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Your regular gaming group isn’t available. You’re between gaming groups. You want more agency in your game than a game master allows. You want to test a new system before introducing it to your friends. You have no friends. There are many reasons (Okay, maybe not that last one) why someone would want to play their favorite tabletop roleplaying game solo. In my
last Starting Solo article, I suggested several games that can provide that experience. But what if you just want to play your favorite game, even though that title isn’t designed to be played alone? Classics like Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder? Supernatural thrillers like Call of Cthulhu or Vampire: The Masquerade? Or familiar IPs, such as one of the Star Wars or Marvel RPGs? Is there a way to solo them?
Certainly they can! All
you need are the correct tools and a little creativity, and can have
as much enjoyment, if not more, playing these games alone as you would
in a group.
[1]
Before I go any further, I want to be clear that my purpose is not to
teach you how to play a solo game. There are several blogs, Youtube videos, and forum threads that
attempt this. These are fine, some better than others, but instead, I
would recommend you study actual playthroughs of other people’s
campaigns.
Besides a well-written, entertaining story, what you need to look for
are creators who not only share their dice rolls, but also take the
time in their actual plays to share their gaming process and thoughts
behind the decisions they make. In this way, you will learn how to effectively use the various tools
available to the solo roleplayer. Great podcasts and videos, such as
The Tale of the Manticore,
A Wasteland Story, and
Me, Myself, & Die are easy and convenient ways to listen and watch, but my
recommendation for anyone truly interested in learning how to play
would be to read the actual play session.
For starters, it’s how I learned to play. But more importantly,
reading allows you the opportunity to really study the game instead of
just letting the audio pass you by. You can easily revisit an explanation that’s hard to understand,
contemplate how the author shapes his story, or stop to research
additional information about the tools used in the game. After
Tev’s Next Idea, a blog I would highly recommend is
Alea Iactanda Est. It’s the blog I learned from the most – in fact, I consider the
author to be my unofficial mentor – as well as the model for how I
structure my own posts.
Regardless of which method you use, as you read/listen to these
adventures, you will find that most, if not all, solo roleplayers use
three tools:
RULE SYSTEM
Okay. I know what you
are probably saying. This one is a no-brainer. And I agree, but that doesn’t change the
fact that it is a necessary element of the game. Whether you are
playing
D&D,
Traveler, or
Monster of the Week, the specific system tells you how to create a character, run
combat, make skill checks, and anything else you need to know about
interacting with the world around you. Without a rule system, even the
best, most creative adventure idea would remain unrealized.
One of the great joys of playing solo is getting to create the world
from scratch and develop rich, unexpected stories. But I would be amiss if I didn’t address the fact that many games
systems have also developed pre-written adventures, or modules. Playing through one of these modules solo can be a bit more difficult
since all the secrets are revealed once you read the module, but it’s
not impossible. Explaining how to do would be an article of its own
(if not more), but you can find examples in Mythic Magazine
Vol. 3 and
Vol. 50, and the archived Lone Crusader blog
here and
here.
Choosing a rule system is a start, but not quite enough to have a
solo experience. You
will also need some way to emulate a game master and the information
only they can provide. For that, you need what is called an . . .
ORACLE
In ancient Greece, an Oracle was considered to be a conduit to the
gods, providing divine answers to life’s probing question. Similarly,
oracles used in solo roleplaying help provide answers only the gaming
gods (or GMs) would know. Basically, an oracle provides “yes” or “no” answers to questions
asked while playing. (“Is the door locked?”) This can be accomplished
simply by rolling a six-sided die. Six is an absolute “yes”; one an absolute “no”, and any other number
is some shade of “yes” or “no,” depending on how high or low it is.
Simple, true, but simple isn’t always enough.
Several tools have been
developed have expanded this basic concept to add excitement and
realism. The best known
of these tools is the
Mythic Game Master Emulator, but others good options are
CRGE,
One Page Solo Engine, or the online tool found at
RPGSolo.com.
These beefed-up oracles start with the basic yes/no response, but add
better defined results for the in-between rolls (i.e. yes, and; no,
but). Next, depending on
the situation, the oracle can be weighed more toward a yes or no
answer, providing responses that better fit a particular situation. I
addition to yes and no, many oracles can occasionally add a random
event or unexpected twist, providing obstacles for the character to
overcome or affecting the characters in both positive and negative
ways.
Not every question can be answered with a simple yes or no. In those cases, many oracles include some method, typically a series
of tables, to provide more complex answers.
These tables will generate vague words or phrases that need to be
interpreted by the player. For example, your character wants to rent a
room from the local innkeeper, but unfortunately the oracle tells you
“no.” You may want to
follow that up by asking why? The oracle responds with “Bestow/Love.”
An interesting response indeed. Does it mean the innkeeper only has one room but wants to keep it
available for that very attractive client who often comes to town
unexpectedly? Or is the
innkeeper romantically involved with the hostel owner down the street
and hopes to impress her by sending her some business? The decision is all yours.
Armed with your favorite rule system and a well-rounded oracle, you
are ready to play solo. Really, that’s all you need. However, just those two items might result in a rather bland game,
shaped mainly by your limited experiences. You want to add flavor to your game! You want to go beyond what you can imagine! For that you need to enlist the help of . . .
RANDOM GENERATORS AND OTHER PLAYER AIDS
What does that potion do? There’s a tool for that. What’s behind the
locked door or hidden in the chest? There is a tool for that. Is it
sunny or stormy? There’s a tool for that. Who is this stranger who
sidled up next to me at the bar? There’s a tool for that. What does he say? You guessed it . . . there’s a tool for that.
By now, you probably get it. Any information you might need while playing can be determined by
using a random generator or similar type of tool. In fact, there are so many “tools for that,” the new solo roleplayer
(or seasoned one, for that matter) can easily begin to feel
overwhelmed. A couple of
hours on the internet is all you need to find ten, twenty, fifty
different tools that all look helpful and must be used in your
next campaign. And the
list only grows.
I can’t tell you what are the best tools for your game, but I can
offer some advice: Be Selective!
Be Selective In The Number Of Tools You Use
I would recommend, when starting a new campaign, you choose only two
or three random generators or aids and stick with just those for the
first few game sessions. If you expect your campaign to take your characters into a dungeon,
then choose a few tools to generate the dungeon, random traps, and
treasure. However, if your campaign is starting in town, perhaps an
NPC generator would be better, plus a tool for running a conversation
and table of random encounters or quests. Limiting yourself to just a
few will help keep you focused your game instead of managing
tools. You always have
the oracle to help answer questions not covered by a particular tool
and you can always add a tool later, as the need arises.
If two or three tools aren’t enough but you still want to keep from
being overwhelmed, you can choose to use only tools found in a single
book or website. The number of tables may still be large, but at least
they are all organized in one place, reducing the need to jump from
resource to resource. A
few good websites are
donjon,
Chaotic Shiny, or the
Behind The Tables subreddit.
Lastly, stay consistent and use the same particular tool (i.e.
dungeon generator) for the entire campaign, or at least a specific
quest.
Be Selective In How Often You Use The Tools
Just because there’s a “tool for that,” it doesn’t mean you always
should use it. If you generate every detail every second of the game,
your adventure may end up disjointed, veer in all different
directions, and make little sense. You will end up being controlled by
the game, instead of you controlling the game.
I previously said I can’t tell you what tools will be best for your
game. But I can help by sharing with you some helpful, interesting,
and possibly relatively unknown options. To do that, I will be premiering a new video series soon. In each episode I will introduce a tool, explain its use, and
demonstrate several of its features. What will it be called? Find out when I release the first episode after the new year.
In the meantime, these three tools – rule system, oracle, and random
generators or player aids –should get you started playing almost any
tabletop roleplaying game solo. Some games are easier to solo. Other can be a bit more difficult, but it doesn’t mean it’s
impossible. I’ve been surprised to discover titles I originally
considered unsoloable being played alone. It just took some creativity
from the player . . . and the right tool.
Have fun playing and keep reading. There’s always something new to enjoy and discover in this unique,
niche hobby of ours!
_______________
[1] A quick word about AI. More and more tools are being created that allow an individual
player to experience tabletop RPGs without the need for other
players or physical game master. These tools are a great way to play
solo, however, that style of play is not what is being discussed in
this article. Instead of the glorified video game or text experience offered by
these AI tools, where the player is reacting to a digital GM, the
style of gameplay I am discussing allows the player to be both
character and game master, using tools as necessary to help generate
the story while retaining surprise and the unknown. Admittedly, some of these tools might utilize a form of AI, but
just enough to spark an idea within the player and stir up their
creativity. After that, the rest is up to them.
_______________
1 Peter 4:10-11
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