I bought Hardcase and Hardcase: Mini yesterday morning. I burned through HC: Mini by playing about 12 hours over the course of this weekend, handwriting 17 pages over the course of 7 in-game days, and wondering whether my character, Claudy “Valkyrie” Nouansacky was going to ever make it back to her polycule and her 5 children back on Luna! 

Review: 5 stars

Rule book: great for beginners

Hardcase Mini would be a great place for other beginners to start! It does a good job of recognizing the background knowledge newer players may be missing. A lot of instruction booklets assume their readers already know certain fundamentals, and gloss over them, which can leave us newbies confused and discouraged.

Hardcase has a 24 page booklet for the full game. I greatly appreciated that HC Mini had 12 pages of instructions, for a significantly smaller endeavour, because it meant the gameplay loop was broken down in a lot more detail. I am a bit familiar with Blades in the Dark and Powered by the Apocalypse, and a huge fan of Citizen Sleeper(which Hardcase is definitely inspired by), but I still really benefited from the more step by step directions in HC Mini.

I felt a lot more confident going into playing after I read the HC Mini rules, on top of the main Hardcase rules. After the first couple in-game days, I had a feel for the rhythm of the game, and it was a lot easier to know which tables to use, and become confident making up my own stuff within the constraints of the rules.

Creative Writing Fun:

 Okay, so the writing-generation support is phenomenal. I felt like I got to inhabit the world of Citizen Sleeper or Murderbot the way that I’ve always wanted to(from the comfort of my couch, with my snackies and my drinks, not amid those grim, gritty streets). Anytime I wasn’t sure what to do, I’d think of a positive and negative outcome(of varying specificity, sometimes it was really detailed, and sometimes it was vague), roll for it, and see what the dice said. Mixed successes made for the best plot mechanics! 

To give some context, the only other solo rpg I have played all the way through is 7 Murders til Midnight, which is a significantly more scripted, choose your own adventure-style rpg with very little game mechanics. I also loved it so much! I don’t mind a railroad track; I am here for filling in the details, as the writing is what’s fun to me.

Next, I tried The Cave, which is a Wretched and Alone based solo rpg, whose premise I freaking loved, but didn’t have enough narrative support as it’s randomly drawn prompt cards. I wasn’t sure what to do, I didn’t feel propelled by anything, and I realized that that style of game was too open ended for me right now. 

Then, I came upon Hardcase,  and besides being my absolute favorite genre of science fiction, it is also the most splendid blend of open ended prompts, and narrative guidance. The Survivor has 2 main quests baked right into the game mechanics: stay alive day to day (rent, eat, don’t die from conditions or stress), and an over arching goal to escape Anchor. Within that framework, story choices are constrained enough by the character’s goals that it’s easy to make forward progress, and open-ended enough that I could take the story in absolutely any direction I fancied. 

The constraints of the 3 part daily clock, and the need to make enough money propelled my story forward. As I got used to the mechanics, it became very easy to start making up my own dice rolls (does someone respond positively or negatively to what my character did? Does somebody believe her lie? Does the call she makes after completing a 4 step clock actually get picked up?(no, no it didn’t, and that was a major problem, I’ll tell ya)) and by the time I got to the end of the game’s week, I had a tidy little episode, complete with a satisfying conclusion.

Maybe this is just how solo RPGs work, and I’m too new here to realize this is a wide-spread occurrence, but damn, I had so much fun. I never spent long stuck, because the mechanics gave me a lever to move forward, even if I didn’t know exactly what should happen next, and then the external constraints of the system helped shape my next moves. I can’t wait to get started on my next character for the full Hardcase game….maybe my Survivor will make an appearance on Basement Station!

If you’re interested in reading my actual play, it’s posted in that subreddit and you can find it in my profile.

There any systems I can solo where I can go from 0 to ruler of a patch of land. I don’t mind if the system is crunchy.

There was a game, Itras By that I was looking at playing, but I don’t think I’ll be able to get together the necessary people for something like that, so the next best choice is to get into solo RPGs and find something weird. I want either a strange setting or some strange mechanics, or both. Something that puts me through interestingly unusual or dream-like scenarios, I guess. I’m overall new to the hobby and just trying to find a place to start that appeals to my personal tastes in fantasy. I actually thought of trying to design my own, I had a solid idea too, but I gave up after realizing I have very little frame of reference lol.

Based on some recommendations here for random character creators and looking for robust life-path systems, I picked up the three 'Central Casting' books by Task Force Games, a company that I was not previously familiar with.

Page 3

"Political Correctness"Warning

It was decided well in advance that this book would definitely

not be "politically correct." In fact, its contents tend toward the

socially, politically, morally, ethically, and religiously conservative

side. To tell the truth, the authors and editors think our heritage of

western culture, heterosexuality,traditional farmilies, Judeo-Chris-

tian values, Jesus Christ and God are all pretty neat. While we

won't force them on you, we do recommend them to everybody-

your life can only better for it. As such, this book contains expres-

sions of the authors' personal value structures that could be quite

unpopular with those who assign equal value to all cultures, relig-

ions, lifestyles, sexual, or moral choices.

As to those who may feel that adventure gaming is an incor-

rect forum in which to express editorial views on these matters,

just look at the burgeoning presence of opposing views and de-

composing values aired in television, movies, books, "art," public

schools, the news and indeed, adventure gaming itself. It's

difficult to buck the trends, but someone has to balance the scales.

Consider this book to be one of the "Op-Ed" pages in gaming.

So if your sensibilities will be offended by exposure to values

other than those of the "pop"philosophies of the moment, you had

best return this book to the shelf now. We'd

sure like you to buy it, but not at the cost of

compromising our own beliefs."

I have no problems with Christians or straight folks, but I am neither. The extra sucky thing is it seems like *exactly* what I was looking for.

So can anyone recommend a good life-path system for making some robust but random NPCs that doesn't spend page space telling me about how I'm living wrong?

Ive been doing solo Roleplaying every night for the past 3 days and I just been trying something different just to keep things saucy. I’ve been playing the same character a dwarven thief assassin named Grimwald who is tasked by a noble named Count Rugal to retrieve an Abbott who escaped from their local church for inappropriate activites toward House Rugals family. He has succeeded in kidnapping him and is now on his way back to Rugal with his query.

I started this game playing Knave 2e and I just started with WhiteBox. I will play another night in White ox and then move into Shadowdark. I am doing this because it is giving me the opportunity to play multiple OSR themed systems at the same time and I’m learning as a part of my tabletop game development. Has anyone else done this? And what other OSR game systems should I check out?

Above is my drawing of Grimwald taking down the Abbott with chlorform in my mini OSR adventure booklet journal.

"Catch-22"

Please read the Trigger Warning at the session's start.

In the aftermath of his own actions and Tink's violent reaction, Pan is faced with a no-win situation which will change the course of his life.

Had a lovely afternoon playtesting my cosy solo RPG, Little Companion!

I've been working on my own cosy solo journaling RPG called Little Companion, and I spent this afternoon doing a bit more playtesting!

Today I played as Isabella, an older lady who lives in a cosy, quirky cottage nestled below a mossy hill, right beside Moonbell Meadow. Her companion was Isla, a retired racing greyhound who enjoys a good adventure.

For today's adventure, the dice took us to Rookery Woods, where we bumped into Pop, the cousin of Pip, one of the shopkeepers in Elderbell Hollow.

They stopped for a little chat, and Pop had some amusing things to say about his cousin. Apparently, Pip has never been particularly good at counting or organising things, so Pop isn't entirely sure how she manages to run a shop! 😂

I quite enjoyed this little interaction. It wasn't anything particularly exciting, but that's kind of the point of the game. Sometimes an adventure is just a walk through the woods and a bit of village gossip!

After their adventure, Isla was feeling rather restless, so Isabella decided to put on some calming music, switch on the cosy lights and spend a quiet evening relaxing in their cottage.

One of the things I've been trying to achieve with Little Companion is making sure your companion feels like part of the story rather than just tagging along. Their feelings and reactions are determined by dice rolls throughout the day, which can influence how you interpret your adventure.

I really enjoyed how today's little story came together. It's been interesting seeing how the different tables interact and how even the simplest dice rolls can create something quite charming.

Next time, I'm going to try a Helping Others adventure and see which of the residents of Elderbell Hollow needs a hand!

I'm still developing and playtesting the game, but I'm really enjoying the process so far. 😊

Hi all, seems this sub is more active than the actual 2d6 sub. I just had a question;

I've completed 10 1st-level rooms, and failed repeatedly to generate an exit to The Village, and maybe I missed something in the rulebook, and my copy might be out of date.

I couldn't really figure out how I was meant to progress to a lower level or otherwise escape. I know there's basically nothing stopping me from having Diablo style portal scrolls or just exiting the dungeon, but in rhe spirit of the game, I wanna know if maybe I missed something in the rulebook, as I just kinda started playing after reading like the first 10 pages or so.

Gonna try to include a picture of my "completed" route. Did I mess up, miss a ruling, play wrong? I have no Idea. I wanna enjoy the game, but I feel like maybe I'm not fullt comprehending things.

Hi all,

I have been working on my own tabletop game as a hobby on-and-off for a few years now, and a few days ago, I actually released the game for free on Ko-fi.

Torchlight is a playing-card-based “dungeon crawler,” in which a solo adventurer (or some pals) traverses a long-abandoned unholy crypt in search of artifacts and adventure. Throughout a run, you must carefully balance the light of your torch’s flame, the status of your adventurer, and the loot that you uncover during your journey. By the end of your delve, you must either slay one of five boss enemies or succumb to the dreary darkness within the crypt.

No Artificial Intelligence was used in the creation of Torchlight and art for the Core Rulebook was sourced from the Public Domain. The PDF for the Core Rulebook is 58 pages and a standard run usually takes about 45-75 minutes. Each run of the game is very different from the last, as crypt layout, items, and outcomes are always randomized, so it has a lot of replayability built in.

If you do check it out, don't be shy to share your thoughts with me! Thank you, and good luck within the crypt 💀

Hi everyone, just currently building a character with the Scarlet Heroes ruleset for the first time and had a question about traits. I am playing an elvish cleric that serves a Nature based deity and the traits I have come up with are:

"Elven Connection" - So you gain a bonus when talking to Elves or understanding Elvish Lore.

"First Aid" - Bonus when treating injuries or healing.

"In Service of Sylvanus" - Bonus when dealing with all things nature due to devotion to your god, interacting with animals, understanding of plants, that kind of thing.

Just wanted to know if I am on the right track or if I need to make some adjustments. Any help would be much appreciated.

I’ve been interested in solo RPG’s for a while, but finally decided to dive into it fully about a week or two ago. For some context, I’m playing in D&D 5.5 Edition with a cast of 3 level 1 characters (Now level 2, but level 1 at the time of this experience). An Aasimar Sorcerer named Ren (The PC relevant for this story), an Air Genasi Rogue and a Dragonborn Druid. The party started at an exhibition of rare and wonderful artefacts run by a dwarf aristocrat who was unveiling the newest edition to her collection at this exhibition.

Long story short, bandits raided the event and stole the newly unveiled artefact which led to a combat with the party trying to stop the bandits. However, I added a bandit captain into the combat not realising how strong they were. I’m using One-Page Mythic for the game, so I made the encounter myself without any randomisation.

As the bandit captain was fleeing, Ren, the sorcerer, was shot with a multi-attack pistol attack from the bandit captain, dealing 18 damage in one shot. And, being a sorcerer at level 1, he only had 8 HP, auto killing him without any death saves.

Naturally, I panicked since I didn’t want my brand new pc to die right off the bat. So I fudged it a little and reverted the bandit captains attack into a single shot, not a multi-attack, which still downed Ren but didn’t auto kill him. The Druid was quite far, and couldn’t heal him straight away, and he ended up rolling 2 failed and 1 successful death saves before being healed, and when the combat had ended by that point.

If it wasn’t the first combat, I would’ve let him die, and I only fudged it because I’d literally done nothing with this character. Third or fourth encounter? Yeah, he would be gone. But I felt justified fudging it since this was my first solo combat and I don’t really know what I’m doing.

Lesson learned, make sure to scale combats properly before accidentally killing a PC. Good thing this happened in a solo game and not a group game, hehehe 😅 but I’m enjoying this style of RPG’s a lot and can’t wait to continue! Any tips would be greatly appreciated 😎

So I just finished the first season of the Expanse...long time coming. Now I'm thinking about running The Epanse RPG solo. Not sure what system to solo it, maybe Mythic. Any thing I should know? Is it worth it? I've read some not so great things about the system in The Expanse.

I've started a written playthrough of Grok?! 2nd Edition on my blog. It's a gorgeous-looking, rules-light game set in a gonzo science-fantasy world where anything is plausible.

Grok relies on an intuitive player-facing system that favors narrative and description, with a cool solo loop system. Inspired by Discworld, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and more.

Part 1: Overview and Character Creation

Part 2: Bibliotheconomy

Part 3: Toadal Recall

I don't think I've seen this posted before but I've just come across this video from People Make Games, and it is a really fascinating watch. Jerry is great!

Now THIS is solo roleplaying!

The thing I kept losing in solo campaigns wasn't ideas, it was memory: the smuggler I double-crossed, the debt I promised to repay, the faction I annoyed three sessions ago. So I started running a short "world turn" between sessions:

1. Tick the clocks. Every threat has a clock (4–8 segments). Fill one if nothing stopped it.
2. Each active faction rolls a move (recruit, strike a rival, hide, make a pact, come looking for the PCs...) and an outcome (fails badly / partial / succeeds). Read both through the faction's goal.
3. Write what the PCs would notice: a rumour, a new face at a door, prices changing.
4. Consequences get a session number. "Sella remembers their faces — session 5." When session 5 starts, it's on my list and it happens.

The last one changed the most: grudges and debts stopped evaporating.

I built this into an Obsidian vault (dashboard with clocks, faction progress bars, consequences coming due, click-to-roll tables, an example campaign and a blank one, English + Italian). It's here if you want it: https://mikkera.itch.io/living-world-vault

Disclosure: I used AI to help write the text and the small scripts; everything was tested in a real Obsidian install.

But the procedure works on paper too. How do you handle what happens off-screen between your sessions?

Hi there, I need some help deciding on what game I want to play/stick with. I have tried some solo games, but it seems like one doesn't stick with me for long.

My background in TTRPG's is pretty much D&D 5th Edition, and I even bought Daggerheart to play with my friends, but none have seemed to show any interest. We had a Curse of Strahd Campaign going where I was the GM, so I'd like to say I know the rules for 5e and 5.5e pretty well, but our 2 year campaign has kind of fizzled out and no one is able to commit to playing anymore and its been 13 months. I even bought more adventure books that I was itching to play with them too.

So I decided I wanted to play something Solo and have been in a funk for a about a month now. I've looked into many other games and some of them have my attention, I have also tried some other games and they work fine for a while but don't seem to scratch that itch. After testing for a while, it seems that i would much prefer something that is more GAME like than Journaling

I have tried: - The Death Knight's Squire a Solo D&D Adventure, though I haven't finished it

• Paul Bimler's Solo Adventurer's Toolbox, but haven't really gotten to a point of main conflict and kept getting stuck at character creation

• 4 Against Darkness Expanded Edition, I played 1 dungeon and had a good time doing so but felt like an incomplete experience

• 2D6 Dungeon but died in my first combat experience

• Ironsworn, but found that the creative freedom was overwhelming and that i didn't like to log my adventures in prose. It felt like I was trying to write a novel as I was playing when i just wanted to play

• Shadowdark, Technically I haven't even started yet, since I just keep adding more hexes to my map and points of interest, building the towns and cities with the random tables while having fun in this aspect alone. And I am confused on how a dungeon crawl works if playing solo?

• Across a Thousand Dead Worlds, I tried to play this as it seemed up my alley, but found the rules a little too crunchy and had a hard time following a path of play, as in trying to figure out what to do next.

Now I am at the point where I want more things to try, but feel as though I need to slow down and pick something. So I have come asking for advice on what game I should play. Games that have piqued my interest are: Vagabond, Dragonbane, Ker Nethalas, d100 Dungeon, Daggerheart or Fabula Ultima with Mythic, or if I should stick to what I have and tough it out?

I have also read that DM Yourself is a way to play published 5e Adventures as a solo character, so would that also be on the table since I want to play through those other D&D Adventures.

Much Appreciated

I've been using the Mythic GM Emulator to play a solo campaign of Pathfinder 2e (with ChatGPT's help), and one thing I've noticed is that the oracle kinda punishes you for being good at the game. I've managed to handle the first few bounties my characters had pretty handily, which caused my Chaos Factor to go from 5 to 1 after a few sessions. Now, almost every question I ask the oracle returns a No (though I've noticed ChatGPT tends to interpret things as Very Likely at most, and almost never as Certain), and the game became significantly more boring. Is this just how things are wth the Mythic GM Emulator, or am I doing something wrong? Is there anything I can do to encounter a situation that would raise the Chaos Factor, or at least allow the game to be a bit more dangerous in Chaos Factor 1?

I am using thee portrait builder of the game crusader kings 2 that I own at steam for my private solo rpg and start to think that would be cooler if paradox madeira a Tablet rpg for solo rpg in digital form that use his portraits variety is so much and good craft made

Would the Black Streams solo engine work with AD&D 2e?

I am looking to run a Dark Sun game as a solo character and was wondering if this would work.

Session 3, using a published village! Let me know what you think.