Thinking Like a Solo GM
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- Опубліковано 3 сер 2024
- Tips and tricks to get your solo session going and keep it rolling
other video mentioned here--easy ways to be your own GM:
• Easy Ways to be your o...
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I really think the videos on your channel about solo RPG play are breaking new ground for this way of play. The zoomed-out idea that 'every aspect of this is play' is an inspiring and fluid way of thinking about things that to be honest gets overlooked in all aspects of our hobby where so many are convinced they have the correct way to RPG.
I wondered if you are familiar with two excellent products for solo dungeon crawling using your favourite old-school D&D type ruleset, RUINS OF THE UNDERCITY and MAD MONKS OF KWANTOOM. Each is similar to the 1st ed DMG type dungeon generation tables but go the extra mile with details, overland encounters and shops, charms, even hidden content that you must trust yourself not to look at until you encounter in legitimately (e.g. the opportunity to join secret societies and so on). Mad Monks in particular is a delight, with a crazed pan-asian fantasy type setting inspired by old Chinese matchbook monster illustrations.
AndrewSFTSN Thank you so much for that very flattering comment. And no I am not familiar with the resources you mention but will definitely look into them. They sound great.
Thank you for this video! The first point I find especially relevant to me. In essence, even though I haven't played in many groups over the last 35+ years, I've done an awful lot of reading and planning. So that in itself is "playing". I'm also slowly coming around to the solo GM/player mentality, but being so very type A+, the details always send me down rabbit holes, so much so that I lose track of the overall purpose and then just drop the whole thing because it gets so confusing. Getting there, slowly...
Patrick Demets Yes absolutely that is “playing”: you are living in and enjoying the game world.
I agree that getting caught in details can make it challenging at times to move forward with something solo because you also have to be able to lead yourselves out of those details.
I just found your channel and your solo gm videos are blowing my mind. Thank you so much for posting these. The "everything is playing" idea is wonderful and will definitely change my point of view when it comes to how I'm spending my rpg time. Thanks again and keep em coming!
One Stone Well thanks so much. I have lots of solo RPG vids, more even than are in that playlist (I haven’t tagged all those relevant ones from the general RPG list yet). Welcome!
This is exactly what I needed right now. This is superb. The way I see this is we are writing a story and using the game to drive plot.
Your videos are always inspiring.
I'm going now to create a bunch of characters in Traveller without feeling the guilt of possibly never using them in actual play. And maybe I'll put them together on a ship and see what happens when they start interacting.
neuzd Yes!! So glad to hear it! I should have said the”G” in RPG” stands for “game!” And not “guilt” :)
Your first point of seeing the whole process as part of the game was very freeing! I hoard systems that I'm never going to play with a group and sometimes feel silly making characters for games that are never going to happen. Thanks!
You are welcome. Enjoy all the content you have--even if you just read it!
These are really good principles not only for solo GM, but for any GM, especially the beginner ones.
You are just amazing!!! Thank you for this and all the videos you make!!! You inspire me in solo gming like no one does!!!
Nice video! Great points! I was thinking about this earlier ...I changed some of the rule aspects just a little ...of several adventure board games I have with lite RPG elements and added my own twist to that recipe. Creates great stories...
This has been an eye-opener. Thank you so much for this video. I have been a solo-gm for a while, and your video has helped me a lot. :)
nanorider426 So glad to know that you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the comment.
Well said! I enjoy all aspects of play and also include, as you do :), browsing rule systems to inspire me, making characters [one of my favourite things to do!], even editing maps, and converting PDF character sheets to for fallible versions.
Last night I was playing around with Dungeon crawl classics, and Basic fantasy RPG character sheets whilst listening to Tim Kask [On his Curmudgeon in the Cellar series] on you tube. Didn't actually play those RPG's, but had a blast none-the-less.
When I get the chance to run a game for a real life group I also count the time prepping the adventure as play time for me.
Thank you for another great video :)
donnysmurf Thanks for sharing some insight into what you do. Glad you enjoyed this content.
A terrific video. I love collaging a system together to Solo RP in.
I really appreciate your videos I've seen the ones of how to solo RPG a couple of times just to get a stuck in my head wrote down the whole bunch of important points that you had and it's helped me a lot so I want to thank you for that.
My first dungeon crawl was for against darkness so I'm really new to this dungeon crawling once upon a Time back in the day I played maybe two sessions of d&d with my friends but that's about it, apart of four against darkness I played basic fantasy RPG that's what I started recently with the game master apprentice cards and pocketlands I've been doing an adventure. Thank you again and I would appreciate anything that you have on solo RPG
Thank you so much and I’m glad that you’ve been enjoying your forays into solo RPGing. I have tons of vids showing play demos as well as discussing general concepts in my solo RPG play list.
Such a great channel, I'm glad that you have two books published now!
Thank you so much!
Thank you!
I've just gone down the rabbit hole of solo RPG play. Your videos have been fun to watch to realize it can been done. I've kinda slapped together CRGE and Mythic for generating content but the system I am running is Aces and Eights. Thanks for all of your content :)
That's great to hear. A rabbit hole it is, indeed! I have that problem myself... The CRGE/Mythic combo is a good one. Aces & Eights is way out of my genre but I see there's lots of online content about it. I'll have to watch some, as I like to know what's out there even if I'll never play it. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the reply. As I get used to the idea of solo GMing my plan is to go back to King Arthur Pendragon and the great Pendragon campaign.
I'd expand the everything is playing to the whole rpg hobby. I've read and processed in various ways so many games systems, worlds and material over the decades. It has always been a major part of the hobby for me. I love books for one.
Yes, what you write is quite true!
@@GeekGamers01 Ok, this weekend we started In The Shadow of Tower Silveraxe module using WWN system as a no-GM game with my wife. Second session and second combat encounter against stirges ended up in the first TPK of our rpg careers 🤣 We're back at it with a new group.
I have to say I really enjoy using oracles, generative and suggestive tools. I suppose the module as well as keeping record of resources work nicely as restrictive tools. It's a lot of fun!
I like your approach. I am in the phase of deciding how much I can get into solo gaming. Really trying to get away from video gaming and do something else.
I usually am a bit put off by people commenting on how a ruleset is "difficult" or too much to learn. But then I realised that most people play many different games, unlike me who I have only ever played pathfinder/starfinder and D&D! In that case I can certainly understand how getting into your 20th game system just to be confronted with a 500+ pages manual would be bordering on torture.
I prefer to keep it simple, fantasy can be expressed in any ruleset so I just choose one (or 1 for genre) and make it work for everything I want to do in that genre. That makes it possible to explore it and enjoy it to its full extent
Your solo rpg videos are immensely helpful. I'm especially interested in your ideas about introducing some sort of turn system to help structure solo play. I currently use the Location Crafter's location lists to help move the narrative along. I recommend checking it out if you haven't.
Do you keep a journal or log when you play an rpg solo? I've read a few blogs where people share their solo journals. They read like short stories - lots of exposition, description, dialogue, etc. I have no desire to do that much writing when I play, but I would like some kind of notation system. I think that it would help me keep track of where I've been and contribute to that sense of momentum you talk about.
Thanks for making these videos!
Thanks for commenting and I'm so glad you are enjoying the content and finding it useful.
I'm afraid I do not keep any kind of journal/log when I do this kind of play. I note down what I need, of course--stats, crude maps, whatever, and maybe some kind of brief notes if it would be location-relevant in the future (like wounded orc here or possible to search tree again or whatever) but that's the extent of it. Like you, I don't have any desire to write when I play.
I've heard of The Location Crafter but never looked at it.
Thanks for the reply. I won't attempt a full description of the Location Crafter, but it really is neat for solo play. It's also by the author of the Mythic GME. Last Friday night (my solo game time), I used the Tome of Adventure design that you recommended to create a scenario - royal advisor hires the party to steal a mysterious box belonging to a local painter he suspects is summoning "dark powers." I used the Location Crafter to create a series of lists to create scenes. Here is an example -
Region: Painter's storefront studio
Locations:
Expected
Expected
Closet
Small Kitchen (unique)
Random
Stairs up
Special
Stairs Down
Complete
Mysterious Shrine
Encounters:
None
None
None
Odd smell
Knock at the Door (unique)
Chanting
Special
Random
Otherworldly Vision
The Painter
Objects:
None
None
None
Expected
Expected
Old Book
Special
Paintbrushes and Paints
Jars of Liquids
Random
Mysterious Box (unique)
Expected
I'll roll a d6 on each table for each "turn" of play. That gives me three key words to create the scene ("special" is the only element that adds an additional role). Once the scene is resolved (using Mythic and my rubric), I'll roll a d6 on the tables again, adding +1 this time (and so forth, cycling through the lists until I hit "complete" on the locations list).
Thanks again!
koboldjay Thanks for explaining how that works. Seems quite interesting. I will check it out.
I've been wanting to try some of the so-called 'narrative style' RPGs in a solo sense. Ones with mechanics that give you some incentive for causing difficulties and setbacks to your character, among other such things.
Using those, it's obvious that it would be more akin to a randomized spur of the moment storytelling experience, as opposed to a dungeon crawling scoot & loot. Not to say it would lack action, but that it would be more event focused than loot, item, and map focused due to the nature of those narrative RPGs.
To assist doing so with those narrative RPGs, I think that is where the 'Covetous Poet's Adventure Creator and Solo GM Guidebook' would fit best. Due to it's more rigid Act structure and a wide variety & seeding of genre plot points to travel through. Using other solo resources, as needed, on the way through those 3+ novel-like acts.
As for the crunchier, more loot oriented RPGs, I'd imagine those already including a lot of random roll tables would save much time. 'Mutant Epoch' RPG is one of the best examples I can think of, regarding an included trove of random tables of all sorts, but others covering even a few areas would help.
NefariousKoel I’m not familiar with Mutant Epoch. Will give it a look tho as you can tell, I am more focused on narrative than traditional hack/slash/loot when it comes to this. If I’m fighting every step of the way I need a game designer to throw the encounters at me.
I've been eyeing some of the bigger Fate Core settings for a very narrative RPG basis. Such as Interface Zero 2.0 for Fate (cyberpunk), Baroque Space Opera (heavy sci-fi-fantasy), Dresden Files (Modern Urban Fantasy), and maybe Strange Tales Of The Century (early 20th-C Pulp), or Oubliette 2e (purgatory fantasy?). They're relatively light and have as much resemblance to writing as RP'ing.
The other notable narrative system I'm wondering about, in this realm, is 'Chronicles of Darkness/World Of Darkness' which has been around for awhile. Tons of stuff for it, but never quite explored it very far.
Some of those sharing traits with the 'Powered by the Apocalypse' engine but a bit larger, such as 'Mutant Year Zero' and 'Coriolis' might be an interesting middle ground between narrative and crunchy. Plus they have some random gen exploration tables & such.
As for a more boardgame feel, I did get most of the Warhammer Fantasy 3rd Edition stuff by FFG. Since all the abilities, characters, etc come on cards & standees, it could add that tactile facet. WFRP has always been pretty deadly, though, so it's still not a big hack & loot system.
Would like to hear how your narrative ones turn out, or any of them.
I've been using Chain Reaction (Two Hour Wargames) as a rubric and AI combat system. It covers a pretty good range of genres and the basic rule set is usually free for download.
Gary Ellison Thanks for mentioning that. I’ve been to their site a bunch but never gotten anything.
As far as I could tell the game mechanics are mostly the same, just different themes for the different genres. I can do almost anything (modern) with the free rule set. The Sword & Sorcery set is good for Fantasy.
Correction: Swordplay is the better rule set for fantasy.
Gary Ellison Thanks, Gary. I will check that out.
Thanks for the recommendation :) Will download them for sure :) I have been using a cool rules light system for some of my solo play of late and it seems to work really well. You might be interested in a read, and it's also free! Swords of Strange Aeons by Mystic Beard Games. Version 2 is free and version 3 is only about $3 and has a little bit more depth in the rules, but its not necessary for a fun game.
Hi! you put forth some good insights for the solo GM! many RPGs can be easily modified to be played this way, what i like to do is design a bunch of tables that randomly generate aspects of the game by a simple dice roll such as NPC/monster encounters,environmental effects/locations/dungeons/star systems ect. You can make random generation tables for just about anything they can be as complex (with many branching paths) or as basic as you like the system is limitless! My favourite RPG to do this with is Classic Traveller, though the system will work fine for most any version of Traveller i guess. Also i would suggest those interested have a look at "Star Trader" it's a rule set for playing Traveller solo as a trader but the concepts within "Star Trader" can be expended upon and used to develop your own solo system. www.drivethrurpg.com/product/118337/Star-Trader
Aion Infinity Thanks and glad you enjoyed the vid. Your strategies are great ones to use. And thanks for mentioning Classic Traveller. I have only read parts of it over the years but never committed to doing something with it. Sounds like I should look into it. And I hadn’t heard of the “Star Trader” that you mention (tho I do have the Star Trader game-I guess this is different). I will look it up. Thanks.
Hello has been following you for a while and this video is really interesting, even I feel frustrated by all the rules and sometimes it seems to me to waste time without having really played. So to rejoice I use this strategy. 1 I create the beginning of the story Place Current events. 2 I created 10 actors to use more often within the story by changing names and only their character. 3 I define the objective of the scene 4 play the scene. Do you identify other points that are missing from this flow? Could you make a video explaining which game flux should be followed so as not to get lost among the books?
Thanks for the comment and question. What you describe you do seems like a great strategy. I’m afraid I’m not understanding the question you are asking me about making a video. Can you explain again what topic you want me to cover? I’m not sure what you mean by “flux”
@@GeekGamers01 😆 Sorry i have translate with Google..
I intended game flow..
I think there is not a specific answer to your question. It is hard but try to let the story develop organically and just do what seems like the most natural next thing. Of course you always could make a sequence of play if you wanted. What was in it would depend on the session
Do you have a video that expands on the last point? "Don't forget the G"
Because I just started breaking into Solo RPG and I already feel VERY STUCK
I don’t have a video specifically on it, no. But a lot of my demo vids show how I establish game like systems to help. My SOLO GM GUIDE is something that can help as well.
Did you try to play traveller rpg? I saw a tube about creation of characters it takes 3 to 4 hours and a group efforts. The question here that I ask to myself how can it be worthy to look at if I have one hour or less after work to play through. And how it will be fun. So for create one or 2 characters I need to spend a week. So for me I give up before even the creation of my adventure.. what do you think?
Pierre Abou Naoum No, I haven’t. You have hit on an issue I discuss elsewhere-choosing rulesets carefully. Too detailed can be a real burden for the soloist unless, as you say, you want to spend that much time on small segments of the process. Some might; but I don’t.
Skip the details? Some of my favorite characters started out as very rough sketches, and I back filled the details when they became relevant in play and I felt like doing it. I enjoy that because it aids in character development along the way and allows you to leverage plot hooks. You can add a capability, or a detail that makes the character interested in the plot Hook when otherwise you might have just gone on by. that led to some complications regarding an assassin in one game I played that have proved to be most fascinating as a solo player/gm
My biggest problem is just actually starting the game. I buy all this stuff and create characters only to abandon it because I got bored or overwhelmed with the information. Sometimes idk where to start and when I do start I feel weird About where to go
That’s a very common problem…. It’s part of the reason why I recommend it starting by creating a character. I have many videos in my solo RPG playlist (and a whole book) that are designed to help with the very issues you are describing.
As a solo gamer myself I am wondering, do you ever play games with other people? I wish I had the social skills to play with others as I think it might be more fun than just playing by myself.
Chris Mohrman Occasionally I do but the people I have to play with prefer much lighter games than I do so what I’m really missing is someone who would play even something as “heavy” as A Touch of Evil. Games like that I wish I could experience multiplayer. I would also love an RPG group even though I wouldn’t have time for it.
I love 'Touch of Evil'. Like you I have only played it and others like it solo. Thanks for the philosophy in this video. I find solo roleplaying quite difficult but very rewarding.