All Things Solo

This demo is designed for newcomers who doesn't have any knowledge of RPGs to teach them the basics of Solo Play. Everything you need is provided in the guide. Let's jump right into play without needing to read any rules or worrying about the lack of a Game Master. Our Oracle will provides us answers and remove the need of a GM. And random generators will give us ideas. (Text-based NON-FGU Play)

# Solo Play Based On Rule Of Cool

Rule of Cool means that if your character wants to do something and it’s cool, just add it to your game even if it breaks a rule. This is not the default way of solo play but it's best suited for beginners.


1. Create Your Character

Just pick any character to your heart's content. Roles, Classes, Vocations doesn't matter. Who do you want to be in your fantasy world?


2. Write a Short Background Story

This is for your Player Character to have a ground in the Solo Gameplay so that you can kickstart your first scene. Use the template below if you can't think of anything.

Quick & Dirty BG Template: (Character Name) is/has (descriptive outer look), (a psychological trait), wearing (description of main clothes), and is (feeling this emotion) because he/she/it can't have (someone / something) or someone / something (did him/her wrong) because of (PC's past action) in (optional place name). Since then the PC yearns to (achieve his/her goal).


3. Place Your Character In Any Fictional World

Don't just think a medieval world as in Lord of the Rings. It can be a spaceship, modern world military base, future world or an alien planet as in sci-fi, an industrial world as in steampunk. Any fictional world would do. Be specific like a cantina in Star Wars, or a house in Game of Thrones. Maybe Gondor in LOTR.


4. Pick Your Mode of Play

THEATER OF MIND: Just imagine everything in the story you will produce for your character.

NARRATION: Narrate the events that you will determine with the 8-ball I will provide when it's necessary. Use inner voice or narrate aloud.

JOURNALLING: Use any text editor and type it just like in a movie script. Narration, character invoice communications, whatever is cool for you. Just describe the scene and few communications in it. Keep it short and simple (KISS it.)


5. Jump right into the action!

ONLY play the JUICY BITS with action and drama. Skip unnecessary details.


6. Set Your First Scene

This will depend on your character's location and goal in your world. Use the template below if you're stuck.

Quick & Dirty 1st Scene Template: (Character Name) is in (description of a place) on a quest to achieve (their goal) and there is a long journey ahead of them. (Char Name's) old friend (sidekick's name) was always helpful to the PC. But this time things were about to change. A nameless (Villain) was secretly scheming beyond their reach. Little did they know, one of (the Villain)'s minions was in close proximity to spy on them in disguise.

If you need another character to interact with, use "randomize everything" in here. For example, you can start by creating your Sidekick. Pick Common Folk or Hero from the "Character Type" box after you randomized everything few times. Or just design them in the generator. You can assign extra characters a job to fit your story needs. An innkeeper, a patron, a boss, even a waitress.

If you need random names use this generator.


7. Create Content With An Oracle

Ask your 8-ball (simplest Oracle) YES / NO questions when you're stuck in the story and don't know what to do next. Not all the questions at once, just pick whatever question is necessary to create content.

Template Example: Did (Character Name) spot the spy? Ask your 8-ball. (It told me "you may rely on it.") Whatever answer it gives you, use it to move the story.

Roleplay: *I'm slowly and discretely moving towards the spy with the intention to catch him.* Does he get suspicious? 8-ball: "It is decidedly so."

A chase scene is next. Depending on the results, I would search the spy for clues and interrogate him. Or if I can not catch him ("No" answer to your "did I catch him?" question), just take note of this and move the story on accordingly. There will be more opportunities to catch that sleazy rogue.

Imagine, Narrate or Write about the story you're creating with random generators in the guidance of your Oracle.


8. How to Ask Questions?

Quick & Dirty Question Conversion: Convert questions into YES / NO questions.

• WHO -> Is it (this person)?
• WHAT -> Is it (this specific thing / action)?
• WHEN -> At (high noon / evening)?
• WHERE -> Is it (this specific place)?
• WHY -> Could it be because of (this specific reason)?
• HOW -> Is it (by this specific way)?

NOTE: Ask questions based on the context of your scene. You don't need to ask everything. If you feel like an action requires a referee, ask your oracle. A good example is combat encounters to keep them surprising. Or when your character wants to oppose someone or something else physically or mentally. Otherwise, produce anything to your heart's content.


9. Chain Scenes Together

TO-DO: Assign each scene a SCENE GOAL for your character to achieve. Scene goals depend on the objective of a scene. Beside your character's main goal, these scene goals will keep the scenes short and controllable.

TEMPLATE EXAMPLE: The first scene template's goal is to start the journey, maybe "Find a Job" to earn some gold. But IF your character spots the spy, the scene goal might change into a "Chase" -> "Interrogation" sequence. Then you can improvise from there.

"When a SCENE GOAL is resolved - either by achieving or failing - the scene ends and the next scene starts."

Keep asking questions to generate more content. And add some flavor to embellish the story.


10. End with a Cliffhanger

When you want to end your session, stop when there is some ambiguity for your character. Maybe you interrogated the spy but he escaped before spilling his real goal out. End your session there to leave excitement for your next session.


# 3 Pillars of RPGs

You might want one of 3 things for a scene in Solo RPGs and the scene goal depends on them.

1. Exploration: Search for a place or a person in that place. Here's a place Generator with weather.
2. Combat: Describe a cool combat move and ask your 8-ball if you succeed. Then do the same for the enemies as they counter your moves. If you can't think of anyone to fight, use this one for a fantasy encounter list. Or this one for sci-fi encounters. Note that those generators not always generate enemies. Use your imagination to add some.
3. Roleplay: Social Interaction with your sidekick or non-player characters. Such as asking a bartender for rumors in a tavern to get a job. Or exchanging some witty insults with the bad guy.

If you want to do a quest in fantasy settings, pick one from this list: https://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/random/
And a job generator in sci-fi settings: https://donjon.bin.sh/scifi/random/#type=space_job

Hint: If you want to randomly decide the quest / job before you generate it, pick a number in between 1 to 10 in your mind, only then look at the list.


# Game Story Mechanics

• PCs' goals + NPCs' goals + Monsters' goals = Story
• Opposition of Goals = Conflict that gives you excitement
• Creating Action -> Reaction Chain keeps your scenes flowing
• Consequences of Actions = Emotions that give meaning to your session
• Resolving a Conflict = Sweet Relief! that you aimed for from the start

PC = Player Character
NPC = Non-player character (other characters that's not your main character).


# Differences With Group RPGs

Group RPGs are completely different than this style. If you want to use Solo Play to learn the ropes to play with others or maybe become a Game Master, you'll need to adapt to learn more -somewhat strict- rules as they involve different kind of people and playstyles for everyone's enjoyment at the table. Solo play is all about your style and Group Play is all about group synergy.

# What's More?

These are the basics of Solo RPGs. You can automate or embellish everything you do in this demo with Virtual Tabletop Software, such as Fantasy Grounds Unity. Pictures and some degree of animations can be used in VTTs, too. Note that this won't be like video games in terms of graphics and animations. But your imagination will rule. There are settings for every possible type of fictional world with their own rules and lore to explore. Or you can create your own setting.

If you want to learn more, you can watch some video gameplays or check this Intro for further information.