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It is really amazing how you game solo and use tables to make things happen and describe the entire story to us. Quite amazing. You are completely in the imagination on your own without a group. Way cool.
I commented the other day and I want to comment again and say thanks for all of your effort and beautiful, clear explanations - This channel, in addition to solo instruction, is secretly a great way to learn game design and non-solo GMing generally... Your simple approach is so much better than the flashy "personalities" I've tried to learn from. My plan is to get really good at solo RPG'ing and then begin luring my friends into games once I feel confident in this art of creating an unfolding narrative. I've run half of a D&D module before and while it was fun, my real desire has been to home brew something - until I found your channel I've been totally overwhelmed with where to begin. You rule!!
Thank you so very much. It means a lot to read this comment and I'm glad you find my combo of game play and conversation useful. And homebrewing is great--especially if you are new to GMing... that way you're totally confident on the rules you're using and everything feels 'right.' And the amount of stuff out there *is* overwhelming..! (but it doesn't have to be).
I could watch your videos all day. You are very creative and I love your use of reference material and how you weave it into your story. I'm not a solo player, but I see so many useful DM tools here. Thank you!
@@GeekGamers01 Im far, far from professional, but your videos have definitely given me so many ideas. You remind me of one of my favorite teachers in college. Intelligent, calm, and creative. Your examples are clear. I want to run a Dungeon World session and letting the story unfold is one of the elements, but with the great things you teach, I feel like the Random Tables are more useful than ever if everyone is stuck. The Oracle yes/no/maybe rolls are genius.
Back in the 80s, my friends and I created rules, tables, and scenarios for something we called "Super Dungeons & Dragons." It used modified AD&D rules and a copy of Outdoor Survival with all counters used. I've been contemplating updating things to "Super Basic Fantasy" and this video certainly inspired!
I have no words other than this is amazing. Before I saw your video, I did not know solo RPGing was a thing or possibility. I will use your tools to help develop my own skills as a player. Or maybe a DM, if I ever reach that level. Subscribed.
I have decided to take this week to rest and to receive a Solo Seminary with 10 of your magical vids beginning with this wonderful one. Thanks so much. :)
Love it! I'm really fond of classic B/X wilderness procedure and the weather/temperature tables from the old Mystara country trail maps. No crufty attacks on the character sheet, just logical inferences from the weather. Raining and travelling without a cloak? You'll be wet and wanting to either start a fire at camp if you have the fuel (that will shrink the encounter die from a d12 to a d10) or a fresh change of clothing.
Just wanted to comment that I have been finding all the resources you have been recommending very helpful. I am on the the Basic Fantasy and Index Card RPG sites right now. I also like how you use vintage resources. I want to take a look at the site in Cologne. I used to live there, so not really surprised someone has a place where they sell vintage RPG materials. Cologne is a very unique and creative city.
Now I want to more why story wise, that Algoroth dumped the male halfling. Probably his old partner and he left him to his life of crime before coming into the Light
I am playing BFrpg with my son and he is loving it... although i am new rpg player and like many i have started with 5e and inevitably, also like many, I have been drawned toward oldschool rpg's. Has I said we are loving it and I would like to know to what edition of d&d does BFRPG corresponds. Maybe me and my son we could check old adventure modules. Thank you for your videos!
Wow - I love the whole idea of randomizing page numbers and reading - Excellent idea 😄 I love your show - It provides so much info and inspiration for solo gaming 🥰 I do have a question - I want to keep a character diary of her adventures, however I run into the problem of writing 3 pages for one encounter 😕 But I feel like Im leaving too much out if I shorten it 😕 Have you done a video on character diaries? Hellllllllllllllllp!!!! 🥰
One of my main messages about Solo RPG is that there is no “right“ or “wrong“ way to do it. This is another way of saying that if you want to write three pages for one encounter, you should do that and not feel like you need to shorten it. Myself: I do not do a lot of journaling, so as such, I do not have any videos about character diaries.
Just getting around to this play through (guess I missed it last year) . I just had to comment that I am in stitches over the wolf fight 🤪😆. A runt with two hit points and you roll a perfect 8. 🤣 I just picture him running up and lopping the poor things head off and being like, “ok. What next?” Such a fun video - really demonstrates the fun you can have with solo randomness. I’d love to see you revisit Basic. 🐺
Good use of the WHQ hazard charts. I use those things for all kinds of games. I’ve got an entire book I made full of hundreds of random events for travel and settlements and dungeons, complied from multiple fanmade charts for WHQ. Let me know if you want a PDF.
I've only just started to get into solo paper RPG, and i'm having great fun just learning about different approaches right now. I love how you utilize different charts to help you detail your sorroundings and chance of encounters. I'm also really inspired by how you measure distance and passage of time, by rolling those three different dice for time spent, direction and movement. I've wanted to implenent time, but haven't found anything appealing until now. So many thanks for this video.
Baxtpaw I’m so glad and thanks for the comment. I always find that a way to keep track of time is challenging! I try lots of different things all the time. That’s part of the fun!
I thought this was solo play using Basic Fantasy rules? I do love your videos and obviously you can do what you like in them, but I'm not sure I've even seen the Basic Fantasy rulebook, but have seen so many other books, charts and tables.
Not sure what to say in response except that I do use other supporting materials but also copied single pages from the BF rule book (not picturing the book itself much). For a vid which is pretty much only about working with the BF rule book, see the solo RPG tutorial vid, here: ua-cam.com/video/9I4Qf-3GkDg/v-deo.html
I watch this video month ago. It is kind of inspiring for me, I tried yesterday something with my d&d Castle Ravenloft miniatures' and dungeon tiles. it's enjoyable, more dynamic even from Castle Ravenloft since the damage is static in it. I just struggling on wraith Monster since I am a warrior with a magic item and I should have a magic it to kill him. :).... nice video !
Thanks! I have considered that but the production of such a thing is not something I’d like to be bothered with. It’s a good idea though-probably for someone else tho
Thanks for enjoying my comment and the request. Truly, not sure this will ever happen especially because I don’t typically film campaign level vids… and I also don’t often return to rule sets. At least online
I have a question. how do you make it challenge to beat monsters if you (the gm) already know all the rules? dice rolls help but then it just puts everything to chance.
Jarklor Good question. Either you can just leave everything to chance (luck aka dice rolls) and get the enjoyment/ surprise other ways (as I demonstrate here and in other vids) or-if surprise in battle was what you wanted as a focus-you could premake an AI deck of tactics (for example) and draw cards for each encounter. You would then be responding to the monster and whatever tactic. No matter what: playing solo cannot duplicate what you’d get with a GM. It’s a different experience
Wow... you are right! So strange! I looked around and didn't see it either. Publisher is Frog God Games--maybe you could write to them and ask if they plan to bring it back into print, even as a pdf. Hard to imagine why it would be completely unavailable, even digitally!
THE TOME OF ADVENTURE DESIGN, which I discuss in detail in my vid on easy ways to be your own GM: ua-cam.com/video/9GBPTec5TZA/v-deo.html (staring at 6:30)
the map that you have here is from the game “wilderness survival “ correct? have you included the chits used to signify the state of the individual(s) from healthy to death? and the points on the map where there is food and water? this map looks very much like the game that i have. the only change that you have has to do with the scale.
Loni Rowell Well... depends what you mean by “book,” and how you play your solo RPGs. You don’t need another ruleset, if that’s what you are asking, but you may decide you want some randomizers or emulators or oracles or whatever else you use to create a world and simulate a GM
Mattias Brunzell This map board is from Outdoor Survival (Avalon Hill, 1972). It has a bunch of handwritten markings and was likely used by a long-ago DM for d&d sessions. Who knows? Could have been Mr. Gary Gygax’s map.
Help support the channel:
Donating: paypal.me/geekgamersDeborah
Get SOLO GAME MASTER'S GUIDE:
order from Amazon: shorturl.at/vFMQ2
order from Modiphius: shorturl.at/npsL1
order from Modiphus UK: shorturl.at/kqsMN
Get RANDOM HEXCRAWL book: tinyurl.com/5cj3d4jc
It is really amazing how you game solo and use tables to make things happen and describe the entire story to us. Quite amazing. You are completely in the imagination on your own without a group. Way cool.
@Gerry Miller That is so nice to read. Thank you!
I commented the other day and I want to comment again and say thanks for all of your effort and beautiful, clear explanations - This channel, in addition to solo instruction, is secretly a great way to learn game design and non-solo GMing generally... Your simple approach is so much better than the flashy "personalities" I've tried to learn from. My plan is to get really good at solo RPG'ing and then begin luring my friends into games once I feel confident in this art of creating an unfolding narrative. I've run half of a D&D module before and while it was fun, my real desire has been to home brew something - until I found your channel I've been totally overwhelmed with where to begin. You rule!!
Thank you so very much. It means a lot to read this comment and I'm glad you find my combo of game play and conversation useful. And homebrewing is great--especially if you are new to GMing... that way you're totally confident on the rules you're using and everything feels 'right.' And the amount of stuff out there *is* overwhelming..! (but it doesn't have to be).
My favorite Fantasy system. Old school and easy. I've written a number of supplements for this game.
I could watch your videos all day. You are very creative and I love your use of reference material and how you weave it into your story. I'm not a solo player, but I see so many useful DM tools here. Thank you!
Thank you so very much. I do appreciate that and love hearing from "professional" DMs that my solo concepts can be of use.
@@GeekGamers01 Im far, far from professional, but your videos have definitely given me so many ideas. You remind me of one of my favorite teachers in college. Intelligent, calm, and creative. Your examples are clear. I want to run a Dungeon World session and letting the story unfold is one of the elements, but with the great things you teach, I feel like the Random Tables are more useful than ever if everyone is stuck. The Oracle yes/no/maybe rolls are genius.
@@Slydeish Well thank you again, that's lovely to hear.
Thank you for the vids. You are an endless source of ideas/concepts/solutions for the serious gamer.
Carlos B Thank you so very much for saying that!
Back in the 80s, my friends and I created rules, tables, and scenarios for something we called "Super Dungeons & Dragons." It used modified AD&D rules and a copy of Outdoor Survival with all counters used. I've been contemplating updating things to "Super Basic Fantasy" and this video certainly inspired!
Well that’s such a cool idea and great thing you did in the past. How fun! Would work well with BF for sure.
You've got a great selection of resources to draw from, and an excellent imagination.
Thank you so very much. I really appreciate hearing that. I’m glad you enjoyed the material.
I love digging into minutia for plot ideas and story/character development. Thank you for the holy symbol idea!
Glad you found it of use.
I have no words other than this is amazing. Before I saw your video, I did not know solo RPGing was a thing or possibility. I will use your tools to help develop my own skills as a player. Or maybe a DM, if I ever reach that level. Subscribed.
Pretty cool story! I am in awe of your creative story powers.
Fred Daniel thank you!
Agreed. She has a way of drawing you in with just her narrative and minimal props.
I have decided to take this week to rest and to receive a Solo Seminary with 10 of your magical vids beginning with this wonderful one. Thanks so much. :)
Ah well that’s a lovely comment to read! I hope you find your time well spent! Thanks for watching.
The general Ability Rolls are on page 153 of Basic Fantasy, tucked away near the end just like in Moldvay Basic D&D 🙂
I cried when katte Jones stopped the fight and healed her magical wolf companion
That crochet hook always reminds me of my mother by the way :)
Carlos B As it reminds me of mine (it was hers) :)
Love your channel, it helped me a lot!
Love it! I'm really fond of classic B/X wilderness procedure and the weather/temperature tables from the old Mystara country trail maps. No crufty attacks on the character sheet, just logical inferences from the weather. Raining and travelling without a cloak? You'll be wet and wanting to either start a fire at camp if you have the fuel (that will shrink the encounter die from a d12 to a d10) or a fresh change of clothing.
Arthur Hoffert Yes the B/X material is great. Not sure if your other reference but I will check it out.
Loved this, have subscribed, all the best Garry
Cool - the map from Avalon Hill's "Outdoor Survival"...
Blastpop Yep. It worked perfectly here.
I really appreciate your creative process. I have Basic Fantasy but haven't done much with it Yet. Did put together one adventure. I should do this.
Painting my stairs..a great accompaniment..more more..Thanks
Just wanted to comment that I have been finding all the resources you have been recommending very helpful. I am on the the Basic Fantasy and Index Card RPG sites right now. I also like how you use vintage resources. I want to take a look at the site in Cologne. I used to live there, so not really surprised someone has a place where they sell vintage RPG materials. Cologne is a very unique and creative city.
Arielle Basic Fantasy is great because if you want to can get it for free and the book(s) are also very reasonable. Not a big money commitment.
Great video it gives me so many ideas on my D100 rule set.
Wow!!!! What a cliffhanger!!!! Love your tutoring, as I am new to RPG it’s very helpful and fun. Thank you so much for these videos! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Thank you so much and I'm glad you enjoyed the vid! I've got lots of RPG content in my RPG and solo RPG playlists.
Now I want to more why story wise, that Algoroth dumped the male halfling. Probably his old partner and he left him to his life of crime before coming into the Light
I am playing BFrpg with my son and he is loving it... although i am new rpg player and like many i have started with 5e and inevitably, also like many, I have been drawned toward oldschool rpg's. Has I said we are loving it and I would like to know to what edition of d&d does BFRPG corresponds. Maybe me and my son we could check old adventure modules. Thank you for your videos!
love that ending!
Wow - I love the whole idea of randomizing page numbers and reading - Excellent idea 😄 I love your show - It provides so much info and inspiration for solo gaming 🥰 I do have a question - I want to keep a character diary of her adventures, however I run into the problem of writing 3 pages for one encounter 😕 But I feel like Im leaving too much out if I shorten it 😕 Have you done a video on character diaries? Hellllllllllllllllp!!!! 🥰
One of my main messages about Solo RPG is that there is no “right“ or “wrong“ way to do it. This is another way of saying that if you want to write three pages for one encounter, you should do that and not feel like you need to shorten it. Myself: I do not do a lot of journaling, so as such, I do not have any videos about character diaries.
Just getting around to this play through (guess I missed it last year) . I just had to comment that I am in stitches over the wolf fight 🤪😆. A runt with two hit points and you roll a perfect 8. 🤣 I just picture him running up and lopping the poor things head off and being like, “ok. What next?”
Such a fun video - really demonstrates the fun you can have with solo randomness. I’d love to see you revisit Basic. 🐺
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed and a return to Basic is a great idea. Noted.
Good use of the WHQ hazard charts. I use those things for all kinds of games. I’ve got an entire book I made full of hundreds of random events for travel and settlements and dungeons, complied from multiple fanmade charts for WHQ. Let me know if you want a PDF.
The Dungeon Dive Wow yes I would! My email is on my UA-cam page. That’s a very generous offer!
OK. It'll be a few days. I'm actually kind of snowed in up here, and the PDF is on a harddrive connected to my work computer.
@@TheDungeonDive No rush, and thank you so much!
You inspire me
Ty
Need a solid
Low budget solo play aids.
this kind o f stuff is great thanks and keep up the good work all the best
I've only just started to get into solo paper RPG, and i'm having great fun just learning about different approaches right now. I love how you utilize different charts to help you detail your sorroundings and chance of encounters. I'm also really inspired by how you measure distance and passage of time, by rolling those three different dice for time spent, direction and movement. I've wanted to implenent time, but haven't found anything appealing until now. So many thanks for this video.
Baxtpaw I’m so glad and thanks for the comment. I always find that a way to keep track of time is challenging! I try lots of different things all the time. That’s part of the fun!
Nice! I plan do run my own Solo campaign using the Mythic: Game Master Emulator and Mecha Vs. Kaiju rpg book to make an Anime inspired adventure!
Sounds very creative!
By the way keep up the great work.
YT rudely unchecked the notification bell on your channel now it's 3 weeks of catch up or so...
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatt??! So that explains your silence! :)
I thought this was solo play using Basic Fantasy rules?
I do love your videos and obviously you can do what you like in them, but I'm not sure I've even seen the Basic Fantasy rulebook, but have seen so many other books, charts and tables.
Not sure what to say in response except that I do use other supporting materials but also copied single pages from the BF rule book (not picturing the book itself much).
For a vid which is pretty much only about working with the BF rule book, see the solo RPG tutorial vid, here: ua-cam.com/video/9I4Qf-3GkDg/v-deo.html
I watch this video month ago. It is kind of inspiring for me, I tried yesterday something with my d&d Castle Ravenloft miniatures' and dungeon tiles. it's enjoyable, more dynamic even from Castle Ravenloft since the damage is static in it. I just struggling on wraith Monster since I am a warrior with a magic item and I should have a magic it to kill him. :).... nice video !
Pierre Abou Naoum It’s nice to hear of people taking these rules into other games. Thanks for the comment!
love your videos
Love your videos thank you.
Have you thought or doing a solo screen?
Thanks! I have considered that but the production of such a thing is not something I’d like to be bothered with. It’s a good idea though-probably for someone else tho
Will you please make a basic fantasy solo campaign?I
I like watching you.
Ty
Thanks for enjoying my comment and the request. Truly, not sure this will ever happen especially because I don’t typically film campaign level vids… and I also don’t often return to rule sets. At least online
Well one shots are cool, sorry butI am hooked by your solo escapdes
This is nice, where do you get your maps?
Maps here were from Outdoor Survival (Avalon Hill, 1972)
Please maam, some more?!
Anyone know what the cheapest boardgame still in print is with a big ol hexmap like this?
I have a question. how do you make it challenge to beat monsters if you (the gm) already know all the rules? dice rolls help but then it just puts everything to chance.
Jarklor Good question. Either you can just leave everything to chance (luck aka dice rolls) and get the enjoyment/ surprise other ways (as I demonstrate here and in other vids) or-if surprise in battle was what you wanted as a focus-you could premake an AI deck of tactics (for example) and draw cards for each encounter. You would then be responding to the monster and whatever tactic.
No matter what: playing solo cannot duplicate what you’d get with a GM. It’s a different experience
Great play through of the adventure. And an excellent story too. So you write short stories?
Ray Barron Glad you enjoyed it and nope, I definitely do not write short stories. :)
I cant find that Tome of Adventure design anywhere! :( Great videos! Thanks
Wow... you are right! So strange! I looked around and didn't see it either. Publisher is Frog God Games--maybe you could write to them and ask if they plan to bring it back into print, even as a pdf. Hard to imagine why it would be completely unavailable, even digitally!
@@GeekGamers01 May try that. I found a PDF online, sent it to a printing/binding service which will mail it to me. Still would love the original.
You are awesome 😎
What's that book with the wilderness tables at 25:20? I must have missed when you introduced it
THE TOME OF ADVENTURE DESIGN, which I discuss in detail in my vid on easy ways to be your own GM: ua-cam.com/video/9GBPTec5TZA/v-deo.html (staring at 6:30)
I was wondering were you got that useful little "How Far" table.
Neva Crandall It is from Scarlet Heroes (an incredibly useful resource and one that I’ve done a vid on also)
@@GeekGamers01 Thank you, I'll go watch that video.
the map that you have here is from the game “wilderness survival “ correct? have you included the chits used to signify the state of the individual(s) from healthy to death? and the points on the map where there is food and water? this map looks very much like the game that i have. the only change that you have has to do with the scale.
The game is “Outdoor Survival.” I am not playing that game; I am just using that map.
Isnt 80 and a zero=to 90?
I just bought basic fantasy to solo play. Am I going to need another book to play??
Loni Rowell Well... depends what you mean by “book,” and how you play your solo RPGs. You don’t need another ruleset, if that’s what you are asking, but you may decide you want some randomizers or emulators or oracles or whatever else you use to create a world and simulate a GM
Geek Gamers thank you
@@gamer2101 Look up for the Book Mythic Role Playing,basicly emulates a GM for Soloplaying.
There should also be some Videos on YT
I wonder if you could use old Advanced Squad Leader map boards? Hmmm...
CHARLIE COMPANY WARGAMING Yep you could. I don’t have them alas but that would be awesome.
do you also use “traveler” creation of creatures and patrons “
Nice video! But is that a river crossing a mountain on the map? How is that possible?
Mattias Brunzell This map board is from Outdoor Survival (Avalon Hill, 1972). It has a bunch of handwritten markings and was likely used by a long-ago DM for d&d sessions. Who knows? Could have been Mr. Gary Gygax’s map.
@@GeekGamers01 Thanks for The reply!
Thanks for thé video
So BF can be played entirely solo???
Most games/osr can with enough tables lol
What map is this?
Outdoor Survival