1+1 (Solo friendly) RPGs

crkrueger · February 27, 2017, 12:05:55 AM

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;947783Clue Finding: You automatically get the clues if your character has the right skills in the right place or when talking to the right person; obviously you must still describe the appropriate steps your character takes, and it is subject to player creativity and GM rulings. The idea is that rolling to find clues isn't the game, it's putting the clues together like an information puzzle (image of a cork board with conspiracy theory style threads and photos) and figuring out where the next puzzle piece might be.

In standard Gumshoe you get a "Core Clue" automatically, which is supposed to be enough to move the investigation forward, if you have the investigative abilities. However, to get anything MORE than a "Core Clue", additional clues, you must, as a player, decide to spend OOC points in order to use an ability to get the additional Clue. So "player creativity and GM rulings" really comes down an OOC negotiation concerning the PC's skills, then when the negotiation is over, you get back to roleplaying.

Or as Trail of Cthulhu gives as an example:

Quote from: Trail of Cthulhu pg. 54-55“Is there another way into that house?” asks Zachary. The Keeper knows that there are old smuggler’s tunnels into most of the basements in this neighborhood. This information isn’t necessary to move forward – going in the front door will get to the confrontation just as fast — but initiative should always be rewarded where possible.

"Would you rather spend 1 Architecture point or 2 Credit Rating points?” asks the Keeper. If Zachary picks Architecture, Boothroyd will “just happen to remember” seeing smuggler’s tunnels in a similar Georgian house in the neighborhood. But Zachary picks the bigger spend for the bigger benefit, reducing his Credit Rating pool from its maximum of 6 down to 4, and the Keeper says “As it happens, you attended a soiree at young Brickman’s the other month, and he showed you the old smuggler’s tunnel in his wine cellar and said he’d gone exploring one time — ‘visited the cellar of every house built before 1750’ in his words. He lives a block away, and you’re sure he’d be happy to stand you a glass and let you into his tunnel. ”This gives Boothroyd a possible ally or contact, a possible secure retreat or unexpected entry, and a distinctive character moment all at once – well worth the 2 points.

Boothroyd leans on Brickman’s bell with his stick. “Thought I might see if your Medoc has improved any,” he says. “And speaking of your cellar…”

Does Cthulhu Confidential have the same spend mechanic?

Voros · February 27, 2017, 03:04:37 AM

Quote from: Matt;947829Any older fantasy RPG ought to work fine since the initial inspirations were largely solo adventurers. The whole party of niches thing is an unnecessary afterthought.

No offense but this reads as a bit of uncritical appendix N worship. D&D may have been based on book with individual or dual adventurers but the game system is built for parties with a balance of skills and roles unlike the fantasy novels and their heroes.

This is also true of the fantasy systems that came after like Runequest. Only T&T really featured solo adventures but even there clearly the intention is for parties.

One can certainly tweak the systems and design an adventure for solo play but it requires some careful thought and adjustments to the expectations of the system.

Shipyard Locked · February 27, 2017, 06:34:42 AM

Quote from: CRKrueger;947831Does Cthulhu Confidential have the same spend mechanic?

Partially. It has "Pushes" for investigative abilities, but not for general abilities (that role has been taken by Edges). The gradually depleting bonus dice supply mechanic is absent because, to paraphrase, that's a spotlight management tool for groups that isn't really necessary in 1-on-1.

There are also more ways to get Pushes back, and again they only yield bonus opportunities, never critical information.

finarvyn · February 27, 2017, 06:41:35 AM

Quote from: Voros;947844No offense but this reads as a bit of uncritical appendix N worship. D&D may have been based on book with individual or dual adventurers but the game system is built for parties with a balance of skills and roles unlike the fantasy novels and their heroes.

Which is why when I ran 1-to-1 games using D&D I always (1) moved the player to a higher level fast to "simulate" a party, and (2) encouraged him to take more than one class in order to give a variety of talents.

Conan could be a fighter-thief. Grey Mouser a fighter-thief with a touch of magic user. Elric could be a fighter-wizard. Literature certainly has many examples of heroes who can do more than one thing.

Omega · February 27, 2017, 04:42:20 PM

Quote from: Matt;947829Any super hero game should be able to do solo as if suites the genre to a T. The Mayfair DC Heroes even had a solo as its example of play in the "Read This First" section.

Ohh, thanks for reminding me.

MSH had a little solo generator in the MHAC-6 New York New York module.

Superhero 2044 has a pretty simplistic one at the back of the book too.

Matt · February 27, 2017, 04:59:23 PM

Quote from: Voros;947844No offense but this reads as a bit of uncritical appendix N worship. D&D may have been based on book with individual or dual adventurers but the game system is built for parties with a balance of skills and roles unlike the fantasy novels and their heroes.

This is also true of the fantasy systems that came after like Runequest. Only T&T really featured solo adventures but even there clearly the intention is for parties.

One can certainly tweak the systems and design an adventure for solo play but it requires some careful thought and adjustments to the expectations of the system.

None taken as I personally don't even care for D&D as a system in the least. Nor do i like 99.9% of fantasy and sci fi so Appendix N means Nada to me.

RPGPundit · March 02, 2017, 01:56:01 AM

Scarlet Heroes is the obvious choice, since it was explicitly designed (system-wise) for this.

Matt · March 09, 2017, 11:16:24 PM

Quote from: Bluddworth;947590What are some of the best RPGs to play with just 1 DM / GM and 1 Player Character?

* The One Player Character could be enhanced by use of a comp[anion / henchmen system.

* Obviously, adventures would have to be tailored to just one PC as well.

I ask this question from this community because I'm aware of at least one FB based community that caters to One-Shot Adventures, but none that cater to Solo PC play.

Surely someone must have mentioned Pendragon somewhere in this thread? Not only does it work quite well with one knight and one GM, it even encourages such play as thoroughly befitting the milieu.

Works well especially if you're not sure how many players will turn up for a given game as the PCs are all knights of one stripe or another with no "darn, we need a cleric for this" situations arising. At worst one might want to add or subtract from the strength of opposing forces if one is worried about "balance," though personally I've never felt the need to do so...

Kyle Aaron · March 10, 2017, 04:52:17 AM

Quote from: finarvyn;947864Which is why when I ran 1-to-1 games using D&D I always (1) moved the player to a higher level fast to "simulate" a party, and (2) encouraged him to take more than one class in order to give a variety of talents.

1. Hirelings.
2. Henchmen.

Mordred Pendragon · March 10, 2017, 08:09:55 AM

I've done one-on-one games with Vampire 1e and Big Eyes Small Mouth and both games turned out fine.

jeff37923 · March 11, 2017, 11:46:01 AM

If you do Traveller or Cepheus Engine, SOLO is an interesting new take on the gaming method. I got to playtest it and thought the approach was unique and entertaining.

Iron_Rain · March 11, 2017, 07:14:40 PM

Quote from: Bluddworth;947590What are some of the best RPGs to play with just 1 DM / GM and 1 Player Character?

* The One Player Character could be enhanced by use of a comp[anion / henchmen system.

* Obviously, adventures would have to be tailored to just one PC as well.

I ask this question from this community because I'm aware of at least one FB based community that caters to One-Shot Adventures, but none that cater to Solo PC play.

Ars Magica can be scaled quite well to one player games.

AsenRG · March 11, 2017, 09:32:40 PM

Quote from: jeff37923;950662If you do Traveller or Cepheus Engine, SOLO is an interesting new take on the gaming method. I got to playtest it and thought the approach was unique and entertaining.

It's from Zozer Games, it's for solo games, and it's for Traveller. I must have it;)!

And seriously, if we cut out the Gollum imitation, thank you for pointing it out:D!

RPGPundit · March 14, 2017, 04:19:43 AM

Quote from: Matt;950419Surely someone must have mentioned Pendragon somewhere in this thread? Not only does it work quite well with one knight and one GM, it even encourages such play as thoroughly befitting the milieu.

Pendragon is ideal with a smaller group than usual (3-4 being ideal, 2 or 5 being adequate); but I'd find it pretty boring with just one player.

Bluddworth · March 14, 2017, 12:32:06 PM

I'm presently working on a Star Frontiers campaign for between 1 - 5 players, but is perhaps best played with several of the pre made characters as NPC / henchmen.