Tabletop role-playing games are all about the adventuring party, but does that have to mean a group of people? The ideal number for a Dungeons & Dragons game is generally thought of as three to five people, plus a Dungeon Master, but it's also possible to play a great game with only two players, with or without the DM.

A two-player game in D&D can be organized in two ways: either as a party with two players and a DM or the DM with one other character. As this method of gameplay becomes more popular, resources are available for smaller groups similar to those available for bigger parties. Both types of games are just as rewarding and exciting, but there are a few simple tips for playing with a small group of two people.

Updated on January 16th, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: The popularity of D&D is surging thanks to the variety of readily available online resources and the popularity of video games like Baldur's Gate 3 that are based on the TTRPGs combat rules and role-playing possibilities. Smaller parties used to be a niche interest, but the concept is gaining traction as a way for couples and friends to have more informal and versatile TTRPG adventures. The existence of inexpensive digital resources that take up no real-world storage space is beneficial to TTRPGs of any size and scope but is especially helpful to casual gamers or smaller adventuring parties.

10 Use Online Resources

All That's Required Is An Internet Connection

Playing a proper D&D game used to require a considerable investment in books, dice, and other accessories. Today's TTRPG world also includes the internet, so as long as you have an online connection, everything required is no longer locked behind a paywall.

That doesn't mean that you have to play online, either. Dice, calculators, and even writing tools are all available in digital and downloadable form. Even if your actual gaming location doesn't have a connection, you can still use the library, school, or work connection to download materials and play elsewhere.

9 Choose The Right Adventure

Plenty Of Modules Designed For Small Groups

Not every D&D module is ideal for or can be tweaked to fit a two-person game, but luckily, a few are ideal for this kind of adventure. The Crystalline Curse Trilogy is a third-party adventure specifically tailored for a duet campaign, which means one player and a DM. It contains three different adventures intended for players who are new to the concept of a smaller party.

Other options for duet gameplay include The Dragon of Icespire Peak, which takes players through the first six levels. For those who would prefer to walk a darker path, Land of Vampires by Rove Guardian Press goes up to level 10.

8 Use Homebrew Materials

Make Your Own Adventure

Don't forget about the flexible possibilities offered by homebrew materials. This doesn't have to be something you create yourself, although it can be because there is already a wide variety available online and almost always free of charge.

D&D Beyond is one of the most popular and accessible sources of D&D-related materials on the internet, and another handy resource with volumes of ideas is the 5e Homebrew section of the D&D Wiki. Failing all of that, homebrew is all about making up unique content within the rules, so have your own creative fun.

7 More Time For Character Development

For A More Immersive And Satisfying Experience

A common complaint that players in bigger games have is the lack of development or action their characters get to experience, which also means less gear and level progression. One of the top reasons players leave a TTRPG game is out of boredom.

In a two-person game, that's never the case, and more time can be dedicated to the character's progression and backstory. That includes ideas that characters in more crowded games can never develop, like professional lives or hobbies that aren't directly related to combat.

6 Scale To Difficulty Level

It's Not A Contest To See Who Dies Last

Part of adjusting an adventure to suit a two-person party is making sure the difficulty level is appropriate. Dungeon Masters can decide to use a conventional module with a duet game, provided they change the materials to suit the players and their characters. This might mean, for example, nerfing a boss that four players would normally face with reduced HP or special abilities so two players can face and defeat them.

There's a downside to scaling an adventure. It can be awkward because it's possible to go too far and end up with a boring adventure that doesn't present any real challenges. DMs should make up certain "house rules" to handle or avoid character deaths or other bumps in the road, no matter how many characters are in the party.

5 Create Your Own Maps

Draw Your Own Adventure

This overlaps into the homebrew category because it might include some of your own creative additions, and it can include everything from small dungeons to a network of country roads. Maps of almost every D&D realm are available in various locations, and there's no rule that says these places can't either be augmented or drawn by hand for the purposes of a certain setting.

For those who need to use grids or graphs to show topographic details for underground caves or mountains, plenty of templates are available online for these exact purposes. Think in terms of the scale of the adventure's location when drawing your own maps if it feels too complicated at first. You might not need to draw out more than a simple floor plan or a small neighborhood.

4 Use The Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit

One Example Of The Valuable Resources Available

There are some tips and tricks to playing more creative campaigns at the beginning of D&D materials, including the best kind of games to play with one or two characters. For players new to the world of tabletop gaming, using The Dungeons & Dragons Intro Adventure Set is highly recommended.

More commonly known as the D&D Essentials Kit, it comes with rules for a party with only one player, along with all the information you need to get the adventure started. That includes the duet player module, The Dragon of Icespire Peak, along with other practical materials like dice and character creation sheets.

3 Rotate The Role Of Dungeon Master

Skills That All Gamers Should Learn

For more experienced players or those keen to learn the ways of the Dungeon Master, this is a great learning tool and another way to make a game with a single player and a DM more interesting. This is another time when the D&D Essentials Kit is handy because it also has instructions for how to be a DM, in case a player is a beginner who is new to the role.

It's one way to have a party of two players plus a dungeon master. The characters might be in different roles or locations initially, which is one way to make a parallel storyline, or they can interact in situations in which each player takes a turn behind the screen.

2 Make NPCs More Important

For A More Interesting And Immersive Environment

Faerun isn't populated solely by adventuring types and their companions or enemies. There are also merchants, plumbers, gardeners, cooks, and other mundane living in various planes of existence in the D&D universe.

Any game is going to need a few innocent bystanders or civilians, but a two-player game might feel a bit lonely, so these side characters can fill in the quiet or dull moments. These don't have to be random NPCs with only a few simple tasks to perform. They can also contribute to the story or be an intrinsic part of it.

1 One Player, Two Characters

Don't Be Afraid To Diversify

Another option for duet play is that a single player rolls the dice for more than one character, which could be an enticing prospect for working on character development or different ideas for a character's role or backstory. For a lot of players, character creation, development, and customization are the best parts of the game, and a duet-style of adventure has the time and space to fill in every gap.

Experienced players can take this to the next level by doubling up on both characters and DM duties, ultimately forming a party of four if each of them takes on more than one character and swaps the DM's tasks. Something like this is feasible but would have to be carefully planned to fit into a certain dynamic. It could be a story of two couples in the same module, pursuing the same goal but with differing methods, or one side playing the villains and the other the heroes.