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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: stripes on February 27, 2011, 10:30:25 PM
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Can DFRPG run with just two people (GM + 1 player) straight out of the box or does it require some bending? How much bending?
(I know, I know "make more friends!" -- but my wife likes to learn new games in a very small setting)
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It could be run, just have a lot of NPC rather than characters though I do not think it would be very fun.
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Character creation would need slight modification. In terms of regular play it would be like most other RPGs.
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I don't think you need more people in a group, per se, just throw fewer things at them at one time.
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A problem I can see is about conflicts against many people, because you haven't the possibility to do teamwork and the opponents have this advantage.
I strongly suggest you use a group as a single NPC with just one stress track.
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A problem I can see is about conflicts against many people, because you haven't the possibility to do teamwork and the opponents have this advantage.
I strongly suggest you use a group as a single NPC with just one stress track.
That's one way to do it. Or just have smaller groups. Or grab 4th Edition D&D's idea of minions -- super-weak bad guys (ultra mooks) take one hit of any strength and then they are Taken Out.
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It could be run with only one player... Harry solves most of his problems alone... You could play it like that with one player, and if the situation calls for more players just introduce a couple NPC-s to help your player.
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I've found it to work just fine.
No one else in my group liked the setting so my wife and I have run a game. We did character creation the same as the book, creating four "main" or primary NPC's that interact with the story in a way similar to PCs but still less hero-y than her PC. We tied them together like they were PCs so there is an enormous web locking the five of them and every other NPC. It is a lot of fun!
It comes out very similar to the books, we really like it, her character is the hero and the one the stories are about.
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Aside from being sure to tailor the challenges to your PCs skill set (there's nothing worse than staring at a locked door while waiting for the damn Rogue to get back with the pizza) there's no problem with it at all.
If anything it will make for a more sensible story as your player will doubtless have NPCs that enter his/her life, make a big splash, and then disappear for a time. As a GM with 3 players it's downright creepy how infrequently they'll do anything alone. The lone player who's willing to a) sit back and let someone else have a scene alone, and b) go places and meet people without his two companions has started referring to them as "my codependent life partners."
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Also, give them more than one PC and cycle them out as appropriate. For example, Harry was the star of WN, but at he was partnered up with Elaine, Murphy, and Ramirez at various points.
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Aside from being sure to tailor the challenges to your PCs skill set (there's nothing worse than staring at a locked door while waiting for the damn Rogue to get back with the pizza) there's no problem with it at all.
I prefer the "Only have a hammer" strategy playing the son of Thor.
Locked door? Hit it with a hammer; it'll open.
Chasing a van? Hit it with a hammer; it'll stop.
Negotiating with vampires? Hit it with a hammer; no social rolls needed.
Someone attacking your mind? Hit them with a hammer; the headache will fade.
Shouting "You dare do X to the Son of Thor!?" helps too. X can be touch, attack, waylay, insult, stay locked, etc.
Sadly, it doesn't work with college students (my character is a professor of archeology too)...at least, it won't if I want tenure.
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Sadly, it doesn't work with college students (my character is a professor of archeology too)...at least, it won't if I want tenure.
"Y'know, a few hundred years ago, I would've knocked a disrespectful little maggot of a student like you upside the head until you stopped back-talking..."
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We had 1 GM and 2 PC's, and it worked out fairly well. I imagine finding hooks for 1 PC would be pretty easy too! :)
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Having to try and keep the power level of pcs balanced wont be a problem, just make sure to have a few well fleshed out npcs that she can call in when needed. Possibly start a few aspects short as your world suggests for just such a situation. Personally i would suggest encouraging her to play a wizard of some kind as they are generally agreed to be near the top of the power scale, and its best to have a more than average power level character for solo games.
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I think so long as the NPCs are fleshed out well and you gloss over the need to have starred in other character's stories to gain Aspects, it should be a piece of cake to run with just 2 people.
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Okay I have been running a World of Darkness game with my spouse for nearly 6 years. This is a private game between us. She made a sheet and I made some NPCs.
In fact we are talking of ending that game and running a Dresden Game One on One.
We did not change character creation at all. There as no need. What we do discover with a GM (me) and player her is we could switch, she can GM as well and I can play a character in the same city ally, friend, partner etc. This turned out to be fun because in the same city we created two separate stories with our two PCs interacting in our separate stories.
What also has happened is we splinter off from the main characters at times running stories about the supporting characters sometimes they become their own PCs. Sometimes those storylines become fun as well.
It can be a lot of fun that way. Gives the GM a chance to play and it has been a lot of fun.