For January posting daily with random tools, tables and titles for Solo RPGs at rpg_generators subreddit (list of posts). Building on previous Generator Months.
[Image from web version of GM Apprentice - day 5]
Day 1 - Ironsworn, free Solo RPG by Shawn Tomkin
Starting with one of the best-known Solo RPGs, Ironsworn (DriveThruRPG or Itch.io).
Ironsworn is free, set in a low-fantasy setting and designed for solo (or co-op) play. It uses a tuned version of PbtA (Powered by the Apocalypse), where each action will move the narrative forward.
It also has plenty of random tables and has a section for world-building (the Truths of your version of the Ironlands)
There is a paid supplement called Ironsworn: Delve (drivethrurpg link), which adds rules and tables for perilous adventure locations.
For seeing how it runs with actual plays, Season 2 of Me, Myself and Die! covered Ironsworn (also available as a podcast). the Bad Spot also has a mini-campaign of Ironsworn. I ran a short blog series of Ironsworn at Rand Roll.
For tools to help play the game there is...
- The Ironsworn Companion by Graham Coulby (at github), a tool to generate and help play the game
- The r/Ironsworn Subreddit.
- Ironsworn Oracles at Perchance (IS random tables in one place)
- A collection of Ironsworn Play Aids at Chartopia.
- The Iron Journal is a tool to manage your IS campaign.
- IronWriter is another too with a simpler interface.
- The Ironsworn Assistant has the tables and oracles on one web-page
Day 2 - One Page Solo Engine, free emulator
Many soloists use GM Emulators and Oracles for inspiration, ideas and answers.
A free option is One Page Solo Engine from Inflatable Studios. It's free and available from Itch.io (inc versions in French and Italian) or DriveThruRpg.
It has two pages of tables (and another of notes), using a deck of cards and a d6. It includes yes/no oracle, scene details, gm moves, action focus, detail focus, topic, plot hooks, npc, dungeons and hex crawling.
There's also an Online Version with versions for Android, iPhone and Kindle.
Day 3 - Four Against Darkness
A Solitaire dungeon-delving game, Four Against Darkness provides an easy entry point into the Solo Gaming scene. It's available on DriveThruRPG and Itch.io (limited expansions).
You get a group of adventurers, but no roleplaying is required. You explore a dungeon, but it's driven by simple random tables. You can play solo, but also easy to play with someone else (as a co-op, splitting up the four characters)
There are also many add-ons from Ganesha Games, including a town generator, other classes, extra treasures and expanded dungeons.
Day 4 - Thousand Year Old Vampire
Journaling Games are a popular way to enjoy solo rpgs, and Thousand Year Old Vampire is one of the most popular. It's available as a pdf at drivethrrpg and itch.io (also has community copies). (more journalling rpgs later in the month)
In the game you chronicle the story of your (Thousand Year Old) Vampire, creating them and using Prompts, Memories and Experiences (among other things) to shape your story.
TYOV also has a different angle than many, as you're playing an immortal creature, genres, touching on Horror and Historical (and Modern) genres.
Errant Adventures has a 3-Part Actual Play if you want to listen to how it plays.
Day 5 - GameMaster's Apprentice Cards
The GameMaster's Apprentice Cards from Larcenous Designs are decks of cards, each of which contain dice results (d4-d20, d100) , YES/NO oracles (3 different likelihoods), action + theme, environment descs, NPC details, locations and more. Available on DriveThru RPG in pdf and card form.
Useful for GMing groups, in solo they can be your oracle, dice roller and ideas inspiration.
But possibly the best thing is that there are card decks for different genres. As well as the base deck, there are ones for Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Age of Sail, Cyberpunk, Horror and Steampunk.
There's also an online generator of GM's Apprentice (adapted). And in Dec I interviewed the GMA creator at Rand Roll.
Day 6 - Gamebooks, Traditional and Modern
Gamebooks give a way of solo-gaming with less choices to make, a narrative and some game element (often dice, but options without). Playing with a physical book or digitally. Two traditional series from the 80s are Fighting Fantasy and Lone Wolf, still publishing new books. Open-world gamebooks (such as Fabled Lands) are another day.
For gamebook discussion try the r/gamebooks subreddit. There is also a Gamebook Guide for Beginners and another Gamebook Guide for Veterans (at gamebooks guide blog)
Individual Gamebooks include
- Heart of Ice by Dave Morris, a diceless (use skills to define character) futuristic gamebook in ice-clad Earth. Some consider this best gamebook made.
- Nightshift by Victoria Hancox, a diceless modern horror puzzle gamebook in a hospital. First in a series (the Cluster of Echoes)
- Citadel of Bureaucracy by J. D. Mitchel, a modern gamebook where you have to get through a day at the office. Uses Fighting Fantasy mechanics. Watch out for geese.
- Endless Destinies - the Clockwork City by Corinna Keefe is great for a younger audience (age 10+), exploring a bright map to solve why the clockwork city has stopped ticking. Combat uses a deck of 52 bespoke cards.
- Rider of the Black Sun by Swen Harder is a large highly-rated fantasy gamebook, split into chapters. Gameplay grows as you advance and there are built-in savepoints (1400+ sections)
- Deathtrap Dungeon by Ian Livingstone is one of the best known Fighting Fantasy books. You enter a manufactured dungeon seeking fame and wealth. Your character will probably die several times.
Series include
- Lone Wolf by Joe Dever, where you play the same character through several books, growing more powerful. Uses a d10 / number chart. The original many other Lone Wolf books are available (legally) for free from Project Aon
- Fighting Fantasy, using 2d6, SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK to overcome challenges. There are over 60 of them in fantasy and sci-fi settings. The initial ones were written by Steve Jackson (uk) and Ian Livingstone, with many other authors writing later books.
- Critical IF Gamebooks by Dave Morris are a series that don't use dice, instead using the skills you select to tailor your adventure.
- Destiny Quest are modern gamebooks with a similar format to video games such as Diablo. Complete quests, gain gear and advance onto the next map of quests. Advance with the same character through the books.
- In Way of the Tiger by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson you play a ninja from first quest (book 1) up to an overlord of a city (book 4) and beyond.
- Other series include Destiny Quest, Sorcery! (4 more complex, linked Fighting Fantasy books), Grailquest, Ace Gamebooks, Cluster of Echoes, Choose Your Own Adventure (not many game elements),
Day 7 - Legend of the Bones and Tale of the Manticore
Podcasts and video actual plays have introduced many to solo rpgs (and rpgs in general). Legend of the Bones and Tale of the Manticore are a hybrid (semi actual-play? solo adventure podcasts), combining elements of solo actual plays with tight editing & production, guest voices and an overarching (loose) narrative. (more game-based solo actual plays on another day)
The Tale of the Manticore podcast uses D&D Basic for all 3 seasons so far and has a dark fantasy theme. It follows groups through the levels, with characters dying as the dice dictate. As well as the solo gameplay of fights and story, there are flashbacks, creator comments and guest actors for many voices. Season 1 is working out what solo and the show is about, with a group of adventurers starting from literally nothing. Season 2 is smoother (the creator recommends starting with Season 2) and follows a group of thieves (initially) who become something more. Season 3 (so far) is a bit different, following one main character and with a less grim tone.
The Legend of the Bones podcast was inspired by TotM and has a long first season (48 episodes so far). It also uses Basic D&D, but seems to run at a slightly slower pace (I've found it more immersive) and has a feel of medieval Britain around the world building. Like TotM it has high production values, story and explanations, guest voices (including Jon from TotM), background flashbacks and characters that can perish at the roll of a die. (there's an interview with Simon from Legend of the Bones at Rand Roll)
Day 8 - Mythic Game Master Emulator 2.0 by Tana Pigeon
The best known of the Emulators and Oracles, Mythic GM Emulator 2.0 by Tana Pigeon provides a way to simulate the setting and related narrative for your solo game. Find it on DriveThruRPG, Itch.io or find out more at the Word Mill Games site.
It has elements such as the Fate Chart (yes/no oracle), Chaos Factor, Random Events, Interrupt/Altered Scenes, Meaning Tables (many d100 tables), NPC List and Threads list. These are modular so you can use the parts you want (I usually ignore Chaos factor and keep it at 5) or mix and match with other systems.
There are also many examples and variations to help customise Mythic to work for you or the current game. There are also Mythic Magazines, the 1st Edition and a One-Page version.
There are a number of tools, apps and variatnts. Three to mention here are
- Mythic GME Tools for Foundry Virtual Tabletop, combining Mythic with a VTT for solo play.
- Morning Coffee Solo Variations, a free pdf with a variant to replace the Fate Chart
- Mythic GM Engine at PBE Games with simple tools and generators (for Mythic 1e)
Day 9 - Tools and RPGs for Space and Sci-fi Solo
There are lots of options for gaming in space and sci-fi, but sometimes there are harder to find. Here are 3 of...RPGs with Random Tables, Solo RPGs, Random Generators, Actual-play Podcasts, Different Games, Card Decks and Other Mentions
3 Sci-fi RPGs with Many Random Tables
- Ironsworn: Starforged (drivethru link) by Shawn Tomkin is a sci-fi based game built for coop, GM or solo (but often played solo), with many random tables building on Ironsworn
- Stars Without Number (drivethru link), a free sci-fi rpg with masses of random tables. There also a paid version with more
- Traveller (publisher link) is one of the oldest RPGs, and has decades of support in random tables and procedures. Mongoose publishes modern versions and also the 1st Edition rules.
3 Sci-fi RPGs written for Solo
- From Candlenaut is Entity, a solo game taking on the role of a synthetic AI explorer, stranded in an expanse filled with alien ruins.
- D100 Space RPG (drivethru link) is a solo system from the same writer as d100 Dungeon. You captain a starship through the galaxy "in search of fame and fortune"
- Notorious (drivethru link) from AlwaysCheckers Publishing lets you play a bounty hunter hunting down fugitives and attracting trouble.
3 Sci-fi Random Generators
- Sectors Without Numbers creates a star system populated with planets and other items of interest. It uses tables from Stars Without Number
- The Random Spaceship Generator from Role Generator creates a detailed spaceship with deck maps / plans and filters to customise it.
- Iron Arachne has a Star Nation generator, with details of the worlds it inhabits and it's home system.
3 Sci-fi Actual Play Podcasts
- Errant Adventures is a solo actual play podcast that used Starforged for it's season 1. Season 3 uses Traveller
- Sub-Class Act Podcast, season 3 with James Sral has Traveller for it's main rpg
- The Bad Spot is a YouTube Channel (and Podcast with less episodes) with mostly Ironsworn: Starforged episodes.
3 Different Sci-Fi Solo Games
- An minis wargame, Five Parsecs from Home (company link) from Mophidius is designed for solo, assembling ragtag crew of galactic trailblazers.
- The Wretched (drivethru link) is a solo journaling rpg where you are the last survivor on the star-ship Nostromo
- Glide from Sleepy Sasquatch Games is a solo game about exploring desert wastes on a planet, hoping to restore it's past splendour.
3 Sci-Fi Card Decks
- GamesMaster's Apprentice: Sci Fi (drivethru link) is a set of oracle cards specific to Sci-fi settings
- The Galaxy Builder Decks: Planets (drivethru link) from Journey Mountain Studios is a deck of double sided cards with unique planets and planet traits. Part of a series including Systems, Asteroids and Spooky Planets,
- Sidequest Decks: Science Fiction (drivethru link) from Inkwell Ideas is a deck of sci-fi hooks and quests, each with an associated map on the reverse.
3 Other Sci-Fi Mentions
- Star Trek Adventures: Captain's Log (linked to TNG version) has rules for playing solo in the Star Trek universe using 2d20 system. There are 4 different covers.
- Any Planet is Earth (itch-link) is a 6-page solo sci-fi game with supporting random tables (includes community copies)
- Microscope by Ben Robbins is a solo world-building game (any genre), that let's you explore the history of a galactic civilisation, a planet or an ancient line of alien sorcerers
