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One of the things I have found to have success in scaling encounters is that I generally throw a lot of softballs, as it were.

For example, if my solo PC is playing a wizard, the encounters have a lot of minions that tend to stick together; perfect targets for a controller to wipe out with an area spell or two.

If my PC is a striker, fewer monsters are in play, but they are harder to down. I try to ensure that the striker also generally has the advantage of manuverability; without a meat shield, its better for them to avoid an attack than to trust their defenses.

If my PC is a Defender, I leave the Artillary Monsters out and try to have a nice mix of minions and easy-hitting-but-hp-heavy baddies around.

For a leader... I don't know, I haven't had experience yet and I haven't really been able to figure out how to play up a Leader's strength in a solo encounter.

But by playing up a role's strengths, they can handle "harder" encounters. It also allows me to then mix in encounters that avoid those strengths in order to keep things fresh and frightening. Hit and run tactics can make an encounter hell for a Defender; even if the monsters are lower level than the PC.

Having tried pitting solo or elite monsters against a solo-pc yet, though.

As for experience... that is still something I am working on. I've been playing fast and loose with those, awarding exp almost like treasure parcels; that is, the player gets X exp even though the beasties he fought might not actually add up to the if one were being strictly mathematical.

However, also in my experience, battles happen less often with solo campaigns, so it is good to have more EXP coming from quests and other things, to help the player still feel rewarded (if mechanical rewards are necessary).

Just gotta say.... Damn. This thread has given me so many ideas... My thanks to the two OP's and the many people who posted in this thread, thankyou!!!!

KJW wrote:

You're definitely welcome! :D

I'm just thrilled that 3+ years out and a new edition that this thread is still getting views and is useful to people. There is truly a ton of useful information in this thread, I would say it's easily in the top five of most useful threads in this forum, but I am biased.

well that's cause no matter what there will always be groups that are short on players and 3.5 though no longer WOTC's main focus is a big draw for players

HeavensThunderHammer wrote:

Wait wait, new version?? Or is this for 4th? IS this new edition compiled??

No. This thread was made way back when 3.X was in vogue. The "edition change" he was talking about is the change from 3.5 to 4th.

Anyway, my solo campaigns. It seems like I don't run anything else. Between the limited social life that comes part-and-parcel with being homeschooled, the hectic schedules, and my own lack of organization, I haven't ever run more than a oneshot "regular" style campaign. On the other hand, having a little sister who loves to game makes for some good solo campaigns. I'm currently in the middle of a SAGA Star Wars game that started way back during the Revised Edition days, but was put on hiatus. Judging by what I've read so far in this thread, my style of solo game is in the minority. It never occured to me that the PC should have to be alone; I like the KotOR and Neverwinter Nights approach, where the player controls a PC and has several NPC companions. It makes it a little harder on me, but it ends up being very rewarding for said sister. We handle XP a little differently, too. She and everyone in the party get 100 XP*the totalled CL of the enemies, or scaled RP rewards doled out in multiples of 250*her level on the occasions where she doesn't fight anyone. This leads to very fast leveling, but it works because I can plan the adventures and encounters around her and the NPCs I determine she likes the best.

An example:

The current storyline in the SWSAGA campaign involves her first real brush with the Empire. Because of a Mandalorian party member's wish to reunite with the mandalorian remnant (There is one in my continuity, despite the fact that it shouldn't exist as such. I like em, my sister likes em, and I tend to play fast and loose with the continuity anyway.) led her to help gather the scattered mandalorian clans, a small example of which was in hiding on Alderaan. After meeting up with them, she went on a mission with them to destroy a secret imperial superweapon, during which she singlehandedly rescued her own party, convinced the chapter of the Imperial Mechanist's Union operating on Alderaan to defect and join the resistance, and blew up the Imperial superweapon, making it easily the high point of the campaign. However, the story here takes a darker turn, as she was captured and forced to survive on her own aboard a nearly-completed Death Star. Before making her escape, five years passed, allowing for time for the NPC allies to change, which she liked. The Mando got married, the Mon Cal techie and Gungan starship captain founded a small privateer fleet together and are due to tie the knot soon as well, and the goofy, semicompetant scoundrel had time to take a level in Badass, building upon my sister's criticisms and comments. She wanted a romantic interest who was her equal, and I think I came through.

My advice to GMs who are new to solo campaigns: Don't think that just because the player is at the center of the action, she has to carry the plot all on her shoulders. Give her interesting allies and enemies to bounce her personality off of; almost all of the best fiction about important individuals is good (or better than it otherwise would be) because it shows us the person, as well as the effects of the person on the world around them. (Also, as a footnote: if you and the player aren't comfortable RPing really intimate stuff, like with my sister and I, Star Wars or other "High Fantasy" universes are perfect. Just like in the movies, the naughty stuff always happens between scenes, or else is stopped before it can begin by something in the plot, and is merely hinted at. eg, Han and Leia.)

Wow, that turned into a novel.

Just a note... I'm not sure if anyone has done this... I've gone and made a 70 pg document of this thread and done a reasonably good job of organizing the high points of it a sensible order... How could I post it? Google docs??

edited to add: the intention is so people can just print something off or download an article that hits the highlights for a quicker summary.