9 Tips for Solo RPGs

I have to try solo D&D using chat gpt, maybe this weekend

Great advice. Thanks for the time you put into your videos Trevor! I found these tips very helpful for my solo RPGing =)

Challenge the character with omens, hazards, and villains. Try a Hag Warlock? 🤔

Chatbots like chat gpt combined with an oracle system so they dont just spit out random nonsense or what they think you want to hear are just amazing.

Great vid, and excellent advice... which I look forward to putting into practice.

YOU SHOULD SPEAK FASTER....

A question about multi-day journeys during solo play. Say a scene requires you to go from where you are to a city 3-4 days journey away. How do you handle that journey to keep it from being a “you leave town A and…now you’re at town B”? Do you use your rpg system’s journey encounter rules or do something else?

Tip 8 is nicely summed up with: just play blades in the dark.

Half of that book is the author reminding you to "skip to the action", and I'm here for it!

Loving your channel and i know I'm a year late but wanted to leave my like :)

I started RPGing solo as its hard to always meet with my group.
I'm using a mixture of D&D system and Dungeon World.
My story is called "The Last Paladin". It's about a young man that eventually earns favour from the gods that turned their back on humankind and he becomes a paladin at the end of season 1.
Season 2 is all about him rebuilding the paladin order whilst a past coming back to haunt him.

Thank you for the simple simple starter tips for solo RPGing. I bought some books and other materials some time ago, but I never could get started. These tips helped a lot.

It’s jibe, not jive

great video! I found it only today but it's really helpful!

The conflict aspect is so true. I'm starting a solo sandbox game using Cairn as the core system. My characters are a cleric and a thief, both attempting to start a resistance against a tyrannical king after discovering that he is a pretender to the throne who rose to power after allegedly having the true heir killed as a baby.

They have managed to track down the true king, who has been raised by a blacksmith and his wife in a remote village. This man, now fully grown, finds out about his lineage from these strangers.

The opening scene started with this man having just stabbed a corrupt sheriff who had been terrorizing the village for some time. He steals the sheriff's sword and ornate armor, and with his new companions, sets off to do great deeds wherever they go, gain followers and hopefully reclaim the throne.

I say hopefully because Cairn is quite a deadly game, but it's also simple. I learned the bulk of the rules in about half an hour.

I like the idea of solo play, but I also like playing with a group around the table. But since the D&D OGL drama at the beginning of the year, I have started collecting more systems that I want to play (and even writing one or two of my own), and now I want to do some solo play so I can understand the system before I introduce it to a group at the table. I think it would help cement in certain aspects of a game system in the GM's brain so they can actually run games, to your third point. No one wants to get bogged down, but also tons of people don't want to jump between systems, especially when they have already spent time and money to get into one. So as a GM that wants to introduce and play some of these new games with my groups, being able to run the game and get a feel for it can be invaluable. If a rule doesn't feel good in solo play, it probably won't feel good in a group, so it can at least be something to consider when running a game.

Thanks for the video, a lot of great tips here! I will definitely be using them in some of my adventures.

i tried some oracles for a few minutes, turns out i do have imagination, quite a lot actually i'm going to give an RPG called Dragonbane a go, the core set even includes an adventure designed specifically for solo play, i'm pretty excited to dive in and maybe i can even convince some friends to play with me and have me GM them later

I strongly disagree, don't add conflict to everything, I do think it is an important part, but if you heighten every scene you'll end up in outer space. There is time to just resolve a conflict and enjoy a quiet scene. Take this example from my not solo game the protagonist had just ripped reality out from under his feet - then returning to his boyfriend and regaining some stability by hanging out and just telling how awful that day was - is great doesn't need any conflict. Conflict can and will come soon enough.

I started doing this and I am having so much fun. I am currently playing three heroes in a solo campaign and write down what happens at the same time. It‘s like writing a book while rolling the dice😂

So glad I found this channel. :)

Thank you for this, especially point #9!! Awesome!

This was so well expressed. Always a pleasure checking out your vids. BTW, I assume you have, but if not, you really should look at Hillfolk. Its amazing and really should help those interested in understanding social conflict between others and how to play a character-led drama-driven story.

Is there a way to play D&D solo with modules? If so, how

I wanted to do this but I can never get a story going, I always get lost in the beginning either being unsure of what the meaning of certain things is or not liking where the story doe lead me

For solo games, I actually enjoy avoiding most of these conflicts and action scenes.

Usually, I just want to feel what a normal day is for these characters. What their 9-5 day is like, outside of the normal crisis situations that happen when the plot forces it's way in.

The fighting tournament in DBZ before the villain crashes the party.

I would add: Be wary of, but don't be too afraid of, railroading. It doesn't have to be random rolls and oracle tables all the time. If your character is heading from X to Y, and half way there, you're thinking "Wouldn't it be cool if Y was #####?" don't think you have to throw away a great idea because you've "solved the mystery" before you've Asked the Oracle. The point is, you know, but your character doesn't.
Think of all the movies you've seen or stories you've read where you know more about what's going to happen next than the characters do. Hitchcock did this all the time. When it's done right, you're not spoiling the surprise or spontaneity; you're building suspense. You can see it coming, but you can't stop.

To touch on #2 - too many supplements to start: What might a beginner start with? I’m interested in od&d (but open to trying a more solo friendly rule set like Ironsworn. What supplement(s) are recommended to go along with a ruleset (as a minimum) so to encourage diving in without stacks of material to feel obliged to read before ever enjoying actually playing?

My favorite tip: Challenge the character, entertain the player.

Broad, I know. Hasn't failed me yet.

Ive already created a tabletop rpg called cards and cobolds, but now im thinking about making a solo ttrpg where there is a paper dungeon master system.
1: You roll a number on the dice which coresponds to the number of the event.
2: You read the event and immerse yourself within that scenario.
3: This will take index cards and dice.

At my D&D game each adventure went for one session

I like Jourlnelling ones Trying to design my own in order to write romance outside sci-fi fantasy . But not sure how to do it I have found a day in thyme .

I have a caveat for #3. I use SOLO-Play to try out and play systems that I want to try out and experiment with. So while I consider WANTING to play important, one reason I SOMETIMES use SOLO-Play is to learn or/and test out a new system.

You're the best!!

It's very rare that I see a video that feels like it was created personally for me haha. Every part about not knowing how to start or what to do and all that was exactly me.

Hey, I just realized, there's Indonesian subtitles! Neat!

I play rolemaster, I have more tables than everyone else.

I’m super new to solo but to make some decisions I roll 3 words from an 800 word list and I use those to guide my decision

THIS! has been the definitive video to show someone who wants to SOLO rpg game ...... theres literally dozens and dozens of videos basically describing the breakdown of how their playthrough works .... but if the abstract fundementals are ignored, well then ALL the books/supplements/dice/gear/maps will just be overwhelming/sit there. and it will be hard to simply GET STARTED! The last tip works well, JUST TAKE ACTION! worry about the dice charts less than what YOU want to do. This has given me the nudge needed lol thanks!

Thanks for the tips.
My two major problems are :
Festival, find a system I can play alone. I want to play some Star Trek or Marvel adventure. But for both all systems I try have something I didn't fully understand. And for Marvel also a lot of issues about balance for characters. I tried many time to create a system and fail. For example, I recently stumble on Ironsword and try to adapt some of what I read (Not really read all because not enough invested) so I tried to adapt idea from there and other I had. But I don't think it works.
Second issue is where to start. I speak for the univers. If I start in 1960 some character didn't existed yet, If I start later I have to find an event who have enough impact for a change in the history. Too much character I love or want to see in another way, I can even change their origin and power. And What team to do when you really love all the characters and choosing is heart breaking.
You tell that enjoying the game is a huge part. But playing alone isn't really if I don't share. And writing it, is well, a lot of works and I stop because I made more time writing all is happening than really playing even when both are link. And I'm not used to film myself, so no chance I will.
So it's seem than as been a GM for other, or playing in a tabletop with other, I cursed with my own self-deprecation issue, and lack of works. I love imagining succeeding, so much more, but it's part of the issue, when expectation encounter reality and are disappointing, That I'm disappointing. I don't like trying and failing over and over ... And I don't know why, I hope and try again and again.
So I would love to see you play a Solo Superheroes quest sometime to see how you handle it. Take care and keep going your video. I just discover your chanel, but you made a huge impact and fun time to see what happened, and you don't realize who you have an impact. Thank you again.

Wait... driver AND passenger? Hmmmm, this makes me want to drive from the passenger seat to see how that may work. Lol! jkjk

Here is an honest question. Let's say 3D printing minis and terrain has become an obsession. How would I go about creating terrain and things like environmental circumstances if we use mainly random generators to create this? Is it even possible?

this is good advice because I don't have any friends.

The tips were very helpful

I'm bored and want to play with myself....

Dude, in all seriousness, this one video seriously made this whole topic clock. Such passion and concise description. You knew what you wanted to say way a head of time.

You sir are awesome and I am now. subscriber just because of your personality and passion. Thank you for what you do.

For those who are thinking that the advice from Raymond Chandler ("If nothing is going on, then throw in a bunch of guys with guns and start shooting") is not applicable unless you previously have the reason for wich why these guys showed up with guns; let me tell you that it is a great advice if you think about it like you are watching an action movie: First your heroes must defend from the attackers, and then it is time to investigate and solve the mistery behind the attack. Remember: some discoveries are better when revealed on the go 🙂

Aaaah!!! I lovee the DCC funnel reference!

I love that this exists. I've always wanted to play a TTRPG. I have no experience with RPGs except from video games like Baldurs Gate, Pillars of Eternity and Pathfinder WOTR. What do I need for a five PC party who aren't allowed to die in the campaign ever. How many dice which books etc? Most solo RPGs recommend 2 or 4 PCs or an entire crew, but I want these Five PCs to be equally important and all the Main Characters. I have the specific characters in mind I just need an oracle/background system and a random events system to focus my creativity. I have a severe case of restartitis when given too much freedom. Appreciate any and all replies keep up the fun everyone <3

'Just start' is a great rule for life in general.

Noice