Forums of the Megaverse®

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to run a Rifts campaign (or even Phase World campaign) for one player?

dragonfett wrote:Does anyone have any suggestions on how to run a Rifts campaign (or even Phase World campaign) for one player?

As the GM, you'll need to flesh out your main NPCs far more than usual since they will be providing the bulk of the player interaction whereas with multiple players, that kind of dynamic is usually provided by the other players. Also, it is my experience that the pace of a 1-player game is actually slower than with a group. Having helpful NPCs can help alleviate that some, but NPCs that are too helpful actually detracts from player empowerment.

We used to run 1- and 2-player games as a way of introducing new players to gaming. It's a great way to recruit.

--flatline

dragonfett wrote:Does anyone have any suggestions on how to run a Rifts campaign (or even Phase World campaign) for one player?

Kinda depends on the power level and how good the player is at multi tasking/storytelling.
If they are a force onto themselves let them run solo. Temporal raider,cosmoknight,godling,dimie-god,or dragon. Then have them play themselvs as the hero against all odds. Lots of npc's dont be stingy with the help.

If they are a low to mid power range maybe let them roll two chars, have them build a merc group from the point system, give them a patrol worth of npc's....not mindless goons but functioning npcs with their own dreams and foibles, or have them hire help from time to time. Again dont be stingy, reward running away or backing down. Resist the urge to drop a fully loaded deaths head transport on them. Hehe

If it's an experienced gamer, one of the easiest ways is to let them run multiple characters.

Simply tie the backstories so that they dont need to have the crosstalk as much (so that they really know each other pretty well)


If he can handle 3 characters, makes it REALLY easy

That is how I learned to play (with only a couple of players). a pc for me, one for my little brother, and our Uncle (the GM) ran one. Of course we followed his lead a lot, but that doesn't mean the GMPC knew all the ins and outs. he suffered as much and missed as many clues as the rest of us. he was usually used as extra muscle and when we just couldn't figure out what to do next.

So in other words, add yourself into the game as a PC. Just make sure not to run him as having info the other players don't.

Well the player in question is completely new to gaming. I had explained Rifts as Fallout 3/New Vegas combined with The Elder Scrolls and he was all sorts of excited about it. He looked through my RUE and said that he wanted to make a Crazy.

First, have them go through and work out two characters. And by that I mean have them make two characters. Then get them to pick their favorite one, which will obviously be the character they'll play. The second will be their sidekick/traveling companion/etc. Hopefully the two will complement each other. If during the creation of these two characters it's already clear that they intend to play one more than the other, then you finish the other character, to help speed things up. This then becomes the 'fall back' character, in case their character bites the dust.

Also, as suggested, any regular NPCs they know should be fully fleshed out. These can be used as further back up in case they've really stuffed things up and killed off both characters. It also helps to supply a better anchor for the campaign to rest on.

I'd suggest limiting it to one large locale. Like Chitown or similar. Base the entire campaign around this place. You can run an entire campaign without ever leaving a large city. Again, it serves to restrict the player from wandering all over the place, but as you've only got one person, you can flesh out the city better, to help it come more alive. And then, if they have some real trouble and have to leave town all of a sudden, the flight from the big smoke all of a sudden makes a new campaign, as they try to get to another city. And once there, carving their niche in the new city becomes another new campaign.

I kinda did this with a Cyberpunk game a few years ago. Seemed to work pretty well, until I took his prized pistol away from him (got caught, and had it taken from him when he broke into a large, heavily guarded warehouse). lol

I have an introductory adventure outline for 1 player.

It's meant as a "learn the rules/roleplaying" adventure. It's obviously basic and short.

The Dark Elf wrote:I have an introductory adventure outline for 1 player.

It's meant as a "learn the rules/roleplaying" adventure. It's obviously basic and short.

OH..drat. I thought it said Introductory adventure ONline.

Either way. share share

The Oh So Amazing Nate wrote:

The Dark Elf wrote:I have an introductory adventure outline for 1 player.

It's meant as a "learn the rules/roleplaying" adventure. It's obviously basic and short.

OH..drat. I thought it said Introductory adventure ONline.

Either way. share share

I'll probably do it as a Rifter article.

dragonfett wrote:Well the player in question is completely new to gaming. I had explained Rifts as Fallout 3/New Vegas combined with The Elder Scrolls and he was all sorts of excited about it. He looked through my RUE and said that he wanted to make a Crazy.

What problems are you anticipating having?

Just rip off how new vegas did it.

Make sure XP comes every ten minutes or so in RL. When the player feels their characters XP is progressing in an even fashion, everything else just falls into place.

i am doing this exact same scenerio with my former rifts GM. i am letting him(i am GMng) use 3 charactersandalso to throw him off his game a lil bit run it using Heroes Unlimited instead of rifts. AR? whats that? love it. lol

I run campaigns for 1 person all the time. Just make sure their character has the skills to handle most situations and that they are heavy hitters. Basically they need to make that 1 character worth 2-3 and with Rifts, it's easy to do, especially a phaseworld campaign. I usually supply no NPC's or help and they get by just fine. Easiest way to help without helping is allow them to buy robots or droids to help out or have a rune weapon for guidance (flawed as it may be sometimes)...

dragonfett wrote:Does anyone have any suggestions on how to run a Rifts campaign (or even Phase World campaign) for one player?

Sure, find more players to play

Just messing around with you.

I find that a 1 player game works really well when introducing new people to the game (like I did for my wife) or encouraging players who do have previous experience to be more vocal and take the lead (like my old GM did for his brother).

For the game with my wife I set it in Australia and she ended up making herself a little clone army (her idea not mine). So she had all the muscle she needed for fights and she interacted with all the NPC's I provided. Like others already mentioned I just fleshed out the NPCs in grater detail so they seemed more "alive".

The game my old GM ran for his younger brother was for more of a confidence booster since he already gamed with us for years. His brother never wanted to take a leadership role and always differed to me, I'm guessing because he was a little shy back then and I was older.
So what the GM did was make it a merc/special forces game and he made his brother the rank of Sergeant and everyone else was ranked below him. He still had support from NPCs but it forced him into a leadership role (since a sergeant wouldn't be asking the private what they should do). It built up his confidence and really improved his role playing abilities.

it works if you allow a more experienced player to use more than one character, this way you avoid the ubermunchkin. I am Doug of the Dougs i beat dragons armwrestling I am Doug of the Dougs i know all the skills in the book I am Doug of the Dougs I am a mindmelter/leyline walker/military specialist/body fixer who is unaging and regrows lost limbs. In my opinion Doug sucks.