Thanks to Obvious Mimic for sponsoring this video! Get solo D&D adventures here: obviousmimic.com (Should I be worried that there was no mimic in this one? Did I miss something? WAS IT OBVIOUS?)
I'm glad I'm not alone in having an absurd amount of planned characters. Maybe my OCD is heavily to blame, but I feel compelled to have one character for (almost) every subclass and race, and I'm homebrewing races to compensate for there being far fewer playable races than there are subclasses. The terrifying part is mapping out how long it would actually take to play through a campaign with all of them. I started playing D&D sometime in late 2022., and out of the ~87 currently planned characters in my Google Docs sheet, I'm currently on my 4th character which I started playing back in February.
What do you need dice and a pencil for with Choose Your Own Adventure books? I still have 2 of those books ("Journey Under the Sea" and "Inside UFO 54-40"). The book just says stuff like "For ___ Turn to Page ____" or something similar. Unless you want the dice to choose for you, they are not required or necessary and pencils are not needed at all. The only thing you need is the book itself.
@MatthewTheWanderer The ones I mainly played had stat sheets and combat and the like. There were lots of different types. I had some of the more simple ones too
Your N'Krasha voice is always entertaining. And N'Krasha did a great job: she has a great career ahead of her as a crime solver. A well-paid crime solver.
Tip for teachers/tutors: This can be a great creative writing exercise for kids. When I worked as a tutor, the kids created their own D&D characters. The boys mostly created edgelord characters while the girls usually picked elves and created very pretty characters. This module can act as a plot structure for an adventure story!
@@Kaminoboi Okay I'm gonna hold your hand as I say this, but "Screw you, I'm actually a mindflayer" is EXACTLY the mentality of an edgy 13 year old Which isn't bad, pretty cool in fact, but it definitely is what that is
As someone who deals with disabling chronic health issues, group rpg play just isn't always feasible, due to my symptoms that vary day to day, sometimes hour to hour. I've just started dipping my toe into TTRPG and solo play especially. This video has come at an amazing time! DnD has always felt intimidating, but I feel like something like this adventure could help me learn the rules while still having fun playing solo while just starting out. I'm definitely going to look into these adventures. 💖
I play d&d in a group where one of us has fibro, one has ME, one has CP and then there's me with my arthritis. There's groups out there that understand chronic conditions and know there needs to be flexibility and sometimes a game has to cancel or be cut short or some players might need more help with certain things than others.
as a person who is painfully interested in D&D but more socially anxious than she'd like to admit, which more often than not prevents her from even telling other people she's intersted in playing... i LOVE this style of gameplay. it helps me tremendously to be able to play thru a game like this solo where i can slow way down, talk to myself(lol), experiment, and get just take breaks if i'm feeling overwhelmed, before actually putting myself in a group setting where i often feel so completely overstimulated that i have to resist crying right at the table, lol. i really liked watching u play this too. you're always so good at narrating and voices and stuff. 💖
They have a discord with text based and you can sign up for a campaign and play with others without the social anxiety of being in person. Also you can use the DND chat gpt to help with rules, creating characters or even running through a campaign and having the AI he the dungeon master
That original solo DnD game video in 2022 was actually one of the first vids I watched of yours. I'm actually thinking about setting up a table at my house with a battle map and just running stuff whenever I have down time between making my own videos. I actually really like this concept! 👀
I started a solo UVG campaign based on that video, I kitbashed UVG 1st ed. with SDM and Uranium Butterflies, and every Luka Rejec table I could find (the referee screen was very helpful). I only ran into problems because I used characters I'd been planning to write a UVG fanfic about, and who therefore had a full plot arc, or at least a very dramatic final fate, already planned out. Try not to do that in any campaign.
@@nemiredne2499 I've thought about doing that, but he doesn't want to be the only player, and his friends parents aren't really keen on the idea of d&d so they don't want their their kids playing with him.
You can check out 'Flik Silverpen's guide to Dragontown' by JP Coovert. I played it with my 7yo son and a couple of his friends. It could be fun with just you 2.
My Parents were big into Dnd, and I really wanted to start. They had a few Solo Adventures. Which I played when I was 8. Afterwards I wanted to write a campaign... I wrote a choose your own adventure book and forced my parents to play it.... Lol
Hey Ginny, any chance you might do more of these? Highly enjoyable, I think I’ve watched this like 3 times now! Na’Krasha is just such a fun character 👏
Fighting Fantasy books were my introduction to this style of game. I collected when I was young with the help of my grandfather who owned a small town bookstore. 30 years later (4-5 years ago) I started exploring DnD books. About a year ago, I found all of my FF books in a badly mislabelled box. I had thought they had been lost in one of many moves. It has been great fun going through some of them again.
I love D&D, but often struggle to have long periods of time to put aside for it. With SOLO play, I can just hop into my world for 15 minutes! I know that it is often advocated against in solo play circles to do this (I have seen much advice to set aside a few hours and fully commit with no distractions), but honestly... the versatility and ability to jump in and out of is one of the strengths of solo play! I keep an adventurer's log where I write down everything I do, and use Threads to keep track of mysteries. That way, when I want to get back in after a break, I can read my log and catch back up! I still feel engaged even when I just look like I'm sitting at my computer typing. And I've made some gorgeous MS paint maps.
With my health issues, 15mins play is the max I could even manage Solo ttrpg. I don't like the idea of putting pressure on yourself to play a set length of time. Everyone has different lives, so playing when, where, and however long you are capable of is much more productive for enjoyable play sessions. And yes, note taking too. I took the idea of Mythic's threads to help track my game sessions too. 😊
I am the newest of noobs when it comes to D&D. I’ve always wanted to play, but it wasn’t until watching (and re-re-re-watching) the Initiagive series that you were a part of, that I actually started to explore how to start playing. I think solo play will be better for me now, but maybe I’ll end up trying to find a group. Thank you so much for your great content, I found it super welcoming as a newbie. 🙌🏼💖
I feel like these short adventures are a really good way to kickstart a backstory for a character being used in a group. Tweak some proper nouns, add in a hook for the campaign, and you got yourself a head start
N'Krasha is certainly one of your most entertaining characters, I'm not surprised folks picked her. I doubt I'll ever get into these as I find anything pre-written can't adapt and respond to outside-the-box solutions the way a fleshy DM can, but I still think they're a cool idea.
I have several points. First, I love the sword earings. Second, it was really entertaining watching Ginny play even a solo adventure. I can really imagine gaming with her in a group would be a lot of fun. Third, I agree that solo gaming is fine and shouldn't be considered sad or desperate. Most would be happy to play in a group but that is often not easy at all. This leads to my forth point which is that I will probably get these games and play them.
I've been playing DND solo since 2001, I started with the 3rd edition, then with time for the 4th edition and finally I reached the 5th edition, always playing solo, trying to say..."complete the campaign". I have a lot of fun in my own imagination and testing the system always makes me learn more. Thanks for the video and thanks for saying that playing solo isn't sad or weird.😊🎉🎉❤
2 things: First, that dress is SO BEAUTIFUL! I love that blue and white floral vase/porcelain design! Second, this feels like it could be good for a solo session 0 before taking a PC to a campaign, a test drive and backstory in one module!
A group of adventures encounters: pack of goblins or wolves: separate them for no pack tactics an ogre, giant, troll: keep moving and abuse your dexterity tangling vines: let that trigger finger wizard loose with fireball swarm of bees: drown in water However the most epic battle is none other than this question: "I know the 6 of us meet every Sunday. 3 of us cannot make it next week. The 3 who can make it are usually quieter spoken. GM asks, do you three want to explore your personal backgrounds in a side quest?" Silent crickets occur for the next six days. "ummm"
I love the idea of playing my own solo adventures, but it's difficult to make my own without spoiling the surprise, so I'm quite glad this kind of product is getting some airtime!
Other than adventure book/game books like this, which there are plenty more of out there, both for dnd, or using their own game systems. There's also a totally different method of using rolltables and an oracle to help gm for you. It can be done with a free form campaign, but you can also make use of these tools along with prewritten adventures/modules. More of an improvised game, than something as tightly written as a gamebook.
AD&D had some solo modules and at least a dozen gamebooks and they even had solo adventures in their magazines! Tunnels and Trolls has dozens of solo adventures! The gamebooks are perfect solo adventures, especially the Lone Wolf, Fighting Fantasy, Sagard the Barbarian, Steve Jackson's Sorcery! and The Way of the Tiger!
This is why i got BG3, always was interested in trying DnD but everyone who did the classic "we accept noobs and i dm for my group we could invite you" never actually did sooo. Also this is interesting and definitely wanna check it out!
You talked me into solo adventuring with your first video on the subject, and I’m now 600 pages into it, writing everything down as I play. And they aren’t even close to finding the BBEG (I don’t even know who it is yet) or figuring out an intriguing subplot (I do know how that will work out). And there’s romance and intrigue and the multiverse needs saving! So I won’t have time for these modules anytime soon, but someday I’ll give one of them a shot.
@@GinnyDi It is in a lot of ways like a choose your own adventure book. The main advantage I see from solo play is it is a good way to sharpen your skills with the game mechanics through play testing. For some folks, perhaps many, this might be just the right thing, especially as a confidence builder. Some folks need a full grasp of the rules before they can play with real confidence. And you're right, finding a group you really click with can be pretty tough. And joining a group that's a bad fit will almost always lead to a bad experience.
Been hoping for another solo adventure, not so much because I've done one, but seeing Ginny's solo setup is like D&D Low-Fi. Everything just looks so _pretty_ and relaxing. Also, gotta love a Barbarian who's first instinct is FLIRT WITH EVERYONE HOT.
I just started The Wolves of Langston and I'm having so much fun. I'm writing out my reactions, dialogue, important backstory stuff for my character and I haven't enjoyed writing this much in ages. Thank you for the recommendation!
The accents are legendary. Great work! I didn't realize how fun these modules could be until recently. I started playing Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu adventures recently. In fact I'm still playing through Alone Against the Tide. I agree very much with your point that these sort of adventures are great but especially for new soloists. When I first discovered solo RPG's, it was your video and Me, Myself, and Die, and at that point, I was too new to RPGs even to try to play solo, but like a total maniac, I got the Pathfinder 2e rules and the Mythic GM emulator. That failed amazingly and in short order. I think these sort of modules are helpful for walking you through what questions you should ask and when to make checks. It's a really simple way to learn how to solo and then later, if Pathfinder is what you WANT to solo... well... you do you, Haiku! I ramble. Cheers!
Same! I literally feel like I could have written every word of this comment right now. 😊 I'm just getting started with rpg and solo is the way I need to start for several reasons. It's difficult to get started solo, especially when you don't have any rpg experience at all. I'm loving this adventure!
@@thrivingselfcarerenee Right on! I hope you have a blast. There some good youtubers especially for solo stuff. Wilona's Cave, Solo Spelunking, and Man Alone are all great channels for that. Books Bricks & Boards is a great resource channel as well. Good luck!
I have been prepping to start playing a solo game because I’m going to be on paternity leave for the next month. Figured I’ll be up late and won’t have time to join my normal group. Thanks Ginny for this and the other video on solo play. I’ve watched the other video about 3 times now.
Considering how many characters I come up with and how few of them I actually get to play, this sounds like a great way for me to explore those characters without needing to find time & others to play with!
This video reminds me of the choose your adventure books. Far as I remember, some solo rpg adventure books, similar to the adventure in this video, were popular and available in the late '70s early '80s. Also, some d&d inspired board games which allows you to build a random dungeon. These were replaced by personal computer adventures.
I recently found this channel and am LOVING it! I appreciate the fast-paced speaking style and knowledgeable information. I'm new to D&D 5e but used to play D&D and AD&D back then. I was a big fan of Choose Your Own Adventures books and popular alternatives related to fantasy like Fighting Fantasy (Amazing!) books. And since I was a lone nerd, playing D&D solo adventures was my go-to. I always wished they had made more. Aren't most nerds lone by their very nature? Thanks again for the informative and enjoyable video!
I would have thought that Na'Krasha's motto is more like 'hit thing with great axe, don't need to ask questions later' Love your creativity and this sounds like a fascinating way to do roleplaying and exercise creative thought and be engaged in a story when on one's own. This might be something I might check out sometime.
@@GinnyDi Fair enough, and a good way to be flexible as one moves through life. In any case, I've learned my lesson about disagreeing with someone who has a Battleaxe.
I do like this idea. I have a ton of character ideas and not enough campaigns to play them all. This could give me an opportunity to try the ones I won't get to play. Or even just to try out multiple characters to see which ones are the most fun so that I can play those in a group.
There are also a ton of really old DND-based video games that are now dirt cheap and don't require a super nice modern computer: Planescape: Torment (2nd edition rules) Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 (2nd edition rules) Neverwinter Nights (3rd edition rules) Icewind Dale (2nd & 3rd edition rules, mostly combat though so very light on role-playing aspect) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (3rd edition rules) They're not gonna be as open or free as playing the tabletop game, but it's nice to have a computer DM for you to take some of the tedium away.
THANK YOU, Ginny! Been doin this for years, RP'ing by myself at length sometimes, usually as NPC's for whatever current campaign I'm running for ppl, either feeling out scenes I want to bring the PC's to, or just part of the NPC's history, important moments f their lives, which of course, whether or not that ever comes to be revealed to the players, makesthemall the more real and believable, as ell as clearer to play, they have a past, distinct moments that are private, sad, or horrifying, perhaps mundane but nonetheless personal. This helps me define their motivations which helps me naturally drive how , when and why their story may cross paths with the players. Even the owners and family members of the hometown tavern/inn that is often the respite, asylum, and sometimes secret safehouse when they aren't abroad adventuring. Andsometimes, I just have fun on my own because NO ONE wants to game as much as I want to storytell, and, also reality and adult reasons.. but yeah. Thank you for this!
Not only is this a good way to get in some game time but i imagine this would be a fantastic way for folks to have a bit of an artistic outlet! Im going to be checking these out as well as from your first video of thet DMguild thing. Thank you for all you do!
I still have some of my old Lone Wolf books on my shelf. I think I'm going to revisit them for inspiration for a game I'm running. This is such a great idea!
I am intrigued. I had watched your previous sandbox one, and this style appeals to me more. Thank you for making us aware of the variety of options available!
Loved this video! I'm really looking forward to your freeform-solo campaign video. :) I love group ttrpgs, but I also love solo ttrpgs! Hilariously, I find it harder to schedule time to play solo!
I was introduced to fantasy and to role playing in Fighting Fantasy in the early 80's. "Citadel of Chaos" was my first book and I was hooked. A few years later a friend told me of D&D and brought me into a group; - and now I'm a GM with over 30 years of experience. So you can surely play a D&D adventure by yourself, in fact TSR published several adventure books. And yes, I have many tools to freeform a solo D&D, but I don't want a single character like in Fighting Fantasy I think of a party. I have a series of adventures that I want to go through solo, and lots of other stuff like the AD&D Pool of Radiance and Curse of The Azure Bonds. Sky's the limit when you have the right tools. ^^
It's because of your other video that I found out that DnD could be played solo. That's when I started playing. Had always wanted to play. I enjoy the game. So, pretty much what I'm saying is - thank you.
I just finished going through the wolves of langston and the crystals of Z'leth. I've wanted to get into D&D for a while now, so I've had a character ready to go. This was a great way to learn my character. How does he talk, and what does he do in certain situations? It also gives him a more tangible backstory, some things he actually did before whatever campaign i eventually do.
Did this help you learn more about DnD? I'm wanting to jump in so bad but worried there are to many rules. I figured this might be a good "taste test".
@mereditha4363 it gave me the opportunity to experience combat at my own pace so I could learn without worrying about consequences or holding up a group. If I needed to Google something midway, or go back to something I could. It's not a tutorial, but it could be used as one I guess.
I also love and recommend: "Against the Wind", by Cezar Capacle. The way it enhanced the unseen background, while keeping focus on character driven arcs, is excellent.
This sounds like a lot of fun! I loved those "Choose Your Adventure" books back in the day, although I usually only managed to find the worst possible outcomes. The only thing missing here are some built-in romance options. Poor Na'Krasha's out there shooting her shot, and coming up empty...
I’ve been out of the game for so many years now due to depression and other things , but as a GM running ‘solo games’ for myself was such a fun way to test encounters or have stuff happen behind the scenes while allowing dice to tell the story instead of me deciding to would win or lose if npcs had an encounter somewhere the players weren’t. I can’t wait to get back into gaming. Finding your channel is a huge inspiration for that ❤
I literally played my first D&D yesterday and got so hooked that when I got back I was looking for more. I just played Wolves of Langston today and it was so fun and also super helpful for a newbie to be able to get some practice and get more comfortable with some of the game mechanics.
I just finished this book today as my first adventure with my new 5e2024 character. I also used to love the “Choose your own adventure “ books and it did bring me back. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’ll definitely read through it again just to see other options and results in the story. Thumbs 👍
I haven't had in-person d&d for like 7 months and it's been horrid! Solo-adventures have been my sustenance for that entire time up until recent online groups i've joined. I do to stay play solo even when those groups can't play! So, i'm always looking for new solo play adbetures. So, thank you Obvious Mimic for sponsoring the video & Ginny Di for doing another video on solo play! LOVE IT!!!
I used to use the adventure creator in the back of the AD&D 1E DMG to create adventures for my characters all the time when I was bored, especially before I found that my new High School had an entire RPG group. (This was back in around the 80's, they were pretty rare back then.) So I'd spent an entire summer and part of the fall doing this. The story wasn't as cohesive as this idea, but it was fun to generate random dungeons as I explored and discover random encounters. Some of which left my PCs running for the hills when I realized I was completely out-matched. I eventually realized a character I'd created for group play really wasn't adventurer material when I realized that the only thing that made him worthy of being an adventurer was his classes as a fighter/mage, and that he'd be stuck as a peon at about level 5 as a fighter and maybe 7 as a mage. So I decided to reroll him until I got actually playable ability rolls. Nothing "18's across the board" just abilities that gave him a slight edge over a farmer. Last time I'd played him in a group, between the GM pushing me to buy a slave while perusing the slave quarters of the city "Of the Invincible Overlord" - and another player trying to get me to blow all of my extra gold I'd ended up buying a female slave. Then for this decided I'd convert her into a "hireling" and made her a level 1 rogue. It didn't go entirely terrible after that.
There was another popular choose your own adventure series in the 80s, written by Joe Dever. It takes place in the world he used for his D&D campaign. Its called the Lone Wolf series. What set it apart from other CYOA books at the time, is that it was one long adventure, while in other series, each book was its on adventure. In the lone wolf books, you get powers and abilities with each book you complete. The original series is about 20 volumes. Also, just discovered your channel. Nice vid! You have a new sub!
Love this , I play ancient odyssey which is made for solo play and I’ve at least created a zonai ranger for solo DnD play which I need to actually sit down and play.
This was awesome, Ginny... I love how much fun you were having, even when it was just you. You are very talented and wonderful. Thanks for your content.
I own both of these modules and I’ve preordered the third one. They were my first foray into actually playing DND (not including BG3 🤗) and I loved it!
Thank you so much for doing this. I definitely have the feeling that I don't play enough and was thinking about solo playing for quite some time. Thanks for showing that it is quite a cool thing to do 🙏
I’ve played both the Wolves and Crystals adventures more than once and had different experiences both times. (Found them after your last solo D&D video.) Can’t wait for the next adventure to come out. Thanks for clueing us into different ways to play the game!
So it's a pick-your-own pulp novel with dice rolls to increase your engagement. Sounds like a fine idea. Sounds even better as a 1-shot or short/intro campaign for a new gaming group to get people used to each other before starting the real campaign at level 2, etc, without using up the DM's own homebrew world material.
I am definitely gonna give this a go. I am the only one in my entire friend group and family remotely interested in D&D, I’ve been trying to get them to play with me for years until I came across this very video. Thank you Ginny!
One of my first "roleplaying games" as a kid was a book I got on a 1$ sale ... it was a so called "adventure book" which are pretty much solo adventures with some basic rules and one die for certain occasions. I think there are many like that out there.
Didn't even watch the whole video. I ran to the website and ordered both adventures plus pre ordered a 3rd! I was so excited to get started! I'll watch the whole video after I play! Thanks for the recommendation!
I Love this idea! I think this will be a great way to develop character backstories that allows for a backbone for the world development for each character!
This sounds like a fun time. I love choose your own adventure books. The dice based choices are definitely better for sticking with the storyline because of passed or failed checks.
I grew up with solo adventures, those 'choose your own adventure' books. Ones where you choose option 1 and go to such and such page, option 2 - go to another page. No matter what I did I always died lmao.
Love you posted this, I've done solo games for years and is super fun, of course the group games are often more fun but same goes for most games. I do sandbox as my fav style and easy to not know what's coming up with the random roll setups I have so dungeons, locations, and enemies stay fresh and surprising still.
Oooh I've played through this, it's very fun. I used it as the 'starting point' for my current dnd character as we were starting at level 3 so it was a good backstory for her.
Thanks to Obvious Mimic for sponsoring this video! Get solo D&D adventures here: obviousmimic.com (Should I be worried that there was no mimic in this one? Did I miss something? WAS IT OBVIOUS?)
Tunnels and Trolls had solo adventures and there was those books. You shouldn't tempt a DOB like moi like this 😎
I wouldn't get near a book with the warning "obvious mimic" on the cover
Can confirm both these modules were very fun solo playthroughs!
16:15 Ginny, they're actually hardcover books, not softcovers. Can confirm they're great!
Apologies, I see they now have softcover versions in addition to the hardcovers that I kickstarted.
Gonna gather the party and have everyone run their own solo DnD game at the table simultaneously. We out here DnDmaxing.
The real trick is doing it simultaneously with a group game. Dungeons and Dragons while you Dungeons and Dragons!
Parallel play
what about a BBEG that traps each player in a dream state or illusion and they each play through it until they escape one at a time
@@GinnyDiyo dawg; we heard you like D&D. So we put an adventure in your adventure so you can adventure while you adventure!
Autistic player’s dream
My 50 unused characters who I haven't been able to bring to a campaign yet: now this looks like a job for me
Omg sameee 😂😂
Me staring at all my unplayed OCs: ...same 😂
You said it! Can't use them all for npcs as a dm either.
I'm glad I'm not alone in having an absurd amount of planned characters. Maybe my OCD is heavily to blame, but I feel compelled to have one character for (almost) every subclass and race, and I'm homebrewing races to compensate for there being far fewer playable races than there are subclasses. The terrifying part is mapping out how long it would actually take to play through a campaign with all of them. I started playing D&D sometime in late 2022., and out of the ~87 currently planned characters in my Google Docs sheet, I'm currently on my 4th character which I started playing back in February.
You only have 50, you are so lucky.
This reminds me of the old choose your own adventure books. All you needed was the book, some dice and a pencil
And the old Lone Wolf books, a little more involved.
@@Vinemaple I favoured the Fighting Fantasy series by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone
The original D&D choose your adventure books did not require dice.
What do you need dice and a pencil for with Choose Your Own Adventure books? I still have 2 of those books ("Journey Under the Sea" and "Inside UFO 54-40"). The book just says stuff like "For ___ Turn to Page ____" or something similar. Unless you want the dice to choose for you, they are not required or necessary and pencils are not needed at all. The only thing you need is the book itself.
@MatthewTheWanderer The ones I mainly played had stat sheets and combat and the like. There were lots of different types. I had some of the more simple ones too
I always like "choose your own adventure" books. This looks like those books with some dice rolling added. Not bad.
There's a hamlet one that reminds me of this- it had an entire chess game in it, and you found pages based on your play, similar to the dice rolling.
thought the same thing, Jonathan Green is a monster house of an author, check out his work!!
Your N'Krasha voice is always entertaining. And N'Krasha did a great job: she has a great career ahead of her as a crime solver. A well-paid crime solver.
She's gonna have a great time guarding all the criminals she put behind bars 😂
Tip for teachers/tutors: This can be a great creative writing exercise for kids. When I worked as a tutor, the kids created their own D&D characters. The boys mostly created edgelord characters while the girls usually picked elves and created very pretty characters. This module can act as a plot structure for an adventure story!
What a stereotype my characters are mostly illithids
@@Kaminoboi Ey, fellow illithid player!! I don't see a lot of others!
@@Kaminoboi Okay I'm gonna hold your hand as I say this, but "Screw you, I'm actually a mindflayer" is EXACTLY the mentality of an edgy 13 year old
Which isn't bad, pretty cool in fact, but it definitely is what that is
My characters are usually birds, I have a aarakocra character with a torn wing
My daughter’s enrichment classes in 6th form were D&D classes. They are a great enrichment and learning sessions
As someone who deals with disabling chronic health issues, group rpg play just isn't always feasible, due to my symptoms that vary day to day, sometimes hour to hour. I've just started dipping my toe into TTRPG and solo play especially. This video has come at an amazing time! DnD has always felt intimidating, but I feel like something like this adventure could help me learn the rules while still having fun playing solo while just starting out. I'm definitely going to look into these adventures. 💖
I play d&d in a group where one of us has fibro, one has ME, one has CP and then there's me with my arthritis. There's groups out there that understand chronic conditions and know there needs to be flexibility and sometimes a game has to cancel or be cut short or some players might need more help with certain things than others.
I'm so glad that you've been able to find a way to play that works for you! ❤️
@@misterthegeoff9767 That's so excellent to hear! Maybe that might be an option for me at some point. 😊
as a person who is painfully interested in D&D but more socially anxious than she'd like to admit, which more often than not prevents her from even telling other people she's intersted in playing... i LOVE this style of gameplay. it helps me tremendously to be able to play thru a game like this solo where i can slow way down, talk to myself(lol), experiment, and get just take breaks if i'm feeling overwhelmed, before actually putting myself in a group setting where i often feel so completely overstimulated that i have to resist crying right at the table, lol. i really liked watching u play this too. you're always so good at narrating and voices and stuff. 💖
They have a discord with text based and you can sign up for a campaign and play with others without the social anxiety of being in person. Also you can use the DND chat gpt to help with rules, creating characters or even running through a campaign and having the AI he the dungeon master
That original solo DnD game video in 2022 was actually one of the first vids I watched of yours. I'm actually thinking about setting up a table at my house with a battle map and just running stuff whenever I have down time between making my own videos. I actually really like this concept! 👀
I started a solo UVG campaign based on that video, I kitbashed UVG 1st ed. with SDM and Uranium Butterflies, and every Luka Rejec table I could find (the referee screen was very helpful). I only ran into problems because I used characters I'd been planning to write a UVG fanfic about, and who therefore had a full plot arc, or at least a very dramatic final fate, already planned out. Try not to do that in any campaign.
"Did it hurt?"
"Did what hurt?"
"When you broke through the Earth's crust on your way up from hell."
Good one. 😆
"Hey baby, are you an angel that fell from heaven? Well... so is Satan."
My 8yo has been asking to play DnD with me for a while and I've desperately been looking for something we can do together, this sounds great for that.
She has another video on dnd for 2 people! :)))
@@nemiredne2499 I've thought about doing that, but he doesn't want to be the only player, and his friends parents aren't really keen on the idea of d&d so they don't want their their kids playing with him.
You can check out 'Flik Silverpen's guide to Dragontown' by JP Coovert. I played it with my 7yo son and a couple of his friends. It could be fun with just you 2.
@RobertManzano do none of his friends play any video games? Lol
My Parents were big into Dnd, and I really wanted to start. They had a few Solo Adventures. Which I played when I was 8. Afterwards I wanted to write a campaign... I wrote a choose your own adventure book and forced my parents to play it.... Lol
Hey Ginny, any chance you might do more of these? Highly enjoyable, I think I’ve watched this like 3 times now! Na’Krasha is just such a fun character 👏
MAYBE SHE DIED WITH IT MAYBE IT'S MAYBELLINE (also maybe I just died laughing)
Fighting Fantasy books were my introduction to this style of game. I collected when I was young with the help of my grandfather who owned a small town bookstore. 30 years later (4-5 years ago) I started exploring DnD books. About a year ago, I found all of my FF books in a badly mislabelled box. I had thought they had been lost in one of many moves. It has been great fun going through some of them again.
I love D&D, but often struggle to have long periods of time to put aside for it. With SOLO play, I can just hop into my world for 15 minutes! I know that it is often advocated against in solo play circles to do this (I have seen much advice to set aside a few hours and fully commit with no distractions), but honestly... the versatility and ability to jump in and out of is one of the strengths of solo play! I keep an adventurer's log where I write down everything I do, and use Threads to keep track of mysteries. That way, when I want to get back in after a break, I can read my log and catch back up! I still feel engaged even when I just look like I'm sitting at my computer typing. And I've made some gorgeous MS paint maps.
With my health issues, 15mins play is the max I could even manage Solo ttrpg.
I don't like the idea of putting pressure on yourself to play a set length of time. Everyone has different lives, so playing when, where, and however long you are capable of is much more productive for enjoyable play sessions.
And yes, note taking too. I took the idea of Mythic's threads to help track my game sessions too. 😊
I am the newest of noobs when it comes to D&D. I’ve always wanted to play, but it wasn’t until watching (and re-re-re-watching) the Initiagive series that you were a part of, that I actually started to explore how to start playing. I think solo play will be better for me now, but maybe I’ll end up trying to find a group. Thank you so much for your great content, I found it super welcoming as a newbie. 🙌🏼💖
I feel like these short adventures are a really good way to kickstart a backstory for a character being used in a group. Tweak some proper nouns, add in a hook for the campaign, and you got yourself a head start
N'Krasha is certainly one of your most entertaining characters, I'm not surprised folks picked her.
I doubt I'll ever get into these as I find anything pre-written can't adapt and respond to outside-the-box solutions the way a fleshy DM can, but I still think they're a cool idea.
I have several points. First, I love the sword earings.
Second, it was really entertaining watching Ginny play even a solo adventure. I can really imagine gaming with her in a group would be a lot of fun.
Third, I agree that solo gaming is fine and shouldn't be considered sad or desperate. Most would be happy to play in a group but that is often not easy at all.
This leads to my forth point which is that I will probably get these games and play them.
Scheduling is the true BBEG that defeats most groups before the end of the campaign, some don't even reach the starting block.
I would probably find Na’Krasha’s fumbled pick up line to be really endearing, sweet and cute 😊
This reminds me of choose your own adventure books I played decades ago
The Goosebumps ones were classic!!
I've been playing DND solo since 2001, I started with the 3rd edition, then with time for the 4th edition and finally I reached the 5th edition, always playing solo, trying to say..."complete the campaign". I have a lot of fun in my own imagination and testing the system always makes me learn more. Thanks for the video and thanks for saying that playing solo isn't sad or weird.😊🎉🎉❤
2 things: First, that dress is SO BEAUTIFUL! I love that blue and white floral vase/porcelain design! Second, this feels like it could be good for a solo session 0 before taking a PC to a campaign, a test drive and backstory in one module!
Solo RPG has gone full circle, from Choose Your Own Adventure, to Zork, to Elder Scrolls, and back to Choose Your Own Adventure
All I can picture is Na'Krasha giving the southern Half-Orc a weird look whenever they open their mouth. "Why in Realms do you talk like this?!"
Solo play: the final form of a Forever GM
A group of adventures encounters:
pack of goblins or wolves: separate them for no pack tactics
an ogre, giant, troll: keep moving and abuse your dexterity
tangling vines: let that trigger finger wizard loose with fireball
swarm of bees: drown in water
However the most epic battle is none other than this question: "I know the 6 of us meet every Sunday. 3 of us cannot make it next week. The 3 who can make it are usually quieter spoken. GM asks, do you three want to explore your personal backgrounds in a side quest?"
Silent crickets occur for the next six days. "ummm"
I love the idea of playing my own solo adventures, but it's difficult to make my own without spoiling the surprise, so I'm quite glad this kind of product is getting some airtime!
This is exactly it! And forever DMs deserve an adventure they haven't planned every once in a while 🙌
@@GinnyDi Yes! And sometimes we want something more bite-sized than Baldur's Gate 3 or Kingmaker!
Other than adventure book/game books like this, which there are plenty more of out there, both for dnd, or using their own game systems. There's also a totally different method of using rolltables and an oracle to help gm for you. It can be done with a free form campaign, but you can also make use of these tools along with prewritten adventures/modules. More of an improvised game, than something as tightly written as a gamebook.
AD&D had some solo modules and at least a dozen gamebooks and they even had solo adventures in their magazines! Tunnels and Trolls has dozens of solo adventures!
The gamebooks are perfect solo adventures, especially the Lone Wolf, Fighting Fantasy, Sagard the Barbarian, Steve Jackson's Sorcery! and The Way of the Tiger!
This seems like a choose you own adventure book but with dice rolling... sounds fun.
I had just started looking more seriously into solo D&D/TTRPGs these last few days so the timing of this video could not be more perfect!
Check out ironsworn, it’s how to play RPG without prep (not a choose your own adventure like she mentioned in this )
I'll definitely check it out, thanks for the tip!
This is why i got BG3, always was interested in trying DnD but everyone who did the classic "we accept noobs and i dm for my group we could invite you" never actually did sooo.
Also this is interesting and definitely wanna check it out!
So excited to watch this! I've been waiting for another solo dnd video for ages
You talked me into solo adventuring with your first video on the subject, and I’m now 600 pages into it, writing everything down as I play. And they aren’t even close to finding the BBEG (I don’t even know who it is yet) or figuring out an intriguing subplot (I do know how that will work out). And there’s romance and intrigue and the multiverse needs saving!
So I won’t have time for these modules anytime soon, but someday I’ll give one of them a shot.
Oh nice, I played Wolves of Lnegston. It was pretty good.
It was pretty fun making an evidence board from all the clues I got.
Well NOW I want to make an evidence board.
The next evolution of obsessive note taking 😅
I do wish there were adventures like this for a little higher level than 1 or 2. I think level 4 or 5 would be perfect.
Hopefully they get enough support to expand!
Check out:
The Tortured Land (lvl 4)
Drums of Daggerford (lvl 5)
Caught in a Wizards Web (lvl 6)
They're all solo adventures on DM's Guild.
@@GinnyDi It is in a lot of ways like a choose your own adventure book. The main advantage I see from solo play is it is a good way to sharpen your skills with the game mechanics through play testing. For some folks, perhaps many, this might be just the right thing, especially as a confidence builder. Some folks need a full grasp of the rules before they can play with real confidence.
And you're right, finding a group you really click with can be pretty tough. And joining a group that's a bad fit will almost always lead to a bad experience.
@@GinnyDi I’ve supported all 3 of their Kickstarters, so I also hope they get the support to expand.
Ginny: "Werewolf!!"
Me: "There, wolf. There, temple."
"why do you talk like this?"
"I thought you wanted me too."
"Neyt."
"Fine suit yourself, I'm easy."
Been hoping for another solo adventure, not so much because I've done one, but seeing Ginny's solo setup is like D&D Low-Fi. Everything just looks so _pretty_ and relaxing.
Also, gotta love a Barbarian who's first instinct is FLIRT WITH EVERYONE HOT.
I just started The Wolves of Langston and I'm having so much fun. I'm writing out my reactions, dialogue, important backstory stuff for my character and I haven't enjoyed writing this much in ages. Thank you for the recommendation!
So glad you're enjoying it!
And that's such a cool idea for a writing exercise - I might have to try it with a future solo adventure 🥰
The accents are legendary. Great work! I didn't realize how fun these modules could be until recently. I started playing Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu adventures recently. In fact I'm still playing through Alone Against the Tide.
I agree very much with your point that these sort of adventures are great but especially for new soloists. When I first discovered solo RPG's, it was your video and Me, Myself, and Die, and at that point, I was too new to RPGs even to try to play solo, but like a total maniac, I got the Pathfinder 2e rules and the Mythic GM emulator. That failed amazingly and in short order. I think these sort of modules are helpful for walking you through what questions you should ask and when to make checks. It's a really simple way to learn how to solo and then later, if Pathfinder is what you WANT to solo... well... you do you, Haiku! I ramble.
Cheers!
Same! I literally feel like I could have written every word of this comment right now. 😊 I'm just getting started with rpg and solo is the way I need to start for several reasons. It's difficult to get started solo, especially when you don't have any rpg experience at all. I'm loving this adventure!
@@thrivingselfcarerenee Right on! I hope you have a blast. There some good youtubers especially for solo stuff. Wilona's Cave, Solo Spelunking, and Man Alone are all great channels for that. Books Bricks & Boards is a great resource channel as well. Good luck!
@@simontemplar3359 Thanks for the suggestions! The Books one is the only one I haven't heard of yet. 😊 I'll definitely check them out!
i love the merfolk race, i already have a character brewing up in there
I have been prepping to start playing a solo game because I’m going to be on paternity leave for the next month. Figured I’ll be up late and won’t have time to join my normal group. Thanks Ginny for this and the other video on solo play. I’ve watched the other video about 3 times now.
Considering how many characters I come up with and how few of them I actually get to play, this sounds like a great way for me to explore those characters without needing to find time & others to play with!
This video reminds me of the choose your adventure books.
Far as I remember, some solo rpg adventure books, similar to the adventure in this video, were popular and available in the late '70s early '80s. Also, some d&d inspired board games which allows you to build a random dungeon. These were replaced by personal computer adventures.
I recently found this channel and am LOVING it! I appreciate the fast-paced speaking style and knowledgeable information. I'm new to D&D 5e but used to play D&D and AD&D back then. I was a big fan of Choose Your Own Adventures books and popular alternatives related to fantasy like Fighting Fantasy (Amazing!) books. And since I was a lone nerd, playing D&D solo adventures was my go-to. I always wished they had made more. Aren't most nerds lone by their very nature? Thanks again for the informative and enjoyable video!
Oh I love this concept so much!! This kinda thing is perfect for my impatient self when there are loooong breaks between sessions!!
I would have thought that Na'Krasha's motto is more like 'hit thing with great axe, don't need to ask questions later'
Love your creativity and this sounds like a fascinating way to do roleplaying and exercise creative thought and be engaged in a story when on one's own. This might be something I might check out sometime.
Na'Krasha has whatever motto serves her in the moment 😂
@@GinnyDi Fair enough, and a good way to be flexible as one moves through life.
In any case, I've learned my lesson about disagreeing with someone who has a Battleaxe.
Roses are red, Violets are blue. You are green, and I am too.
I thought this exact thing lol
i fully thought it was gonna be this omg
that would be way too smooth 😂 the whole point is that Na'Krasha isn't clever!
@@GinnyDi
”You are green,
And so am I.”
@GinnyDi Roses are red, violets are blue, you are green, and I am green with passion for you!
I do like this idea. I have a ton of character ideas and not enough campaigns to play them all. This could give me an opportunity to try the ones I won't get to play. Or even just to try out multiple characters to see which ones are the most fun so that I can play those in a group.
This is the greatest piece of sponsored content known to man or woman... also because of the word "f***boi" 😂
hey, I call 'em how I see 'em! 😂 Thank you!!
There are also a ton of really old DND-based video games that are now dirt cheap and don't require a super nice modern computer:
Planescape: Torment (2nd edition rules)
Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 (2nd edition rules)
Neverwinter Nights (3rd edition rules)
Icewind Dale (2nd & 3rd edition rules, mostly combat though so very light on role-playing aspect)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (3rd edition rules)
They're not gonna be as open or free as playing the tabletop game, but it's nice to have a computer DM for you to take some of the tedium away.
Also, the old "gold box" D&D games. In fact, those would be great if repurposed for current generation tablet games.
THANK YOU, Ginny! Been doin this for years, RP'ing by myself at length sometimes, usually as NPC's for whatever current campaign I'm running for ppl, either feeling out scenes I want to bring the PC's to, or just part of the NPC's history, important moments f their lives, which of course, whether or not that ever comes to be revealed to the players, makesthemall the more real and believable, as ell as clearer to play, they have a past, distinct moments that are private, sad, or horrifying, perhaps mundane but nonetheless personal. This helps me define their motivations which helps me naturally drive how , when and why their story may cross paths with the players. Even the owners and family members of the hometown tavern/inn that is often the respite, asylum, and sometimes secret safehouse when they aren't abroad adventuring. Andsometimes, I just have fun on my own because NO ONE wants to game as much as I want to storytell, and, also reality and adult reasons.. but yeah. Thank you for this!
Thanks, Ginny! 😊 I'm really into solo book games like Fabeled Lands and Legendary Kingdoms. I'm excited to hear of the other options out there 🙏💚
Dude. This reminds me of the old choose your own adventure books from back in the day. 1e for life. Lol
Not only is this a good way to get in some game time but i imagine this would be a fantastic way for folks to have a bit of an artistic outlet! Im going to be checking these out as well as from your first video of thet DMguild thing. Thank you for all you do!
This is such a cool idea for an introvert like me :)
I still have some of my old Lone Wolf books on my shelf. I think I'm going to revisit them for inspiration for a game I'm running. This is such a great idea!
Same here.
I am intrigued. I had watched your previous sandbox one, and this style appeals to me more. Thank you for making us aware of the variety of options available!
I cannot WAIT to hear about your solo campaign in more detail!! 🎉
Loved this video! I'm really looking forward to your freeform-solo campaign video. :) I love group ttrpgs, but I also love solo ttrpgs! Hilariously, I find it harder to schedule time to play solo!
I guess it's easy to push it back when you only have to answer to yourself!!
@@GinnyDi that must be it. It’s hard to make time for yourself! Gotta remember that we are also worth making time for! :)
I was introduced to fantasy and to role playing in Fighting Fantasy in the early 80's. "Citadel of Chaos" was my first book and I was hooked. A few years later a friend told me of D&D and brought me into a group; - and now I'm a GM with over 30 years of experience. So you can surely play a D&D adventure by yourself, in fact TSR published several adventure books.
And yes, I have many tools to freeform a solo D&D, but I don't want a single character like in Fighting Fantasy I think of a party. I have a series of adventures that I want to go through solo, and lots of other stuff like the AD&D Pool of Radiance and Curse of The Azure Bonds. Sky's the limit when you have the right tools. ^^
It's because of your other video that I found out that DnD could be played solo. That's when I started playing. Had always wanted to play. I enjoy the game. So, pretty much what I'm saying is - thank you.
Aww I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Hope you keep playing 🥰
I just finished going through the wolves of langston and the crystals of Z'leth.
I've wanted to get into D&D for a while now, so I've had a character ready to go. This was a great way to learn my character. How does he talk, and what does he do in certain situations? It also gives him a more tangible backstory, some things he actually did before whatever campaign i eventually do.
Did this help you learn more about DnD? I'm wanting to jump in so bad but worried there are to many rules. I figured this might be a good "taste test".
@mereditha4363 it gave me the opportunity to experience combat at my own pace so I could learn without worrying about consequences or holding up a group. If I needed to Google something midway, or go back to something I could.
It's not a tutorial, but it could be used as one I guess.
I also love and recommend: "Against the Wind", by Cezar Capacle. The way it enhanced the unseen background, while keeping focus on character driven arcs, is excellent.
This sounds like a lot of fun! I loved those "Choose Your Adventure" books back in the day, although I usually only managed to find the worst possible outcomes.
The only thing missing here are some built-in romance options. Poor Na'Krasha's out there shooting her shot, and coming up empty...
I’ve been out of the game for so many years now due to depression and other things , but as a GM running ‘solo games’ for myself was such a fun way to test encounters or have stuff happen behind the scenes while allowing dice to tell the story instead of me deciding to would win or lose if npcs had an encounter somewhere the players weren’t.
I can’t wait to get back into gaming. Finding your channel is a huge inspiration for that ❤
I literally played my first D&D yesterday and got so hooked that when I got back I was looking for more. I just played Wolves of Langston today and it was so fun and also super helpful for a newbie to be able to get some practice and get more comfortable with some of the game mechanics.
I've been playing since nearly the beginning of D&D, and I still learn from you, Ginny. Thank you. 🙂
I just finished this book today as my first adventure with my new 5e2024 character. I also used to love the “Choose your own adventure “ books and it did bring me back. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’ll definitely read through it again just to see other options and results in the story. Thumbs 👍
I haven't had in-person d&d for like 7 months and it's been horrid! Solo-adventures have been my sustenance for that entire time up until recent online groups i've joined. I do to stay play solo even when those groups can't play! So, i'm always looking for new solo play adbetures. So, thank you Obvious Mimic for sponsoring the video & Ginny Di for doing another video on solo play! LOVE IT!!!
I used to use the adventure creator in the back of the AD&D 1E DMG to create adventures for my characters all the time when I was bored, especially before I found that my new High School had an entire RPG group. (This was back in around the 80's, they were pretty rare back then.) So I'd spent an entire summer and part of the fall doing this. The story wasn't as cohesive as this idea, but it was fun to generate random dungeons as I explored and discover random encounters. Some of which left my PCs running for the hills when I realized I was completely out-matched. I eventually realized a character I'd created for group play really wasn't adventurer material when I realized that the only thing that made him worthy of being an adventurer was his classes as a fighter/mage, and that he'd be stuck as a peon at about level 5 as a fighter and maybe 7 as a mage. So I decided to reroll him until I got actually playable ability rolls. Nothing "18's across the board" just abilities that gave him a slight edge over a farmer. Last time I'd played him in a group, between the GM pushing me to buy a slave while perusing the slave quarters of the city "Of the Invincible Overlord" - and another player trying to get me to blow all of my extra gold I'd ended up buying a female slave. Then for this decided I'd convert her into a "hireling" and made her a level 1 rogue. It didn't go entirely terrible after that.
I always loved choose your own adventure stories. Thanks for the video
I'm such a huge fan of Obvious Mimic. I backed all their projects on KS.
Super worth it.
There was another popular choose your own adventure series in the 80s, written by Joe Dever. It takes place in the world he used for his D&D campaign. Its called the Lone Wolf series. What set it apart from other CYOA books at the time, is that it was one long adventure, while in other series, each book was its on adventure. In the lone wolf books, you get powers and abilities with each book you complete. The original series is about 20 volumes.
Also, just discovered your channel. Nice vid! You have a new sub!
I caved, I bought both, and I have exactly zero regrets. Thank you for posting this video!
Love this , I play ancient odyssey which is made for solo play and I’ve at least created a zonai ranger for solo DnD play which I need to actually sit down and play.
This was awesome, Ginny... I love how much fun you were having, even when it was just you. You are very talented and wonderful. Thanks for your content.
I own both of these modules and I’ve preordered the third one. They were my first foray into actually playing DND (not including BG3 🤗) and I loved it!
This reminds me of those "Choose your own Adventure" books. Some also had you make character sheets as well and track hitpoints.
Thank you so much for doing this. I definitely have the feeling that I don't play enough and was thinking about solo playing for quite some time. Thanks for showing that it is quite a cool thing to do 🙏
I played both of Obvious Mimics solo adventures. I think that they are well done and fun to play. Loved the video!
I'm new on this channel and your videos are so fun and enjoyable to watch ! Btw, tysm for the spanish subtitles ! I'm gonna share this to my friends 😄
I’ve played both the Wolves and Crystals adventures more than once and had different experiences both times. (Found them after your last solo D&D video.) Can’t wait for the next adventure to come out. Thanks for clueing us into different ways to play the game!
So it's a pick-your-own pulp novel with dice rolls to increase your engagement. Sounds like a fine idea. Sounds even better as a 1-shot or short/intro campaign for a new gaming group to get people used to each other before starting the real campaign at level 2, etc, without using up the DM's own homebrew world material.
I am definitely gonna give this a go. I am the only one in my entire friend group and family remotely interested in D&D, I’ve been trying to get them to play with me for years until I came across this very video. Thank you Ginny!
These can also make great session zero adventures for bringing a group together.
I want more of this! As a mother of a very young child, I don't have the same time to play as any of my friends, so I need to find way to play solo.
Glad this could help a bit.
And there will be more solo d&d content coming!
Those sword earrings are amazing! Got any favorite fantasy swords?
One of my first "roleplaying games" as a kid was a book I got on a 1$ sale ... it was a so called "adventure book" which are pretty much solo adventures with some basic rules and one die for certain occasions. I think there are many like that out there.
Didn't even watch the whole video. I ran to the website and ordered both adventures plus pre ordered a 3rd! I was so excited to get started! I'll watch the whole video after I play!
Thanks for the recommendation!
I Love this idea! I think this will be a great way to develop character backstories that allows for a backbone for the world development for each character!
Glad to learn about another source for solo adventures. My favorite I've tried so far was the Eight Petals Argent series on DM Guild.
This sounds like a fun time. I love choose your own adventure books. The dice based choices are definitely better for sticking with the storyline because of passed or failed checks.
I grew up with solo adventures, those 'choose your own adventure' books. Ones where you choose option 1 and go to such and such page, option 2 - go to another page. No matter what I did I always died lmao.
Everyone did. I swear they always took the choices that would have been the smartest thing to do and made them deadly.
Love you posted this, I've done solo games for years and is super fun, of course the group games are often more fun but same goes for most games. I do sandbox as my fav style and easy to not know what's coming up with the random roll setups I have so dungeons, locations, and enemies stay fresh and surprising still.
This was really fun! I'm glad the adventure went well. Also good to see more Na'Krasha.
Oooh I've played through this, it's very fun. I used it as the 'starting point' for my current dnd character as we were starting at level 3 so it was a good backstory for her.
10:04, except the mayor is secretly two Kobolds in an orc costume!
That explains the accent.