How many characters do you use in a two player game of D&D?

Question

I thought that you only use one but doesn't that put the one player at a disadvantage as compared to playing the same game with four people/characters? If one person used four people it would get terribley confusing!

Answer 1

In most RPG games, including D&D, you have a "dungeon master (GM) and 3-7 players. It is not really meant for only two players.

Answer 2

You use as many characters as

A: You can manage

B: It takes to get the job done

One 'normal' character won't be able to handle every situation. Your dm will either have to adjust the module your going through or let you get some npc's to assist.

Or your going to have to run more than one character. Ideally, yes, one player is supposed to run one character. This is another obstacle to overcome.

Answer 3

There are a few premade dungeon modules that are geared for one character. For those that are not, the player who is playing the heroes creates one hero for each position that needs to be filled. The player will make the decisions for all of the heroes, just as each player in a multiplayer setting makes decisions for his or her individual hero. Remember that a variety of characters will generally be more effective than many of the same kind of character.

If the dungeon master is creating the dungeon, he should adjust the dungeon to accommodate the number of heroes the player wishes to play. - LJS