My latest thoughts on how to adapt Cortext Plus for solo play are about random events. Sure you could just use the Mythic GME, but Cortex already has a mechanism for injecting random events into the game, it happens when you roll 1's, so really the GME seems mostly redundant.

My latest thoughts on how to adapt Cortext Plus for solo play are about random events. Sure you could just use the Mythic GME, but Cortex already has a mechanism for injecting random events into the game, it happens when you roll 1's, so really the GME seems mostly redundant. 

So here is my thinking. We add a Fortune Dice Pool which starts at 2d8+1d6 The 2d8 are variable dice , see below, but the 3rd dice is always a d6. This Pool is rolled against a stakes based on how likely you want the answer to be yes, a 50/50 question has a stakes of 12, lower stakes mean more likely and higher stakes mean less likely. 

Your question such that raising the stakes benefits the protagonist in some way, and failing to raise the stakes hurts the protagonist in some way.  

At the end of each scene evaluate weather things are going well or poorly. If things are going well then step up the lowest variable die in the fortune pool. If things are going poorly then step back the highest variable die in the fortune pool.  this will always give you a fortune pool between 2d4+d6 and 2d12+d6. 

Why the extra d6?

Because it allows us to get a 50/50 split. with only 2 dice in the pool 50/50 splits would be impossible.  I havn't tried this yet, but plan to in the next week or so, as time permits.

Title

I don't know about you, but without fun tables to inspire my solo gaming, everything falls apart.

Tables like this are a gold mine for me, and are generally much better than what I get out of mythic GME. Things that can happen, happen to you.

ruthlessly stolen from the walkthroughs for the discworld mud from the early 2000s.

accomplice -- help a cat burglar
aid a baker with ingredients
capture a native animal
beat up a few people at the bar
beat a corn maze
try to connive your way to a free show
remove a curse
explore an area of the city sewers
act as a courier for a big job
bring a ticket and bring back the object
perform a friendly service for a demon
feed a pet
kill someone else's pet
discover a doppelganger
deliver something locally
get secret access to something
help solve a discrepancy in weight argument
find a secret location to spy on something secret
look around and help people find stuff they lost
help fashion hooks for fishing and use them
buy a big fish and whack someone with it as a joke
buy a bunch of flowers for a friend
help a fortune teller find some missing cards
help someone move to a new residence
gather ingredients for sacrifice at an altar
help someone with injured feet get to a cobbler
investigate the reports of wandering undead
on a dare, find and kiss a frog
clean up a neglected residence
fix a squeaky gate or door
break someone out of jail
find the hidden entrance
find out what the shop really sells
prove yourself to the smart person or be embarrassed
help a potter with menial tasks
kill sacred monsters for sacrifice
find something that your friend lost while out
mend clothing with the other folks
inquire at the closed shop
play a musical instrument for someone
get rid of some vermin
clean out the mechanical sewer equipment
fix the wheel for the potter
play a practical joke on someone
help create signs for town cryers
pay for a message to be shouted by town cryers
buy a child's toy
lead the mime into a trap
count votes for an election
go fishing
knock out a loose tooth carefully
read lines with the patrician actor
use food to cleverly get vermin out of the way
help the artificer with a new clever design
polish armor and weaponry
comfort someone that is sad
bring beer to the tradesman that can't work without it
join an ad hoc sports game
buy a new pair of shoes
become a regular customer at a trade shop
act as a mediator to settle a debt
help a musician find the right sheet music in a mess
help someone get out of the well
participate in a friendly wrestling match
participate in a wine tasting
trade the secret item for a badge of access
rob a crypt
lead a ritual to bless combat with demons
sanctify a weapon in a difficult to reach sacred place
find a body, gather its equipment, and bury it
find, release, and defeat a bound demon
help load arms and armor on the equipment racks
taunt dangerous animals with rocks
act as bait for dangerous animals that are delicious
help find a missing hawk hood
give someone a hint that they maybe could use a belt
give a child a toy boat
learn some phrases in a new language
visit the various tents
give the spoiled kid a treat
paint a picture
knowingly drink the poison politely
avoid a few traps, and replace the idol with sand
play a word association game
find someone's favorite things that are lost
perform favors as quid pro quo
answer a bunch of riddles for a prize
teach someone to swim by throwing them in
get someone's nemesis to apologize
give someone a thoughtful gift
retrieve the important object from a difficult location
bury the corpse
sneak your way in through the fence
get letters of introduction to meet someone
steal something brazenly
perform as an actor in a scene
help a playwright with editing
complete an extremely aggravating task for a reward
that stranger's dog wants steak
get the silver ring for tolls
find the broken crystal ball
secretly broker a secret meeting
get the wagon's wheel repaired
feed the poultry
set out boards and straw in the barn for sleepers
get odd object for smith
repair farm implements
sneak into a hidden cave to get a ruby
repair a blade that is broken
help someone cheat at a coin game
help re-arrange mosaic pieces
stealthily abscond with the thieves' daggers
gather soap shavings to refill a thieves' toolkit
build a better mouse trap
convince a man he is needed at home
fight a huge bumpkin
talk to a unicorn
fix someone's shoes for them
give someone your hangover cure
go somewhere very dark and get the stuff
commisserate with the hill people
help make goat cheese
bring people together with bull mating
put out fire and cover tracks
recover a captive from the bandits
avoid the spikes by jumping in the cesspit
avoid the spikes by climing the tree
free someone from the net trap
get the object from the flying bird
gather herbs for the local druid
help with the lunar ceremony
find an awesome sea shell and give it to someone
find a buried toy in the sandbox
buy enough of something to get a food item named after you
trim a hedge to an artistic standard
feign injury to avoid a long line
help the smugglers get stuff past customs
give the hungry some bread
test the teleportation gate
clear the area of the evil plants
get access to the black market
get access to the post office
get access to the armor restitcher
get access to the hidden shop that sells curios
get access to the granary
get access to the assassins guild
get access to the wizards guild
find a hidden entry to the sewer system
find the hidden wolves trail
find the beast lair
find the hidden temple for a reward
find the hidden shrine
find the thieves guild front
find the secret house of death
find the mad hatter shop
find the secret restaurant
find out the secret password
find the hidden magic shop
find the trap door in the fountain
find the sewer system
find the hidden entrance to the crypts
find the hidden entrance to the assassins guild
find the hidden bandit camp
find the hidden assassins camp
find the nhim-phat shop FIXME
find the hidden entrance to the thieves' guild
find the place where they sell a special coveted object
find the secret temple of monks
find the back door cave entrance
find the thieves' guild common room
find the hidden unicorn trail

Quick way of setting up an adventure

Quick way of setting up an adventure

Nice little technique that can be adapted to the solo toolbox (credit: WarriorMonk of StoryGames.com): 

needs: a setting map, and two d6s

1) Choose one dice to be the starting point, and the other to be the end point.

2) Roll the 2d6 over the map

3) start the adventure at the place where the starting point dice lands

4) Your destination is where the ending point dice lands.

5) The number of each dice represents the danger level of each location. If both dices are low, it means the danger is in the path you take to the place.

6) Compare each place along with danger levels, and apply creative aids as needed,  to figure out why your PC is going from one destination to the other and why it's dangerous.

7) Once you have the setup, it's adventure time!

Now, I know of stuff like the Dungeon Generators and even world generators on Donjon, but what sort of stuff do you guys use for Procedural Generation in your solo RPGs? This video got me thinking of them.

Now, I know of stuff like the Dungeon Generators and even world generators on Donjon, but what sort of stuff do you guys use for Procedural Generation in your solo RPGs? This video got me thinking of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgbuWfGeG2o

Bringing Back the Solo - Pt 2

Bringing Back the Solo - Pt 2
http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1409/64/1409640242739.jpg

Bringing Back the Solo - Pt 1

Bringing Back the Solo - Pt 1
Interesting article I found while doing a google search for solo roleplaying.
http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1409/64/1409640084571.jpg

a good format for writing down solo plays in a blog post

a good format for writing down solo plays in a blog post

I'm still searching for a good way to format the text in a blog post to distinguish between mechanical bits, narrative bits, GM text and player text.

For example:
- mechanical bits like dice rolls are in [ ]: (Example: [roll 1d6 = 5])

- normal narrative bits are written without formatting (Example: John threatens the thug with his knife.)

-GM text is written in code blocks (Example: you can see it in this post here, can't do it on G+: http://dieheart.net/ap-dungeon-world-one/)

- player text (in character) is written in italics (Example: John: "Hey, do you really want to do that?)

The aim is that the reader can instantly distinguish between the different parts of the write-up so it's easier to read.
Does anyone have a better idea? Color is not an option in my blog.

A while ago I wrote a rpg system which should be easily playable solo (originally it was intended with Tiny Solitary Soldiers). It's generic, uses descriptive character creation and dice results which are similar to FU. Not playtested though.

Originally shared by Jacob Ross

Originally shared by Jacob Ross

So, thinking about that one-page planet I shared, would you like a toolkit that lets you create your own planet adventure sets?

I'm working on a supplement or series of supplements that let a player tell their story without a GM, but which also serve as fast campaign inspiration. This is one of the possibilities. I'm also considering something where instead of listing specifics, the roll results direct you to an entry on another page close by. This would allow greater detail and variation. What do you think?

I'm working on a supplement or series of supplements that let a player tell their story without a GM, but which also serve as fast campaign inspiration. This is one of the possibilities. I'm also considering something where instead of listing specifics, the roll results direct you to an entry on another page close by. This would allow greater detail and variation. What do you think?

New to the community, but love what I have seen you guys doing here. Have a question: does anyone have any recommendations, resources, or tips for solo-running published adventures?

New to the community, but love what I have seen you guys doing here. Have a question: does anyone have any recommendations, resources, or tips for solo-running published adventures?

In my specific case, I want to run through some of the new D&D 5e stuff: Tyranny of Dragons, Princes of Apocalypse, etc. From the little I've tried, I noticed it was really challenging to "surprise" myself or feel any real sort of story exploration or player agency; rather, it felt like I was merely plugging numbers into a math game, and it was nearly impossible to avoid spoilers or game-breaking stats that would normally be hidden from PCs.

I guess this could be why so much of what I have read about solitaire RPGs use random world/campaign/encounter creators; however, I really want to experience these adventures. I only lack a consistent enough play group with which to run them.

Thanks for any any advice you might have!

Current multi-PC solo RPG idea:

Current multi-PC solo RPG idea:

1) build a setting’s history via Microscope or a stripped-down version of it

2) possibly use Kingdom to fabricate power dynamics within your setting. Alternately or additionally you can create a network of movers and shakers a la 13th Age Icons

3) generate characters with mechanics you prefer. Again incorporating 13th Age for One Unique Thing and/or ties to Icons would really add depth and dynamism where creative block sometimes leaves you rolling up 2-dimensional characters

4) possibly use Fate Core background Phases for weaving together your multiple characters into a cohesive, believable unified group each with some personal investment in the fates of their fellows. There are plenty of alternatives to the Fate Core way, it’s just what springs to mind at the moment. Alternately, build two-way relationships similarly to those between Fiasco PCs, whether rolled randomly from a play set or not. I guess Dungeon World bonds could work here, too.

And as always, if - no, when - you experience creative block, be sure to consult your oracles, whatever form they might take.

Is anyone else doing some thing similar? I’ve struggled with the multiple- protagonists thing at times, particularly if they’re in opposition rather than merely being rivals. I feel like having well- defined allegiances, as well as interpersonal relationships, could help unblock me there.

I’ve been reading Burning Empires over the past couple days, which is the SF version of a fantasy system called Burning Wheel. It’s very crunchy, but has some neat concepts which make me curious how playable it might be as a solo exercise.

I’ve been reading Burning Empires over the past couple days, which is the SF version of a fantasy system called Burning Wheel. It’s very crunchy, but has some neat concepts which make me curious how playable it might be as a solo exercise.

The general Internet doesn’t seem to think it’s a great fit. The GM is apparently responsible for challenging PC beliefs, and there are some subsystems for combat (physical and social), which use hidden information. 

But I’m really intrigued by, among other things, the life path character creation system, and setting generation. Does anybody have experience with any of the BW games solo? If so, how’d that work out?
http://www.burningwheel.org

I'm thinking of turning Adventureologists into an OSR solo system. It would be more familiar to most roleplayers and I wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel. I'd borry the Fray Die and damage system from Scarlet Heroes and Adventures and Eidolons, and the enemy design principles of White Star (enemies always have To-Hit Bonus equal to their HD).

I'm thinking of turning Adventureologists into an OSR solo system. It would be more familiar to most roleplayers and I wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel. I'd borry the Fray Die and damage system from Scarlet Heroes and Adventures and Eidolons, and the enemy design principles of White Star (enemies always have To-Hit Bonus equal to their HD).

The enemies would still use the same moves, and instead of 2d6 you'd roll a black die for you and a white die for your opponent. You'd still generate random enemies when you enter a room.

This way I'd also be able to make ruins that people who play other games could enjoy. And BTW, I'm creating a pre-gen dungeon for Sophia Brandt to use without the need to generate her own.

What do y'all think?

Well, I made a guide to playing A Flower For Mara solo.

Well, I made a guide to playing A Flower For Mara solo.
https://solorpgvoyages.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/how-to-play-a-flower-for-mara-solo/

Lucky find today while out running errands. Some of the original solo play.

Lucky find today while out running errands. Some of the original solo play.

I saw this post while looking for information on how Traveller is played solo. Andy Slack talks about a technique he adapted from the Vornheim city kit, which Zak Smith calls "God's Chess". It's a great way of handling background epic conflicts like wars independent of your decisions. It might have other applications for #solorpg s.

I saw this post while looking for information on how Traveller is played solo. Andy Slack talks about a technique he adapted from the Vornheim city kit, which Zak Smith calls "God's Chess". It's a great way of handling background epic conflicts like wars independent of your decisions. It might have other applications for #solorpg s.
https://andyslack.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/dark-nebula-gods-chess/