Rolling Solo: Finding Your Style

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If you’ve spent any time on the Solo Roleplaying message boards, you’ve seen, or perhaps even posted, a question like this: How do you start solo roleplaying? The specific question might vary, but the impetus behind most of them is, “How does one go about playing what is typically considered a social, multi-player game by themselves?”

Foolishly, I used to try to answer this question.  I say foolishly, because there are so many different aspects to the hobby and ways to play that it’s impossible to give an adequate answer in a single post.  It’s like asking how do I know the Bible is true?  There is no single simple answer. I had to read or listen to many different discussions covering a multitude of topics – history, archaeology, science, literary criticism, medicine, psychology, and so on – before I arrived at a comfortable, confident solution. And even now, I’m always learning more.

The same is true for Solo Roleplaying.  There is no single simple answer.  Each game has its own style.  Each player has their own method and uses different systems and tools. And the more you play, the more you learn.  So, I gave up long ago trying to answer such general questions.

What I can do, however, is try and break the question down, and help players, both new and old, focus on what they are looking for in the hobby and help them find tools to facilitate their game. That is what I hope to accomplish with this and following “Rolling Solo” articles.  I am going to start by focusing on game style.  Not all games are the same, of course, and what aspects of tabletop roleplaying appeal to a player will help them determine what experience they are hoping to find and what style of game will best recreate that.

MAP GAMES

This first type of game I would consider rather niche. Being that solo roleplaying is niche in general, that might make mapping games the nichest of the niche.

When you are with your roleplaying group, if you are the one who is always keeping the map up to date, or exploration of the world your characters inhabit is as exciting as the story itself, then map-making games might be something that you would find rather interesting.

The Quiet Year - Source: Wyjdzie W Graniu

This style of gaming is rather self-explanatory.  The main point of games such as The Quiet Year and Cartograph is to draw a map by reading and responding to a series of random prompts. While some map games may contain light RPG mechanics, for the most part, there is no storyline or ultimate goal to be reached.  That being said, rich stories do often arise as you develop the history the land, the people who live in it, and they interact with the various locations, buildings, and events drawn on the map. Another way to look at it is “gamified worldbuilding.”  (Watch my daughter and me play the map-making game This Virgin Land Of Ours.)

Delve - Source: BlackwellWriter Games

Of course, not all maps are of the overworld.  There are dungeons that need to be mapped, as well.  One such game is Delve. Instead of drawing what can be found on the land’s surface, the game asks you to draw what is under the ground.  Delve adds an extra layer of creativity in that you not only draw the map, but detail and decorate the rooms and caverns, as well.  (Watch me play a session of Delve.)

 

  

 

JOURNALING GAMES

 

Another big reason to play a tabletop RPG is the story. There aren’t many other games where the player participates is developing an expansive story involving the characters they play and their interaction with the world around them.  Sometimes, however, the story being told by the Game Master may not line up perfectly with the story you, as a player, really want to tell.  Or even if they do, you might just want to experience more stories than can be fit in your normal gaming sessions.  In those cases, Solo Journaling Games might be able to fill that need.

A journaling game is pretty much what it sounds like. Within the game’s them, the player creates a story based on prompts generated using common items such as a deck of playing cards or dice.  Alone Among the Stars might be the most basic form of journaling game.  To be fair, it is little more than a creative writing exercise.

Thousand Year Old Vampire - Source: Tim Hutchings

However, many other journaling games provide more story, structure, and RPG elements. Games like Thousand Year-Old Vampire and Apothecaria provide more detailed backstory and specific goals in order to direct the players writing.  Character skills, resource management, and other elements typically found in traditional tabletop games add opportunities for success/fail checks throughout the game that affect the narrative and story’s outcome positively or negatively.

One of my favorite types of journaling game are Wretched & Alone games, named after the original The Wretched.  A W&A games starts by dropping you in a situation and presenting specific goals, such as you are a lone survivor on a derelict spacecraft and you must survive long enough to be rescued, but adds various systems (diminishing tokens, a block tower, dice rolls, special cards, etc.) that present obstacles and ramps up the danger. The result is very much a game-like experience that increases the tension so that, as the game lasts longer and longer, every journal entry could very well end of the game in failure.

Another aspect of journaling games enjoyed by many players is the opportunities for creativity beyond the story.    How the player decides to record the game adds to the fun.  While the term “journal” is often associated with a pen and notebook, a player may choose to record their entries using audio logs or video clips.  Additionally, how each of these entries are formatted can add color to the game.  I’ve written journals in the form of a dating show contestant’s interviews, to radio communications between Santa his elves on Christmas Eve.  Once, I even spilled blood.

DUNGEON CRAWLS

Up to this point, we’re just exploring and writing story.  What about battling monsters and finding treasure? Isn’t that the main reason to play tabletop roleplaying games?  Well, maybe.  Maybe not. Regardless, Dungeon Crawl-style games focus primarily on the task of searching a dungeon in search of treasure while killing monsters along the way.  Popular games of this type are FourAgainst Darkness  and D100 Dungeon.

Four Against Darkness - Source: Rob Standifer

Gameplay is pretty straightforward.  Similar to traditional RPGs, the player starts by creating and equipping a standard fantasy character: Fighter, magic-user, rogue, etc..  Next, they move through the dungeon, randomly generating each room, chamber, hall, or cavern as they progress. Also generated randomly are any creatures, objects, traps, or treasures in each room.  The goal is to survive as long as possible and collect enough treasure to improving your character and explore more dungeons.

These games tend to be big on mechanics and short on story.  Each dungeon might be themed  and have an immediate goal – there’s always a long-lost ancient sword that need to be retrieved so the true king can rule – but don’t look for some epic plot or deep NPC interactions in which your character may become entangled.  While you can always invent this story on your own, it is not an inherent aspect of the game.  For that, you would want to consider one of the next two game styles.

STAND ALONE SOLO RPGS

The previous styles have each focused primarily on one specific aspect of roleplaying: exploration, story, combat. However, I suspect that most players exploring this hobby are looking for a combination of all of these. Ideally, they’re wanting to create a solo experience similar to the group experiences they have with their friends.  These last two styles attempt to do that.

Source: Joshua Meehan

The first style I will refer to as the Stand-Alone Solo Tabletop Roleplaying Game. These games provide everything needed to play through an epic adventure alone, except for perhaps dice and paper.  These are games like Ironsworn, Starforged, Riftbreakers, and Plight. Each title contains rules for character creation, gameplay, and combat. Additionally, tools and tables are included to simulate a game master’s input.

It's this last item, game master simulation, that is unique to Solo roleplaying and the thing that can be the most confusing or difficult for someone getting started in this hobby to grasp.  In a traditional game, only the game master knows all that is going on and how a player’s actions cause it to evolve.  In a solo game, however, how does the player accomplish this without knowing everything that is going to happen?

Source: Blackoath Entertainment

The honest answer is that they can’t.  Not totally, at least.  In a solo game, the player is both character and game master: roughly seventy percent character, thirty percent game master.  As the game master, the player is creating the world and devising situations in which to send their characters.  While they can’t do this without having some idea of what lies ahead, solo games aid them by providing means of keeping much of the information unknown until the appropriate time.

The most basic mechanic for this is random generation.  Almost anything that can chosen from a list can be generated randomly. What can be generated randomly will differ from game to game, but some such items might be the characteristics of non-player characters, room descriptions, types of quests, and monsters that attack the party. 

Many times, however, choosing an item from a list is not sufficient.  Your game will often require more complex descriptions or explanations to move the story along.  It’s the tools that provide these complex answers and descriptions that really make the game interesting.  For instance, let’s say your character hears a loud noise coming from behind a door.  In a traditional game, You would enter the room and the game master would tell you what happens.  In a solo game, however, the tool, often referred to as an oracle, will generate a phrase, concept, or series of words from which you must extract the details of the situation.  Again, using the loud noise example, the oracle might generate the words “aggression” and “damage”.  This might be interpreted as a fight between two opponents where one has stabbed the other.  Or it could be the room has been ransacked, an open window suggesting the vandal had escaped just prior to the characters entering the room.  Or anything else that those words might suggest and fits into the story.

I realize this might sound confusing or overwhelming, especially if you are unfamiliar with solo play.  The beauty of stand-alone games is that the rules often take the time to explain ways to use the tools and provide pointers on how to interpret the results. But once you get the hang of it, these prompts will often provide unexpected events in the story and surprising twists you may never have dreamed of otherwise.  I will discuss oracles more and offer some additional advice in the next article in the Rolling Solo series, so keep your eyes open for that post.

TRADITIONAL TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAMES

Stand-alone games are a great place to start if you are new to solo gaming, or roleplaying in general. However, if you already have a favorite game, such as Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulu, the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, or Mörk Borg, you can still enjoy great solo experiences using those rulesets. The method to do so is basically the same as a stand-alone game, with the biggest difference being that you have to assemble all the tools and aids yourself.  And there are a lot of choices to be made . . . so many, in fact, that I will reserve that for the next article.  

Regardless of how long you have enjoyed solo roleplay, I hope you find this introduction to these various styles helpful. If you are just getting started, I hope I’ve assisted you in navigating the many choices that are out there.  If you are a veteran, then possibly I have sparked your interest in a style of gameplay you’ve never thought of before. Either way, this hobby has a lot to offer.  I invite you discover more by reading my adventures here on Tev’s Next Idea, and be sure to read the next Rolling Solo article about Traditional Roleplaying Games, where I will focus on turning any TTRPG into a solo experience.

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Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

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Help! I Have A Crush On My Rival!?: The Afterpost

(See the previous prompt here.)

 The Afterpost

So, that was my journal for the CARTA game Help! I Have a Crush On My Rival?! by Dice Problems.  While I was enjoying the game and seeing where the story would go, I do think it ended at about the right time.  Due to the nature of the game prompts, it was likely that the characters would continue to go through the “friend/enemy” cycle, which would not only become boring but also difficult to fit naturally into the story I was telling.

This most interesting aspect of the game is how much it ended up parallelling a typical Hallmark movie script.  I made no secret right from the beginning that I expected to fall back on a lot of rom-com, Hallmark tropes. However, because of the randomness of the prompts, I had little idea how or when they would fit in.  Now that it’s done, it appears that they fit in rather well.  A girl returns to her hometown because of a family need, often medical, after leaving for a promising future  (honestly, I didn’t even recognize I had included this trope until after I was done); girl meets the boy with whom she previously experienced animosity; boy and girl soften toward each other through time spent together; a big misunderstanding (usually by the boy) that threatens the relationship; an interrupted kiss; the boy and girl admitting their feelings for each other and kiss right before the movie ends abruptly mere seconds or minutes later. Yep. I wrote a Hallmark script.

Is this the end of Lance and Gwen’s story, at least as far as my involvement goes?  I’m not entirely sure that I’m ready to leave them behind . . . for several reasons. For starters, I like writing about all the characters in this story.  Also, I had a few ideas that I did not get to explore, and I wouldn’t mind having the chance to share them with my readers.  Finally, continuing their story could give me an opportunity to explore and share my faith from the perspective of someone who is not a Christian, but is motivated to learn more about what that means. 

If I do continue with Lance and Gwen’s story, I’m not sure what form it would take.  Possibly I could use another journaling game, however, I feel I would want more control over events than random prompt draws would be able to provide.  I’ve seen some romance and relationship based TTRPG systems.  I’ve never had a desire to look at one of those, but perhaps they may work.  Most likely, however, I’ll just write straight fiction and post it in some form or manner. Which, if any, method I chose, that’s for the future.

One final thing to note before I move on, I included an easter egg in this game that so far has not been publicly mentioned by any reader. It’s not hidden, meaning it’s out in the open throughout the entire story and, somewhere just after the midway point, had a strong signpost.  I’ll keep quiet a little bit longer, just to see if anyone mentions it.

Now it’s time to look forward to what’s next for Teviko604.  Next month marks a year since I last posted for my Tunnels & Trolls Cyenannore campaign.  Getting back to that story is well overdue, and my immediate focus is to get another few chapters done.  More long term plans, however, are to build up this blog to be more than just a place where I post my stories.  For starters, I am working with someone to help develop a logo to spice up the place a bit.  Next, I am planning a series of articles to help with the impossible answer to the question, “How do you play an RPG Solo?” Those will lead up to a video series I’ve been thinking about for a while that will help explore that question even further.  Except for my campaign, all of this will take weeks or months to put together. It’s an ambitious goal, but if it all goes well, I see it potentially being very rewarding.

As always, thanks for reading.
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Jer. 29:11

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Help! I Have A Crush On My Rival!?: Prompt 18

(Read the previous prompt here.) 

Prompt 18 - The Invitation:

I feel like I want to go to the space below my current location.

Card Draw: Joker  - Oh no!  That ends the game, except for handling my one “Save” darw.  Let’s hope it’s a red.

Save Draw: 2 Clubs - Nope. That means that Potential does not increase, and any card that does not increase Potential is ignored during a “Save” draw, so nothing is affected.

Time to determine the end.  I have a total of 5 potential.

From the rules:

The game ends with a confession.

In a moment of tension, the consequences aren’t enough to stop emotions from breaking loose.

If you have “X” Potential…  (Of course, this will remain a secret until the end!)

*          *          *

“Things are going to be rough for the next several weeks,” Erik explained as he and I gathered and sorted cards after our Andromeda Factions demonstrations.

“Really? How so?” I asked.

“I have this programming assignment due before winter break, and it's using a language I’m not that familiar with.  It’s not very intuitive, either. At least not to me.”

Unlike Gwen and I, who are each on hiatus from school for various reasons -- Gwen for family, and me for . . . well, I really just don’t want to go -- Erik and Wayne were both attending Rainger University.  It was located a couple cities away, but close enough for them to carpool together and save money by staying at home.  Erik was working on a Computer Engineering degree, hoping to land a job in cybersecurity.  Wayne was simply going for a Business Administration degree, having heard that such a degree can open the door for almost anything.

“I hope your project doesn’t cut into your Saturday time,” I said.

“Oh, I’m sure it will, but I’ll be here for the Bowl.  You can count on that.”

By now, all the cards were collected and put back into their storage boxes.  It was getting late, so I said goodbye and headed out to my car.  I was barely out the door when Gwen strode up beside me.

“Hey, Lance.  I wanted to thank you properly for saving my skin this morning. That could have been a disaster.”

“Yeah,” I agreed.  “You gotta protect the game.”

“Was that all?”  She asked with a knowing smile.

“You caught me,” I admitted playfully. “I didn’t want you to get embarrassed.”

We reached my car and stopped. Gwen faced me and grasped my hands in hers. “Thank you. I mean it. And thank you for your offer of coffee. I had no idea how important it was to you.  I thought I was saving you some trouble.  I won’t be so thoughtless next time.”

We stared at each other.  I found myself smiling, but not sure what to say.

“You want to meet Fisher?” She said suddenly, her eyes widening as what she believed was a great idea.

“Sure,”  I said. “I’d love to meet him sometime,”

“Sometime?  How about now?”

“Uh, sure. But I don’t know where you live.”

“Just follow me.” And she took off for her car.

*    *    *

“Are your parent’s home?” I asked as she unlocked the door.

“They’re probably out grocery shoppings or doing some other chores,” Gwen explained. “Dad tries to take the whole Sunday ‘Day of Rest’ thing pretty seriously. So, he tries to get as much done as he can on Saturday.”

“Must be nice to not do anything all day.”

“Well, that probably going a bit far,” she admitted as the door opened.  “Let’s just say, he does less.  And, of course, there’s church.”

“Of course,” I agreed, not exactly sure to what I was agreeing.

Gwen pushed the door open and I followed her inside.

“Fisher!  I’m back,” she cried. “And I brought a friend.”

“Morgan?” a hopeful sounding male voice answered from somewhere down the hall.

Gwen motioned to me and I followed her down the hall into another room.  Fisher’s room was extremely neat and clean.  His desk was clear except for a laptop.  All that was on the nightstand was a lamp and a single soda can, sitting squarely on a round cork coaster.  The light blue walls were bare, except for one framed picture of a pack of wolves stalking between the trees in a snow-covered forest. The owner of the room sat in the middle on his bed holding a small gaming device.  He wore a dark-colored t-shirt and shorts and other than being a bit gangly, he looked just like any normal teenager.

A look of disappointed immediately crossed Fisher face as we entered when he noticed I wasn’t Morgan.  However, disappointed quickly turned to curiosity about this stranger standing in his room.

“Fisher, this is Lance,” she introduced me.  “He’s one of the boys from the “Dice & Deck.”

“Lance Walsh?,” Fisher brightened.  “You’re the Andromeda Factions nut, right?”

Nut, huh?  “Yeah, that would be me.”

“I’ll be right back,” Gwen said. “You two get to know each other.”

“You’re friends with Morgan, right?” Fisher asked as I took a few steps closer to the bed.

I don’t know If I’d say friends. “Yeah, she hangs out on Saturday mornings.”

“Okay,” he said warily. “But just so we’re clear, I’ll let you date my sis, but don’t get any ideas about Morgan. She’s mine!” He gave me a knowing wink to let me in on the joke.  Still, I quickly glanced over my shoulder to make sure Gwen was actually gone and didn’t hear her brother’s comment about us dating.

“Trust me, you don’t have to worry about that,” I assured him once I knew we were alone.  “Gwen tells me you like Morgan.”

“We’re friends.  That’s all,” he said, brushing the idea away.  “I’m not going to kid myself that we could be anything more.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.  Gwen tells me you’re a great guy, and if you and Morgan are such good friends, why wouldn’t she be interested.”

“Even if she was, what’ve I got?  Five years at the most.  Nah, she needs to find someone who’s gonna be around.”

“Don’t talk like that!” I said, shocked at his fatalist view, but also remembering Gwen tell me she suspected Morgan might feel the same. “You seem rather healthy.  You can beat this.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Lance.  This is one of my good days.  By Monday morning, I’ll barely be able to get out of bed.  Look, the doctors aren’t sure of everything that’s going on with me, but they try to give me hope.  They say there’s this experimental cure, or that treatment, but I know it’s mostly lip service.”

“Aren’t you scared?”

“About dying?”  He gave a chuckle, of all things.  “I can’t stop it. Dying, I mean.  And honestly, I know where I’m going, and I can’t wait to be done with this.”  He spread his arms and wiggled his fingers at himself.  “Know what I mean?”

“Yeah,” I said, but in my mind, I didn’t understand.  I guessed it was a faith thing. What really took my by surprise, however, was his nonchalant attitude.  Fisher was taking this all in stride, like his was any other life.  I had seen others miserable with cancer, trying their best to appear unconcerned while still emitting a sense of fear.  But not Fisher.

Still, I wanted to move on from what I at least felt was a morbid topic.

“What’s that?” I asked, pointed to the device in his hands.  “An old Gameboy?”

“Nah!  This is one of those retro devices that plays those games old people like my dad used to play when they were kids.  Some of them aren’t that bad, but they’re no Mission of Honor.  But who cares about that?”  He mindlessly tossed the tiny console aside and laid back on the bed, resting his head against the headboard and motioning me to sit.  “What I wanna know is about you. I’ve been wondering how long before Gwen brought you home.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, accepting his invitation to sit on the side of the bed.

“Sis has had a thing for you ever since high school.”

“She has?”

“Yeah. She’d come home every Saturday talking about what ‘game she played with Lance.’ How she hoped you’d be there next week.  I’m assuming you didn’t play with her much once she’d been there a few months, ‘cause I could tell when she was unhappy after coming home. She wouldn’t exactly tell me what was wrong, except to mention how you were too busy with the other kids to play with her. Then came the Turf Wars incident. I was sure it would be all over after that.”

“You heard about that, huh?”

“Of course!” Fisher cried, as though it would be obvious.  “Gwen cried every day for a week after that.  I told her she didn’t need a friend like you and to forget you.  I mean, I didn’t know you, of course, but if nothing else, I was tired of hearing about my big sister’s crushes.  You know what I mean?”  His flashed me a big knowing grin.

Not having any siblings, I could only guess at what he meant. I smiled and nodded back, as though I did.

“But then,” he continued.  You bought her lunch.”

I looked at him puzzled.  “No.  Last week she paid for our lunch at Sand Which?”

“Not last week, silly.”  Fisher rolled his eyes.  “Back then, when you paid for her pizza. My goodness, you'd ’ve thought you were some gallant knight in shining armor, promising to sweep her up on your white horse and whisk her away.  You made a friend for life that day, Lance, and I don’t think you even knew it.”

“I had no idea,” I said. Sure, Gwen told me a little about she felt, but I never imagined she felt this strongly. “Gwen never said anything back then.  In fact, I only thought of your sister as the competition.  She was good and she won almost anything.  And she was smug about it, especially to me.  She liked to rub it in my face. At least that’s how I felt.  I decided it was best just to avoid her.”

“She knew,” Fisher confirmed. “By her senior year, she barely mentioned you anymore.  She went out with a few guys from her school, but nothing stuck.  Then sis left for college.  I think she was seeing someone for a little over a year, but again, nothing came of that.  But shortly after coming back home last spring, do you know what was one of the first things Gwen asked me?”

I shook my head.

‘Do you think Lance Walsh still hangs out at the Dice & Deck?’”

“What are you guys talking about?” Gwen’s voice came from the door and I wondered how long she had been there.  I must have looked worried, because Fisher redirected the conversation without missing a beat.

“Lance was teaching me about Andromeda Factions.” He winked at me for reassurance before continuing our feigned conversation.  “You said there was that really bad card?”

“Uh . . . Um . . . You mean the ‘Black Hole’,” I said, following Fisher’s lead and trying to sound natural.

“Is that all you want to talk about?” Gwen said as she sat on the side of the bed.  Her leather jacket was gone and she had let her hair down. 

“How often to get to talk with an expert?” Fisher asked, even though he had no way of knowing if I deserved that title.

The three of us sat in the bedroom for neary a half an hour as Fisher and I talked about collectible card games and Gwen listened, jumping in whenever she had something to add. Our eyes met occasionally, and she would smile at me, glad that I was willing to take time with her brother.  When we were done, Fisher and I made plans to meet over the next couple of weeks when I could bring my cards and we would play. I said goodbye and Gwen led me back out to the living room.

“So, what do you think?” Gwen asked.

“About Fisher?  He’s a great kid.  I don’t know what I was expecting.  I thought he would seem more . . . sickly?”

“He has his ups and downs.  He’s feeling better right now because he had dialysis yesterday. Still, other than getting dressed, I suspect he hasn’t been out of bed all day.  He’s well rested now, but it’ll be different come nine o’just keep feeling worse until Monday.”

I couldn’t stop thinking about her brother told me about high school. I stood for a moment, wondering what to say next.

“Gwen,” I started.  “Can I tell you something?”

“Sure,” Gwen said, curious.

“I’m really enjoying getting to know you. Thank you for bringing me over and sharing your brother with me for a little while.  These last few weeks have made me realize how stupid I was back in high school and what I missed out on by avoiding you.”

“I was a different person back then,” Gwen said.

“We both were,” I admitted. “But you were kind and helpful to any new kids who came through that door.  You were . . . are honest and trustworthy. The type of person that makes me want to buy them coffee.” Gwen smiled at that. “And I guess that’s why I got so upset last week.  It wasn’t because of whose game would eventually be chosen.  It was because I thought that everything you were, what I wanted you to be, was a lie.”

Gwen opened her mouth to speak, but I held up my hand to stop her.

“I know. I know. Besides that being extreme and an overreaction, what’s more important is that the truth is, you were being exactly those things, making sure your brother was in good hands and taken care of.

“To be honest, I was jealous this morning of Mark.  He was getting to spend the time with you that I wished I was.  Part of me wanted that coffee to fall . . . to break up the game. Luckily, I came to my senses.  I knew doing nothing was wrong, and worse, what it would mean for you.  Embarrassment aside, Mark would probably have been really mad at you.  I don’t want anyone being mad at you.”

I took a deep breath to stop myself from rambling.

“I think what I’m trying to say is, I really like you, Gwen. I want to continue being your friend . . . and possibly, something more.”

I looked away before finishing.  This was the moment.  I didn’t want to look. I wanted to hold off the rejection as long as possible.

When Gwen didn’t respond, I looked up.  She was smiling and her brown eyes were bright.  After the briefest of moments, she closed her eyes and leaned into me as her lips softened. Of all the possibilities that had gone through my mind, a kiss was not one of them.  But it certainly wasn’t unwanted.  I leaned in, as well, as Gwen and I . . .

“I’m getting a soda from the fridge.  You two want anything?”

Gwen and I immediately backed away and straighten up at the sound of Fisher’s voice. Gwen’s brother was passing through the living on his way to the kitchen. I looked toward the door, ceiling, anywhere but Gwen or Fisher.

“Thanks, but we’re okay,,” Gwen answered, even though Fisher was already out of the room.

She looked at me, face red but smiling. Giggling, she grabbed my hand and pulled me out the front door. Outside, once the door was closed, all we could do was laugh.

<I had to get in the proverbial “Hallmark Interrupted Kiss.”>

“Do you think he got any ideas?” I asked.

“That depends. Were you asking me to be your girlfriend?” Gwen waited for my answer with a conspiratorial smile.

“Well . . . um,” I stuttered.  “I didn’t exactly say ‘girlfriend’.  But, yeah. I . . . I guess so.”

“Well then, we better make sure he has the right idea.”

Without hesitation, Gwen reached around and pulled me close.  In response, I wrapped my arms around her waist as we kissed.  Nothing prepared me for this, and it felt wonderful.  We lingered in our embrace, neither wanting to stop.

Eventually, we parted and looked in each other eyes.  All I saw was joy, and I hoped she saw the same.

Suddenly, I had a sensation.  A sensation that we were being watched.  I looked over and saw an older couple standing a few feet away and watching us.  The man was large, with dark hair and a salt-and-pepper colored beard.  The woman next to him stood nearly a foot shorter. Her shoulder-length hair was greying, but you could still see traces of the auburn that had been passed down to her daughter.

I pulled myself away and faced them, jumping to attention like a soldier.

“Uh, hello, Mr. and Mrs. Anders,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“Hello,” the man said, a question in his voice. “Gwen, dear, would you care to introduce us to this nice young man?” Her father’s emphasis on the word ‘nice’ made it obvious that this was more an expectation as opposed to an assumed fact.

“Mom. Dad.  This is Lance Walsh.,”  Gwen introduced, grasping my hand in hers and pressing up close. 

Then, gazing at me adoringly, she announced,  “He’s my boyfriend!”

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The result of the game . . .

If you have 5 or more Potential…

It’s out there. Now they know. For several heartbeats you are sure you’ve ruined everything, but then... your Rival accepts your confession?! What do they do and say? What challenges will you face together, now that you’ve done the impossible?

(Read the Afterpost here.)
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1 Cor. 13:4-7,13

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Help! I Have A Crush On My Rival!?: Prompts 16 & 17

(Read the previous prompt here.)

Prompt 16 - The Redo:

My movement choices are to go left or go down. Again, I’ll go left.

Card Draw: 6 of Spades (black)  This is the second black 6, which may or may not affect potential.  Things looked like they were about to be getting better for Gwen and Lance, and all my story ideas were positive moving forward.  Let’s see what wrench this throws into my plans.

Prompt: Your Rival’s previous act of pettiness has been eating at you (the 6 of clubs in Prompt 3) and you finally can’t help but mention it to your Rival. Their response is dismissive and hurtful. …Or is it? If it surprises you, don’t lose a Potential.

This isn’t too bad.  I actually had a call back in mind to that coffee event. I always thought of it as a positive outcome, but based on this description, we’ll have to see what happens, perhaps bring in some solo tools. I’ll hold off on determining the effect on Potential until after I write the scene.

*     *     *

<How does Lance initiate contact? (d8) 1-4:contacts Gwen by text  5-7: waits till he gets to the store  8: Asks for Morgan’s help  Roll= 3>

RGPSolo.com Oracle: Does Gwen respond? (50/50): Yes

*    *    *

I just realized something.  I now had Gwen’s phone number! I had power of access to her whenever I wanted.

No, not like in a stalky way.  I wasn’t planning on harassing  her, and I had no intention of calling her every minute of every day, like a needy puppy.  Truth be told, every time I call someone unexpected, I wonder if I’m bothering them. I certainly don’t want Gwen to be annoyed with me. But having her number, and she having mine for that matter, meant if we had any legitimate need to get in touch with other, we could without having to wait till Saturday.

It was Friday night. I decided to try and correct my error from several weeks ago.  So I texted her.

<Texts on a Cell Phone>

Lance: Hello, Gwen. This Lance. Please pick one from each group.
Lance: <coffee cup emoji> Regular or Decaf?
Lance: <cow emoji> Creamer, Oatmilk, nothing?
Lance: Splenda, Stevia, Swt&Lo, Equal, nothing?
Lance: Flavors?
Lance: Anything else?

It was a lot and I was afraid I wouldn’t get it all typed out before she responded. That probably wouldn’t have been a problem, but I wanted to give my full presentation without interruptions.

Then, I waited . . . And waited.

Nothing.  No response.  No big deal, I thought.  Maybe she’s out at a movie, or she’s doing something with her family and decided to turn her phone off to avoid disruptions. After a while, I decided to go about my business.  When Gwen sees the message, she’ll respond.

But she didn’t, and I climbed into bed wondering if I had done something wrong.

The next morning, I saw that Gwen had responded.  I never heard the ding.  She must have texted while my “do not disturb” was still on.

<Texts on a cell phone>

Gwen: Sry. Just saw this. Were u asking to pick up coffee for me?
Gwen: Thx, but not necessary. See you at the D&D.

Dismissed! I can’t seem to catch a break with Gwen and coffee, can I?  She does realize I’m trying to offer her a friendly gesture, doesn’t she? I can’t believe she would just brush it off so easily, especially after what she told me on the phone.  Part of me is telling me to just let it go.  But I would really like to know what is going on.

<At this point, except for the prompt’s direction, I’m not sure why Gwen would not accept Lance’s offer.  Let’s start with an rpgsolo oracle question:

The only indication Gwen likes coffee is Lance’s phone conversation with Art in Prompt 3.  Does Gwen actually like coffee on a regular basis? (Likely) Yes, and . . . She picked up a cup on the way in to the store.

Interesting.  There are a few ways this can go.>

When I walked into the “Dice & Deck,” I saw Gwen was already there .  .  . and she had a paper cup in her hand sporting the JavaBeans logo.

“So, you do like coffee,” I noted as I walked up to her.

“I’m not addicted to it or anything, like my dad,” she said. “But I definitely enjoy it.”

“Do you remember last month when I brought you that latte, and you refused it?  I was a little hurt because I was trying to make up for saying some dumb stuff to you about your game and the Holiday Bowl, but your reason about being diabetic made sense.  So, I tried last night to make amends again, this time making sure I got what you wanted. But you blew me off again. I was thinking that maybe you just didn’t like coffee, except I walk in and see you with this.  What’s the deal, Gwen?”

“Nothing’s the ‘deal’,” Gwen insisted. “I just don’t want you to think you have to buy me coffee every time you do something I don’t like.”

“Every time? I’ve yet to buy you coffee once! At least one you’ve wanted.”

“And you don’t have to.  Like I told you, I just want to be your friend. That’s enough.”

All she wants to be is my friend?

“Gwen!” Another voice suddenly broke in.  “Look! It came this week!”

Mark was standing behind Gwen, excitedly holding up a copy of OverPush, an expansion for the game A Bunch of Scales. It was so new, it was still enclosed in its shrink wrap.

“Cool!” Gwen exclaimed, seeing the box.

“I’m ready to play if you are,” Mark offered.

“Of course! I’ll talk to you later, Lance. Okay?”

I didn’t feel “okay” about it, but I never got to say so because she was already across the room with Mark, finding an empty table.
==========
I wasn’t sure where this scene was heading, so around the halfway point, I pulled the card for the next scene to see if it gave me any direction, which it did.  As Lance was definitely not happy with this outcome, I will reduce Potential by one, giving me a total of 5.  More of Lance’s reaction will be revealed in the next prompt.

*     *     *

Prompt 17 - The Cup:

As previously mentioned, this card was pulled during the previous scene.  Rolling a d6 to determine the direction of my next pull. Even: Move left  Odd: Move down  Roll: 3 - Down

Card Draw: 4 of Spades (black)  This is the second black 4, which may or may not affect potential. 

Prompt: You have a golden opportunity to embarrass your Rival in front of those people they were so keen to impress. Do you take it? If you resist, don’t lose a Potential and instead describe why you have decided to take the higher road.

A determination of change in potential will have to wait until the end.

*    *    *

What the hell!? Doesn’t Gwen know I’m dying here?  She bears her soul to me about wanting to be my friend. I make a grand gesture . . .  medium one, at least . . .  by offering to buy her coffee, and she acts as though it’s nothing.  Nothing! Explaining it by saying she only wants to be friends. Who does she think she is?

And since when can Mark just sweep her away with a shiny new game?  Didn’t he see Gwen was talking to me?  Not him.  Me! Mark needs to show me some more respect. I’m a board member for Knizia’s sake!

After finding a table, Mark unwrapped the OverPull expansion and added it to his original A Bunch of Scales game. Neoprene player mats, stacks of chips, decks of cards, and dice, dice, and more dice covered the table. Adding the forty dollar expansion, Mark’s entire Scales collection had to be well over $200. And what he had on the table was only a portion.  The rest was still in the box, well maintained I might add, resting in a chair. 

As the two played, Gwen would occasionally take a sip of her coffee, each time placing it down closer to the edge of the table.  In fact, it currently appeared to be slightly hanging over the edge . . . directly above the open Bunch of Scales box!  It wouldn’t take much for it to fall over, the plastic lid coming undone once it hit the box, sending coffee everywhere.  Cards would be ruined.  Player mats would be stained. Gwen would be embarrassed. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mark wanted nothing more to do with her after that.  Come to think of it, he would probably demand that Gwen pay for a new game to replace the one she destroyed. Serves her right, after blowing me off. I can’t wait to see it happen.

Gwen reached for some dice, coming within inches of her cup.  Just a little closer.

A moment later, while adjusting her cards, her fingers brushed against the paper container.  Almost.

Gwen rolled a die that was about to fall off the table, right next to the teetering cup.  Immediately, she reached to stop it from flying off the table and . . .

I grabbed the cup right before Gwen’s hand hit it.

She looked up at me.  I had just saved her from public humiliation, however, her inner embarrassment over what almost happened was clear to me.

“Thank you,” she barely whispered, reaching out for her cup.

“I . . . I didn’t want Mark’s game to get ruined,” I said, handing it back to her. 

Gwen’s eyes expressed her gratitude and indebtedness. She understood my true intentions.

“I think Erik’s setting up some demonstration games of Andromeda Factions,” I said.  “I better get over there to help. It’s for my game campaign and all.”

“Yeah, you should do that,” Gwen agreed. “Talk to you later?”

“Of course,” I said as I turned to find Erik.

Before I got too far, I called over my shoulder.  “Careful with that coffee. I don’t want to have to buy you another one.”

Gwen smiled and I think I saw her blush.

<I don’t lose a Potential because I made the right choice, and I hope it’s obvious why.>

(Read the next prompt here.)

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