One Month to a One-on-One Adventure
(or) How to Write a Duet Adventure
March 15-April 15, 2025
In partnership with
Have you been curious about how to write a great one-on-one adventure for your favorite group ttRPG (such as D&D 5e, Pathfinder, Cypher System, or Tales from the Valiant) but been unsure of how to adapt the default, party-gaming mode to duet play?
A duet is an adventure (or playable story) specifically for one player and one GM. Unlike a group adventure, these story arcs revolve around one PC who truly steps into the role of the protagonist. And unlike a solo adventure, this protagonist is going to need a friend/guide/random NPC/all of the above to travel around with (played by the GM) and some sort of problem to solve (also the GM!).
By the end of this course, you will:
Understand what makes duet gaming special—more specifically the story structure and unique mechanics that set it apart from group gaming...
Know how to support GMs in running your duet adventures and, perhaps most importantly...
Have your first duet adventure completed!
Pay a one-time fee or two monthly installments
Regular price
Pay in 2 installments
Here's what we'll cover in our month together!
Over the month-long workshop, you’ll have a new set of videos each week that cover duet design basics and the reasoning behind them. Twice during the month, join Beth and Jonathan for a livestream Q&A and a deeper dive into each week’s video content.
Opens March 15, 2025 at midnight UTC
The shifts to keep in mind when adapting from group to one-on-one play. You’ll likely need to reimagine some of the ways that you have prepared adventures in the past. In duet gaming, it’s all about the characters.
Opens March 22, 2025 at midnight UTC
Troubleshooting common design issues in duet play and catering to the gaming preferences of two people (rather than a group).
Opens March 29, 2025 at midnight UTC
Balance looks quite different in a duet game, which really frees you up as a designer! Help GMs maintain high stakes and meaningful consequences without railroading their player.
Opens April 5, 2025 at midnight UTC
Getting clear about who you’re designing for, trying out duet play if you haven’t already, and including GM guidance as part of your adventure!
These live calls are opportunities for you to discuss your projects and ask questions to your instructors. You will be provided a Zoom link ahead of time!
IMPORTANT: These live calls are not mandatory to attend but we encourage you to do so if you can! They will all be recorded and made available in the course afterward.
Meet Beth and Jonathan Ball
When we started D&D Duet, we were just a couple of English teachers in North Carolina who loved to play D&D together and to spend time with our two ridiculous and amazing labradors.
The latter two things are still true! But our journey over the last few years has seen new forays and expansions for both of us!
Beth is a weaver of words and worlds spinning stories of druidic magic and the power of nature that span the high fantasy realms of Azuria and Eldura. You’ll find these magical realms in our adventures and in Beth’s epic fantasy novels!
Jonathan is an educational coach for first-year teachers and an education consultant. He’s passionate about empowering teachers so they can, in turn, empower their students.
We started our own duet in March of 2018, and it has since become our favorite shared past-time. It provides an important creative outlet and a really fun and engaging way for us to spend quality time together.
We’re passionate about the transformative power of story and about the connective possibility and potential that happens when we tell stories with those we love.
Happy duet-ing friends!
The lessons unlock on a schedule, and you can complete the lessons on your own time. Here's an overview of the curriculum:
Welcome to One Month to a One-on-One Adventure!
Course Schedule and Overview
Get to Know the Storytelling Collective
Downloadable files
Week 1, Video 1: Duet Course Intro + Overview, What is a Duet?, and Mindset (+ a pep talk)
Week 1, Video 2: What Sets Duets Apart? Plus the Designer-GM-Player Funnel
Week 1, Video 3: Duet Basics – AKA It’s All About the Characters
Week 1, Video 4: The Characters You’ll Want the PC to Meet!
Week 1, Video 5: Interview with Jonathan Ball
Week 2, Video 1: Intro to Week Two—Energy and Adaptation
Week 2, Video 2: Adaptations for Combat
Week 2, Video 3: Adaptations for Social Interaction and Exploration
Week 2, Video 4: Bonus Pillar—Shifts for Navigating Adventure Choices and Writing Pacing for the Week
Week 3 Video 1: Letting Heroes Be Heroes (and designers be designers)
Week 3 Video 2: Filling in the Gaps in Adaptation and Design
Weeks 4 & 5: Polishing and Troubleshooting
Week 4: Zoom Call Information
Access to a private Discord channel and course Discussions
Help and support from your instructor
Support, encouragement, and accountability from the StoCo community
Pay a one-time fee or two monthly installments
Regular price
Pay in 2 installments
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