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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: Ocule on November 23, 2022, 03:23:06 PM

Title: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Ocule on November 23, 2022, 03:23:06 PM
As in the title, I was going to run a Sword and sorcery game set in the Hyborean age or maybe something similar for a single player, at most two players. I have a few ideas but was wondering what y’all thought maybe I missed something. So far I’m thinking Conan 2d20, Barbarians of Lemuria or Mythras.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: zircher on November 23, 2022, 10:39:21 PM
Swords and Sandals is not my fav genre so I'm short on suggestions.

I wanted to talk about solo and duet since they can be different from running a game for 1 to 2 players.  Solo generally means no GM and the single player is using a solo adventure or solo tools like GM Emulators and Oracles to play a traditional RPG.  Duet (for me) are purpose built games for two players and tend to be GMless games as well.

Rolling back to GMed games and adventures for 1 to 2 players, it kind of depends on your players.  Some people are okay with running multiple characters in which case just form up a party for a normal adventure.  That way you have your full set of skills and abilities and a deeper pool for spreading out the damage.  If it is strictly one or two PCs, you need to decide if you want to run some NPCs in the party or scale encounters on the fly if the adventure is meant for a large party.  I used to do this all the time back in the day when I was running a couple of my friends.

Having said all that, my group has had fun with on the fly swords and sorcery (in the style of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser) using Fate Accelerated Edition.  If you don't mind Evil Hat's finger prints on it, FAE is a fun system for light weight RPGs, especially one-shots over the holidays.  It's also nice that the SRD is a freebie.  Since it is aspect driven, the descriptions are more important than the number crunch.  So, you can again use any adventure as a 'script' for the session.

[edit for typos]
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: rhialto on November 24, 2022, 07:51:44 AM
In no particular order, save for the first one, which would be my choice  :):
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Ocule on November 24, 2022, 03:28:00 PM
Ty for the suggestions though with anything dnd derived it looks to be more difficult just due to the nature of the game having one to two players. The single or duo pc rules from scarlet heroes might work if I went that route. Though the damage conversion looks like a bit of a headache in play

So far contenders are Conan an age undreamed of, riddle of steel/blade of the iron throne, mythras, and savage worlds. Due mostly to either making the hero more capable or having good mechanics for one on one fights.

Barbarians of Lemuria also looked good but I know nothing of how it’ll play with a lone pc.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: S'mon on November 25, 2022, 03:28:30 AM
I used Mini Six https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/144558/Mini-Six-Bare-Bones-Edition for a 1 year Sword & Sorcery game in Primeval Thule https://simonsprimevalthule.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-valley-of-scorn-palace-of-silver.html - it worked great. The only issue I recall was realising I needed to turn a horde of 500+ skeletons vs high level PCs from monsters to hazardous terrain.  ;D
 
I think D&D is designed for multiple players and works best that way, whereas D6 System handles lone heroes very well, being designed originally around the tropes and power level of 1980s action & adventure films. Many other games work fine too, D&D and derivatives are a particularly poor choice.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: rhialto on November 25, 2022, 07:26:30 AM
Well, there's a reason I cited OD&D + The Age of Conan: if you use the Chainmail combat systems (mass, man-to-man, fantasy), and not the "Alternate" (i.e., d20-based), then OD&D does a good (and IMO, better) job of modeling S&S fiction. A PC like Conan (15th-level Fighter) would get 10 attacks/round in man-to-man combat, and is nearly as easy to create as a 1st-level nobody. It does lack the mechanical complexity of something like SW, Mini6 or Mythras, but is very capable of modeling lone heroes on solo adventures. Not trying to convince you either way, just clarifying why I suggested it.  :)
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Dropbear on November 26, 2022, 06:26:53 AM
As in the title, I was going to run a Sword and sorcery game set in the Hyborean age or maybe something similar for a single player, at most two players. I have a few ideas but was wondering what y’all thought maybe I missed something. So far I’m thinking Conan 2d20, Barbarians of Lemuria or Mythras.

Out of those, I’d go with BoL.

2d20 is always going to be a thumbs down for me as far as recommendations go. For me, the clunky and un-smooth mechanics that don’t flow well will always be a non-starter. And that saddened me, because I gave it a go with a group, I love the whole Conan propert, the art is pretty amazing throughout. The rules just make me yuck.

Mythras is okay as a rules set, and you could use that to rebuild the 2d20 game books with better rules mechanics. But why buy both sets of books? You’re a diehard Hyborean Age fan with money to spend on an expensive set of books, I guess. Cool.

Barbarians of Lemuria has a great feel in its setting, while not entirely Hyborean Age in style it’s near enough in style and cheaper than Modiphius (and possibly Mythras combined with it for the rules). Also I found the rules were much smoother, less clunky, and easier to teach people who are being brought into your game.

But honestly, I’d take Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea over all three of them.

Since I know who I am replying to, I won’t recommend Hyperborea (the third edition of the game) even though it smooths out some things even more and is an improvement. You won’t care for multiple instances of art or the particular artist.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: rhialto on November 26, 2022, 06:39:12 AM
If BoL is in the running I'd take a look at Barbaric!, too: 2d6-based, and even lighter rules than BoL. And there are a couple of related products: Death Stalkers of Antediluvia and Warlords of Atlantis.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Llew ap Hywel on November 26, 2022, 10:27:05 AM
I ran a duet game with my wife using Mythras set in Thennla (definition of Sword and Sandals) and it ran sweet, she felt very heroic and enjoyed the challenges I presented her.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Krazz on November 26, 2022, 01:42:52 PM
I've had some success with solo sword and sorcery using Advanced Fighting Fantasy. The default setting is high fantasy, but by leaving out non-human and magic options for the heroes, you've got a simple and fast system that you can overlay on any S&S setting you desire. And since it grew out of a series of gamebooks where a lone sword-swinging hero takes on an epic quest, it handles solitary heroes very well, both in combat and in not needing healers or magic potions to stay alive.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Batjon on November 27, 2022, 10:17:17 AM
Barbarians of Lemuria
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: ForgottenF on November 27, 2022, 06:30:36 PM
The debate about whether D&D does Sword & Sorcery well is an ongoing one. Personally, I'm on the side that says it doesn't.

More importantly for this question, I would not go with a class-based game for a 1-2 person party. That situation pretty much requires that PCs be generalists, or else be punished for not having a well-rounded party. Also, with a smaller party, I find that you tend to do more RP and skill checks, and less straightforward combat. So I'd want a rules-lite game with a decently rounded skill system. I wouldn't want something too granular, though. You don't want your players to be stuck because neither of them have any points in basket-weaving or whatever. Basically you want a game where any character can do most activities and at least not be hopeless at it.

Mythras might do the job, but it's a little chunkier than I'd go for. I'm in a 2d20 Conan game right now, and it's honestly just not a good system. Barbarians of Lemuria would be my pick of the ones you mentioned. Since it's just attribute based, I think it'd probably result in the fewest occasions where your players can't do something just because they didn't bring the right character type.

I'll throw in an outside suggestion for Savage Worlds Lankhmar. I have the book, and it's pretty well set up for making S&S heroes. There's an unofficial Conan setting for SWADE, too, if you can get a hold of it. If you want something on the more fantastical side, "Atlantis: The Second Age" for Omni System (so the same rules as Talislanta) might serve as well.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Marchand on November 27, 2022, 11:39:33 PM
My suggestion: Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2e. Despite the name it is rules-light, although still with a fair amount of depth.

It's classless, with a broad skill system (20 or so skills I think). Even if the character lacks a special skill, you can just throw against their SKILL stat, one of 3 alongside STAMINA=hit points, and LUCK=saving throw. Throw in MAGIC if you want to sling spells, although buying up MAGIC means your other 3 stats will be lower. You can still build a fighter/magic user generalist, but they would need to be more focused in each area - using special skills and feats to be effective at one type of fighting, for example.

A 2-character party of a warrior/rogue type and a magic-user would be quite viable. Anyway, the system is simple enough that a single player could run 2 characters or a stable of henchmen with no sweat.

It's an expansion of the system used for the old Fighting Fantasy solo gamebooks, which is probably where it gets the DNA of characters as well-rounded generalists.

Mythras is okay as a rules set, and you could use that to rebuild the 2d20 game books with better rules mechanics. But why buy both sets of books?

Just to note there is also the free "Mythras Imperative", which is a complete game.

Since I know who I am replying to, I won’t recommend Hyperborea (the third edition of the game) even though it smooths out some things even more and is an improvement. You won’t care for multiple instances of art or the particular artist.

Interested in your take on 3e - what it smooths out vs 2E. I'd already read the new art was a disappointment for some people. The black and white stuff from the 2E books is excellent, I think.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Philotomy Jurament on November 28, 2022, 03:11:38 AM
I'd go with some variant of BRP/Runequest/Mythras.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: oggsmash on November 28, 2022, 05:13:04 AM
   Savage Worlds Beasts and Barbarians by a mile of the systems listed.  I like most of the options, but SW has the best options for a single or duo group and pulling off things we see in S&S fiction especially when getting into fights and beating the odds.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: tenbones on November 28, 2022, 01:12:10 PM
   Savage Worlds Beasts and Barbarians by a mile of the systems listed.  I like most of the options, but SW has the best options for a single or duo group and pulling off things we see in S&S fiction especially when getting into fights and beating the odds.

I was going to say this too... but I feel like I'm beating the Savage Worlds horse to death. I think SW really shines with small groups. One or two players for Beasts and Barbarians? HELL YES. It would rock mightily.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Ocule on November 28, 2022, 06:24:34 PM
   Savage Worlds Beasts and Barbarians by a mile of the systems listed.  I like most of the options, but SW has the best options for a single or duo group and pulling off things we see in S&S fiction especially when getting into fights and beating the odds.

I was going to say this too... but I feel like I'm beating the Savage Worlds horse to death. I think SW really shines with small groups. One or two players for Beasts and Barbarians? HELL YES. It would rock mightily.

The only complaint i had about beasts and barbarians is the edges seemed to be overall pretty bad. Alot of them are way too powerful. Like switching spirit or agility for strength for damage. SW characters are already hella strong. The setting seemed good and SW does have good mechanics
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: oggsmash on November 29, 2022, 05:22:23 AM
   Savage Worlds Beasts and Barbarians by a mile of the systems listed.  I like most of the options, but SW has the best options for a single or duo group and pulling off things we see in S&S fiction especially when getting into fights and beating the odds.

I was going to say this too... but I feel like I'm beating the Savage Worlds horse to death. I think SW really shines with small groups. One or two players for Beasts and Barbarians? HELL YES. It would rock mightily.

The only complaint i had about beasts and barbarians is the edges seemed to be overall pretty bad. Alot of them are way too powerful. Like switching spirit or agility for strength for damage. SW characters are already hella strong. The setting seemed good and SW does have good mechanics

  Beasts and Barbarians characters start off as default seasoned.  2 warriors against a sorcerer and his 20 cultists who get gang ups and ace a few rolls and those powerful characters are going to seem a whole lot more mortal.   If the attackers are using missile weapons and aiming for the head and vitals....well again the seemingly powerful characters are forced into a situation where they better think before they wade in.   SW melee focused characters ARE VERY GOOD at what they specialize in.  But isn't that as it should be? 
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: tenbones on November 29, 2022, 10:52:48 AM
Yeah the B&B setting is supposed to reflect the interior conceits of the Conan-S&S tropes. And it does an excellent job of it, I've run a couple of campaigns with it. Are the Edges powerful? Sure. But they're appropriate to the setting.

The beauty of Savage Worlds is - if you don't like an Edge? Nuke it. The customization possibilities of the system are endless. It's designed for you to tweak whatever the setting conceits *you* want.

Beasts and Barbarians, in particular would be a superb choice for a solo or duo-game. But I also think you can just use the Core Rules with the Fantasy Companion to go wild.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: rocksfalleverybodydies on November 29, 2022, 01:18:02 PM
I would hazard Crypts & Things is decent for S&S.
Through Sunken Lands and Other Adventures is another good option.
Both focus on the genre well.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: weirdguy564 on November 29, 2022, 06:06:45 PM
Any sword combat game can work.  I’m ok with limiting technology like removing full plate harnesses from any game I’m in, but keeping scale armor, or doubling the weight of half plate armor to represent bronze instead of iron/steel. 

If you want a specific game, my choice would be Mini-six Bare Bones edition.  Is just Star Wars D6 rules, albeit a bit simplified.  It’s generic.  The magic system is a bit rigid, but in barbarian Conan, John Carter of Mars, and other settings you may not even see any magic.

Barbarians of Lemuria or 2D20 Conan are the two games that are genre specific. 

John Carter of Mars is another trope you can mine for ideas and game rules.  Anything that is Planet and Sword genre is basically barbarians.  They just live on an alien world instead of Earth in an unknown pre-historic society that got to metallurgy, writing, riding animals, and wheels.

Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: Ocule on November 29, 2022, 11:47:54 PM
Yeah the B&B setting is supposed to reflect the interior conceits of the Conan-S&S tropes. And it does an excellent job of it, I've run a couple of campaigns with it. Are the Edges powerful? Sure. But they're appropriate to the setting.

The beauty of Savage Worlds is - if you don't like an Edge? Nuke it. The customization possibilities of the system are endless. It's designed for you to tweak whatever the setting conceits *you* want.

Beasts and Barbarians, in particular would be a superb choice for a solo or duo-game. But I also think you can just use the Core Rules with the Fantasy Companion to go wild.

Maybe they play better than they look, I don’t mind characters being powerful but the edges didn’t seem to fit. I guess I expected edges closer reflecting lankhmar or Solomon Kane edges.


So far it seems thus

Barbarians of Lemuria
-most rules light
-quick and easy to play
-good magic rules for the genre, actually does soft magic in a ttrpg
-I’ve heard it doesn’t quite hit book Conan but wasn’t able to see what they mean by that. It’ll take some minor conversion to change settings
-never played this one at all, so I don’t know what to expect with character power level and gameplay

Savage worlds
-great system does pulp very well.
-looking to try the road less travelled since I know savage worlds so well.
-heavy emphasis on miniatures and play aids
-best handles large combats

Conan 2d20
-tailor made for Hyborean age
-has a lot of storygame mechanics
-medium crunch
-seems to be a love it or hate it system
-modiphious attracts a lot of cringe people. Hesitant because they tend to bend the knee to the woke mob. How the hell do you get artists like Brom and keep it pg13. Idk I want to like the game

Mythras
-best 1 on 1 combat out of the bunch
-most crunchy system
-extremely deadly
-played RQG and other d100 systems

These are the systems that are most recommended I’m avoiding osr for this one because of emphasis on party play.
Title: Re: Best sword and sorcery rpg for solo or duet adventures
Post by: S'mon on November 30, 2022, 04:53:19 AM
These are the systems that are most recommended I’m avoiding osr for this one because of emphasis on party play.

Yes, I wouldn't particularly recommend Crypts & Things for this reason, it's basically just Swords & Wizardry, ie OD&D. Although I do think OD&D with a Fighter PC is workable for solo play if you start around 3rd/4th level and avoid/tone down save-or-die effects. As I think I said earlier, from my experience running Primeval Thule using Mini Six I'd definitely recommend it as a good system for swords & sorcery. The power level is exactly right.