1 DM, 1 PC game?

Hey! I've been watching this streamer playing a one on one game, one DM, one PC. Interested I started to do alittle research and apparently it isn't as uncommon as I thought it was. I mentioned it to my friends but they seemed skeptical about it, saying it would be boring. Does anyone have experience in this type of game? Any stories anyone would like to share? The streamer I mentioned was using DnD 2ed, but do any other systems work? Or just any suggestions in general? The whole idea sounds like good fun, but would it be fun with a random? I hope I havent asked to many questions, And I hope to hear back from yas!

I have not intentionally run a campaign like this. However, I have run individual game sessions with just one 1 player/PC present as part of an on-going, larger campaign. Sometimes a player just wanted to get a D&D "fix" in and as long as it doesn't directly affect the other player's PCs I have no problem accommodating it. It really only works though if the PCs are in some kind of civilization setting, like a town or city, where it's feasible for an individual PCs to go wandering off on his own. I say this because, if you were to do 1 PC as an intentional campaign, some kind of urban setting would probably work best. Since there are no other player/PCs to interact with, you'd probably want lots of NPCs for your player to interact with. And an urban setting is every bit a legitimate adventuring location as a dungeon. Maybe even more so, because so much can be packed into a relatively small area.

I have done this a lot. In D&D typically a lone thief, doing a job, or a mission or some sort of actions scernario, where there are traps, guards, dogs, etc. like a lone recon patrol for a modern soldier. I have definitely done this a lot with spy games like top secret, and james bond. The key is like the larger games with more players, to have a clear mission goal, like go to the third level of the complex on the island, sneak in defeat the security and get the item or thing or place explosives or whatever. Even translated to D&D terms, it might be steal the gold or blow up the source of the mage's power or something. Then you have all of the specific skill challenges or die roills needed, plus choices as to how the character can do it, climb this wall or sneak hand to hand under that other bridge. Knowing all the while that if they get detected, they have no help. But you could do this with a fighter or cleric or whatever... you just need to have a firm grasp on what exactly is there how it is built and laid out and what happens next, what happens next. what happens after that, either as a laid out plan or options of plans of the bad guys or just winging it on the fly reacting to the player's choices for the PC. maybe with time pressure or limited options so that the character cannot just "go to sleep and rest up for 6 days ibn a locked closet after that combat." Good luck.

I've run lots of these in person, tabletop, over the years. Mostly AD&D 2E, and AD&D 1st Edition before that. It was usually 1 DM, 1 Player playing a party of PC's (playing maybe 4 to 7 PC's and henchmen). Sometimes played it "One On One" style, which is 1 DM and 1 PC. Have not tried it on Roll20 or online games yet. I am thinking about setting up some games / scenarios in that way, and see how it goes. It's a more patient gameplay pace, in my experience (easy for both people to be on the same page of timing / schedule / pace, speed up, slow down, take a break, redline or fast forward a section, easy to find agreement on game time without inconveniencing others). It's more strategic for the Player as they can coordinate with themselves easily, especially referring to instances of 1 Player playing a party of PC's + followers. Some say that takes away the mystery or the role-playing, but I have not found either to be the case. It just changes it to a different dynamic of RP (less conversations, less voices, but more opportunity to express and develop the characters as a book author would do), and a different approach to cooperation/mystery.

This is how I learned about RPGs and D&D at a local gaming club 25 years ago. Just a little kid version of me, face to face with some big old dude with a beard. One DM, one PC. Was awesome and hooked me into RPG games forever after that. I'll always remember that little halfling rogue, my first ever PC, running through town between the "adults" legs... I haven't done one on ones much since then but they can be really great, especially if you have a very dynamic DM able to really go with the flow and if as a PC you can really keep things going without needing 20 fish hooks into you before you take a step. Add to that followers and whatnot and it can be a really good time between friends.

To add a bit more to your idea... I once had a DM who ran a world where he would do private games for each player, however we all existed in the same world. Each of us was located somewhere else in the world.. and as we gained status and command over our respective areas, slowly our decisions effected eachother's games (one player raised an army, of course we kept hearing whispers of a man forming an army in our games, but I didn't get the chance to face that player in my own story ;D) Supposedly one of the players storyline was like 10 years before the other players, so his actions kept creating "lore" and past info for us to discover. It's a great way to play. Tons of fun. Allows MUCH more room for an individual player to move around without dragging their group through crap.

Take a look at the One On One adventures from Expeditious Retreat. I've run quite a few of them, and "The Forbidden Hills" multiple times online. I really enjoy one on one play; you get much more into your player's head. I'd go as far as to say that my most rewarding, intense, inventive session ever in 35 years of GMing came in a one on one game. (And that was online, played purely over Skype, audio only, with no virtual tabletop.)

Currently running a 1DM/2PC game, which started out as a 1PC/1DM game for a few months. It's a large-scale game but it's meant for fun. As long as everyone's having a good time there isn't any problem with running a small game.