Starting Solo: Traditional Roleplaying Games

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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?

Japanese D&D Rulebooks - Source: Atlas of Mystara

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.

Rules and Modules - Source: Motokrosh Machinations

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.

RPGSolo.com Website

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.

One Page Sole Engine - Source: DriveThruRPG

  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. 

Donjon Website

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.

Don’t forget that your role is not only to control your character, but also to be the game master. What’s exciting about playing solo is that you get to tell the story you want to tell.  These tools should only be used in specific circumstances to help keep things interesting: filling in minor details; answering questions that have multiple legitimate answers (What’s the queen’s favorite meal?); shaking up a game that has become stale; or nudging you when you have no idea what to do next.  All the other times, do what comes naturally, makes the most sense, or simply gives you pleasure.  Bottom line, if you want to rescue a princess from a dragon, then rescue the princess from the dragon. Don’t let a random quest roll send you to find a rare spice for the inn keeper.

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!

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[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.

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1 Peter 4:10-11

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