Dungeon Fantasy/DFRPG with just two players?

[Almenac]

I'm going to run mini campaigns and other less involved arcs to two players. I got the DFRPG box as a birthday present last summer and I thought I'd test it out.

Do you think two-player DFRPG adventure is doable? Are the published adventures I Smell a Rat or the stuff in Hall of Judgment something that could be modified to accommodate lower player count? Any other ideas for converted adventures in other systems or similar?

Any other stuff I should watch out for? I've read the Basic Set from cover to cover so I'm lightly familiar with the mechanics. But the characters' power level is a mystery to me. What can a duo accomplish realistically compared to something like modern D&D?

[MIB.6361]

Welcome!

Yes, you can definitely do DFRPG with just two players. For existing published adventures, you'd need to scale the challenges back for them.
Depending on the chosen Professions, it may be easier or harder.

If your players, for example, are going for a Martial Artist and a Bard, they're going to have a tough time. If they're going for a Cleric and a Barbarian, it'll be a bit easier.

As far as relative "level" 250 points is a pretty competent adventurer in most Professions.

My recommendation is to have them make their characters based on a Professional template. And then just pick a monster or two, Giant Rats work, and have them get attacked in an open field to test the combat mechanics. You'll learn a lot and they'll learn a lot. Then run a generic mugging with a few bandits (All relevant skills/attributes at 12, 1d damage or so).

Since you and your players are learning a new system, a few trial runs are a great way to learn the basics of combat.

[ULFGARD]

I've done this many times. I often allow players to run 2 characters (who are explicitly player-controlled NPCs, so they have their own motivations, but I don't generally have to run them in combat). Pick what's missing - mages, clerics, heavy fighters, whatever.

[Almenac]

Thank you! Great advice from both of you.

I might run some test combats by myself too to get the hang of it.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Almenac

Thank you! Great advice from both of you.

I might run some test combats by myself too to get the hang of it.

This is generically a good idea for you and your players. Run a "training montage" or something.

[Tom H.]

Originally Posted by Almenac

I might run some test combats by myself too to get the hang of it.

Yes, this is popular.

In fact, check out some of the detailed combat examples recorded by Mook who writes for the game.

[Dalin]

I've done this many times. When I don't want to add extra PCs (or allied NPCs), I often toss in an extra advantage or magic to help round things out. If they don't have a cleric, I give them a magical way to heal. In a game with my kids, I ran a mini-adventure about a leprechaun and they earned a magical 4-leaf-clover that would heal them back to full, but only four times. Giving them rings of protection or enchanted armor will boost defenses. Magic weapons boost damage output. Giving all the PCs some version of Luck can help them survive the foibles of the dice. If there aren't any other PCs, I toss niche protection out the window. A thief with a wand of fiery death blasts? Sounds fun to me.

Basically, I just take a step back and think about what kind of game we want to play (or what kind of story we want to tell). Usually, my answer is, "one where the heroes get to do heroic things without dying too much."

[ArchonShiva]

Giving each PC a [50]-point dip into some other template’s abilities might help with versatility, and you should allow them to grab some hirelings (make a ~150 point wizard, cleric, knight, thief or whatever they’re missing, charge money or give them half shares of loot)

Kalzazz and Stripe (then replaced by myself) had a very successful two-players run with a hired cleric, wizard and archer.

[Almenac]

Originally Posted by ArchonShiva

Giving each PC a [50]-point dip into some other template’s abilities might help with versatility, and you should allow them to grab some hirelings (make a ~150 point wizard, cleric, knight, thief or whatever they’re missing, charge money or give them half shares of loot)

Kalzazz and Stripe (then replaced by myself) had a very successful two-players run with a hired cleric, wizard and archer.

50 point dip might come in handy, but I'm a little worried about the power level as is. I'd feel more confident running something considerably simpler for 125-150 point characters. But 250 is the level of the templates and I want to run the game RAW at first at least.

I considered henchmen/hirelings, but decided against it. I feel it takes the game into a more boardgamey direction where you're managing an adventuring team instead of playing individual characters. It also requires the players and me to learn all the professional specialities and extra rules for the henchmen. As such I'm leaning more towards toning down the opposition instead of increasing the number of characters.

[ArchonShiva]

Well, you asked about I Smell a Rat and Hall of Judgement. Certainly you could start lower, but I wouldn’t throw such PCs right into those adventures!

On hirelings, a priest with a vow of not striking a living being, a cowardly thief who is great at traps and locks, a buffing wizard or a line-holding shieldmaiden who basically All-Out-Defends every turn can add a lot to a team while adding little overhead.