Solo campaigns

[linklord231]

So my girlfriend is really interested in learning how to play d&d, and asked if I would be willing to run a solo campaign for her.  I have never even considered this - does anyone have any advice?

I'm tempted to go Gestalt, since it would make her more capable of surviving on her own.  But I don't want to turn her off by making it too complicated right off the bat. 
Is a DMPC still a bad idea in a solo campaign?  I'm going to assume "yes" unless someone can convince me otherwise.
Any pitfalls I should be aware of in general?

[Libertad]

Here's a great series of articles just for this.  Written by an expert in the field with years of experience.

DMPCing isn't problematic in your case, if done right.  Make the character a complementary role for her; if she's a rogue, make the DMPC a melee fighter who can set up flanking for sneak attack, or a bard who inspires her and carries a wand of cure light wounds in case she faints.

Pitfalls:

Be wary of Save Or Dies.  If she dies, the game's over (unless you've got plans for adventures in the afterlife type of deal).  Also, since it's just her and you, be more open to the kinds of games she's interested in.  Instead of negotiating and compromising with 4-5 players, she's your core audience.

Has she played any other kind of tabletop RPG before?  Any video game RPG?  Or is she entirely new?

If she's entirely new, I'd recommend finding a more rules-lite game than 3rd Edition D&D.  I can recommend Microlite D20 as one.

If she's played video game RPGs, but not tabletop, she can probably make the transition more easily, knowing of some common terminology and things.  Still start her off with a rules-lite game/variant.

[linklord231]

Wow, that link looks perfect!  Thanks   

Hmm... I think I'll wait and see what kind of character she picks before deciding whether or not to DMPC... If she does what I'm expecting and picks a cleric or druid, I might not have to.
Good call on SoDs.  I hadn't really thought of what to do if her character dies.  Have to talk to her about that before we start playing.

She's played a single session of 4e and a couple almost-rpgs like Arkham Horror, and quite a few video games.  She owns Star Wars KotOR, but hasn't actually gotten around to playing it unfortunately
Regardless, she wants to learn 3.5 - probably because that's the game I play most, but that's what she has her heart set on.  As long as I can present it as a learning curve instead of a learning cliff, I think she'll pick up on it pretty quickly. 

[Prime32]

I'm tempted to go Gestalt, since it would make her more capable of surviving on her own.  But I don't want to turn her off by making it too complicated right off the bat.

Rather than using the full gestalt rules then, just say "your character gets bard spellcasting for free" or something. That's a lot easier to grasp.

[linklord231]

I'm tempted to go Gestalt, since it would make her more capable of surviving on her own.  But I don't want to turn her off by making it too complicated right off the bat.

Rather than using the full gestalt rules then, just say "your character gets bard spellcasting for free" or something. That's a lot easier to grasp.

Yeah, based on the kind of character she's talked about, I'm thinking of pointing her towards one of Oslecamo's celestials, and then giving it full Cleric casting on the side.  That's basically what gestalting would do anyway, except maybe altering the saves depending on which angel she chooses. 

[ariasderros]

DMPCing isn't problematic in your case, if done right.  Make the character a complementary role for her; if she's a rogue, make the DMPC a melee fighter who can set up flanking for sneak attack, or a bard who inspires her and carries a wand of cure light wounds in case she faints.

Hmm... I think I'll wait and see what kind of character she picks before deciding whether or not to DMPC... If she does what I'm expecting and picks a cleric or druid, I might not have to.

I'd still say it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to have a free Factotum Cohort. Something to trail around with the ability to make the K. rolls, and help out with versatility. Just because she'll have cleric casting, don't count on her knowing how to use it correctly right off. Spells, even more than feats, have a lot of ivory tower traps.

[Concerned Ninja Citizen]

This may be super obvious but starting at lv1 might not be the best plan. This is along the same lines as the save or dies thing. It's really easy to accidentally die at lv1 and that would suck.

I'd probably go with lv3 as a starting point. High enough that accidental death by crit is less likely but low enough not to overwhelm with options.

Alternatively, if you or she would prefer lv1, maybe tack on an extra 10 or so HP.