you have too much, maybe you should frame your game as an open door table, so the story doesnt require anyone to be there. Yeah the pcs take a more backseat role, but anyone can go or come as they please. The game would have to be more setting driven rather than goal driven, and each game would likely be more vignetted and less episodic, and mayb you could have a rp chat room for in between games. I use discord for this, and a lot of rp actually happens between games, which can help the longevity of the game as players will be more involved
Just bought a new system and was planning on doing one with my brother. And then I saw this. Stop spying on me Seth, it was funny before. Now its just terrifying
It's pure coincidence. I promise.
By the way, you're getting low on milk and should pick some more up soon. Also, get some more of those chips that I like.
"They're not rolling anything above a seven." 8:54
Seems to be a permanent curse my collection of d6 suffer from.
If your individual six-siders are rolling any sevens at all you may want to examine them a little more closely. :)
When the GM use them they can roll that high, but then the GM have a GM-screen preventing me from examining them a little more closely.
@@larsdahl5528 "You're picking whatever numbers you like and just pretending to roll the dice back there, aren't you?" "Mmmmmaybe?" :)
Really, my d6s consistently roll above 11.
If you are platina CoC, rolling 7+ on d6 is normal
Your videos are always informative, interesting, amusing, and oddly calming. They have saved a small portion of my sanity over the past year, so thanks!
2 minutes in and I've already laughed a ton. The jokes are on fire in this one.
Same here. Love his humour.
Usually I run one of these if there's a system or setting I really want to try but can only scrounge up one friend to try it.
I also call them solo games.
Running and playing yourself is called "writing a novel."
14:00 I was scared you were going to say a companion should offer advice. I think Matthew Colville goes into detail on the logic of why not but obviously that's a bad idea. The roleplaying actually added something Matthew couldn't present as well because it showed how a companion can fill the pauses without trying to give answers. Really liked that, clarified a lot.
I'm fine with the companion reminding the player of items or abilities they have that they might be overlooking, but I hold back on doing that until the player first mentions an idea that they're just struggling to come up with a method of implementing.
Agreed, its best to ask the player if they want help first, some people really hate “smart” npc helpers, even if it means they fail, they failed on their own. Mostly, only new players usually need or want the help imo. Im glad seth mentioned skills because in dnd and pf, skills are one of the biggest balancing issues due to the four pc party format, so npcs can really help flesh out the skills. Theres also rules for hiring npcs which can be nice, i use rules for contacts, and also a cost per day for skilling services. Crafting is one skill that usually ends up needing some hired help
Oh no, have the companion offer advice, but it is all over the place, very much from their point of view, and a bit selfish. 😏
Then if they stick with it, it's more to learn more about the npc as a character, then a hint. 😉
E. G. "How do we get past these ogre guards?"
Npc quietly explains a backstory connection and feud with ogre raiders, he thinks he remembers how to say to them, "Get off my land", in their tongue. Cautions about rushing in and dying, getting eaten, as much as he would *love* to kill them. Then asks the pc/pcs if they have any means of getting around the ogres.
Back on track, more rp, get them to find a solution.
@@The_Custos But that leaves the plan being the go round the ogre. Sure it's all in character. But all that mean sis that the character you create says the advice.
Remember an idea doesn't need to be good for players to follow it. It just has to feel good. And if it comes from eh mouth if the DM (even through an NPC) it feels like it must be good.
Me and my partner have been running one on ones four years now and find them very enjoyable. And yes sidekicks are super important. I recommend 2 partners to the player. They help add skills and balance combat. They also provide somone for the player to RP with consistently.
There is a big side effect of this playstyle, it might inspire you to write an epic bestselling fantasy series like the Malazan book of the fallen, use at your own risk.
"One on one, I wanna play that game tonight". -Darryl Hall
I write so many “solo adventures” for my players, so that their 2-weeks-off income has a story. When they want to. It’s fun to write a TOTALLY rogue centric encounter for the halfling, or an intrigue riddled court scenario for the charismatic ranger.
I've always referred to it as a "solo adventure", at it's an adventure with a single PC, rather than a "solo game", which implies that the game itself is "solo", and thus, played when alone.
No. It's one-to-one. solo is another thing.
GM+1 (or just "+1") is my go-to, but I know that sounds too intimate for some people.
I rather like duet myself, even if it's a pretty newly-minted term.
@@thelastmotel reading comprehenision isnt your thing?
Solo games are also a great way to give a player who may have missed a regular game session a chance to earn some experience. For games like D&D that keeps the group from having huge level gaps between players.
Not solo. One-to-one. Two different animals.
Nice video! I really like the sidekicks sound-boarding. I feel like I need a real life sidekick because it took me too long to solve the beam puzzle.
The first time I watched Big Trouble in Little China I didn't like it.
Why was the main character such a bumbling doofus?
Second time I watched it I suddenly realized I wasn't watching an American action movie following the hero, I was watching a Chinese fantasy movie following the comedy sidekick.
Suddenly the movie was far more entertaining ;~)
This is literally one of my favorite ways to roleplay, now being discussed by one of my favorite RPG youtubers. Hell yeah.
I’ve recently discovered, subbed and am in the process of watching every single of this guy.
And I’m a better man for it.
Yeah, Seth's a treasure.
WOW! I never thought about the fact that Kurt Russell was the sidekick in BTiLC. !@%mind blown%@! Great Video!
Not gonna lie I've never considered a one on one game, but you've got me curious
Same here! Got my eyes on creating a one-on-one side mission
Internet era makes this so much easier. Lot's of sessions produce incidents that Me and a single player get back to during the week in between sessions, one on one
They can be a ton of fun if you've got a partner, sibling, or child that wants to play but getting a full group together is tough. My wife and I have played several duet games, even a full campaign, and really enjoyed the dynamic.
I literally just started a one on one game the other day and was looking for tips. I swear your account is just simply my favorite account.
I did actually do a 1 on 1 game during a CoC campaign. I had setup hooks for the Mr. Corbitt scenario (thanks to Seth's review of it) since the beginning. During a few weeks where it was me and the single player around, we played it and it was pretty fun. All on his own, he developed a fear of loose body parts, fed his pet snake hallucinogens, and almost got himself arrested by the police during a nervous breakdown. Then the creepy basement monster got out and started a grotesque rampage outside of town till federal officers took it down. Good times. I also did another 1 on 1 with the same player to practice Pulp Cthulhu rules.
My favorite rpg for a "duet" or a "trio" game was the old Victory Games James Bond 007 Game. It is one of the best genres and rulesets for "duet" play. The player creates a 00 agent level character or plays Bond himself. The 00 agents have the skills to make in through a scenario on its own.
This is highly relevant content, Seth, as I've only recently (two weeks ago) started playing in my first proper one-on-one campaign, where I'm the player and my Curse of Strahd GM is yet again GM-ing for me. It's going very well and we're both having quite a bit of fun.
It's a lighthearted isekai/harem setting, where I primarily use monster corpses and rocks as weapons (Tavern Brawler) and wrestle everything else by way of an off-color grapple build (Fighter + Phoenix Sorcerer + homebrew Grappler class from dnd5ewikidot).
Similarly, I had a Session -1 for Curse of Strahd where I played a mini one-on-one campaign that established my character's backstory and it was, hands-down, the best time I've ever had playing DnD (granted, I've only actively played DnD for ~3-4 months now, but still).
What? A new Skorkowsky video? Lets watch it three times in a row =) .. Thanks Seth for sharing all this good stuff! Cheers!
I've only run a very few one-on-one games like this. The first was a woman who was the only one to show for the game that day. I pulled out a little scenario I'd had just for such and occasion, but she left after only an hour. The other two were pick-up games for people who had not been able to make several games, but were now planning on coming back to the regular game, so I used the one-on-ones as both a reintroduction to what was going on and to give them a little information that could be useful to the rest of the group. Those were both a great deal of fun.
By the way, I didn't see the link to the other video in your description.
I've been running 1 on 1 sessions called sideventures with my players after my campaign went on haitus at the end of it's 'Act 2'. Not only have these sessions been much less stressful for me but after asking for feedback from each player, they said they thoroughly enjoyed their own sideventures! They've allowed me to have a deep dive in their backstories without them feeling any pressure of 'wasting other player's time', allowed me to introduce new NPC connections to them and really help just flesh out their characters in a way that might not be really possible in the 'main plot' of the normal campaign.
I will be running these sideventures in all future campaigns I run from now on, I highly recommend other DMs try them out.
13:10 if the alter is too heavy to move into the moon's beam of light, simply move the moon to the correct position. Amateurs... Erb! Stand on my broad and manly shoulders! You are half way there!
I can see solo games as being kind of difficult to pull off if the system, like D&D, isn't really balanced for single players.
Though you could still do them if you either cut out combat entirely (maybe make it a skill check or something) or introduce a few Player NPCs (PNPCs) that the Player also controls during a combat (perhaps with the help of the DM if the Player is overwhelmed by running multiple characters, just be sure that the PNPCs are as straightforward and uncomplicated as possible).
PNPCs could also help with specialties and skills that the PC doesn't have, so the PC doesn't have to be able to do everything and spread their points too thin.
The whole thing about having *someone* (sidekick) to explain the problem to and naturally come to a solution has a name when it comes to software engineering: Rubber Duck Debugging (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging), where you're encouraged to explain your coding problem to (traditionally) a rubber duck on your desk!
In pop culture, it has been featured in other forms in a couple Sherlock-type "genius" stories. For instance, in House, at some point, Dr. House doesn't have his trusted assistants to brainstorm with, so he grabs the janitor and brings him into his office. The Janitor has obviously no medical knowledge and is utterly unable to help in a professional way, but House knows that the Janitor's simple and naive questions are still necessary to his thought process, and won't let him go until he solves the episode's problem!
I have dm'd a session for a single player, and he played a character who was imprisoned and had to escape this nightmarish prison inside this fortress. Let me tell you what I have learned, a solo session can be TERRIFYING for the player. It was literally a horror session and he was so careful the entire time. So many things happened that session!
I’ve had to do one-on-one for most of my gaming life. Other than 3 years in college, I’ve never a had group of players.
For Call of cuthulu would you recommend having a pulp character play normal adventures or will that make the single investigator to overpowered?
That I can't give you a million thumbs up for a Big Trouble in Little China reference is basically a crime against humanity.
I just started with my son he’s 8. I am going to have my hands full because I’m designing a party to help him along so we can have those melees. Making characters is my favorite part anyway
I was the dice they rolled in that first table top RPG with only the DM and one other player and I have been on the run ever since...
"Less people to silence"
Hushshshshs! Don't worry it's okay no-one will hear of this. The world will be right you just need to go to sleep. 🤫
90% of my games have been solo games (DM and one player) it can be great fun, but woooo boy! they are exhausting.
Can we get a video with two players and a GM? I really need help with that as I am having trouble introducing my two younger brothers to playing.
One-on-one games are also handy for nervous GMs learning to run games. Find a friend you're comfortable hanging out with and run one-on-ones to get used to narrating, managing plot threads, and running combat in your system.
Hey Seth, you ever think about how you're named after an Egyptian god of chaos, death and the unknown?
I love how a 1 person channel has such a cast of characters. Seth isn't Matt Mercer but he has enough range for a great game master
I like Matt but I’d rather have Seth run a game.
You are never going to believe this, but a few days ago I was trying to plan a one-on-one game for a friend, and thought you had made a video on it (I mistook one shot for one-on-one). This could not come at a better time for me, thank you so much.
I was thinking this would be a great way for me to introduce my second grader son to dungeons and dragons but I can imagine my wife screaming at me to just let him win. If his character gets into any conflict.
This was very helpful! I recently started coming up with a mechanic to include down the road for a Call of Cthulhu modern day paranormal investigator campaign (inspired in the first place by your "Haunting" review) where they have their own network of contacts and maybe even spin-off shows that I could use solo adventures for.
One on one games are great for scouting in my experience. When one player is going to scout out a location ahead of the group I have that player come in an hour or two early. People don't have to sit and watch as they scout and later during the game they get to explain where to go and what to watch out for. The party doesn't just know from meta knowledge.
Another thing on sidekicks, in my opinion.
One great part of rpgs are the growing relationships between characters as they learn more about each other and develop more friendship (hopefully).
A sidekick gives the player someone engaging to talk to while traveling, And allows for character relationship development as they learn about the NPC. Also, simply having another friendly character around would likely increase the amount the player speaks as their character, helping them get into the role better.
_Clicks the video:_ ok, which Seth is going to be the player 🤣 13:10 not disappointed.
Oh thank goodness, a Seth video. I needed something to shore up my love of roleplaying, just wasted an inordinate amount of time listening to a prat ruin it.
DM Tip: If you're running a 1 on 1 game and your player doesn't have a sidekick, do not use creatures that have something like Pack Tactics. My wife tried to run a 1 on 1 game. My paladin got surrounded by hyenas. My character lasted longer in the creation phase than he did in game.
I've GM'd one-on-one games for decades, great fun, and most players like it a lot once they've tried it. Solo games--see Fighting Fantasy or the Lone Wolf gamebook series by Joe Dever. Actually, the solo in the 7th edition CoC starter set is one of the better solo games I've played designed for a fully fledged RPG. Dig it, baby!
I love that Pulp Cthulhu has an actual Sidekick archetype to use. My player's driver (heavily, um, "inspired" by Kato) has saved more than one solo game from ending in tragedy.
Having Bruce Lee on call in case of emergencies does seem like it would be beneficial, yeah. :)
Dates are just one-on-one games without the dice. :(
There are several companies that make dating dice, y'know. Some of them aren't even risque. :)
1:51 This earned my thumb up.
me too lolz
I'm gonna try to run a 1 on 1 with my wife this week! thanks!
The solo adventure in the starter kit is how I learned the basics of CoC 7e
I have a lot of experience with one-on-one as a player. I tend to be the only one who makes characters that have larger ambitions and goals (e.g. my steampunk noble is very heavy on intrigue, business, and influence). And we try to leave these things largely between sessions. Sometimes GM decides that a full one-on-one session is needed.
It can of course increase the GM's workload (so I really appreciate it). And it's a pity that other players aren't there if something exciting happens to happen. But on the other hand, these side events will give material to GM: news, rumors, NPCs, plot hooks, ways to share information needed for the main game through me, ideas, locations, even whole quest lines. And my GM seems to enjoy when something that I did comes back later to bite the party's ass: Other players try to figure out what went wrong while I try to act innocent while being in shock...
I'm a new DM, and my first game was a duo game, and my second one a solo game
Early 1990s. Backroads around Avon, Clancy, Wolf Creek Canyon, MT. Toyota Supra. I used two dice, a D20, D6 in the ashtray (clean) Buddy is a driving prodigy. I would DM from the passenger seat & read the paperwork with the vanity-light on the visor. He would drive & talk, and I would roll. We ran Vault, Homlett, & some homegrown. Best friends. Effing halcyon days.
This brought back good memories brother
Back in the day (80's for me) playing D&D with your brother was the only way you could game. My little bro still plays in my group to this day. Never told him how much I appreciated all those one on one games. This game night I will.
I hope you did. I assume that he knows it, but it's nice to hear out loud too.
Forgot to like and comment. Sorry...
I like to run one on one prologue sessions for my players, sometimes two on one, before they all meet up for the first campaign session. This was especially useful for my current group, which consists of all first time players.
What? How to run a Decker in Shadowrun, the Tutorial, so I don't bore the rest of the table when they hack? Sounds good.
Also very applicable to mages scouting on their own while astral projecting. Shadowrun's got kind of a lot of "not party friendly" activities baked in - even meeting contacts can work better when you don't drag the whole group along.
Solo games were great when friends in the game group was busy, out of town, TDY ect. But those few left who still was in the mood to have a game, this was the way to go. I like the example of one player mini adventures.
Lets be honest almost every party with a rouge... wants to go out and do rouge things. Now is the perfect chance to do so, while the party's paladin isn't looking ;)
"Best sidekick ever."
Indeed!
Wait!....Kurt Russell was the sidekick!?
Yup. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend the commentary track of John Carpenter and Kurt Russell did for it. They talk about that and discuss that almost no one got that Jack Burton was the sidekick (I hadn't before, either. But it suddenly makes a lot of sense when you watch it knowing he's the goofy sidekick). Then the commentary sort of progresses into these two old friends who have done a bunch of movies together chatting about their lives and everything while the movie just plays in the background. It's like being a fly on the wall as these guys reminisce and occasionally get back to discussing the movie that's playing.
Hey Seth just got and finished your Ashes of Onyx audio book yesterday. It was a fantastic experience. You got yourself a lifelong fan and subscriber. With your permission I would like to use the your magic system in Ashes in my next home campaign. May I? (If yes, would you mind if I tweak certain aspects of Lexes for balance purposes?)
Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
And it is an honor for any fantasy author to have their magic system taken and used in home games. It's your game. Use and change it up all you want. I'm thrilled to have inspired my part in it. Hope you all have fun.
@@SSkorkowsky Thank you very much Sir. Will be eagerly waiting for the sequel and a full spell and tower list if possible.
Yes! Todd! Whooo!
I love the gm is a girl in the thumbnail! Women are usually underrepresented in the rpg community, so I think it's a great detail! Nice video too!
Hate to be a Fiendish Grammar Nazi Mummy, but it's "Fewer people to silence"...
**chucks grenade**
@@toprak3479 Rocks fall, everyone dies.
"They're not rolling anything above a 7" This one hit way to close to my PF2e Investigator who can't roll above a 4 the moment combat hits.
I once had a D&D character who was a 1920's style fem-fatale actress; rolled high out of combat, hard to hit things during combat. I was able to excuse it away in-character with "Oh, well, I didn't *really* want to get near him; I mean, such uncouth VIOLENCE is beneath me!"
My dice collection used to be this mix of random crap I'd pulled out of boxed games over the course of decades starting way back in the 1970s, and I'd just grab whatever I needed at random from it. Spent a whole evening never getting over a 9 on any d20 check, and when I looked afterward I realized I'd snagged one of those ancient twenty-siders that were numbered 0-9 twice - you were intended to either use it as a d10 (which didn't exist if you go back far enough) or color half the die with a marker for use as a d20, which I hadn't done with this one. That was fun.
Purged my dice bin of all of those after that incident.
PENFOLD!!!!!
24 y o. Tyler :" I want to play a dwarf who can't be hurt & I want the final boss to be the man who killed my father." Me : " No." Tyler: " Then I'll make my own Dungeon & Dragons !"
I'd never heard them referred to as "Duets" and now I'm personally thrilled to pitch one to my wife with that 10/10 branding :)
When the player couldn't figure out the puzzle solution, I half expected the DM to just tell him he took so long the beam eventually aligned naturally.
Me and a friend had a longish running 1on1 improv game that was loads of fun