Solo RPG Suggestions

Do you play solo RPGs? 

That’s you, a game system, some dice – maybe, and a quill and parchment. 

If you quest for some sci-fi solo evenings, here are several recommendations from Wizard of Adventure @ExileInParadise based in response to a recent newsletter about asking the right questions to oracle in solo games. 

Exile’s a mod on our Discord, so feel free to ask him any sci-fi questions you might have – he’s an expert!

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Sci-Fi Solo Recommendations

Curated by Wizard of Adventure @ExileInParadise

Solo by Zozer Games for Traveller and Cepheus Engine

I like this one because it hits the way to run wide and deep solo games for Traveller specifically, sci-fi in general, and the techniques can apply to any era (Zozer even has an adaptation of Traveller to the ancient days of sea trading that works).

It’s a little different than your usual oracles-based solo setup.

Three core things stand out to me:

  1. It covers building a relationship web between other folks on the ship and using that to drive in-between scenes.
  2. He skips a lot of the “pick good questions and consult oracles” stuff using a system he calls fortune in the middle.
    • Make your plan
    • Choose your risk
    • Toll for success or failure of the plan

      Then you’re committed to explain what happens next with some prompted hook already there.
  3. He describes 4 seperate long-term Traveller campaign types to run solo, and most importantly, provides the game loop and spicy tables specific to those campaign types.

That made it easy for me to come up with a 6th (which he baked into Hostile later) after he had mused out a 5th of his own.

https://www.zozergames.com/solo-for-traveller.html

Geek Gamers: Solo Game Masters Guide published by Modiphius

The deep dive into levelling up solo gaming once you get going.
I am still digesting some of this more than a year later.

https://modiphius.net/products/solo-game-masters-guide

Parts Per Million

PPM has an interesting take on solo gaming. While the creator is based on the traditional oracle-based soloing, he does so with a twist I like a lot.

He creates and adapts oracles-based solo to specific settings and mechanics in a way that taps into a game’s specific strengths. It’s just the same book re-skinned. A lot of them share mechanics for open and closed questions for example, but each book for each game system is also “fitted” to that game.

Sign up for his newsletter/blog to get ALIEN: In Solo No One Can Here You Scream free. This adapts his solo setup to the ALIEN RPG by Free League, specifically leaning into the “cinematic” format of that game’s adventures. It uses the ALIEN RPG dice mechanics for outcomes, custom inspiration tables, and a “rand-o-morph” generator for customizing your xenos.

He does a specific tailored book, and tries to offer the specifics much cheaper, rather than bit expensive tomes of all knowledge. And he doesn’t lean on “padding with tables” like some solo does.

https://parts-per-million.itch.io

Honorable Mentions

Ironsworn and Starforged are heavily solo oriented. They also have The Augur virtual tabletop with AI incorporated, which can be used for generic soloing but designed specifically for Ironsworn and Starforged soloing.

https://tomkinpress.com/pages/ironsworn
https://tomkinpress.com/pages/ironsworn-starforged

Five Leagues from the Borderlands and Five Parsecs from Home. Mostly solo wargaming with RPG elements, and recently branched out more toward being a group table game. Fantastic solo wargaming packed with tools.

https://modiphius.us/collections/all/five-leagues-from-the-borderlands_all-products
https://modiphius.us/collections/five-parsecs-from-home

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Thanks, Exile!

For any GMs who do play solo, I’d like to throw Campaign Logger‘s hat into the ring.

Its Logs, Tags, and custom generators are perfect for solo gaming.

The free tier gives you a Campaign and a Log with lots of log entries to run a solo session, oracle, and note-taking with:

https://www.roleplayingtips.com/campaign-logger-free/

If anyone uses Logger for soloing, I would love to hear about how it’s going for you. Hit reply if you have a moment.

Cheers,
Johnn
roleplayingtips.com
https://discord.gg/6MxTRAqQ76
Have more fun at every game!

P.S. When you are ready, here are +4 vorpal ways I can help you with your campaign:

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