Hiyas!

Unfortunately, this situation seems to be the norm in my game:

Have you ever had only one player for Deathwatch? How did it go, how have you handled it, if affirmative?

Thanks!

L

Can't say that I have, but I can tell you what I'd do in an attempt to be helpful? I've often watched movies or read books where the storyline seems like a great concept for an adventure, but the biggest problem in my attempt to plagiarize is figuring out how to turn it into a story were a larger group would have fun. With only one player you’d not have to worry about that, and could run all kinds of stories based around a single hero. It would be a lot of work to run all of the npcs that would go along with it, but you could make it pretty good I bet. Think about Purge the Unclean, where you board the Hulk- what if the acolyte team was played by NPCs, and the Deathwatch marine was actually the PC?

Just some ideas, Hope they help...

Hiyas!

Thanks for the ideas... I was thinking more along the lines of the Cohesion & Solo & Group (sic?) modes... If it was too much trouble!

L

Howdy!

Watch any of the Rambo movies!

I have this all the time as "premission missions". We do a lot of phone/internet gaming to cover the between group sessions and solo actions by characters. Just scale the threats and dont to forget the role playing. Some of our best roleplaying comes in these solo pre-missions.

Personally I'd let him have solo mode abilities and any Chapter/Specialty abilities (unrelenting devestation, for example, IIRC is squad mode only, but I'd let him have it if he liked...though I'd suggest avoiding devestator and assault marine for a one player deal).

But Squad Mode abilities can still be used solo anyway can't they?

The way I understood it, the marine announces he's activating squad mode, then if any other marines within the command radius wish to join him they too benefit from the ability. Now, if no marines wish to join in, I just assumed he got the ability for himself.

Correct me if I'm wrong... :/

I had to re-read the section . I don't think you can enter squad mode by yourself.

The first sections kind of say you can, then you can't, but page 214 seals the deal for me, saying you out of squad range under a bunch of circumstances, including: "He is no longer in support range of at least one other member of his kill team."

That all being said, if there is only one player I'd say it's a totally legit modification to let them use Squad abilities, but I'd rule most of them out, myself, for no other reason than 'personal feel.'

Judging from this forum, I sure do hope the clarify some of the squad mode stuff in an FAQ for folks. Once I start to get it I feel okay with it, but getting there has not been super intuitive.

I copy-pasted this from another thread with similar topic:

"I gathered a lot of experience in running RPG-campaigns with only one player. The most important advice I can give is to invest much more time in the creation of remarkable NPCs. As your player won't interact with other players, the whole interaction will take place between him/her and your NPCs – so your NPCs should be well prepared and highly elaborated with authentic backgrounds – especially the NPCs that accompany your player.

If you decide to give your player a team of NPC-companions, you should give those team-members really strong characters. Everyone of them should be unique in his behaviour and advice and they should all highly interfere in the happenings – don't let them be just puppets that just silently walk aside the player.

If you decide NOT to give a NPC-team to your player, you could create some adventures about spying and infiltration. But that won't be Deathwatch anymore as it is thought to be played (and squad mode wouldn't be possible any more)."

You can always try to get an only extra player, Ventrilo or team speak are great for voice and some cheap web cam for dice verification or the odd hullo there!

Hiyas!

Will try me best to get at least another SM aboard - but it's quite difficult where I am... Even cyberplayers are unique!

Thanks for the suggestions!

L

major shultz said:

Heh, have him land on world full of black pyjama wearing heretics being converted by the tau into the communis... greater good.

He has pants, headband, boots, a big knife, a heavy stubber and a mullet!