intro (0:00); the adventure begins (1:54); commentary (31:10) get SOLO GAME MASTER'S GUIDE: US customers: tinyurl.com/yc... UK customers: tinyurl.com/yk... get WANDERINGS: tinyurl.com/5c...
Enjoying this content? You can support the channel by donating on PayPal: paypal.me/geekgamersDeborah get SOLO GAME MASTER'S GUIDE: US customers: tinyurl.com/yckpsrxe UK customers: tinyurl.com/ykarakda get WANDERINGS: tinyurl.com/5cj3d4jc
I love Free Leagues games. I’m ramping up a Forbidden Lands solo which I think is a setting that would really work well. I love this video format. There are a lot of videos talking about solo play, but not enough actual play to help those of us who want to but sometimes struggle.
I’m an older TTRPGer, turned Board Gamer, but I’m recently consumed by Solo TTRPGs. I have had some fun with solo Mausritter and Dragonbane. My pattern of thinking toward procedural and not so much creative play. The way you seamlessly move the story along and integrate things from your random tables is very impressive and entertaining to watch. Symbaroum is next on my wishlist. Great video. Thanks.
Great solo adventure. Chapter 12 of the Game Mater's Guide has all the tables you need to create random hex crawls, encounters, explore ruins and discover curiosities, mystical treasure and artifacts. It has a hex map of the Dakovar forest. Alternatively, the Symbaroum starter box also has a similar chapter, but it is not identical. You can mix and match both together. (correction: typos)
@@GeekGamers01 Well, I jumped in and ordered the Core Rulebook (with accompany PDF). I’m really loving the ambiguity presented in the setting. Is it really Queen Korinthia or is she an imposter behind that mask? What happened to her while in Captivity. And that’s just a few sentences. There is SO MUCH for players to make their own, which is especially appealing for solo play.
@@GeekGamers01 I've ordered the starter set which is coming out next week , thanks for the video and like the new format gets you straight into a bit of escapism. If that's the right term.
Forgot to mention in my earlier comment that I do like this type of presentation, although I'm fine either way, I watch your videos in their entirety, there are so few soloists and your ideas have allowed me to go into directions I would have never thought of. One of my favorite examples of this is your early Starfinder video where you started with the starship rather than the usual formula of character creation, so you already think outside the box and as a soloist you have to.
Thank you for covering this game. Its sitting on my shelf waiting for me to play and your use of the Tome of Adventure Design also inspired me to pull that out again. Definitely, i like the new format as it gets us involved right away. You are able to explain the key rules "in action" as well as you solo modifications. Finally, the review at the end encapsulates the system's overall viability. Awesome and love your channel!
I did some solo sessions with Sybaroum using Ironsworn as both emulator and travel mechanic, and it worked great, that is until we came across an incorporeal enemy, and the mages spells were our only effective weapon and he got corrupted enough to join the enemy's side...lol
I own this rulebook and play it a lot because it's so self contained and very adaptable to solo play moreso than any other rpg out there, and I own just as many as you do. As you touched on, the biggest draw is the narrative and the quantity of material provided, way more than what you'd get with the run of the mill high fantasy rpg's that don't work for me, paizo and wizards had so many opportunities to incorporate soloist material and never do and I've largely abandoned it in favor of rulesets such as this. I hope you can do more videos of it.
Totally agree about Symbaroum. I've enjoyed this a bunch. Definitely a solo RPG highlight of 2021 for me.... not sure about another vid or vids, however. I find that no matter what when I do more than 1 vid on a system, nobody watches the 2nd or 3rd vids!
Hexcrawl Adventures is searchable on the Basic Fantasy website in the forums. I try to post links for many things I use but in a lot of cases, what I'm using are things I've had for many years if not decades as might not know where I got them.
Wow that is very nice to hear. I must say: I was happy with the way this one turned out. The rules and presentation really resonated with me and it came together nicely on camera.
Your videos are always enlightening and inspiring. I've had this book for a while, but I wasn't sure how to work it out for solo sessions. This video was very helpful, thank you. I also have Forbidden Lands, which is also by Free League. I began a solo session already, but I would love to see what your take on it is.
This is a great format - thanks - and the new Symbaroum "5E" is still on Kickstarter a few more days, if you haven't seen it already. :) Greetings from Sweden btw! The land of Free League (Fria Ligan). :)
I’m so glad you like my vids and that they are helpful if you’re new to this kind of soloing. I thought the old format better for newbies since I did the overt explaining up front... but folks seem to like this way and I do as well.
This video gave me a really good perspective of this game ! Im torn between the new starter set and the core rulebook, perhaps both in time, any advice on which one to start with ? Thank you again for another great video!
Thanks and glad you enjoyed the vid. I’m not sure what is in the starter set so hard to advise but as you saw with the vid, the core rule book I had contained a players guide as well (and an adventure in the back). For me that was a great place to start. What is in the starter set?
@@GeekGamers01 A boiled down 64 page rulebook, A 64 page adventure book with two adventures, a dice set , and five ready made characters and one ready made Mystic companion, 2 double sided maps . Rule book has guides for creating adventures. Looks really cool , the boiled down starter rules might be easier for a new player to get into before reading the Core book.
@@LeTempliers Hmm. Hard to say as I don't know your comfort level with soloing... for me it is actually harder to work with pre-made adventures (but that's just me!). Whatever you decide, I think you will enjoy the system and the world. (I will say--as I did in this vid--that there is *a lot* of world-building in the book I bought. That could be a bit overwhelming, or something you'd just skip, and it's the first 67 pages of the book I have.) In case this helps, here's how it breaks down: 1-71 is the world of symbaroum, including detailed descriptions of places and factions with descriptions of possible NPCs (but no stats for them). part 2 is the player's guide (pp. 72-165); part 3 is GM guide (pp. 166-235); part 4 is an adventure (pp. 236-256 or so); an appendix with artifacts and location. There is a discussion in the GM guide about generating adventures but no "adventure generator." If you are looking for lots of random tables, you won't find too many here.
@@GeekGamers01 Thank you for the break down , also ive been inspired by the way you use Scarlet heroes, which ive solo 'd several times , im thinking of going with the Core book and using SH for its wonderful table generators . Im excited about Symbaroum , thanks again !
Hi and thankyou for a great introduction to this system. I have a quick question.. in the video, dhat was the other hardback book you used (to determine the fscts of the ruins).. is that book from thd same system? Apologies i may have missed it if you introduced it in the vid).
You can get the Quick Start for free at drivethrurpg. It gives a good chunk to try out the game iirc. I looked it over awhile back but I never put it to play. It did strike me as good for solo play with player facing mechanics.
@@GeekGamers01 Yeah, there's a lot out for it now. There's also a starter set. That's okay, I can find more out about them. Thanks for covering the core rulebook.
Sorry to ask about other issue here. ( Don't know how to send private messages :( ). Wanna know how do you work with the Udolpho book??? Seems so interesting to me...
I demo the technique in a number of vids on the channel (and I can't remember all of them), but I first introduce it in the "Easy Ways to be Your Own GM" vid, around 17:41: ua-cam.com/video/9GBPTec5TZA/v-deo.html
@Markus Geiger Generally speaking, I don't accept game submissions for reviews. If/when you have a BGG listing or some other public information about the game you can point me to that and I'll be happy to take a look and see if it seems like a fit for the channel.
I enjoyed the new format! I think the gameplay first format put lot of context in the later rule / material examination part and help my understanding of the positive and negative more.
Enjoying this content? You can support the channel by donating on PayPal: paypal.me/geekgamersDeborah
get SOLO GAME MASTER'S GUIDE:
US customers: tinyurl.com/yckpsrxe
UK customers: tinyurl.com/ykarakda
get WANDERINGS: tinyurl.com/5cj3d4jc
I love Free Leagues games. I’m ramping up a Forbidden Lands solo which I think is a setting that would really work well. I love this video format. There are a lot of videos talking about solo play, but not enough actual play to help those of us who want to but sometimes struggle.
Thanks. All my vids have play demos but here I put the demo before the commentary-usually I comment first.
I’m an older TTRPGer, turned Board Gamer, but I’m recently consumed by Solo TTRPGs. I have had some fun with solo Mausritter and Dragonbane. My pattern of thinking toward procedural and not so much creative play. The way you seamlessly move the story along and integrate things from your random tables is very impressive and entertaining to watch. Symbaroum is next on my wishlist. Great video. Thanks.
Thanks so much! Really appreciate it.
Great solo adventure. Chapter 12 of the Game Mater's Guide has all the tables you need to create random hex crawls, encounters, explore ruins and discover curiosities, mystical treasure and artifacts. It has a hex map of the Dakovar forest. Alternatively, the Symbaroum starter box also has a similar chapter, but it is not identical. You can mix and match both together. (correction: typos)
I really like this approach, please keep it up. Having only recently learned of Symbaroum, I'm now sold on it as a great setting for solo RPGing.
Thanks so much. Yes, this will become my new vid approach--it's better! Symbaroum is wonderful solo and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
@@GeekGamers01 Well, I jumped in and ordered the Core Rulebook (with accompany PDF). I’m really loving the ambiguity presented in the setting. Is it really Queen Korinthia or is she an imposter behind that mask? What happened to her while in Captivity. And that’s just a few sentences. There is SO MUCH for players to make their own, which is especially appealing for solo play.
You've made my day, week !!! I was going to ask you about this game, I've just tuned in and bam my fav solo artist is waving her hands over it !
Thanks! It’s a great rule set for soloists!
@@GeekGamers01 I've ordered the starter set which is coming out next week , thanks for the video and like the new format gets you straight into a bit of escapism. If that's the right term.
@@PaulJones-pd7eg Glad to hear you like it--escapism is absolutely the right term. :)
{we can all use more of that these days}
I've been looking forward to this game with the filter of your personal take! :)
Edit: I like this new format.
Thanks, on both counts. I think this format is my new format.
Forgot to mention in my earlier comment that I do like this type of presentation, although I'm fine either way, I watch your videos in their entirety, there are so few soloists and your ideas have allowed me to go into directions I would have never thought of. One of my favorite examples of this is your early Starfinder video where you started with the starship rather than the usual formula of character creation, so you already think outside the box and as a soloist you have to.
Ah thanks so much. I really appreciate that and yes, in that vid as in many others I start with the environment!
I like this new format!
Thanks for letting me know! Me too! :)
You are simply awesome! Thank you very much for all that amazing work. Subbed of course.
Thank you for covering this game. Its sitting on my shelf waiting for me to play and your use of the Tome of Adventure Design also inspired me to pull that out again. Definitely, i like the new format as it gets us involved right away. You are able to explain the key rules "in action" as well as you solo modifications. Finally, the review at the end encapsulates the system's overall viability. Awesome and love your channel!
Thanks! So much appreciate the feedback and I’m really glad you’re enjoying my content. I hope you enjoy Symbaroum as well!
I did some solo sessions with Sybaroum using Ironsworn as both emulator and travel mechanic, and it worked great, that is until we came across an incorporeal enemy, and the mages spells were our only effective weapon and he got corrupted enough to join the enemy's side...lol
Ironsworn is a great choice to pair with this one. Sounds like you had some fun.
I own this rulebook and play it a lot because it's so self contained and very adaptable to solo play moreso than any other rpg out there, and I own just as many as you do. As you touched on, the biggest draw is the narrative and the quantity of material provided, way more than what you'd get with the run of the mill high fantasy rpg's that don't work for me, paizo and wizards had so many opportunities to incorporate soloist material and never do and I've largely abandoned it in favor of rulesets such as this. I hope you can do more videos of it.
Totally agree about Symbaroum. I've enjoyed this a bunch. Definitely a solo RPG highlight of 2021 for me....
not sure about another vid or vids, however. I find that no matter what when I do more than 1 vid on a system, nobody watches the 2nd or 3rd vids!
You should get the Game Masters guide. There are charts in there for investigating the ruins good for solo.
I have the Game Master's Guide.
Where to find 'Hexcrawl Adventures' by Luke Kennedy?
It would be great if you would include links to the things you use in your videos.
Hexcrawl Adventures is searchable on the Basic Fantasy website in the forums.
I try to post links for many things I use but in a lot of cases, what I'm using are things I've had for many years if not decades as might not know where I got them.
This definitely my favourite of all of your videos, I really enjoyed the format and have watched this one about 10 times and bought the game!
Wow that is very nice to hear. I must say: I was happy with the way this one turned out. The rules and presentation really resonated with me and it came together nicely on camera.
@@GeekGamers01 You’re very inspiring, I’m even thinking of starting my own UA-cam channel covering solo gaming….
Your videos are always enlightening and inspiring. I've had this book for a while, but I wasn't sure how to work it out for solo sessions. This video was very helpful, thank you. I also have Forbidden Lands, which is also by Free League. I began a solo session already, but I would love to see what your take on it is.
Thanks so much! I’m glad you found the vid helpful for your own sessions/work. As to Forbidden Lands: I will be doing somethigg on that soon.
Love this format and your videos.
Thanks and good to know about the format.
I am playing this right now! Very cool! You make awesome videos!
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy Symbaroum as much as I have.
This is a great format - thanks - and the new Symbaroum "5E" is still on Kickstarter a few more days, if you haven't seen it already. :) Greetings from Sweden btw! The land of Free League (Fria Ligan). :)
Glad you enjoyed! Free League is wonderful!-not Sweden’s only great export. :)
Really like that sixth sense modification
Love your videos! And the new format is great. Very helpful for noobies like myself! ; )
I’m so glad you like my vids and that they are helpful if you’re new to this kind of soloing.
I thought the old format better for newbies since I did the overt explaining up front... but folks seem to like this way and I do as well.
I'm liking this new video format :-)
Thanks! I’m midway thru filming my next solo vid with this new format and I think it’s really working too.
Very articulate. I would guess you have a background as an educator. Excellent job!
Thank you and yes I have taught at the college level.
Sybaroum is great for solo.
Looks great
This video gave me a really good perspective of this game ! Im torn between the new starter set and the core rulebook, perhaps both in time, any advice on which one to start with ? Thank you again for another great video!
Thanks and glad you enjoyed the vid. I’m not sure what is in the starter set so hard to advise but as you saw with the vid, the core rule book I had contained a players guide as well (and an adventure in the back). For me that was a great place to start. What is in the starter set?
@@GeekGamers01 A boiled down 64 page rulebook, A 64 page adventure book with two adventures, a dice set , and five ready made characters and one ready made Mystic companion, 2 double sided maps . Rule book has guides for creating adventures. Looks really cool , the boiled down starter rules might be easier for a new player to get into before reading the Core book.
@@GeekGamers01 Im thinking the starter set may rely on ready made characters , and I want the creation rules... tough choice!
@@LeTempliers Hmm. Hard to say as I don't know your comfort level with soloing... for me it is actually harder to work with pre-made adventures (but that's just me!). Whatever you decide, I think you will enjoy the system and the world. (I will say--as I did in this vid--that there is *a lot* of world-building in the book I bought. That could be a bit overwhelming, or something you'd just skip, and it's the first 67 pages of the book I have.)
In case this helps, here's how it breaks down: 1-71 is the world of symbaroum, including detailed descriptions of places and factions with descriptions of possible NPCs (but no stats for them). part 2 is the player's guide (pp. 72-165); part 3 is GM guide (pp. 166-235); part 4 is an adventure (pp. 236-256 or so); an appendix with artifacts and location. There is a discussion in the GM guide about generating adventures but no "adventure generator."
If you are looking for lots of random tables, you won't find too many here.
@@GeekGamers01 Thank you for the break down , also ive been inspired by the way you use Scarlet heroes, which ive solo 'd several
times , im thinking of going with the Core book and using SH for its wonderful table generators . Im excited about Symbaroum , thanks again !
Now there is a starter set as well!
I believe a starter set has been released since I made this vid.
Hi and thankyou for a great introduction to this system. I have a quick question.. in the video, dhat was the other hardback book you used (to determine the fscts of the ruins).. is that book from thd same system? Apologies i may have missed it if you introduced it in the vid).
Time stamp? I don’t recall using a second book & scrolled thru & don’t see where you are referring
Sure, it was at 21:25 @@GeekGamers01
That’s the Tome of Adventure Design. I feature it in this video: ua-cam.com/video/9GBPTec5TZA/v-deo.htmlsi=mFN0SUoVD5hUiazC
Many thanks... That's quite some Tome!
Hi Geek Gamers - love your vids. My query: Did you create Bekora or is she already present in the game ? Thank you.
Thanks-glad you like my vids. Bekora is my own character creation.
You can get the Quick Start for free at drivethrurpg. It gives a good chunk to try out the game iirc. I looked it over awhile back but I never put it to play. It did strike me as good for solo play with player facing mechanics.
Are you going to look at the Game Master's Guide or Monster Codex?
Of Symbaroum? I don’t have plans for another vid on this system.
@@GeekGamers01 Yeah, there's a lot out for it now. There's also a starter set. That's okay, I can find more out about them. Thanks for covering the core rulebook.
Sorry to ask about other issue here. ( Don't know how to send private messages :( ). Wanna know how do you work with the Udolpho book??? Seems so interesting to me...
I demo the technique in a number of vids on the channel (and I can't remember all of them), but I first introduce it in the "Easy Ways to be Your Own GM" vid, around 17:41:
ua-cam.com/video/9GBPTec5TZA/v-deo.html
@@GeekGamers01 Thanxxx !!!!
Hi, how can I submit you a upcomming game called SPACE KRAKEN for a review?
@Markus Geiger Generally speaking, I don't accept game submissions for reviews. If/when you have a BGG listing or some other public information about the game you can point me to that and I'll be happy to take a look and see if it seems like a fit for the channel.
I enjoyed the new format! I think the gameplay first format put lot of context in the later rule / material examination part and help my understanding of the positive and negative more.
Glad to hear that and thanks for the feedback.