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Character Creation
When creating a character for a solo campaign, the DM should discuss the campaign world/idea with the player and decide on a creation method. A creation method that allows for more powerful characters than normal is recommended. This is to compensate for the character having to essentially fill every role in the party. Such methods can range from 32+ point-buy, to 10+1d8 per ability, to 18,17,16,15,14,13 array, to arbitrarily selecting abilities.

Another option for increasing the power of a Solo PC is to use the Gestalt option in Unearthed Arcana which takes the “best of two classes” and combines them into a single class. This will give you a PC that covers more bases than the single-classed or multi-classed PC.

Yet another option is to have the player create, and run multiple characters simultaneously. This is not the recommended practice as one character inevitably becomes the primary character and the other(s) become little more than PC-controlled NPCs.

A final option is to create a number of NPCs that will adventure with or support the PC throughout the campaign. Although this option can make things easier for the PC in terms of survival, it makes the DM’s job significantly more complex. This leaves the DM in the position of balancing NPC knowledge and abilities with his own knowledge and abilities. The DM in this case often winds up metagaming with the NPCs or underutilizing their abilities significantly. This is far from an ideal situation and may contribute to dissatisfaction on behalf of the player, the DM, or both.

The most important thing to consider, however is the style of gamplay that the campaign will be centered on. If the campaign is going to be combat-heavy, the PC had better be able to fight. Similarly, if the campaign is going to be a roleplaying-heavy affair, a character with social skills is pretty essential. As a DM, it is critical to tailor your campaign to the PC created.

The player should be reminded that all essential skill checks will be made by his or her character, so skill selection is important. A potential modification might be to make certain skills class skills for all classes such as Listen, Search, and Spot. Additionally, increasing the PCs skill points per level is often a wise move.

The DM should weave plotlines throughout the campaign that interact with the PC’s background and facilitate development of the character. In order to achieve this, a richly detailed character background is essential. Remember, there is only one character in the story and, as such, the story should revolve around that one character. The details of the character’s background serve as a source of material for the DM to draw upon and create plot hooks from. In a “normal” campaign with four characters, 3-5 plot hooks from each of those characters should be enough to fill the entire campaign. With one character, more depth is needed to provide plot hooks that are relevant to the character.

Challenges 
D&D is filled with various and sundry challenges. Some challenge the player’s reasoning ability, others address tactical choices. In a solo campaign, it is important for the DM to select and scale challenges to both the player’s and the Character’s abilities. Whereas a normal-sized party can be reasonably expected to overcome the vast majority of challenges placed before them, a solo-PC should not be held to a similar standard.

The key to not overtaxing the player’s abilities in this case is to know the limits of the player’s ability as well as the Character’s limits. There is no substitute for past experience DMing for the player in this regard, but a good DM can ratchet up the difficulty and complexity if the player seems to be easily overcoming the challenges set before him or her.

Roleplaying and other non-combat challenges are an essential element of running a successful single-PC game. Combat is risky – a single well-rolled die can cause all manner of havoc to a character. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on things that will steer away from such situations. Conversations, investigations, puzzles, and other thought-provoking and reasoning challenges are highly recommended. Political machinations can lead to some very rewarding situations that involve little to no combat yet offer challenges to the player of significant complexity and difficulty.

Combat, of course, is nearly inevitable in D&D and special care should be taken with these situations. There are several factors to consider such as Challenge Ratings, Effective Encounter Levels, numbers of enemies, quality of enemies, etc.

Challenge Ratings
D&D is designed around a 4-character party; therefore, a single-PC party has ¼ of the resources, actions, abilities, and equipment of a party that the CR system was designed for. There are a number of options for addressing this, but primarily, a Dm should consider using encounters of roughly three levels lower than they normally would. This is by no means an absolute rule; however, it works well as a rule of thumb.

What to Avoid
Take care when designing encounters not to overwhelm the single PC with numbers. Remember that there is great strength in numbers. Six kobolds can overcome a single 4th level fighter if they are smart about it and use clever tactics such as all of them aiding one to grapple and pin the fighter who now has no dexterity bonus and an additional -5 to AC. Even more basically, flanking enemies can really ruin the single PC’s day.

Another thing to avoid is situations commonly referred to as “save or die.” Such situations exist when a spell or ability can kill the lone PC on a poorly rolled saving throw and can end a solo campaign quite prematurely (Finger of Death, Bodak’s Gaze Attack, Gorgon’s Breath, etc.). Such an event would not be a satisfying end for either the player or the DM.

The quality of enemies is of equal importance to the quantity of enemies. A single enemy with multiple class levels can be on overmatching challenge for a single PC if the class levels are pointedly selected to counter the PCs strengths or exploit his or her weaknesses. The point of encounters in a solo-PC game should not be for the PC to be overmatched from the start.

Help for the PC
NPCs can, and often should, be available to help the PC out in various situations. This can vary from an NPC Healer in the PC’s base town/area of operations that is willing to provide discounted healing magic for the PC to mercenaries ready to hire out their swords or spells to assist the PC in battle. These NPCs can be a source of materials, information, or direct support. It is important to ensure that abilities the PC does not have access to through class features be available through such channels. Self-sufficiency can only take a PC so far.

Organizations can also provide support and aid for the PC. If the PC is a member of an organization or is in their employ, the organization should be willing to aid the PC and perhaps fill many of the roles that the NPCs suggested above would fill.

NPC Roleplaying by the DM
The skill of NPC Roleplaying is one of the keys to running a successful solo campaign. Certainly, this is an important part of any D&D campaign, but when there is only one PC the demands upon the DM are significantly greater. There are three techniques that can be very useful in helping handle NPC Roleplaying for solo campaigns: Learn to Talk to Yourself, Develop Meaningful NPC Relationships, and Stop and Smell the Roses.

Learn to Talk to Yourself
There is only one PC and if all conversations are PC to NPC then things will become very stilted and unnatural, so the DM must learn to speak with herself. This will feel very awkward at first, but with a little practice it can be a very effective technique. To be able to do this a DM must 1) know the personality of the NPCs, 2) understand the relationship between the NPCs as well as their relationships to the PC, and 3) understand the context of the conversation. With practice these steps can be internalized, but starting out it is a good idea to have these elements written down in front of her as reminders. What follows is a classic example of a situation where the DM must talk to herself, the council meeting.

Running a Council Meeting
Sometimes the PC must take part in the classic council meeting, where a group of individuals gathers to discuss in order to make an important decision. These are the hardest NPC dialogues to successfully pull off because often the DM will be handling an insane number of NPCs. While difficult, the council meeting can be a useful device for analyzing a complex campaign and to provide a course of action when the PC is faltering. Council meetings can range from large conferences from numerous factions addressing something of cosmic importance to a local lord calling in his advisors to discuss a proposal to raise the poll tax to an adventuring company discussing how to sack a dungeon. Here are some useful tips:
1) Someone is in Charge: Someone needs to be running the council meeting, it is best when the PC is in charge, but often it will be a NPC. If a NPC is in charge, the PC should have a relationship with the NPC that allows the PC to speak freely. If a decision needs to be made then there should be a mechanism for making a decision, maybe a vote, maybe the person in charge just makes a decision.
2) Issues should be Clear: There is no reason for the DM to muddle the situation for the PC and should make sure the issues and arguments are as clear as possible. Certainly, people may be lying, but things should be kept focused.
3) Most Participants are Silent: As in real life, not everyone is a talker; even when dealing with a large group of NPCs it is very likely that most of the NPCs will merely watch and listen. As DM it is important to focus on the key NPCs, try to pick the extreme views to highlight the differences of opinion.
4) Arguments are Good: Arguments are great drama and keeps things interesting, it may be difficult but if the DM can run a realistic argument between two NPCs this will greatly increase the realism and entertainment value of a council meeting. Also arguments are a good way to get to the heart of an issue by highlighting major differences of opinion.
5) Diversions: Sometimes diversions are good, maybe the participants take a break and an opportunity for less intense roleplaying occurs, maybe the meeting is attacked, the DM should have a few ideas on things to spice things up if the meeting gets bogged down.
6) End the Meeting: At some point the meeting should be ended, if the PC is in charge then it is up to the PC to do this, otherwise it falls to the NPC in charge. A decision should be made, which may be a decision for the PC to go out and get more information, but a council meeting should give the PC some immediate focus to her efforts.

Develop Meaningful NPC Relationships
There are many other sources for ideas of running effective NPCs, but in a solo campaign the key is not just interesting personalities but that there are meaningful NPC relationships. Understanding these relationships will help the DM run NPC to NPC and NPC to PC conversations, which, indeed, are a necessity for a successful solo campaign. There are four primary relationships, there are others, but these four define most relationships the PC will have with NPCs. It is important to note that many NPCs may have multiple relationships with the PC.

Friend-Friend
In a group campaign the relationship between PCs is typically that of friends, and few PCs have genuine NPC friends outside of the adventuring party. In a solo campaign all of the PC’s friends will be NPCs and they must be played as such for this relationship to exist. There really is not a need to lay out the relationship of friends; it is usually based on trust, common interests, and a relative sense of equality.

Mentor-Student
It is often useful to give the PC a mentor at the beginning of solo campaigns to give the PC focus and someone for them to model their behavior on. Some PCs need extra help to get into character and find their place in a solo campaign others like to have a mentor because they enjoy the roleplaying of being a student and learning in a fantasy setting. The reverse is also a great relationship when the PC becomes the mentor to a NPC, there is nothing like an apprentice, ward, or squire to provide a fun foil to a PC.
Here are some guidelines for this relationship:
1) Mentors Push: If you give the PC a mentor, remember that a good mentor will push her student, so the mentor will likely give the PC considerable autonomy to either succeed or fail. Keep a mentor in the background, and only available for assistance if necessary.
2) Mentors Protect: Even with autonomy, a PC will have some protection from a mentor, which is quite useful at the beginning of a campaign when the PC is pretty vulnerable.
3) Mentors are Resources: A Solo PC will often need advice or counsel especially in a complex campaign and their mentors are great resources, even after the PC ceases to be a student.
4) Lineages: While mentors provide quite a bit, they also carry a burden. The PC will by default inherit the lineage of his mentor including enemies, rivals, and responsibilities. These can be great adventure hooks and also can provide goals to the PC.
5) Students Graduate: At some point the mentor will release the student, this can be a rite of passage, a special ceremony depending upon the context, but is definitely a turning point in the campaign. Sometimes a mentor will die and thus end the relationship, but the acknowledgement of no longer being a student by their mentor is a wonderful moment and reward for a PC.

Master-Servant
This is a common relationship in D&D and represents many NPCs who interact with a PC from the stable boy to the mercenary hireling to the scribe to followers. Cohorts often fall into this relationship, but are often also friends which help define their unique relationship. Servants are usually obedient and loyal, as long as well treated. From my experience PCs will not tolerate incompetence; in fact they are more willing to tolerate an unruly servant than an incompetent one. Servants are usually best played as silent and reliable as this is what is respected from this relationship.

Superior-Inferior
This is similar to the mentor-student and master-servant relationship, but is different in that the NPC and PC are members of the same organization and this creates special rules based on the relationship. In this situation the DM has to understand the organization and what it requires of its members. A tyrannical organization probably requires inferiors to act closer to servants, while an order of healers may require inferiors and superiors to treat each other as friends. Superiors though are a great means of focusing a PC by assigning missions or in some cases being an obstacle. Additionally, PCs often like to have inferiors to command and these can also be successful NPCs.

Example
In the following example the DM wishes to give a warning to the PC about his plans to attack a dragon, maybe the warning is a caution, maybe it is to highlight the tension, maybe the NPC is afraid; whatever the reason, the DM wants to give a warning. The relationship is the foundation for interaction and upon it is laid the personality of the NPC.

Friend: “John, I think this may be folly, remember the last time we faced a dragon it did not go well. Perhaps, we should reconsider our plan.”
Student: “Master, my study of dragons has been limited, but…it seems that…well, we might be in some danger.”
Servant: “Yes, sir, off to face the dragon.” Mumbles that he should have been a bricklayer like his mother wanted him to be.
Inferior (knightly order): “My lord, I will follow you to battle and though we are likely all to die it will be for a noble and just cause.”

Stop and Smell the Roses
DMs should always take their cue from the player as to length of conversations, sometimes the player will want to fly through a conversation, but every now and then a player will really enjoy a conversation and the DM should linger. This is the same with romance, shopping, interviews, and other things which may be secondary to the DM’s sense of story, but are more important to the PC. Give them what they want and slow down if necessary, solo campaigns cover a lot of ground so there is no rush. Always keep in mind that there are no other players clamoring for attention. Keep the spotlight squarely on the PC and his or her interactions.

Solo Adventures for Group Campaigns
We have focused our discussion on solo campaigns as completely separate from group campaigns, but sometimes a DM may want to run a solo adventure that is connected to a group campaign. What follows are some guidelines and ideas about how to run these types of adventures. There are two key concerns for using solo adventures as part of a group campaign:
1) Balance.
2) Timing.

Balance
In most solo adventures advancement, wealth, and other rewards are accumulated considerably faster than a typical group campaign, but this could be disruptive when the solo-PC returns to the party. While the solo-PC should be rewarded for her efforts, the material rewards should not be out of balance to the other PCs in the group campaign. Therefore the DM should be more conservative in rewarding material rewards. There are some other rewards though that do not affect game balance, but are excellent rewards for a solo-PC.
1) Character Development.
2) New NPC Relationships.
3) Special Knowledge.

Timing
Before I started my first group campaign in college, I wrote up a solo pre-adventures for all the PCs that would bring their characters to where the party was to come together. It did not work out that way. I had one PC get killed, another ended up joining a crusade, and the other two ended up on opposite sides of the continent. Eventually, I was able to pull them together, but my original campaign idea had to be scrapped. When you pull a PC off for a solo adventure you have to pay special attention to the timing aspect, especially as solo adventures can cover far more ground that a group adventure. Here are a few tips:
1) Keep the solo adventure tightly designed, if it is too open-ended your solo-PC may never return to the group campaign.
2) Try to run solo adventures when the group campaign will be doing lots of down time or traveling as opposed to intense adventuring like dungeons, which takes more game time for less time passage and can result in a greater disconnect between the solo and group campaigns.
3) Fudge travel times to correct any time discrepancies between the solo adventure and the group campaign.

Type of Solo Adventures linked to Group Campaigns
Pre-Adventures
These are transition adventures designed for a PC to bring them into a group campaign. They should be tightly scripted and can be tailored as tutorials for new players. Remember that you have to build up good reasons for the PC to be joining the group this can include having been ordered to do so or out of some sort of necessity. Pre-adventures can also be used to provide each PC with special information or goals for the campaign. Just remember these are preludes to the group campaign and should be kept relatively short at best 1-2 sessions.

Side Adventures
These are solo adventures for a PC that may be related to the group campaign, but are more likely for character-development. Recently, I ran a side adventure for a halfling bard/ranger who wanted to get married and who set of for the homeland to find the love of his life. No matter what the reason the previous warnings about balance and timing are the keys for successfully reintegrating side adventures to the group campaign. It is not a bad idea to have the missing PC run a NPC while his character is off on her side adventure.

Retirement Adventures
Sometimes a PC will retire a character and replace her with a new PC in the group campaign, but would really like one last adventure with her old character. These adventures really depend upon the PC and can range from a final glorious battle to running a few days in the life of a retired adventurer. This is a great tool for closure and it is a nice reward for a player who put a lot of effort into his character.

Yes, we know that was very long, but Illion and I wanted to provide enough information to answer most questions and issues concerning solo campaigns. Our intention is for this to be the ultimate thread on solo campaigns, so if anyone has additional suggestions, ideas, or examples of successful solo campaigns please post them here.

If there is interest we can do more examples from our campaigns, clarify any points, and of course, answer any questions with the help of our fellow DMs.

We hope that our 'little' project is of some assistance.