Solo Game Suggestions

[dbmeboy]

I'm looking for some good (system-neutral preferably) suggestions for running a solo game. Currently, I'm thinking combat-light, focus on puzzle/problem solving/mystery but I don't have much experience designing or running that style of game so I'm having trouble getting started. Any tips? Thanks!

[Frenth Alunril]

Solo adventures go really fast because there it's only one player. There is no call making discussion, strategy is just one long part of a usual game.

So, the best prep you can make for solo adventures is a mapped set of NPC relationships in a world that is well detailed because the player is going to chew up your game support quickly.

I hate to pimp myself too much here, but good solo adventures I have run often involved a long series of ignored hooks, npcs that prance by and are judged for their appearance, etc, but when the hook is set and the game begins, you can have a great amount of social rp, and that should be a reward in itself. Many a player has told me my personal adventures were fantastic, for the depth of information I was able to give them.

The main point is, focus on the player's character and make them the hero.

Not sure if you are running a fantasy game, but If you are, my Random NPC maker is pretty fly. I should adapt it for modern and future rp.

[dbmeboy]

It will most likely be fantasy, though I haven't decided between D&D, Pathfinder, or some non-d20 system (I have the material for the Mistborn RPG or the old Decipher LotR RPG). I had trouble finding your NPC maker from the link in your signature... there does not appear to be anything at the bottom of the page labeled "For the Geeks" (indeed, ctrl+f is telling me that "geek" does not appear on the page anywhere).

EDIT: Yeah, so I was blind, and for some reason ctrl+f is working normally and finding it for me now. Computers are strange sometimes. Thanks for the help.

[BShammie]

It's above the comment section.

[Frenth Alunril]

It's above the comment section.

Thanks!

And yeah, the npcs come with little hooks built in. the lists are all random, but it gives you a lot of time to be creative.

As to the game, you may have a plan, but solo adventures will go the way the player devises until they are vested enough in the story for you to take over. It can feel exhausting at first, but you will find it easy enough soon.

[Jay R]

Make him the captain of a small unit of skirmishers, in battle. It avoids many pitfalls of a character who can't watch his own back.