A 5e duo adventure is a 2-player adventure that does not require a Dungeon Master (DM). The story itself acts as the DM allowing both players to enjoy the experience together.
However, this is such a niche situation that very few DM-less adventures are created for two players. Instead, it will require re-working a solo adventure to accommodate the second player.
Duo adventures vs duet adventures
There is a slight difference in termnology (one that we only figured out when we started into this topic). As it turns out, there is a difference between duo adventures and duet adventures.
Want to find a solo adventure to play together? Check this out.
Duo adventures are those adventures where there are two players and no DM. They play against the game itself just like in a solo adventure, so many single-player DnD adventures can be easily scaled up to include another player. Adventures like The Wolves of Langston and The Crystals of Z'leth can both be made into duo adventures.
Duet adventures are for a single player to play "heads up" against the DM. These have been scaled for just one character, but they still rely on a Dungeon Master to run the game itself.
Here's a list of a few good duet adventures if that's what you're looking for.
Playing Obvious Mimic solo adventures with 2 players
A party of 2 player characters isn't just twice as strong as a single player. With the synergies available, and the fact that you have someone to help pick you up when you go down, a duo is far more resilient than a solo adventurer.
Since the fun of an adventure is the danger to your character and a risk of failure, it's important to make the adventure a challenge. This will need a few adjustments, but it's nothing two players can't do on their own.
Here's how to scale up an adventure to accommodate a pair of players:
- Double either the number or the HP of any encounter.
- Increase all check and save Difficulty Class (DC) by 5.
- Determine when hazards affect only one of you or both of you.
- Self-DM encounters against each other using one of our self-DM packs.
Playing solo DnD adventures as larger groups
Because of the challenge of scaling, the more players you add the harder it gets to keep the game balanced and challenging.
So if all you're looking for is a fun story that you can go through together, of course you can play through a solo adventure and self-DM yourselves through the hazards. But if you want a solo adventure that still has an element of danger, it's a good idea to look at solo RPGs.
Wrapping up solo adventures for two players
It's fairly simple to adapt our solo adventure rules to work with heroic pairs instead of lone adventurers. This opens up new opportunities for DMless play.
Of course, solo adventuring (or duo adventuring) doesn't replace the experience of sitting around a table with your friends crafting epic stories together, but it does in a pinch. And our adjustments give friends and couples a chance to play without having to gather a larger group.
