Mechanics ideas, solo RPG design thoughts, and experiments.

Solo RPG Structure

Solo RPGs Structure

Scenes Drive the Game

Whether playing solo or with a group scenes are the base unit of adventure in roleplaying games.

Compare

  • MUNE introduces more twists and paths at a smaller level
  • Mythic makes for more dramatic scenes that change at

Mythic

  • Determine odds
  • Adjust for Chaos
  • Roll Fate Question
  • Result is yes yes, yes, no, no no
  • Possible Random Event

MUNE

  • Determine odds (advantage/disadvantage)

  • Roll Oracle

  • fun mapping, looks like art

  • log of actions

  • D20

  • Replayable maps

  • Skill checks

  • Actions beyond combat

  • Crunchy modifiers based on alignment, background, faction

    • shopkeeper, persuasion,

mechanics

The core of all solo engines is answering questions. Is there a way across the chasm, how many guards are in the next room, is the door locked?

How answers are determined is the soul of the engine. While always random the level of randomness varies.

  • How likely is the answer “yes” - this decreases the amount of random events. The more likely an outcome the lower chance of surprise twists.
  • Narrative tension - adjusting the outcome based on story pacing and tension
  • Levels of success - adjusting the intensity of the answer to allow for heroic success, tragic setbacks and partial success

rules for playing solo

  1. Rulings and enjoyment over rules
  2. Keep it simple
  • Use fewer supplements, variations, addendums
  1. Use a RPG system that you know

4AU — Location Complexity Rating

Each ship, space station, artifact, or ruin has a complexity rating. The big it is, the higher.

Rating controls how many options you pick from a table. A three section ship probably isn’t trapped in a time loop, filled with self-replicating machines, and also filled with toxic gas.

Every location has 1-N Big Things.

Simple version is one table, other is table of tables.

Reuse

Games are reusable, rules for reusing someone else’s maps. Allowing for branching versions and exploring previous runs.

Re-explore or continue to explore.

Crews can make their mark, not always for the best.

Ideas

  • Dungeon piece tetris
  • universal solo rpg Scene +

Character is at place trying to find a way in by checking the sewers

No action is bad. Just as a writer wastes no words

You don’t ask him I love him up yet you stayed why you want to level up. At the end of every session you decide if you want to level up to level out to Means if you decide you want to improve one of your abilities utilize the bed Bossfight I want to get better at fighting you have to go seek out

Leveling up it’s just another thread I want to improve my hand to hand I want to cast more spells, more often I want to make political connections

Leveling is driven by personality Anytime you level an ability aligned to your PC, Fine ass loot

Tracks are extra levels of complexity mzke tracks appropriate to the setting Rations for long journeys Torches for caves

Playing cards are cosmic, I collect them, from all cultures.