Comments on: Chatty’s Mailbag: Playing 4e with only 1 player

By: DL

DL — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:58:41 +0000

A hybrid ranger/fighter is a good choice. Take the hybrid talent feat to gain beast mastery, since a beast companion adds considerably to your manpower.

By: The_Gun_Nut

The_Gun_Nut — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:11:24 +0000

@Chatty: Heh, I noticed. I think most of us just took it in stride. April 1st and all.

For solo play, fighting a correspondingly smaller number of opponents in one encounter, the rogue will have the advantage of having nearly all his combat advantage granting abilities fresh each time. And if the rogue runs out, it can use the Bluff skill (and a smoke bomb for that truly NINJA moment) to create a diversion and stealth away. The rogue can then wait five minutes and jump back in and take out another opponent or two, then smoke away, again.

I’ve played a rogue for a while in this new edition. They are incredibly self sufficient. Try one out, and keep an eye out for every advantage you can get. After all, this is a rogue, not a paladin. That honor crap is for people six feet under.

By: The Chatty DM

The Chatty DM — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:45:02 +0000

I’m a bit disapointed that no-one said anything about the little witcheroo we did.

Oh well.

@Gun Nut: Good points all around. I haven’t seen a Rogue in play enough to see that there were enough options to help out. Still, by being alone you lose you’re At-Will’s striker potency when you only deal 1d6+5 with sly Flourish.

@Justin: I wish I could take the credit, but this here blog ain’t mine :)

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:31:58 +0000

I often times just add npc’s to make up for the solo pc. Some classes(like rogues) benefit more from being alone and can allow you to add a bit more depth to things that would be important to a rogue.

Adding NPC’s party members adds a new depth to the game for the solo player. They tend to focus quite a bit more on managing friendships with them. They also tend to get really attached to some of them. To the point of getting upset if one of them falls in battle. Another good thing is NPC’s aren’t going to put up with crap. If mistreated they can betray, turn-on, or just plain leave said PC. Use them as tools to add depth and companionship. Good role-players will relish the constant spotlight anyway and find it worth sacrificing some heroic deeds to the npc’s they helped groom.

Just my thoughts, great blog btw. :)

By: The_Gun_Nut

The_Gun_Nut — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:18:09 +0000

I disagree with the statement that the rogue is a poor choice for a solo character. The rogue, in fact, is one of the best choices, as there are numerous abilities, feats, and items that allow the rogue to maintain combat advantage over several rounds. In fact, if one were to include the first round of combat in which the rogue attacks a target that has not yet acted in the encounter, a first level rogue can maintain combat advantage for up to four (4) rounds of combat. For a single opponent of equal level, this is a death sentance. For two opponents, one opponent is dead and the other is seriously injured. Since the primary combat attribute of the rogue is dexterity, which figures into the rogues AC as well as Reflex defense, and the rogue is focused on the stealth skill (also dex based) and can remove himself from challenging combats by ducking into concealment, the rogue is the way to go if a player wants to solo.

Higher level rogues have even more abilities that grant them combat advantage, as well as a few feats that can give it to them through special circumstances, and a few items that can give them this all important bonus.

Rogues not good solo? Hardly.