Running for One Player

[Videopete]

So Im going to be running a game for my partner.  Who never grew up playing these games like I did, but I played DnD and Starwars d6, not call of Cthulhu. Im more comfortable building a game for RQ or Pendragon, but spouse pointed at CoC.  So any one got some guidance, and alternate methods of developing characters ie increasing attributes. Really want to run a great game, or some great adventures.  

[1d8+DB]

RPG  maestro Seth Skorkowsky discusses 0ne-on-one gaming: One-On-One TTRPG.  There's also a variant of Trail of Cthulhu, 'Cthulhu Confidential', that's designed exclusively for 0ne-on-one play. 

Edited March 5, 2021 by 1d8+DB

[ragr]

You'll be best off by guiding the player to create a "field agent" type character and suggest that they invest in skills that will help with the front line of investigation; things like Spot Hidden, Stealth for the physical acquisition of clues but also Persuade and Fast Talk/Charm for dealing with npcs. They will probably also need a fair amount of physical skills in case the fieldwork gets dirty and violent.

The character can then have a small network of support npcs who deal with the more technical side of things when the investigator brings the clues to them for adding detail, things like Astronomy, Science, Occult etc. Those npcs don't decide what the clue means they just reveal what they are as you don't want the player to use the npc as a safety blanket; you don't want the investigator to keep coming back to the npc throughout the scenario.

You could also consider using some of the Pulp Cthulhu rules, especially the Luck rules, which can provide a measure of outcome control for the player without erasing the danger as they still have to make choices about when to use them.  

At the table it's really just a matter of ensuring that when something potentially investigator killing is close that you signal it so the player has options. 

My experience of 1-1 indicates that the biggest difference from a "party" game is that you're looking to make the one investigator be and feel competent to investigate rather than blundering about like a fish out of water.

If you're using existing scenarios then check the SAN losses; if the scenario has sudden, heavy losses then avoid using it; if it has a few low and slow drip losses then it's the kind of creepy or odd scenario that'll probably work well 1-1.

That's what works for me.

Edited March 5, 2021 by ragr

[Mike M]

This is probably what you are looking for:

https://www.chaosium.com/does-love-forgive-pdf/

 

[klecser]

Nothing to add to the great advice above. Just here to wish you success! 😄 

[commandercrud]

This is, in my opinion, the best game for just one player. I generally don't change anything. If the adventure is particularly brutal for one, let them use Pulp rules.

[stadi]

I was (am always) thinking about the same topic lately. Then I've seen Seth Skorkowsky's video. He has good points but it's not exactly how I would do it. I'm thinking about making the hero stronger and more versatile and the enemies less powerful. Unfortunately even Pulp Cthulhu doesn't go far enough for what I need. If you think about it, a lot of novels or movies have a single hero. They are in danger from time to time, sometimes they have to rethink their strategy, sometimes they might have to involve some help, but there is no doubt that they'll succeed in the end. That is what I would like to emulate. Pulp Cthulhu is probably a good start, but with a lot more skill points (they should be competent fighters, but also competent investigators and negotiators), give them more health points, less danger from enemies (make most of them weaker minions), etc.

I know that this is not "standard" CoC, not even "standard" Pulp Cthulhu, but this is how I imagine a fun one on one.