I want to do some solo stuff for right now and get a feel of things. What would be a good solo one-shot or campaign for a level 1 player. My understanding is I can do this as 1 person or create a couple of PC and run them myself. I got a few free adventures but the PDF is a little hard for me to read. What would be something good that I can get here off this website to run? I am sure I will need more help on what to do later on. But for now any suggestion for what adventure to try would be helpful.
D&D isn't designed to be played solo. There are some solo 'adventures', but these are more like choose your own adventure books and won't give you any kind of feel of the game.
I can understand that it might seem intimidating to jump in when you don't really know how to play, but I promise that there are tons of DMs out there who love to help beginners get a feel for the game. There really is no better way of learning than jumping right in and giving it a try. And people are usually very forgiving of mistakes, especially if they know if you're a new player.
I recommend you check out the Looking for Players & Groups forum and signing up for a one-shot or a campaign that's convenient for you. That, or going to your local gaming store and seeing if you can join a game there. Having other people around during your first session will help you a lot, as they can answer any questions you might have and help you understand the game mechanics. :-)
I am on a Discord server to play, I am waiting on my headset to show up. Till then I am on my own. I was just looking at something to pass the time and since I no longer play any video games I have too much free time. So sometime next week I will be good to go. Just looking for the meantime. I am sure solo would be better if I had a better understanding of the game.
Why do you want to play solo? Is it because you want to learnt the rules first? I'd say not to bother. Many DMs will.be willing to teach you as you play. The rules aren't crystal clear so you could easily end up misinterpreting the rules, and you have no one to correct you, so you'll be playing "wrong" and making that your view of 5e, which will defy the point of learning the rules. I'd recommend just finding a group and working with the DM. Make sure they're aware that you're new, and they'll be understanding. You'll pick it up in no time.
If you have other reasons, like social anxiety or really irregular schedule that makes playing with others troublesome...it's possible but very hard to do. The setup of D&D is that the DM knows the story, tells it, then the players, who don't know the various options and their consequences, react and tell fhebDM how their characters behave, the DM interprets that via dice rolls, then moves on to the next part of the story. Trying to meld that into one player doesn't work very well, at all. To the point that the DM shouldn't even have a player character in the game, ideally. There are single player adventures that automates the DM side of things. I tried one...it was lacking. A railroad where I passed or failed preordained checks and I died or succeeded. They'd put a lot of effort into it, but it wasn't what makes D&D so enjoyable. We can track down some if you want...but I wouldn't expect much from them.
If you mean you have a DM and one player, that's easily doable. You can play any adventure, and just use Sidekicks, which we can help you with. Alternatively, you can just have a party with full characters. The player controls them, but has one main character, the others are for providing firepower and extra stats. That's what we my wife and I do - I have a character, she has a character, then the player has a side character that mostly contributes to fights and so forth (one of us DMs each adventure, but their character is very passive, and again mostly functions to provide firepower and the occasional hint from the DM).
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
So D&D is inarguably best played interactively with other players and a DM, but solitaire D&D is a thing. I write "solitaire" distinguished from Solo to mean a D&D player playing alone with some sort of module or adventure or system designed to be played alone. Some folks think of Solo play as one player playing with a DM, and even some official 5e products do provide guidance on running an adventure with a single player (I think the follow up adventures after Icespire Peak for examples).
Here's a relatively recent thread that may have some additional leads for finding 5e materials designed for solitaire play (note, yes, WOTC has not ever produced anything for the player playing solitaire D&D, all the DMsGuild titles and what not are basically "fan" or "third party" producers):
There was another thread I can't find with the specific links but good Google-Fu may may find you a guide to playing WotC published adventures as solitaire games.
Yes solitaire-designed materials or solitaire-adapted D&D does have strong "Choose your own Adventure" or early 80s text based computer RPG vibes. That said, it's not a total Black Mirror buzzkill. If lacking an actual table to play at, or waiting for your Discord headphones, I think solitaire play is actually good time spent for a new player who has the time and wants to get some of the dice rolling mechanics under their belt (many TTRPGs introduce their systems through solitaire scenarios in the introductory chapters of the core manual). Yes, many DMs, including myself, have no problem with or actually enjoy introducing the game to new players (I'd say 3/4's of the players I currently DM/GM I introduced to at least the game system if not TTRPGs). But if you gain an understanding of the stats, HP, armor class, rolling d20s for attacks, skill checks and saves, and what all the other dice mean (ahem, and look like), "conditions", etc., I'd be happy if you showed up having done a bit of homework outside the game. I'm also writing from a perspective where my first D&D experiences were actually via TSR produced "Solo" (solitaire) modules supported by the Red Box set (and were written very much in a tutorial format, at least the first one in the series was).
Solo is more of a time passer. Just waiting on Amazon to deliver my headset so I can get on Discord to play. I do not know a single person near me that plays any D&D. I would go to one of the local stores, but I no longer drive and getting rides can be problematic at times, esp for a Saturday trip (what I use for my rides provides you a 2 hour window to be somewhere on Saturday so not enough for a game). I do have a fair bit of social anxiety which is a little odd because I did tech support for 20 something years dealing with folks on the phone and in-person. I get better once I get to know the others I am doing something with. But seems best to just wait on Amazon to deliver my stuff.
So the solo/solitaire content for D&D can certainly pass the time. There's also a sorta new, at least new to me, solitaire derivative of TTRPGing that involves journaling. Googling out solo journaling ttrpg will open up that world. Journey's a good one.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I will look into that. I tried to fire up good ole WoW to see if I could play, but sadly I cant see squat in that game now, esp if I go into a building or cave. Even messing with brightness/contrast/gamma.
So the solo/solitaire content for D&D can certainly pass the time. There's also a sorta new, at least new to me, solitaire derivative of TTRPGing that involves journaling. Googling out solo journaling ttrpg will open up that world. Journey's a good one.
This does kind of make me want to treat an adventure module like a speedrun, and (with full meta gaming activated) try and quickly clear the entire main storyline as fast as possible using only 1 or 2 characters. Being both the character and the DM, you would just have to play it as fairly as possible, but it would be interesting to try.
These peeps have a few modules specifically designed for solo (solitaire) play, with instructions on how that affects things. The price range isn't exactly cheap for the content but it's still less than what I spend on coffee in a week, so... That said, it comes in .pdf form. No guarantees about how legible it will be for you. Still might be worth a look.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Don't listen to the gatekeepers and naysayers. Solo D&D can be fun and is a completely acceptable way to play. There's three basic ways of doing solo D&D:
2. Use an oracle. An oracle is a DM simulation that outputs different prompts for setting a scene or different responses to questions by rolling dice. A good example is the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox (DM's Guild)
3. Use a combination of an oracle and a published adventure for a full party. For this you usually play more than one PC or a PC with a sidekick. A great example is using DM Yourself (DriveThruRPG) with Dragon of Icespire Peak
Option #1 is the easiest, but most restrictive. I like all three for different situations.
I want to do some solo stuff for right now and get a feel of things. What would be a good solo one-shot or campaign for a level 1 player. My understanding is I can do this as 1 person or create a couple of PC and run them myself. I got a few free adventures but the PDF is a little hard for me to read. What would be something good that I can get here off this website to run? I am sure I will need more help on what to do later on. But for now any suggestion for what adventure to try would be helpful.
D&D isn't designed to be played solo. There are some solo 'adventures', but these are more like choose your own adventure books and won't give you any kind of feel of the game.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
I can understand that it might seem intimidating to jump in when you don't really know how to play, but I promise that there are tons of DMs out there who love to help beginners get a feel for the game. There really is no better way of learning than jumping right in and giving it a try. And people are usually very forgiving of mistakes, especially if they know if you're a new player.
I recommend you check out the Looking for Players & Groups forum and signing up for a one-shot or a campaign that's convenient for you. That, or going to your local gaming store and seeing if you can join a game there. Having other people around during your first session will help you a lot, as they can answer any questions you might have and help you understand the game mechanics. :-)
I am on a Discord server to play, I am waiting on my headset to show up. Till then I am on my own. I was just looking at something to pass the time and since I no longer play any video games I have too much free time. So sometime next week I will be good to go. Just looking for the meantime. I am sure solo would be better if I had a better understanding of the game.
Why do you want to play solo? Is it because you want to learnt the rules first? I'd say not to bother. Many DMs will.be willing to teach you as you play. The rules aren't crystal clear so you could easily end up misinterpreting the rules, and you have no one to correct you, so you'll be playing "wrong" and making that your view of 5e, which will defy the point of learning the rules. I'd recommend just finding a group and working with the DM. Make sure they're aware that you're new, and they'll be understanding. You'll pick it up in no time.
If you have other reasons, like social anxiety or really irregular schedule that makes playing with others troublesome...it's possible but very hard to do. The setup of D&D is that the DM knows the story, tells it, then the players, who don't know the various options and their consequences, react and tell fhebDM how their characters behave, the DM interprets that via dice rolls, then moves on to the next part of the story. Trying to meld that into one player doesn't work very well, at all. To the point that the DM shouldn't even have a player character in the game, ideally. There are single player adventures that automates the DM side of things. I tried one...it was lacking. A railroad where I passed or failed preordained checks and I died or succeeded. They'd put a lot of effort into it, but it wasn't what makes D&D so enjoyable. We can track down some if you want...but I wouldn't expect much from them.
If you mean you have a DM and one player, that's easily doable. You can play any adventure, and just use Sidekicks, which we can help you with. Alternatively, you can just have a party with full characters. The player controls them, but has one main character, the others are for providing firepower and extra stats. That's what we my wife and I do - I have a character, she has a character, then the player has a side character that mostly contributes to fights and so forth (one of us DMs each adventure, but their character is very passive, and again mostly functions to provide firepower and the occasional hint from the DM).
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
So D&D is inarguably best played interactively with other players and a DM, but solitaire D&D is a thing. I write "solitaire" distinguished from Solo to mean a D&D player playing alone with some sort of module or adventure or system designed to be played alone. Some folks think of Solo play as one player playing with a DM, and even some official 5e products do provide guidance on running an adventure with a single player (I think the follow up adventures after Icespire Peak for examples).
Here's a relatively recent thread that may have some additional leads for finding 5e materials designed for solitaire play (note, yes, WOTC has not ever produced anything for the player playing solitaire D&D, all the DMsGuild titles and what not are basically "fan" or "third party" producers):
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/general-discussion/114392-is-it-possible-to-play-dnd-by-yourself
There was another thread I can't find with the specific links but good Google-Fu may may find you a guide to playing WotC published adventures as solitaire games.
Yes solitaire-designed materials or solitaire-adapted D&D does have strong "Choose your own Adventure" or early 80s text based computer RPG vibes. That said, it's not a total Black Mirror buzzkill. If lacking an actual table to play at, or waiting for your Discord headphones, I think solitaire play is actually good time spent for a new player who has the time and wants to get some of the dice rolling mechanics under their belt (many TTRPGs introduce their systems through solitaire scenarios in the introductory chapters of the core manual). Yes, many DMs, including myself, have no problem with or actually enjoy introducing the game to new players (I'd say 3/4's of the players I currently DM/GM I introduced to at least the game system if not TTRPGs). But if you gain an understanding of the stats, HP, armor class, rolling d20s for attacks, skill checks and saves, and what all the other dice mean (ahem, and look like), "conditions", etc., I'd be happy if you showed up having done a bit of homework outside the game. I'm also writing from a perspective where my first D&D experiences were actually via TSR produced "Solo" (solitaire) modules supported by the Red Box set (and were written very much in a tutorial format, at least the first one in the series was).
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Solo is more of a time passer. Just waiting on Amazon to deliver my headset so I can get on Discord to play. I do not know a single person near me that plays any D&D. I would go to one of the local stores, but I no longer drive and getting rides can be problematic at times, esp for a Saturday trip (what I use for my rides provides you a 2 hour window to be somewhere on Saturday so not enough for a game). I do have a fair bit of social anxiety which is a little odd because I did tech support for 20 something years dealing with folks on the phone and in-person. I get better once I get to know the others I am doing something with. But seems best to just wait on Amazon to deliver my stuff.
So the solo/solitaire content for D&D can certainly pass the time. There's also a sorta new, at least new to me, solitaire derivative of TTRPGing that involves journaling. Googling out solo journaling ttrpg will open up that world. Journey's a good one.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
So the solo/solitaire content for D&D can certainly pass the time. There's also a sorta new, at least new to me, solitaire derivative of TTRPGing that involves journaling. Googling out solo journaling ttrpg will open up that world. Journey's a good one.
This does kind of make me want to treat an adventure module like a speedrun, and (with full meta gaming activated) try and quickly clear the entire main storyline as fast as possible using only 1 or 2 characters. Being both the character and the DM, you would just have to play it as fairly as possible, but it would be interesting to try.
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Wraith Wright Productions
These peeps have a few modules specifically designed for solo (solitaire) play, with instructions on how that affects things. The price range isn't exactly cheap for the content but it's still less than what I spend on coffee in a week, so... That said, it comes in .pdf form. No guarantees about how legible it will be for you. Still might be worth a look.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
You can search on Adventure Lookup by level, edition and soloable adventures: https://adventurelookup.com/adventures?edition=5th Edition&minStartingLevel=≥1~≤1&soloable=1
https://sayeth.itch.io/
Are there any dms out there willing to help me on starting up my dnd career?
1st DnD isn't really a career for most. It's a game you play. As for your question:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/looking-for-players-groups
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Oh sure you can but buy game scenarios first it's like baldur gate form faerun. Divinity , elder Skyrim form nowhere.
But you need dungeon master to control narrative story in game
Don't listen to the gatekeepers and naysayers. Solo D&D can be fun and is a completely acceptable way to play. There's three basic ways of doing solo D&D:
1. Use a module written for solo play. These are sometimes called gamebooks. Some examples: The Saint's Tomb (itch.io) or Death Knight's Squire (DM's Guild).
2. Use an oracle. An oracle is a DM simulation that outputs different prompts for setting a scene or different responses to questions by rolling dice. A good example is the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox (DM's Guild)
3. Use a combination of an oracle and a published adventure for a full party. For this you usually play more than one PC or a PC with a sidekick. A great example is using DM Yourself (DriveThruRPG) with Dragon of Icespire Peak
Option #1 is the easiest, but most restrictive. I like all three for different situations.
https://sayeth.itch.io/