D&D Group Cancelled Again..? Try Solo D&D
Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDJB9yPAVOo
Transcription
Picture this: you’re ready for D&D night, dice in hand, character sheet polished—and then the group cancels. Again. But what if I told you that you don’t need a group to dive into epic quests, unravel mysteries, and face terrifying monsters? That’s right—you can play D&D solo. And today, I’m going to show you a simple framework I came up with years ago that actually makes it fun, dramatic, and incredibly rewarding.
This isn’t by any means the most comprehensive system in the world, but I have personally run two full solo campaigns with it, and had a blast. Solo campaigns, in fact, have been some of my favorite RPG experiences.
Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG—your campfire companion for all things D&D, whether you’ve got a full party or you’re playing solo.
D&D is usually about gathering with friends around the table—or online—and diving into a shared adventure. But sometimes? Life gets in the way. Or, maybe you’re just itching to try something between sessions, or you’ve been wanting to tell a story that’s entirely yours.
That’s where single-player D&D comes in. The problem is that solo play options can sometimes feel a little complicated. But with the right framework, solo D&D can feel just as rich and engaging as a regular campaign, and be very easy.
You should also know that there are great solo D&D resources available all over the web, many times for free. And you can take what I have for you today as a basic framework, and add in all kinds of support material as well, where it fits for you.
The first step is simple: create your character. And here’s my advice—don’t overthink it. This is your chance to play the character you’ve always wanted.
If you’re a power gamer and you’re worried about missing certain abilities within your party, you’ve got a couple options: you can multiclass to give your character more versatility, or you can create a couple of simple backup party members.
But honestly? I find it’s more fun to keep things focused on a single character and let your creativity solve the problems your hero can’t achieve through specific abilities, or brute-force. It keeps the game light, fun, and way easier to manage.
Here’s the real magic: instead of trying to run an entire sprawling campaign in one go, building a huge backstory, world, and plotline, just break your adventure down into scenes.
In this model, each scene has five parts:
Part One is called the scene’s “main focus.” Basically, you just decide – at a broad level – what this scene is about. What is your character trying to “do,” or what’s important to them in this moment?
Two—the setting. Picture where your character is, and bring it to life with as many details as you can imagine for sights, smells, what you touch, taste, and hear.
Three—NPCs. Who’s here? Are they allies, rivals, strangers, or heroes?
Four—the conflict. What obstacle is standing in your way? Specifically, what’s making the scene’s main focus for your character more difficult? Stories – especially fantasy adventure stories – are built upon adversity.
And five—theater of the mind roleplay. Imagine how your hero reacts to the setting, the NPCs, and the conflict, and then let the story unfold.
These simple five steps keep your game manageable and dynamic. The best part is that you don’t need hours of prep—just enough to give the scene a clear focus, and let the rest flow naturally.
Once you’re through a scene, here’s how you take that starting point and build out a full story arc. Think of every five scenes as a mini-episode in your campaign, and use the classic dramatic structure that you may have learned back in school.
Your first scene is your adventure’s exposition. This is where you introduced your character, set the first part of your adventure, and generally had something interesting happen.
From there, you do another scene with the same “main focus,” but now you’re into its “rising action,” where the stakes raise and the conflict becomes more meaningful.
Third, this mini story arc reaches a climax.
From there, you then have a fourth scene for falling action, where the drama resolves a little bit, and then a fifth scene where you either get a full resolution, or something happens which prepares your next set arc of five scenes.
To summarize it, scene one introduces your story element. Scene two cranks up the tension. Scene three is the big payoff. Scene four lets things settle. And scene five sets up what comes next.
Then—you start the cycle again. Each new arc raises the stakes, builds on what came before, and keeps your campaign growing organically. This way, even a quick 15-minute session can slowly blossom into a sprawling, epic story, over time.
Connecting your scenes like this also helps give your campaign a sense of continuity.
Of course, part of what makes D&D fun is unpredictability. That’s where oracles—or random tables—come in. Think of them as your personal DM stand-in.
Need to know if the door is trapped? Roll on a yes-or-no oracle. Want inspiration for your next encounter? Flip to a random monster table.
There are tons of free generators online—everything from towns, to NPCs, to treasure hoards. Just be careful not to let them take over. Oracles are best when they spark ideas, not when they completely drive the story. Remember, you’re still the storyteller.
One of the biggest questions in solo play is: how do I level up? My rule of thumb is simple. After every scene, give yourself rewards—experience, treasure, or even a cool item.
Even if you didn’t slay a dragon, you still advanced the story, and that deserves progress. A good benchmark is to give yourself the same XP you’d get for defeating a monster of your level. That way, your hero grows at a steady, satisfying pace without feeling like you’re cheating.
For some additional quickfire tips for you:
- Try published solo modules if you want less prep. These remove the vast ability for theater of the mind storytelling you get, just using this model of scenes and story arcs, but they provide you a great deal more structure.
- Use music or maps to set the mood, and even minis if you want to roleplay a battle scene.
- And most importantly, keep a notebook to track your scenes—it helps your story feel alive. Notes can also help you remember where your Character’s been, who they’ve talked to, and what’s happened. That way, you can bring back any of those story elements into your future scenes, for more sense of familiarity and progression in your campaign.
So, there you have it—the framework for extraordinary single-player D&D. Start small, use oracles for inspiration, and let your imagination do the heavy lifting.
Now I want to know—would you ever run a full D&D campaign solo, or is the game only fun with a group? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
And if you liked this guide, give it a thumbs up, subscribe for more, and until next time—may your dice roll high, and your stories be unforgettable.
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Author - Jacob Tegtman
Dear reader, I hope you enjoyed this article. Tabletop gaming has been a passion of mine since I was 6 years old. I've played just about every game from Dungeons and Dragons to video games like Final Fantasy. These games have inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry, and brought me endless hours of enjoyment.
I started Eternity TTRPG - and the indie tabletop game that goes along with it (Eternity Shop) - to share my love of gaming with others. I believe that in our technology-driven age, tabletop games help bring a sense of magic and community back into our world.
If you love the site, please share it with others! I have lots of gaming-related material for you to peruse and use in your own gaming sessions. If you have any questions about the site or want to contribute, just send me a message using the "Contact" page, which you can find in the site's footer.
