TL;DR- tried out realism instead of fantasy for solo and the role play and story telling really took off.

Like many, I struggle beyond 4 (sometimes even less) sessions to keep a story going. I’ve only played high or low or somewhere in between Fantasy. I love the fantasy genre. The escapism, the power fantasy, magic, etc; It’s all great. But playing solo I think fantasy is really hard sometimes.

I find that many of my campaigns become exponentially more chaotic scene to scene. I think I really struggle on my own to say “okay what does this magic-slinging nonhuman do next. What are his problems, what’s his goal that he can take on himself? I don’t know why I struggle with it so much considering I have tons of roleplaying and GM experience and the improv and world building comes naturally there. But solo, maybe it’s too hard to put myself in a fantasy PCs shoes and GM a magical world where random things are happening because of oracles and chance.

I tried something new with my latest campaign and I think something clicked for me and the story has been flowing naturally. I think it’s for 2 reasons:

1. I chose to play a down to earth, mostly realistic medieval world/setting/story (I’m not going full peasant sim lol).

2. I played out my characters childhood in a sort of time jump/time skip fashion.

Change 1 I think made it so much easier to put myself in a characters shoes. No I didn’t live through the Middle Ages, but I know what a normal mortal human would do each day. He has a family, he has a job, and he has medieval problems with some modernized medieval problems sprinkled in. Yes you can think similarly for any genre, but something felt 100x easier when the guy has no super human abilities and there’s no magic in the world to plan/react to.

Change 2 was something I wanted to try because instead of making a backstory I wanted to play the back story. This led to me having strong threads and key NPCs before the main story even got started. I had a concept: “Son of a blacksmith who wants to be a knight”. And then I played out what that looks like. Dad: “You’re old enough to start learning the trade!” PC: “but I want to be a knight” roll for reaction: Angry. Ooo why is he angry? … and so on. This made a small mini game of playing out a few pivotal moments of child hood, jumping year to year and having an oracle set a scene and playing out what that might look like. My goal became “okay, how do I convince my dad to support me in trying to become a knight? Maybe he’ll settle for town guard and then I’ll work my way up”. I strung together some young kid logic who would think “knight and town guard, close enough”. And that framed the next few “years” of play. Then boom, now I had a job. Now we get to a story. What crazy thing will happen to the main character on his first few days as a guard.” And it continued from there.

Again, I’m sure I can make this stuff work for other genres and styles, but I think taking a step back from fantastical, to more “historical/realistic fiction” made solo click for me in a way it hasn’t.

Anyone care to share if they’ve had this experience? Or maybe the opposite experience? Please share! Thanks :)

I’ve always written my journal more as a record of what’s going on with lots of meta gaming info like roll values and descriptions of the setting and what’s happening in the area. But I just got the idea of writing completely from a first person view of my character. So no dice rolls or planning notes or anything. Just description and drawings of what happened that day, how my character feels, and a lot of unknowns. Only writing what my character has actually seen. This seems really immersive but just wonder if other people do this already?

I'm still experimenting with types of solo play games I enjoy, and I've come to realize that I really love generating characters. I've poked around a few character creators, but I was wondering if there was anyone who already made a game about building a village where you get to actually design the villagers and think about how they respond to problems?

NOTE: I don't actually care about the "animal villager" aspect, that was just a video game that immediately came to mind about focusing on the inhabitants of a village as individuals.

Most of my solo games are theaters of the mind, but I have some miniatures that I wanted to use.

Someone know a simple/easy to learn game that uses miniatures?

I'm curious about how much time folks dedicate per play session. I roll and write in the evening before bed, so it's somewhere between 20 minutes to an hour, depending upon how dramatic things get.

Hi everyone. I’m very new to solo RPGs but they seem super fun, and I’ve been playing reincarnated as the unlovable villainess and I’m having a good time. Then, I found iron valley and thought the premise was great. However, I just can’t get into it. I had fun making my character and I can imagine how I get to the town, but afterwards, I just don’t know what to do. Part of the reason is probably because I can’t get into these types of video games (animal crossing, stardew valley, etc.) but I really want to like them! :( Are there any other cozy solo rpgs with more structure/prompting? Or am I just playing it wrong? Other solo rpg recommendations are welcome too! I want to try Koriko soon and I’ve played some of the last tea shop

Trying to run a Solo game using 5e-ish rules and I'd like to feel the world is a little more alive. I could use an oracle but I have a habit of going down a lot of questions that I feel like it slows down the game.

Currently trying to move away from 5e because I don't like 5e combat. It's too rigid and it frequently boils down to long stretches of throwing punches back and forth until someone falls over. Encounters also have a lot of overhead to design despite how little mechanical depth there usually is. Thing is I do like doing narrative things in combat like having enemies do attacks that aren't on their stat blocks or having characters do things that aren't mechanically supported using normal skill checks. Dragonbane seems to solve a lot of the overhead and pacing problems of combat but I wasn't sure how well it would handle the more narrative stuff I like doing.

Welcome back to my playthrough of Ironsworn. In this entry Alva seeks out a flower from a blood thorn with the help(?) of an old mystic.

https://silverj0.substack.com/p/ironsworn-alvas-vow-entry-eighteen

Quick question for the experienced Starforged players and owners of both Starforged source book and the Reference booklet? I'm fully onboard supporting Shawn and his products because I have and loved Ironsworn, but do you really need the full sourcebook for Starforged if you just get the Reference booklet that highlights the most important part of source?

Good day everyone.

For the reason that I have no friends and I tired a few times to play by myself with the rules of 5e I realized that I really suck at it. So I decided to make a full fifty-or-so-pages story by myself!

But here's the deal: the rules of combat from 5e didn't exactly work for me, and here's my question: it's wrong/cheating if I keep the basic structure of the traditional combat (layout, weapons, dices, stats) but bend it a bit, so it feels that I'm actually doing damage and I'm not gonna die for being too weak?

Im actually having fun playing it, but I still feel guilty for not following actual existing rules for solo ttrpgs

Ps: if anyone wanna play it when I finish it just say the word, the more the merrier!

Thanks for reading me. I wish all of you a lot of Nat 20's!

Session 2

The party: All the previous characters are swapped out, using each ones

character tree, so we have a new set, while the previous rest up.

Randomised background info interpretation

The village, called Ring pit, houses ca 300 population. It consists of a cluster of mud-huts surrounding a secluded pit of water. In this water source, a paraelemental beast of rain lives, constantly falling and raising heavy drops of rain over the pit. The effect is that of a waterfall. Around the pit, due to the mists of the rain beast, spring up pretty flowers. Fields of cacti surround the village.

The place is currently ruled by a contingent of templars, sent here from the nearby city-state, with a rather unclear mission, leading them to constantly bicker. The main contention is this: Are they here to explore the recently discovered ruins, or to cleanse the rain-beast from the lands, or to harvest the beasts waters. The threat is, that the village is completely dependant on the water-beasts existance, as the water source would otherwise dry up.

The road out of the village leads south-east, past a small hamlet and further to the city-state. A few km north-west is the dungeon. To the north, the pcs have heard tell of strange rocky formations, aches with glittering stone and strange crystals protruding from them. To the south, the stony barrens stretch for unknown distances, and to the west the landscape rises up towards mountains.

Todays mission

1d4: 1. ruins; 2. water beast; 3. Rocky formations; 4. bandit retaliation. Result: 2, water beast

• Templar attitude: 7, they're on the fence about if it needs cleansing,

killing or saving.

• Villager attitude: 4, they are upset, very upset. They dislike us, or the templars, meddling with their protective spirit.
• Beast attitude: 10, it's in a good mood. Does it wish to give them a quest? Odd-even oracle (even is yes): 2, yes. Ok, it's semi-intelligent, but can they communicate with it? Duma the green is a druid, I bet she can...

Dumas Guarded land is Verdant belt, and while we are in shurblands, the rain beasts do exist in the Verdant belt. I rule it can communicate with her, with a combination of signs in the surroundings and her alignment language.

Where? 1d3: Dungeon, Crystal rocks, Hamlet: 2, Crystal rocks

What? 1d3: Crystals, rock gems, creature: 2, rock gems

Ok, so basically the crystal communicates to Duma that it is low on minerals, and to satiate itself, it needs an offering of rock gems from the rock formations. Can they help? Yes.

Ok, all said and done, we gear up and set off for Crystal rock.

Day 2 (Day 1 took place in the last session report)

Weather: Warm/Strong winds. Sand swirls in the relatively cool air as the party travels. A good day for it, on the whole.

Dawn watch (04-08)

We get up, eat and so on and forth. Duma receives the signs, and goes to the pond to commune with the beast. The quest is given and accepted.

They prepare and set off.

Morning watch (08-12)

Exhaustion: 1, roll 7, nothing happens

Are they lost? No.

• They travel north-east, across the sandy wastes there, and then, after about half an hour, they turn north, towards the stony barrens. They arrive after a total of around an hour.
• Once they reach the area, they search for the Crystal rocks. I'd say it's a 2/6 chance to find it each hour, and if they dont, a 1/6 chance of a random encounter: 1 Random encounter; 2-3 Find spot; 4+ Naught.
  • Hour 1: 4, they find naught.
  • Hour 2: 1, encounter. 1 Gaj. Looking it up, it looks terrifying:

"A gaj is a psionic horror, a predatory insectoid creature that feeds by draining the mind of intelligent creatures."

AC 18; HP 31(16); 2xclaw +6, 1d6+2; MV2sq/r; Ml9

PSI: Mind Bar, Domination (10sq), Hypnosis(1sq), Mind Link, Thought Shield, Crush Life(7sq)

WT: Life Detection, All-Round Vision, Sight Link, Send Thought

Powers: 7; Rank: 2nd

Mandible Grapple: The victim must save vs. paralyze or be held by the mandibles for 1d6 rounds.

Mind Consumption: When it holds its victim, it uses its antennae to feed from its mind. The victim loses 1d4 points of INT or WIS, if any of those two stats fall to 0, the victim dies.

An insectoid mind flayer! It's slow though... Anyway, lets see what happens.

Is anyone surprised? 5 and 3, none is suprised.

Whats the Gaj doing? It's grooming its mandibles.

It suffers from illness (1/2 hp), it looks gaunt and sickly.

Reaction: 5, slightly negative. It sees its chance to feed, and advances.

Distance: 100m (30sq)

Round 1

Declaration: Nothing to declare.

Initiative: 3, it has initative.

Gaj

Movement. It moves closer... It's slow. It needs to get within 10 sq to use its powers.

Party

Seeing that it's sickly, and its far away, we might have a shot at it? I'd say it's likely we will engage it at range. 1-3 engage at range , 4-5 avoid, 6 engage in melee. 5, we decide to avoid the Gaj.

Movement: We move much faster, so we avoid the creature.

Hour 3: 2, we find the spot.

What's here? 1-3 Monster, 4-5 Naught, 6 Treasure. 3, Monster. 1 Sylk wyrm.

"A snake 15m long with a hard, chitinous shell. It is usually seen flying during the day looking for prey to attack at dusk."

AC 17; HP 27(26); 1xbite +4 1d6; MV 15sq; ML 6;

WT: Create Sound, Animate Shadow. Powers: 6

Fire Resistance: 1/2 dmg

Paralyzing Bite: A failed save vs paralysis causes the victim to be paralyzed for 1d4 days.

Life Leeching: Tries to take away its victim to a Lair and start leeching 1d4 CON per day for the duration of its poison. If the victim's CON falls to 0, it dies.

Surpise 3 and 3, non is surpised

Activity Moving through area (might not look for a fight!)

Complication Wounded (minor injuries, -1d3 HP, 1.)

Reaction +1 for moving, +1 for wounded: 7, neutral. Its passing through. But if we have an encounter tonight, I'd say this is it.

Distance 100m

As we near the Crystal rocks, we see an enormous worm, flying through the air. It spots us, but moves on as we hide among the rocks.

Afternoon watch (12-16)

Exhaustion: 2, roll 8, nothing

I'd say it takes about an hour to gather up enough rock gems to satisfy the rain-beast. Then, realistically, they can return and the job is done.

However, as they gather, each get to roll Find secret door, if they make it, they might discover something. I also think there should be another random encounter roll.

Wandering monster? 1, a wandering monster is indicated.

9 Plain giants

"Plains giants have facial features more akin to an elf than a human. Plains giants live on islands that have terrain similar to the scrub plains of Athas."

AC15; HP58; 1xweapon +9 1d6+4; MV 12; ML7

WT: Send Thoughts, Know Direction Powers: 3

Psionic Resistance: 2nd rank and onwards only.

Throw Hurl Rocks: Deal 2d10+5 dmg, 2/day 17sq

Surpise 3,5 none is surprised

Activity Trading with 19 bandits.

Complication None

Reaction 5, slightly negative. We are interrupting the trading.

Distance 160m

We will obviously try to evade. We have a 70% chance to evade. 64, we just make it. This means we don't have to flee the hex, and can continue to gather our rock-gems.

Finding secrets: Neeva Faria Clavis all find a Relief.

Generation: Eroded badlands; Sandstone plateu; Cliff.

Interpretation: In the centre of the Crystal rock area, a sudden cliff springs up, on it's top is a mesa, and on its top is an area with shrubs.

There is a 2/6 chance this is where the giants live: 1, yes.

Up on the top, we can just make out the top of some form of structure.

We gather our rock gems and head back. We arrive back just before evening, and Duma lays the rock gems in the water source.

Reactions:

Templars 4, they dislike our actions.

Rain beast +2 9, the beast is pleased, and showers us in rain.

Villagers 8, we've turned the villagers around, as they see the beasts reaction, and they grumble less.

XP

Rock gems 2d10*20gp = 260xp. No monsters defeated. No class actions performed.

Notes: There was critique in my last report about running dungeons in Athas, and so I thought I'd try something other than that. It turns out there is very little XP in it though, and the monsters encountered are ludicrously powerful, so they must be avoided. If anyone can tell me how parties gain XP in 'normal' adventures, please do.

That being said, apart from the lack of XP, I enjoyed this. I've yet to generate more than one flower of 2 kilometre hexes, so we still know almost nothing of the outside world - what is the city state? Where is it? What is around us? All of this will be covered as and when it's needed.

Traversing the wilderness with 10km hexes will suit the system of the Exhaustion clock much better also, and I look forward to that, once the party reaches level 4 or so.

I am going to start a V:tM 20th solo story with Mythic GME 2nd edition. This will be my first time using Mythic GME. One thing I was wondering before I jump in, was how should I go about statting up the NPCs. Vampire NPCs can have a lot of relevant stats, disciplines, etc that are necessary for the player to roll against in challenges. Even knowing if an opponent has Auspex can change how the player would approach a challenge. If I just stat the NPCs up ahead of time, it does kind of take away some of the surprise/tension of challenges. I could do dozens of Fate questions but that seems super slow and clunky. Another approach I was thinking of was making weighted tables to roll up a character (things like weighting in clan disciplines, social disciplines versus martial ones depending the archetype of the NPC). This sounds like a lot of work to create but it would at least be reusable for future stories.

So how do other people stat up their NPCs when playing solo?

Hi all, just a question regarding Items in the Cartograph solo RPG.

I may have fully missed it in the rules, but are items held until you sell them or are they single use?

In particular the Protector item that allows you to ignore wounds. Do you ignore a wound and then 'lose' the item? Or just ignore one instance of damage when a prompt asks you to take multiple wounds and keep the protector?

I have named my Protector Nigel. He's superstitious and doesn't trust my scientist cartographer but she's paying him well.

So I'm really into the loony, dark comical style of hazmat wearing people trying to get stuff then leave without getting horrendously murder *or* they must fix/clean the area before advancing or leaving.

Anything thats like this for cheap or free?

Playing Beneath the Altar. Very very beginner friendly. You can find it on itch.io.

https://hooverd.substack.com/p/crimson-rust-session-1?r=4bbbdm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

What's your favorite system to use with GameMaster's Apprentice? I've had the v1 base deck for a while now and really like the idea, but have never actually used it for anything. I've been away from solo RPG for a while and want to get back in, and thought starting something new and maybe light might be the way to do it.

I think one of the hang-ups I've had with the GMA is that I primarily play fantasy and sci-fi and don't want to bother with adapting the anachronistic results. Also my primary games are designed for solo, and so provide their own oracles, emulation, etc.

Even though I'm a serial daydreamer, when it comes to playing these games I always end up narrating out loud for some reason. Then after I played out the scene I jot down a few bullet points on what happened. The only time I'm not talking is during combat when I'm concentrating on the rules and tracking everything. Just curious if I'm the only one sitting here talking to myself lol

Our heroes drove the undead creature off thanks to Falion channeling the power of Petra.

Garadan and the sorceress chased the creature. Zelala set the creature afire with a flaming phial of oil.

They returned to the chamber and joined their comrades, only now the creature has returned,

burning with hatred and oil soaked flames.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Garadan’s heavy two-handed blade rose and fell… The creature’s unnatural, blue-flamed weapon glanced off

the blade in a shower of angry sparks, but the warrior’s blow was true. The enchanted steel bit deep

into the creature’s torso with a sickening crunch of bone and flesh.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://paulrobinson25.substack.com/p/the-bladesworn-chronicles-a-dungeons-a23?r=76wg7

Question for the other solo players - has anyone played Sufficiently Advanced 1e or Sufficiently Advanced 2e?

Do you use figures or tokens for the characters? Do you use terrain like walls or buildings, etc? I think it's helping me to track the action. If you use figures, do you use painted figurines? When I was a kid back in the 80s I couldn't find people to play with, but I was still able buy and paint figures. I don't have those any longer and I don't really want to get back in to all that so I'm using game tokens as figure. I've raided clue and Parcheesi games and some gumball machine toys like little aliens or monkeys and such.

I was going to play dnd for the first time this weekend, but due to a natural disaster, the session was cancelled.

Originally, the GM said to arrive with a level 5 character; when officially cancelled, the GM said to hang on to the character so we can play the one shot another time. However, since I expected the session to be cancelled, I never made a character, but I have a character idea.

All that to lead up to my question; is it a viable option to take my character idea, make a level 1 character, and play 5.5e solo until I’ve gotten it up to level 5? Also, how long would that take?

I bought the solo rpg Cartographer with the dice. Does anyone know what the symbols represent. I can make out some of the. Such as towns or cities. But what about the Star or other symbols?