Solo Play Guide for FGU - INDEX

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SOLO GUIDE.MOD: W.I.P.
COMBAT GUIDE.MOD: W.I.P.

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Introduction

Welcome to my Free-for-all passion project. It's a live document until it's finished. Feel free to dig in.

• Solo Play In FGU - Intro
• Start Playing With This Demo (Newcomer friendly)
• Start Fighting With This Demo (ditto)
• Start Being Creative With This Demo

Solo Gameplay Examples

• Video Examples
• Podcast Examples
• Solo AI Podcasts below NEWEST!

FAQ

• What Is Solo Play?
• Why Play Solo?
• Cheapest & Quickest Way to Play Solo in FGU (D&D 5E only)
• What Will I Need to Play Solo?
• How Does a Solo Session Play?
• How Will I Motivate Myself?
• Journaling In FGU
• Golden Rules of Solo Play

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Overview

• Overview of Solo Gameplay (Summary)

Methodology (Beginner)

If you're starting new, just this part will be enough to kickstart your session.
Don't burden yourself with details. You can best learn by jumping into action and making your own mistakes.

1. Minimum Prep
2. Modes of Play
3. Your First Scene
   
   1. First Scene Example
   
   
4. Core Gameplay Loop (Content Creation Method) Oracle Inside.
5. Freeform Association (Source of Creativity)
6. Mechanics of Game Story (To chain your scenes)
7. End of the Session

• How to Play Published Adventures Solo (Fog of War in maps) & Note on spoilers in comments.

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Oracles

• Mythic Game Master Emulator (Web / Free v1)
• 3 Popular Oracles for FGU and Supplements (Paid)
• The Solo Adventurer's Toolbox (D&D 5E Only, Paid)
• Mythic GM Emulator v2 (Paid)

The 3 Pillars

• Exploration Part I (Discover an Established Setting), Requires a Setting Module
  
  • Delve out of Candlekeep (Demo)
  
  
• Exploration Part II (Create-as-you-go) / Types of Random Generators
  
  • ​Gwydion's 2d6 Dungeon Module Quick Start
  
  
• Exploration Part III (Hex-Crawling) / Obstacle Creation
  
  • FGU Hexploration Playtest Notes
  
  
• Roleplay
• Combat Tweaks

Adjudication

• Rules in Solo Play
  
• Cheating in Solo Play

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2 Approaches to Solo Play (Intermediate)

1. GM Approach & Exercises for GM Approach (Creative Process).
2. Player Approach Part I & Part II & Muses
   
   • Part 1: About Inspiration for characters, quests.
   • Part 2: Inspiration for places & conflicts. Environmental Storytelling, Personalization.
   • Muses: Music, questioning, lists for inspiration.
   
   

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EPILOGUE

• Engaging In Problem Solving With Solo Play: This method is what I use to gain insight on any problem with what I call "Wisdom Through Fictional Conflict." Just like writers do. Sometimes it gives me eureka moments but sometimes it frustrates me. IT'S NOT FOR EVERYONE!

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Dedicated to all Dreamers, Hermits and Lonewolves. I hail thee.

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Deep Dive (ADVANCED)

Storytelling Articles:

• WHY & HOW to Utilize Story Mechanics & ​Consequences Table
• 9 Conflict Types & Ian Irvine's Conflict Creation Methods
• Conjuring Sparks from Themes & Thematic Word Table for Plots and Characters
  
  • Methods to use themes in both creative AND therapeutic way & A Quick List of Action - Story - Character - Deep themes.
  • THEMATIC MUSES (Songs): Action * Story * Character * Deep
  
  
• Creating Plot Twists On-The-Go
• Environmental Storytelling - NEWEST!
• Creative Usage of Time In Solo Play - NEW

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Solo Combat Strategy Series: Index

• Solo Combat Guide - Part I // Basics
• Solo Combat Guide - Part II // Foundations
  
  • Class Stratagems: Artificer * Barbarian * Bard * Cleric * Druid * Fighter * Monk * Paladin * Ranger * Rogue * Sorcerer * Warlock * Wizard
  
  
• Solo Combat Guide - Part III - A. Theory // Solo Combat Strategy & Tactics in Theory
• Solo Combat Guide - Part III - B. Practice
• On Bestiary in Solo Combat
• Anthology of Topics
  
  • Theater of Mind in Combat
  • Action Economy
  • Zone of Control
  • Experimental Reading of Combat Rules // Words & Digits to Dreams Conversion
  • Usage of Mythic GME in Combat // Context of the Enemy, Meta-Game solutions
  • Usage of Monster AI in The Adventurer's Toolbox 2
  
  

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Alternative Ways To Play Solo:

• Something, something... Cards. Inspiration Source: How To Build An Adventure with The Deck of Many Things

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Actual Plays:

• When both modules are released, my first Solo Play attempt after a hiatus will reside here. Of course, with some methodology explanations and intrigue.
  
  • PLAY PUBLISHED ADVENTURES SOLO: "Ultimate Undermountain: The Dungeon Level" by Dan Harlan.
  
  

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That's it! I'm hijacking this post. I need your clothes, your bullet points and your server hamster. ~ Arnold Temperzenegger after using up 10k word limit

Resources:

• How to Keep It Short and Simple? By Killing Your Darlings. 12 min video from Corkboards & Curiosities
• Free PDF Alone Against the Flame - Call of Cthulhu Solo
• Free PDF SoloDark Oracle
• Free Dungeon Tileset by FlexTale
• ​Forgotten Adventures Mapmaking Pack: 131.916 assets https://www.forgotten-adventures.net...apmaking-pack/
  
  • ! Check back later if there is a block on Google for too many download requests.
  
  

CHEAT SHEETS: ! COMPLETED !

• Starter Cheat Sheet (Rules, 1st Scene, Gameplay Modes, RP Styles, Core Loop, Story Mechanics, How to utilize the mechanics)
• Player / GM Approach
• Methodology
• Playing Published Adventures
• Inspiration & Personalization
• Exploration I & II
• Hex-Crawl

COMBAT CHEAT SHEETS:

• Combat Strategy (Know Yourself > Combat Roles, Group Dynamics / Know Your Enemy / Laying Plans > Action Economy / Know Consequences)
• Combat Tactics (Basic Tactics > Deployment, Movement & Range / Zone of Control / Econ Warfare 101)

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Solo Guide A.I. Podcasts: Multichannel Chip Chat

Now that AI can create podcasts AS IF two guys talking about a subject, I decided to use it for the guide while John Connor looks at me in disappointment.

• Podcast #1: For newcomers. The AI took the subject in most broad terms and not just for D&D or even in terms of systems with character classes. "So it's like a collaborative progress between player and game." ~ Anonymous AI Woman.
• Podcast #2: For intermediate players. A 46 minutes A.I. Podcast (now in 5 parts) in which these Artificial... *don't say it! don't say it!* Intelligence added from itself A LOT! Reading comprehension, rich guy, reading comprehension! Or wait, what am I saying. It's fine like this. Don't improve it more so that I can sabot... I mean "immerse" myself in them if we play Terminator 1. "In solo adventures the rules are more like guidelines... The guide's philosophy is simple: It's YOUR game, so you make the rules." ~ The same AI Woman.
• Podcast #3: For experts, with more examples than explanations. AHMAHGAWD! This AI is already more advanced than I originally thought. It actually used Freeform Association! The AI woman picked 4 random words and the AI guy interpreted them while not straying from my FFA example and turned my example into a better story than I did... :/ Someone really should pour some water on these things!
• Podcast #4: For Beginner Solo GMs. Sleazy bastids now trying to bribe me out of the resistance by using flattery! HA! Just wait when I find out how to remove the batteries. (Shhh, don't tell 'em but it might take a while. I'm too old for this sheet). Anyway, let's get back to the topic at hand. Join me as our idgits enlighten us on the GM Approach to solo play by starting small as I suggested in the guide.
• Podcast #5: For Intermediate Solo GMs. Let's see, hmm. This time they added FGU usage in it probably because I fed it GM Approach & Exercises from the blog... You know what they say, don't send a machine while you can do it with the superior race = people. But man, I must give credit to it where credit is due. Anyway, I can't call them idgits this time because they actually did a good job.
• Podcast #6: For Expert Solo GMs. Coming Soon...

MORE will be in the Main Page to save space in here:

• COMBAT PODCASTS PART 1 [ ] * PART 2 [ ] * PART 3 [ ]...

IF ya'll wanna listen to these idgits talking about any specific part of the guide, just say a word and I'll get a podcast out of it to share.

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EDIT: Previous Original Post moved here.

Added to: Cheapest-and-Quickest-Way-for-Solo-Play
* JimSocks' Content Generator 2020
* DndSpeak 100 Tables
* Sellers Shop (Tables with BG Pic and Item Pins)
All of them are Pay what you want except the Content Creator is a free module for FGU.

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OP:

New Section Deep Dive is ready with its first item:

• WHY & HOW to Utilize Story Mechanics - 25/07/2024

Also, a pay what you want Name Gen Onomatology added to the Cheap & Quick Way.

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Added: Exploration Part II (Create-as-you-go) in the 3 Pillars Section.

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Added: 2 Approaches to Solo Play - NEW

1. GM Approach & Exercises for GM Approach
2. Player Approach - WIP

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Added to 2 Approaches to Solo Play

Player Approach Part I & Part II & Muses // NEW 06/08/2024


Part 1: About characters and their quests in the context of inspiration.
Part 2: About places and conflicts in the context of inspiration. Also environmental storytelling and personalization of all these.
Muses: Music, questioning, lists for inspiration.

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Added to Deep Dive Section: Conflict Types & Ian Irvine's Conflict Creation Methods

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Conjuring Sparks from Themes & My Table of Thematic Words

• Methods to use themes in both creative AND therapeutic way in Solo Mode.

Added to the the Deep Dive section. 11/08/2024.

[superteddy57]

Love this! I'm an avid solo gamer nowadays and this has some great older advice I've picked up and some great new things to try. Thanks for putting this together.