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Ironsworn is super cool. I did a bit of playtesting for Star Scarlet Heroes was mentioned in the OP and its link to Stars Without Number in terms of mechanics, but it's worth noting that Stars Without Number (Revised) itself comes with solo support directly in the core rulebook ("Heroic Mode" or something like that, iirc). I haven't tried it, but it's been on my list for some time. It's worth noting that solo RP is way different in terms of feel than actual tabletop roleplaying, and I think a lot of people confused by the genre don't really grok that. It's far less about engaging with a game and its systems for me and more about providing me with something I like to think of as "structured daydreaming." Your mind crafts the story within the confines of the world/character you have set up, and rolls are made and crunch introduced based on need. Some systems work better and worse for it (I can't imagine doing something like 5e solo, but apparently a poo poo ton of people try to make it a thing), but in the end it's mostly up to the player to determine how much or how little the system actually impacts their little structured daydream. In terms of what I've been playing: right now I've got a really slow-burning Google Drive project set up where I'm running through the old Star Wars d20 Living Force campaign, converted to FFG Star Wars rules. It's definitely a different experience to something like an Ironsworn or a Scarlet Heroes, as I'm "playing" an entire small party of 4 characters instead of just one. Kinda neat though and fun to gently caress around with every now and then, but nowhere near as engaging or intuitive as Ironsworn. Comstar posted:
This looks really neat! Definitely post your experience with it... it sounds like something I'd be interested in. In general as far as wargames go, I know Advanced Squad Leader has solitaire rules, but I don't know how decent they are. Drone fucked around with this message at 08:58 on Feb 15, 2021 |
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Feb 15, 2021 08:54
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Yeah, think of solo RPGs as almost a writing exercise, even. A lot of people do the "write a diary entry in-character" thing (which I was also intro'd to by the pretty cool Traveller solo game Log of the Grayswandir a few years ago). A lot of people will keep a notebook and actually write out their stories as they happen, jotting down their ideas and events that happen in the inner monologue, and actually writing out things like scenes and dialogue as if they were writing a short story. Some people draw a lot. Some people worldbuild. I mainly just bullet-point my adventures in a Google Doc, and this works well. For scenes that are more interesting, I try to bullet-point them when I actually "play" them through and then later spruce them up a bit and write them out in actual prose. Here is an example of the very first encounter in that Star Wars solo game I'm attempting... not to provide you with any idea of quality or anything like that, but just to give you a clue as to how an actual "play session" looks when I do it. Note: there are substantially less rolls involved in that log because I'm playing from a prewritten adventure... if I were doing this in something like Ironsworn, there would be a lot more rolling involved as I leave things like scene generation partially up to that game's oracle. Likewise there is a lot more pre-baked setting detail because it's Star Wars, and because it's playing through a module. There are many ways to enjoy solo RPG's tough and the beauty of it is that you can enjoy it the way that comes most intuitively to you. Since you're on your own, you don't have to worry about things like catering to anyone else's playstyles or whims in the game. Drone fucked around with this message at 15:18 on Feb 15, 2021 |
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Feb 15, 2021 15:10
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aldantefax posted:Are there any solo RPGs which deal more with interpersonal relationships than they do with procedural task resolution? Ironsworn can do this easily with its Bonds system (and also by swearing Vows to people and your relationship to them rather than "go to the mountain and kill the dragon" style quest vows), but it doesn't really meet the player halfway by underlining that terribly explicitly in the rules. The book itself mentions that this is a good use of a Bond/Vow a few times, but it's mostly glossed over in an effort to underscore what else Bonds could be (an attachment to a place/thing/organization, etc.) It's good when used but the player often forgets to use the mechanics in that way, so it's probably not the best example of a solo RPG that deals with interpersonal stuff. It's there, it works, but it's not the default focus unless the player has the initiative to make it so. But back to the overall topic of solo RPGs: I'm legit not sure that "play" is even the right verb to use when running through a solo RPG session. I mean sure, you are playing in the sense that you are using your imagination and having fun, but you aren't really doing a whole lot of playing in the sense of a game. The goals, rewards, restrictions, and (to an extent) even the rules are all self-imposed. I legit don't know what word one should use, but I think saying that you "play" a solo RPG kinda creates a false expectation of what a solo RPG is/should be, and I think that expectation is where a lot of people get lost on the genre. Drone fucked around with this message at 08:26 on Feb 16, 2021 |
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Feb 16, 2021 08:23
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aldantefax posted:I think if you're intending for a solo RPG to be a thing which emulates a multiplayer RPG Then again, it all rolls back up to who is defining what a solo RPG is This is really the core of the question for me, and is probably the single biggest source of confusion for people who are new to the idea of solo RPG's and don't quite "get it." It's kinda difficult to define just what a solo RPG is, but I do know that, for me... aldantefax posted:I think if you're intending for a solo RPG to be a thing which emulates a multiplayer RPG ...this is not it. They're two different beasts, and a solo RPG can never fill the same niche as a multiplayer RPG. I guess my haphazard argument is that solo RPG's should be considered completely separate experiences, and that people who are looking to replace multiplayer gaming (for whatever reason) with a solo RPG would be better off playing Minesweeper for as dissimilar as the two styles of play are.
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Feb 16, 2021 09:23
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Definitely gonna back that thing. I played a bit in the playtest and it was extremely my jam, moreso than Ironsworn.
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Apr 16, 2021 18:43
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You can also completely forego world and character generation (for the most part) and flesh out both directly in-play.
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May 6, 2021 16:29
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It's probably uncontroversial to say that Ironsworn and by extension Starforged are probably both the current leaders in the solo RPG space, so you made a good choice imo. I prefer Starforged but that's probably just because it's newer/shinier/I prefer sci-fi to fantasy anyway. How is Five Parsecs from Home though, practically? Like I love the idea of a solo wargame but I also have a hard time imagining myself breaking out the pewter and plastic spacemen and actually setting up a battlefield on my kitchen table just for me.
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Feb 3, 2022 08:36
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Not Starforged but for Ironsworn I'd also recommend Me, Myself, and Die. It really showcases how the system works when really well-run by someone who gets it. Definitely gonna check out The Bad Spot.
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Feb 4, 2022 13:01
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Speaking of Fria Ligan: my preferred shop finally has The One Ring 2nd Edition core books in stock. Wasn't Shawn Tomkin (of Ironsworn fame) supposed to be doing the solo rules chapter for this? Is it in the core book / is it good?
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Mar 25, 2022 18:25
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I rolled up all the prep work for a Starforged campaign back when playtesting first started pre-KS and really, really liked the completely randomly-generated world I came up with and the character that I ended up with. I never really found the time to properly sit down with it, but it's a world I've wanted to go back to for awhile now. Turns out my character was a frontier doctor (unsanctioned by the official Healer's guild, ofc) whose colony was destroyed by a pandemic of something called the Ironphage that threatened to expand to the sector at large, and who took on an epic quest to find a cure. And as cool as that idea felt at the time, two years after Covid I just can't do this storyline anymore.
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Apr 3, 2022 20:43
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Devorum posted:Strider Mode just got released for The One Ring. Digging into it, and Shawn did a great job adapting it for solo play from what I can see so far. Is this gettable for people who didn't back the Kickstarter?
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May 14, 2022 08:57
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https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/396291 Free League released The One Ring's solo module ("Strider Mode") to the public after it was Kickstarter-exclusive for a few weeks. Gonna dig into it later this week I think, kinda hype.
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May 31, 2022 16:08
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What's the thread policy on dumping play reports in here? I'm gonna gives some The One Ring: Strider Mode and typing it up as a little play-along seems like it'd be fun.
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Jun 4, 2022 17:09
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Neato. I'm getting pulled into a weekly game of actual tabletop stuff in a few minutes, but thankfully I already typed up an intro post that has absolutely zero gameplay in it (but character generation is part of gameplay right!) So I decided to give the new Strider Mode rules for The One Ring 2nd Edition a try, since they were finally released to non-Kickstarter backers. I have no experience with the system itself yet, or even with The One Ring 1st Edition, so I’m coming at this pretty much totally blind (I am a pretty big fan of the setting, though). Character creation rules for Strider Mode are pretty simple and generally the character generation process is about 95% identical to what’s in the core rulebook. The only major differences are that your character starts with more previous experience (i.e. Strider Mode characters are tougher and have seen more poo poo), as well as some general guidance about how to handle Fellowship scores when adventuring solo. Anyway, I start by coming up with a character concept that seems to fit the motive of a solo adventurer in the lands of Middle Earth. The Strider Mode text hints at some callings that make more sense for a solo adventurer. Not wanting to go for the most straightforward option (a Dunedain Warden, as hinted at by the name of this ruleset), a concept starts to form around a Treasure Hunter. A Hobbit, Elf, or Dwarf doesn’t appeal to me for this first playthrough – I have a hard time seeing a Hobbit or a Dwarf as a solo adventurer, and an Elf doesn’t feel right for a Treasure Hunter. A Beorning could work, but I want my adventure to take place in the default setting of 2nd Edition, Eriador (the lands west of the Misty Mountains), and Beornings don’t fit as well there. So I’m left with a choice between a Man of Bree, a Dunedain Ranger, or a Daleling. I previously ruled out a Dunedain Ranger, and a Daleling seems like he’d be a bit too far from home as well, so I settle on a Man of Bree. I run through a few random name generators until I find something I like well enough and tweak it a bit, and so Jasper Thrushwood the Treasure Hunter from Bree is born. I fill in my character sheet with the template provided by my culture, including my blessing (“Bree-Blood”, which raises my Fellowship Rating +1). Fellowship Rating is still mechanically important when playing solo, as it impacts your character’s ability to regain Hope while resting – our Fellowship Rating is artificially high in order to simulate the mechanical benefit of having a group of people traveling with us. In narrative terms, this means that our character is just as at home by himself as he is with a group. When resting, his feeling of belonging to a Fellowship is replaced by his feeling of connection to his safe haven, in this case the village of Bree. I run through the rest of character creation as indicated in the core rules, as well as giving Jasper a few more previous experience points per the Strider Mode rules. For his features, I choose Inquisitive and Rustic – the former because his motivation for treasure hunting is just as much out of curiosity about the past as it is for finding fat loot, and the latter because I envision him to be a somewhat rough-and-tumble working class type. These two features together give me ideas that Jasper was quite the bar rat at the Prancing Pony in his youth, and in between nights of drunken stupor he was intrigued by tales of treasure and legends from the long-lost Kingdom of Arnor. Additionally, I give him the Burglary feature due to his Treasure Hunter calling, and a special feature called Strider (which comes from the solo rules and makes all of his skill rolls count as Inspired). After that, I choose some gear and his starting rewards/virtues (a one-handed axe and a bow, a cunningly-made leather corslet, your normal traveling gear, a hunting knife, a lantern to find his way in the dark, and an old horse). As a last step before calculating all of my derived attributes, I choose a Patron. This is our main quest-giver at this stage of our journey in Middle Earth. Unfortunately 2nd Edition only has 7 Patrons currently that I’m aware of (6 in the core book and 1 in the Lorekeeper’s Screen), so we don’t have a ton to go on. However, since I had this concept that Jasper’s thirst for adventure was ignited by tall tales told over beer at the Prancing Pony, I chose Bilbo Baggins as my Patron. Bilbo probably comes into Bree every so often on very important business of his own, and I find it highly unlikely that a well-to-do hobbit wouldn’t pop into the Pony any chance he could for a pint and some gossip. And so Jasper Thrushwood’s creation is complete. The last few weeks, he has gambled and drank his way through his hometown of Bree in between jobs, and he’s down to the last few coins in his purse. As he stumbles up the short hill towards the Prancing Pony, his eyes light up as he sees a small wagon and two squat ponies hitched out in front of the inn. These aren’t just any ponies, for he recognizes them as belonging to a very unusual hobbit of his acquaintance: Bilbo Baggins is in town. Maybe the wise little ex-burglar has a lead on an opportunity that Jasper can tap into to refill that empty coin purse… 
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Jun 4, 2022 18:06
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The One Ring: Strider Mode Playsession 1 More The One Ring: Strider Mode, this time with actual gameplay! Our last little mini-scene had our hero Jasper Thrushwood stumbling towards the Prancing Pony, a well-known tavern in the human town of Bree just east of the Shire (and his hometown). Jasper had noticed that the cart and ponies of Bilbo Baggins were leashed up outside the inn, a portent that Jasper might just be able to get a rumor of some work from the adventurous hobbit. Entering the inn, Jasper’s eyes scan the place, looking for the short hobbit-master. They find him in due time, as Bilbo is sitting at a half-empty table, puffing on his pipe and scratching idly at a book in front of him. Seeing his chance for an in, Jasper makes a quick detour to fetch two mugs of ale (using some of the last of his coin) from Barliman Butterbur behind the bar before plopping himself down at the bench opposite the curious Bilbo. Jasper slides the complimentary mug of ale in Bilbo’s direction, to which the curious halfling arches an eyebrow and then cheerfully toasts our hero. After some pleasant chitchat, Jasper is able to ascertain a bit more of Bilbo’s current business in Bree: ”Mechanics” posted:I make the first roll here on the Lore table. Bilbo tells Jasper that his visit to Bree is not entirely under pleasant circumstances. A local bookshop owner had borrowed a detailed map of the lands north of Bree, and wrote that he was so enamored with the work that he wanted to purchase it outright from the hobbit. Bilbo eagerly ventured to Bree to extract payment, but in the meantime the bookshop owner had accidentally destroyed the map after carelessly spilling a goblet of wine over it. Bilbo gets a gleam in his eye. “You look to be of an adventurous bent, Mister Thrushwood. What say you help me compose a new map? Head up north a ways – say, 100 miles – and plot out the beginnings of a new map of the North Downs. Bring your notes back to me, and I’ll cut you in on a slice of the profits when we sell the good bookkeeper a replacement.” He takes a gulp of his beer. “Is it a deal?” Jasper, of course, agrees. Bilbo nods approvingly and arranges to meet us back at the Prancing Pony in about a month: more than enough time for us to go there and back again. ”Mechanics” posted:First, since I have accepted a mission from a patron, I award myself +1 Adventure Point. Adventure Points and Skill Points are the system's way of tracking experience. In default TOR, you're usually awarded a specific number of these per game session, and can then spend them in the Fellowship Phase after an adventure is concluded. In Strider Mode, you have the choice of doing it that way (if you tend to have longer sessions), or there is a milestone system that can be used. This awards a slower trickle of AP/SP for reaching milestones as opposed to tracking playtime. Jasper sets out from Bree, eager to have some work that gets him out and about. And the thought of coming so close to the infamous ruins of Fornost intrigues him greatly. With a bit of luck, not only will Jasper be able to get a decent survey of the road leading up to the great and ruined Arnorian city, but he might even get a chance to find some artifacts that could fetch some coin. Jasper’s mood is light as he sets out that first day, thoughts of wealth and fame dancing in his mind. By the third day, however, a creeping and unexplainable darkness seems to have settled into the back of Jasper’s mind. Despite the unusually beautiful weather for this time of year, Jasper finds himself being worn down more and more as he makes his way closer to his destination. Stopping every so often to take some notes on the landscape and update his map-in-progress, he finds his mind wandering more often than not. Visions of a blackened sky over collapsed buildings of white stone flash in his mind, and on more than one occasion he feels as if his pack is getting physically harder to carry as he trudges north. Some sense of unease is beginning to set in, and his journey to Fornost is only half over… ------------ This session took about 90 minutes, but it was mostly flipping through and acquainting myself with rules. Had a lot of fun though and I'm looking forward to the next one. There's a lot that hasn't come up yet -- mainly combat, but also Eye Awareness (which tracks the forces of Evil and how they perceive me) and Revelation episodes. Hopefully at least combat will happen next session. Updated the character sheet too since I hosed up something very important in the first version (calculated the TN's wrong). 
Drone fucked around with this message at 15:44 on Jun 5, 2022 |
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Jun 5, 2022 13:51
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Watching a good Actual Play like season 2 of Me Myself and Die really, really helps to grok how to play Ironsworn.
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Feb 17, 2023 19:34
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I'm kind of underwhelmed about Captain's Log's random generation tables to be honest. Without even comparing them to Starforged (which I don't think is particularly fair), they have this sort of half-baked feel to them that I just can't place. Some of them are original and creative (the ship quirk chart, which was just lifted from the STA Utopia Planitia supplement, is still great), but for whatever reason that may be entirely subjective something just feels slightly boring and uninspired about most of the other ones. It's most apparent in the character/ship creation section where they just created a big list of every single heritage/ship option without creating any kind of distribution or anything. Hell, Vulcans/Andorians/Tellarites are supposed to be the founding members of the Federation and a bedrock of any era, but they only show up in the Enterprise-era species table. Just feels like bad editing, I dunno. I find myself porting ship statblocks from STA into Captain's Log as well, mostly because I can't fathom how certain ship classes have the stats that they do in CL vs. STA. At first I thought they chose to buff ships in CL to compensate for not having other player characters in the party, but that doesn't really track... some stat blocks are basically untouched from STA, some are wildly buffed. Drone fucked around with this message at 20:34 on Jul 19, 2023 |
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Jul 19, 2023 20:22
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Galaga Galaxian posted:I do have to wonder if the person who created some of these The random charts in Captain's Log were unfortunately created by someone who has never actually seen or used a random chart before, presumably. They're almost all bad for various reasons.
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Aug 13, 2023 08:07
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At this point I'm convinced Modiphius assumed that anyone buying Captain's Log would already have a familiarity with STA. This absolutely doesn't excuse lovely formatting, I say it just to point out that some of their very strange layout/content choices with Captain's Log almost have to be intentional, rite?
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Aug 23, 2023 11:22
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In the end after reading through Captain's Log, the game that I am running is pretty much using core STA rules with a sprinkling of the Captain's Log stuff in there when it comes to mission generation etc.
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Aug 23, 2023 16:03
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Doctor Zero posted:I guess Modiphius is listening to feedback. They came out with updated PDFs for Captain's Log. Captain's Log has reminded me why I never buy first-run print copies of Modiphius's books if I can help it. I made the mistake of preordering Captain's Log, just got it, and the PDF is already like four versions ahead of it. More than most other companies they seem to do basically no proofreading before approving final versions for print. STA's original core books were absolutely terrible for this.
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Aug 30, 2023 10:15
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StrixNebulosa posted:I think my big splurge purchase next month is going to be the complete set, as having it in physical will work wonders for hanging out downstairs away from the computer and just playing. The physical book also feels super high quality, it's great.
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Mar 13, 2024 09:54
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Doctor Zero posted:Pounded in the Butt by my Solo RPG System. Grats on the new thread title 
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Mar 22, 2024 18:23
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