Ignore all that stuff. None of it matters. Just start, and see what happens. Things may (will!) not be perfect; playing solo RPGs is a skill, and like any skill, we all start off at varying degrees of crap. Be kind to yourself, accept that’s the way of it, and keep playing. The more you do it, the more you find out what works for you, and the easier and more enjoyable it will become.
An interview with creator of the Lone Adventurer podcast, where the odds are stacked against the protagonists in every season! Latest in series of solo gaming interviews.
Chat with Carl White of the Lone Adventurer Podcast
Carl White is the creator of the Lone Adventurer, a solo actual play podcast with a mix of drama and behind the scenes explanations. Season 1 was D&D 5e, season 2 was Blades in the Dark and onto other games after that
We have how the Lone Adventurer Podcast happened, challenges & highlights of making it, favourite rpg/character, advice on starting solo RPGs and an NPC generator. Among other questions.
What was your gaming story before starting the Lone Adventurer?
I was 10 when I got my first look at the Basic D&D boxed set, the one with the lovely David Sutherland cover. Friends from the US had visited, and brought this weird thing with them, and even though it took me a couple more years to realise it, I was hooked.
I soon had multiple D&D versions, and then branched out into Tunnels & Trolls, Runequest, Traveller, Judge Dredd, Golden Heroes, Bushido and many others all through secondary school.
I then went to university, where I became far too cool for RPGs, until I discovered Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2, maybe 10 years later. That was all the nudge required; before I knew it I was playing D&D 3.5 in play by post games, then I joined a local games club, then established a home group, and it’s been downhill from there.
The home group in particular was a joy: not only did I make friends for life, but we also got a chance to play all sorts of systems along the way, from Dungeon World to Edge of the Empire to Tales from the Loop and countless others. A really eclectic grab bag of some wonderful games.
These days I play in two weekly games, one with my home group and one with the fabulous Roll Play Haven group, and I GM a monthly Shadowdark game.
How did the Lone Adventurer come about?
I first started playing solo RPGs in 2013, with a game I posted on my blog site called the Devil’s Riddle. Over the next 8 years that extended to 71 longform posts.
I think I started because I wanted to play more games, and had read about solo RPGs on a website called the Solo Nexus (it sadly no longer exists). And I kept playing because I discovered I loved the process. The gameplay loop, the emerging storyline, and the act of writing it all down. It felt like both reading and writing and playing a story all at the same time.
Over the following years I played many other, shorter solo RPGs and solo skirmish sessions, with a variety of systems, and discovered another fabulous benefit of solo RPGs: I was able to get some of the many books down from my Shelf of Shame, that had been languishing, unplayed and gathering dust, and actually play them.
It wasn’t until 2022 that I started The Lone Adventurer podcast. I’d watched, Me, Myself & Die and The Bad Spot (also interviewed, and listened to Tale of the Manticore, and Errant Adventures (also interviewed), been very much inspired, and thought, that looks like fun!
What have been the challenges and highlights of creating the podcasts?
The first challenge was the most obvious: I knew absolutely nothing about podcasting! Recording equipment, Audacity, mastering, voice acting… all of it was entirely new to me. So that was a very steep learning curve.
Thankfully, Youtube and a very generous solo RPG podcasting community came to my aid with advice and guidance, and I was up and running fairly quickly.
After that, it was mainly about discovering my resiliency levels. I started off weekly, with good intentions, but that soon dropped to fortnightly, which was much more achievable.
And then I went through a massive career change, moving from the IT & Tech world to Leadership Coaching, and that consumed all my creative brain space for about 18 months. The podcast went on hiatus, right up until the point that I handed in my notice at my IT job!
As for highlights, there are three main ones.
First, the simple joy of creating. Of experiencing the emerging story as it happens, and having those shiver-down-the-spine moments when something truly astonishing or perfect emerges from the gaming ether.
Secondly, the knowledge that people actually enjoy what I do. I’m on about 50,000 downloads now, which staggers me. I feel tremendously grateful, and the kind comments I get from folk really does keep me going when the creative juices are running low.
And lastly, I’ve discovered a lovely community of solo RPGers. It’s ironic, given that what I do is play games by myself, but the community aspect has proved incredibly important, and shouldn’t be underestimated.
Which have been your favourite RPGs and Characters in the Lone Adventurer?
I think the more I play, the more I appreciated the elegant simplicity of a good streamlined Powered by the Apocalypse game. Chasing Adventure is exactly that; the failures and partial successes drive the story forward, the rules get out of the way, and it all just feels effortless.
Characters is a tough one. Mina obviously. She kicked the whole thing off, and has a special place in my heart. Spoiler, though: I may have accidentally killed her in an as-yet unreleased episode. At time of writing I actually don’t know if she’s alive or dead!
I was very fond of Valerian, though he ended up buried under tons of opera house, so he’s probably dead too. And Crater, same fate.
Hmm. There seems to be a recurring theme here.
What made you choose the format of interweaving story and rules sections for TLA?
From the get-go I wanted the podcast to be an enjoyable story on the one hand, and an explanation of how that story came about on the other. I wanted it to be interesting to solo RPG enthusiasts, useful to the solo RPG-curious, and fun for people who were just interested in hearing an entertaining story, and who could put up with my occasional ramblings in between chapters.
I figured the easiest way to do that was to split things up; that made it easier for me to write, and hopefully easier and more enjoyable for people to consume. I’m sure it works for some and not for others!
What is the appeal of solo rpgs for you?
I think solo RPGs offer a very different experience to group play. Some things are lost, like camaraderie and the excuse to drink beer, but others are gained.
Solo games feel far more immersive to me, and I love the agency I have within them to head wherever I like, whether that be with the story, the character, the ruleset or whatever, without fear of stepping on anyone else’s toes. There’s no compromise, it’s just pure, undiluted creativity.
I also love the fact that it can be used to playtest rules, or get games to the table that your group might not have the time or inclination to play. Though I have found that my solo hobby has meant I now buy games even more often, so my Shelf of Shame has only got bigger!
What advice would you give people playing solo rpgs?
For people who aren’t playing yet, just start.
There are always a million reasons not to start: I need to find the perfect ruleset, I need to learn the ruleset, I need to build the world out, I need to detail my starting situation.
Ignore all that stuff. None of it matters. Just start, and see what happens. Things may (will!) not be perfect; playing solo RPGs is a skill, and like any skill, we all start off at varying degrees of crap. Be kind to yourself, accept that’s the way of it, and keep playing. The more you do it, the more you find out what works for you, and the easier and more enjoyable it will become.
And the other thing I’d say is there’s no right way to play. Find the tools or game system or game recording method that suits you, probably through trial and error, and don’t let anyone tell you your fun is wrong.
What are your next big projects that you can talk about?
I’m working on an NPC generator and behaviour emulator called OCEANIC.
I have a work in progress system document as well as a couple of Perchance generators, and I welcome any feedback.
Where can people find you online?
You can follow me on Bluesky at @theloneadventurer.bsky.social
You can email me at TheLoneAdv@gmail.com
You can follow my blog at carlillustration.wordpress.com/
You can find my podcast at loneadventurer.podbean.com, on all podcatchers, and on YouTube
Is there anything else you would like to talk about?
I’d like to say a big thank you to you, Duncan.
One thing I love about solo RPGs is the community that has formed around them. I’ve found the folks in that community to be tremendously warm, generous and creative, and I’m delighted to be part of it.
You and the stuff you do at Chaos Gen is a big part of that, so please keep your content coming!
Finishing Up
If you haven't already go and give the Lone Adventurer a listen. Or take a look at other Podcast articles on Rand Roll.
There are many more articles on Rand Roll. Plus a Rand Roll Discord and instagram of Random Tables. I also create Generators at Chaos Gen and have a monthly random tools Newsletter.
