[Dungeon Fantasy] Quickest Way To Start Playing?

[quarkstomper]

I've been running 1-on-1 campaigns with my wife for many years. Dungeon Fantasy can be challenging for single-player play, because it assumes that you have a party descending into the dungeon to fight monsters. Multiple characters means that you don't have to be good at everything, that you have a better chance of surviving when outnumbered, and that the game doesn't end when you botch your roll to avoid the basilisk.

When running the Traditional Gygaxian Heroic Fantasy with my wife, instead of giving her multiple characters, I give her an NPC buddy. Yes, I know, GMPCs are the very devil, but they make 1-on-1 campaigns much easier. The Buddy can have the main character's back in a fight, can help with the heavy lifting, and in a crisis act as a "meat shield". And this gives the player someone to interact with, bounce ideas off of, even develop romantic tension. (Which is my wife's favorite part)

The trick, of course, is keeping the DMPC in a subordinate role. Think of the campaign as a TV series. The Player is Xena, the NPC Buddy is Gabrielle. Or maybe Joxtur. The NPC should be helpful, but should not steal the spotlight.

If for no other reason than that rolling out the battles between two NPCs is boring both for you and the player.

[mlangsdorf]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Well for Dungeon Fantasy you need the Magic book, I suspect.

You only need Magic if you intend to play a Bard, Cleric, Druid, or Wizard. It's perfectly feasible to have a party of a Holy Warrior, a Knight, a Scout, and a Thief wander through a dungeon doing cool stuff. It's not 100% optimal, as too many skills/abilities are reserved for wizard (ie, Identifying magic items) but it's certainly possible.

For a quick start, let's get going kind of game, I'd skip the wizards and clerics entirely. Bring them in later after his wife is more understanding of the rules.

[Mulsiphix]

Originally Posted by Jeffr0

You need to make something that is fun for you.

I love the fantasy genre and I am a conesouir of dungeon delving romp and stop video games (Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Torchlight, to name a few of my favorites).

Originally Posted by Jeffr0

Also... most players don't really know what they want-- they really look to the Game Master to set the tone and make it fun.

While my wife definitely looks to me to set the tone she knows what she wants. Of all of the games we've played fantasy has been flirted with many times but never actually done. For example, we read the first sixty pages of the Exalted core rulebook (fluff) but life got in the way and we had to put it on hiatus. She once played one session with the GM handling ALL rules and she has talked about it ever since (five years ago).

Originally Posted by Jeffr0

If they don't like something, they may not be able or willing to explain it-- they'll just stop playing to save you from embarrassment... Your wife sounds like she's at the stage where she's willing to give this a shot even if it's mostly just because she likes you... If it is still early in the marriage...

Um... we're nine years married with four kids. I'd say we're long past telling white lies to avoid hurting each others feelings. We're horrifically honest with each other. As far as her going along with it to please me, I'd say no to that one. I told her I was going to get into GURPS by playing online with a couple of groups. She was very sad I didn't even ask her about it. That I had assumed she didn't want to play GURPS because it was too much this or that. She wanted a shot at it with me first, badly I might add.

There was a time when she learned a complex game with me just because I said it was some of the best fun I had ever had. She learned BattleTech. A simple 80 page solid mechanics introduction before she could even setup the game to start play. She was smiling and throwing me evil "take that fooool" grins within the first four turns. BattleTech is her all time favorite wargame to date and if you haven't played it, I can guarantee you it is not for the faint of heart. BattleTech was her first introduction to gaming with me.

Originally Posted by Jeffr0

Try some other games-- Hive, Lost Cities, Dominion, Carcassonne, Settlers of Cataan-- and tell her upfront that you are looking for something that you two can enjoy together... Warning: she may not be your gaming soul mate. You might have to learn to live with that.

Lets see over the years we've played more games than I can remember. We're both gaming nuts. If you've been at a standard retail store like Walmart or even general hobby stores like Michaels and seen a game there, chances are we own it or have played it. We regularly throw down with various TCG's including MTG. This year started playing Heart of Oak and Conflict of Heroes. She took the plunge with me and played her first 4X Strategy video game as well and absolutely loved it (Galactic Civilizations).

We've held gaming nights in the past with two or three other couples (this is how I know my house is just too small to host any form of get together well) and they were a blast. If my wife isn't my gaming soul mate or at least my gaming first mate, I'd be shocked to see what that would look like. One of the reasons I am excited to run dungeons fantasy for her is because she is a puzzle freak. She does Nonograms and 2,000+ piece puzzles for fun in her spare time (she is a junkie). If it is a puzzle she is all up in it. I look forwarding to getting creative and bending her mind.

[Mulsiphix]

Originally Posted by quarkstomper

I've been running 1-on-1 campaigns with my wife for many years. Dungeon Fantasy can be challenging for single-player play, because it assumes that you have a party descending into the dungeon to fight monsters.

I figure I can either create a character for her that is a self contained fantasy themed superhero (like the exalts in Exalted) or I can come up with a way to give her more help. I was thinking of allowing her hire help in town. I could run one NPC like Xena's Gabrielle/Joxtur in order to give her some dialog and to add that romantic element you spoke of, and the rest could just be hired help that don't have much of anything to say. I realize that this could detract from the standard immersion of an RPG but she is very used to playing the role of a General or commander who simply issues orders to others to perform in battle. I don't think that would detract from her fun at all. Yes it makes it a little more like a board or wargame at times but it is a means to an end and one I have discussed with her. She played Guild Wars on the PC many years back and hired henchmen all the time. When I threw the idea at her she even responded "Just like in Guild Wars? That fixes our problems then."

@everybody:
One of the things we both want to do is get some experience in before we start expanding to online and local play. I want to get comfortable GM'ing GURPS and she wants to get very comfortable with the flow and design of the game style she will be playing with others. She is very interested in designing the fantasy world with me. I have been talking about writing a book in a setting I thought up for the last few years. I even gave her a character in this book which she fell in love with (it is modeled after her best and worst traits after all). She wants to get comfortable playing GURPS and already has plans on moving on to designing it if the playing portion turns out well. This would be an activity that I would greatly enjoy and as Jefffr0 wanted to point out the importance of, something we can do together.

We started a new business this year and are hoping to be able to move into a bigger place by next year. Then we could host gaming nights and move along more traditional paths. But for the time being we're stuck here, are looking to get comfortable, and already have plans on where this will likely lead. I really appreciate your advice on the subject of how to make it work with one player. I'm also glad to see somebody else out there gives a healthy focus on romance in their games. I plan to make it a cornerstone of all of ours together =)

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Mulsiphix

She is very interested in designing the fantasy world with me. I have been talking about writing a book in a setting I thought up for the last few years.

Take a look at playing Microscope.

http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=LAM3010

I've not played it yet, but it reads very well, and I'm very intrigued. Sounds like you two would really enjoy it.

Graham

[Mulsiphix]

Originally Posted by Graham

Take a look at playing Microscope. I've not played it yet, but it reads very well, and I'm very intrigued. Sounds like you two would really enjoy it.

This actually looks really awesome! I'll definitely be picking up a copy. Thank you for the heads up =D

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by quarkstomper

Yes, I know, GMPCs are the very devil, but they make 1-on-1 campaigns much easier.

An NPC ally (or Ally) or hireling isn't bad. IMO, "GMPC" refers to a character that the GM plays as though it was a PC in the campaign, and typically as the only important PC to which the other PCs are unwilling supporting cast.

In GURPS what I typically do if I think the party needs help or if it's narratively appropriate is have a competent (but not ubercompetent) NPC join them for a single adventure for free. At the end of the adventure they have the option of allowing the NPC to join them, in which case they get the Ally advantage instead of the normal CP award, or letting him go on his way (and therefore claiming the normal CPs instead).

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Mulsiphix

I figure I can either create a character for her that is a self contained fantasy themed superhero (like the exalts in Exalted) or I can come up with a way to give her more help. I was thinking of allowing her hire help in town. I could run one NPC like Xena's Gabrielle/Joxtur in order to give her some dialog and to add that romantic element you spoke of, and the rest could just be hired help that don't have much of anything to say.

Caveat...I have not played in the DF line...I have played (and sometimes GM'd) in Gurps for 25+ yrs...

I would advise building a character for a new Gurps player as a dialogue...with you taking notes...

"Name a person from film/TV/Lit/etc you would like to *be*?
Robin Hood
Which Aspect of RH most interests you...the archer, the outlaw, the political intrique, the romance?
The Archer
Do you want to also be a swordsman...better with the bow, better with the sword or about equal?
Better with the Bow
"

Basically by asking some questions I was usually able to make some directed suggestions on point budgets and effieicnt spending...usually hard for new players to manage without the player giving up "creative control" since the suggestions are just ways to achieve what the player has described as "what" they want to play. That will be most important because for her to take to this it will have to appeal to her first, while remaining fun for you.

If she is going to be helping with the world building end of things you can use a technique that I have seen done by GMs with good effect in the past. When someone wants to play a priest of Religion X...and Religion X has not been all that fleshed out yet...the GM has given it as a writing project to the player. The results subject to GM collaboration/edit/approval with the final results becoming part of the campaign and the player getting extra credit CPs.

To help flesh out the numbers I would not go with GMPC...I would go with Viewpoint NPC. Usually when I GMed I would set up an NPC...with reasons to be with the party and at about the same power level as the PCs (not stronger!!) and I would slant the build to cover any support holes (like medic or scholar) that the party might be light on. I would provide help to the party and would allow me "another" voice to occasionally make suggestions (often not taken and sometimes wrong) and interact without wearing the "GM" Hat.

I would also recommend either Caravan to Ein Arris (its FREE) and Keep on the Borderlands as starting campaign resources...both are very good.

I got my start with Keep back in DnD in the late 70s...piece of advice for your wife...do not start a barfight in the keep in first session, draw steel and barely escape as new outlaws before you take on the Caverns. Our GM was torqued off and invented an inconvient "offmap" villiage where we could sell loot and buy gear...eventually we spent most of our pilliage hiring mercs and took over/assaulted the Keep...ah old Monty Haul days!! I also retooled it for GURPS in the late 90's.

Good Luck!!