DnD is a beloved game to many players all over the world, including myself. However, sometimes there are just not enough people for a game session. One solution is simply playing by yourself – and I’m here to tell you how.
Yes, you can certainly play DnD by yourself. While playing alone makes the game a bit different, it is a fun experience when your group isn’t available or to learn the game. Start with a premade adventure you haven’t played or have knowledge about. The DMs Guild is a highly recommended website for downloading tailor-made solo adventures and scenarios.
While it’s possible to play DnD solo, what are the best ways to do so, and is it an activity worthy of your time? Keep reading to find out these things and more tips for playing DnD by yourself.
Can You Play DnD By Yourself?
It’s a bit different from playing with other players, but you can do it. You will have to take on the role of DM and player at the same time. This is unusual, but it’s certainly doable and quite fun.
Playing solo has other demands than playing with other players, however, so bear with me – I’m going to break it down for you. Options for a good solo experience are increasing with time, and it would undoubtedly be a mistake to rule it out completely.
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Why Play DnD Solo?
There are a couple of good reasons to play DnD solo. For example, if your normal group isn’t available but you still have the itch to play, this is easily achievable. You just need a couple of guidelines to get started.
Playing solo can be very helpful in the beginning as a part of learning the game. Play around with it! You can also try out character builds and different mechanics.
Finally, playing solo is nice because of the lenient demands of playing solo. All you need is knowledge of some rules and your own imagination.
Is Playing DnD Solo Any Fun?
It can be very fun for sure. The fun depends singularly on yourself, which is neat. With a good imagination and motivation to play, the odds are in your favor for a good time.
In my opinion, playing solo is the most fun when playing scenarios that you haven’t played before – if you write the stories yourself, or if you’re replaying an adventure, the experience is somewhat spoiled since you have previous knowledge about the outcomes and options.
This is different when playtesting scenarios of course, which is also fun to do alone. You’ll find many people who say that DnD is about the group experience. While it’s fun to play DnD as a group, I would say that the most prominent signature of the DnD is the freedom of choice.
This goes for most aspects of the game, and if you want to try playing solo, you have the freedom of choice to do so. It’s fun. You’ll love it when going into it with the right frame of mind.
How Do You Play DnD By Yourself?
Playing by yourself differs quite a bit from playing the usual way. Start with a premade adventure. This isn’t strictly obligatory, you can play homebrew adventures or adventures that you’ve already read, but I prefer the experience of true discovery.
Another way you can do it is through randomly generated dungeons. This way is more like short and sweet combat simulations, which is fun as well. You’re going to have to play as a half-dm, half-player character, so try to stay objective while traversing your adventure. So, what adventures are the best for solo play?
There are adventures and scenarios developed for solo purposes. I can strongly recommend using the DMs Guild for finding good solo adventures, a lot of the adventures published there are very well-written and fairly balanced.
When playing solo, you can pretty much bend the rules to your will. Realistically though, is it really cheating when you’re the only one playing? The only one you’re “cheating” is yourself, which is fine. The conclusion that I’ve come to is that you can’t really cheat when you’re playing alone.
For the best playing experience, you probably shouldn’t bend the rules however you like, but that’s somewhat subjective. I prefer the challenge that the game organically brings to me.
While I enjoy the challenge, I very much respect the fact that people have different opinions on the topic, and the risk of losing isn’t some strict rule for having fun in the game.
The Best Tools For Playing DnD By Yourself
The DMs Guild is one of the best resources material-wise for playing DnD solo. There is a boatload of solo adventures on their website, many of them free to download or very cheap. Obviously, solo material on DMs Guild is purposely made for one player, which means it’s a lot nicer for one person than say a premade adventure from Wizards of the Coast.
DnD Beyond is a great tool as always, for keeping track and managing your character. You can play whenever you want to simply by logging in to their app or on the web at any time, which is neat. Use their character creation tool to keep track of your characters stats and development.
DM Yourself is another amazing and creative resource. It comes complete with a 5e rulebook for solo adventures, and with this system, you can take on existing adventures by yourself. It’s not strictly necessary when playing solo, and it’s not free, but a really appreciated resource to be sure.
You can also use a dungeon generator for some short and sweet one-shot fun. There are a bunch of them online, but I like this one a lot.
The Differences Between Playing Solo And With A Group
There are obviously a couple of key differences between playing solo and as a group. Roleplaying is no longer a thing, for example. For a lot of players, this is a big deal.
Acting as a dungeon master and as a player character at all times is also another key difference. This fact can either be positive or negative depending on who you are. Some players think it gets tiring, while other players enjoy it a lot.
When it comes to solo DnD, whether you have a good or a bad experience depends solely on yourself. This is a bit different when playing in a regular DnD game – the group dynamic, and the narration and moderation of the DM are more important for example.
I prefer to play DnD in a group with my friends, but you’re missing out on some fun if you’re completely counting out playing alone.
Good Alternatives To DnD Solo Play
If you’re still not convinced that playing solo is a good idea, then I’ve got some suggestions for you. Most of these games are video games, which might be more suitable for playing solo.
Pathfinder
The first series of games I’d like to mention is the Pathfinder video game series (Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous). They are RPG video games based on the roleplaying game Pathfinder.
The combat system, character stats, and so forth within the game are actually based on the DnD / Pathfinder RPG games, which makes it an excellent substitute for DnD. I recommend starting with Kingmaker, as it is the first game in the series.
Pillars of Eternity
Pillars of Eternity is a great game. It’s more similar to Baldur’s Gate than DnD, however. The story and dialogue writing are both good, which makes it easy to immerse yourself in the game.
While Pillars of Eternity isn’t directly built with DnD in mind, the setting is similar. It’s a great game worth checking out if you’re out of luck with your DnD party.
Divinity: Original Sin
The final video game on this list is Divinity. It’s an awesome RPG game with a massive world and amazing storytelling. The biggest difference between this game and the previous on this list is the combat. While the other two games use real-time combat (with a toggle turn-based option for Pathfinder), the Divinity games use turn-based combat only.
While the combat takes a while to get used to, this tactical aspect of the game is really fun. Between the alternative endings, endless content, and ways to build your character, the game also has a lot of replayability. Highly recommended!
Playing DnD over Discord with a new group
Instead of playing solo or playing other games, you can always look for a new group to play with over Discord. The reason I think DnD over Discord is a good alternative is because of the accessibility.
There are a lot of Discord groups dedicated to DnD, which makes it easy to find a group to play with online. Plus, DnD Beyond has good integration with Discord. Give it a go!
Read more: Can You Play DnD Over Discord?