All Things Solo

# Setting Combat Encounters

Since you are both the player and the GM, you'll play the monsters and villains in combat as well as your PC. The first trick for a captivating Solo session is to play the monsters accordingly to their nature. And suspend your PC bias when you attack your PC with monsters to keep the game exciting.

If you want, you can give your PC another, limited advantage that gives you a choice to reroll any PC rolls once, twice, or at most thrice. This can be either per scene or per session or even per campaign, depending on your preferences of difficulty. Call it Blessings, or whatever name you like. In Savage Worlds, it's called "Bennies."

• Run Combat Encounters EITHER with tokens in a map, OR from the Combat Tracker and use any Mode of Play to record actions in a fight. You can add some spice to your encounters by using Roleplay Styles for combatants in the fight.

• You can play your encounters in Any Mode of Play, so try them until you find out which one is best for you.

• If you're using an outside source for monster statblocks, don't bother to copy them into FGU during a session. You want your sessions to flow fast. So alt + tab. Typing each character's actions in Chat or Theater of Mind Mode could be useful. Whatever is the quickest way for you.

# Theater Of Mind

Theater of mind works best for quick combat encounters in nondescript locations designed just to help drain resources prior to a more pivotal encounter with real villains.

# Surprising Encounters

You can keep the encounters SURPRISING If you're using FGU with Monster Manual. By SCALING or RANDOMIZING monster AMOUNT in relation to the number of your PCs. Check the Extension recommendations below --automation ones are paid.

• Add a monster to an encounter table. Type "2*$PC" in the number column (indicated by #) of the monster in the table to roll for 2 monsters per PC. If you have 2 PCs, you'll generate 4 monsters of your choosing. You can change 2 with any number to your liking.

randomized-encounter.png


Source: https://www.youtube.com/live/SldJmlZ...=shared&t=6326

• You can also type "1d4" into the # column of a monster in the encounter table to randomize the amount of monsters from 1 to 4. You can change 1d4 with any kind of dice roll.

• Or try to combine both by typing "1d4*$PC" in Monster # to roll for 1 to 4 monsters x PC number.

# Difficulty of Combat Encounters

• For **Easy Difficulty,** just tinker with prepared encounters by either reducing monster amount and maybe swapping hard monsters with easier ones. OR randomly pick them from an ordered list with (low) CR ones.

• If you go with the **SAFE PATH,** and gave your PC an advantage, such as adding a level or "HERO'S LUCK: Something resurrected you for once and once only. Note: Roleplay what might caused it and the consequences of it." and created a sidekick to help you stabilize if you fall, you don't have to worry about anything else.

• But if you want a **CHALLENGE**, just start at low level with or without a sidekick, and run combat as usual.

# Recomendations for Solo GameMasters

## Useful Extensions

• Flee, Mortals! The MCDM Monster Book (Preview): https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/611/view for Un-Boring'd Action-Oriented Monster Ideas.
• Action Tracker: https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/851/view if you want to keep track of your PC's actions (D&D 5E) in Theater of Mind Mode.
• illahad's Prompt Reaction: https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/1463/view This extension parses NPCs added in the Combat Tracker and detects what reactions they have to trigger. For automated monster reactions, if they have it.
• Patrol Duty: https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/1811/view allows the GM to create paths for tokens. Tokens will then travel along the path in a map at configurable intervals. Perfect for any scenario where many NPC tokens move independently of the party, and allows the GM to focus on running the game instead of moving tokens around.
• Friend Zone: https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/170/view Friend Zone adds support for companions of any sort. On the character sheet, the Logs tab contents have been relocated to the bottom of the Notes tab, and in its place a Cohorts tab has been created. Simply drag in any NPC to the Cohorts list on this new tab to give the PC a companion. NOTE: Use Scribe for Friend Zone if you're using Scribe extension.
• PAID - Random Encounter Generator - REVAMPED! 10$: https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/126/view
• PAID - 5E Combat Groups - 10$: https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/154/view to prepare a group of enemies beforehand to place on a map at any time. Can be used with encounter generators to quickly randomize and populate your Combat Tracker.

## D&D 5E Combat Books

If you are a GM who wants to step up your combat game in D&D,

1. "The Monsters Know What They're Doing" by Keith Ammann explains how to read stat-blocks, what are D&D monsters' motivations, how to approach combat in a captivating way, in detail through something called "Ability Contour".
2. And in the sequel "MOAR Monsters Know What They're Doing" is a step-by-step tour through the authors whole process that turns every number into actionable info to bring RP & Tactics to your Combat Encounters.
3. Before checking the books, here's the Blog of the author with many things from the books.

Both books also analyzes each D&D 5E monster's stats & flavor text (in terms of combat) individually.