Four Against Darkness Solo Mission Rules

[@GeekGamers01]

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[@makdaddi3921]

Quite the quick versatile, flexible, intuitive system with a support network unparalleled all things considered… fandom’s ongoing passion to constantly tweet it continues to inspire me. Please continue to explore… with discretion ;).

[@johnsteidl293]

When playing with one or two characters, especially in more difficult settings, I personally wouldn't hesitate to fudge classes. You could allow a single character to blend any 4 classes. Or if adventuring with a duo, allow each to blend any two classes. Then give yourself the traits of all, and the best life and wealth between them. You could allow them to use any weapons or items allowed by any of their classes, or for flavor, you might choose one as the dominant class and use the weapons and items of that one. Whatever gives you the most fun narratively.

[@GeekGamers01]

Yes these are conclusions I’m drawing. Some house ruling will be in order. I’m also thinking of assigning 10 inventory slots or some such and outfitting someone that way. I like the modifications you are suggesting too.

[@warwizard]

Thanks for sharing your playthroughs and thoughts! Super helpful in trying to craft my own "One and friends" against Darkness campaign.

[@GeekGamers01]

Glad you enjoy. I am going back to the drawing board to see about doing the same-one+ or some such. I may offer my thoughts on that down the road if there is interest.

[@Joshuadmathews]

Great video, Geek Gamers! Your last vid inspired me to create a party comprised of characters that would utilize the fighter/knights guilds featured in Zealous Zouaves. I went with a Caviler class (which comes from Kingly Knights & Knifing Knaves) because they get the perks from ZZ's guilds at level 1, a warrior who I gave the Noble class trait to so that he could utilize guild perks (when usually warriors would have to wait to level 3 - similar to minor skills for dwarves in CCC), a pixie from ZZ with a squirrel on whom she can ride on and I gave her 12 cantrips from Cantrip book (Ominous Opus of the Occult and Obscure), and for the final member I gave them 2 Living Relics from Entreaty of Eldritch Enchanters (in EEE you are told that you can take a living Relic as a 5th party member, or 2 to count as a 4th party member). For these relics, I made them both swords, and gave the magic abilities from the Twisted Hoards magic item book, giving one sword to my Caviler and one to my Warrior and then in the other hand, each of these two fighters hold the shield with their Guild's Crest on it. I never got them on a mission yet, due to teacher conferences and being out of town this weekend for a literature conference on George McDonald, but I attend to soon run this party through the first mission in the Lantern Zine book. If they can make it to Level 2, then I'll select a Party Trait from ZZ (this book is broken up into d66 new character traits, company traits, knight's guilds, NPCs that connect to patrons mentioned in GGG, and the pixie class). As for Adventurer's guild, I haven't tried the solo/duo rules - part of me wants to dig out one of my Steve Jackson Fighting Fantasy books and run a duo through that - I've always wanted to take the wizard book, Citadel of Chaos, and run a warrior and wizard pairing through that but never have, maybe I'll do that with 4ad as I don't think those books should be that difficult to convert to 4ad). The parts of Adventurer's guild that really stick out to me, though, are the Sneaking rules and creating a rooster of 12. I want to house rule that my party HAS to sneak for every encounter, for if we fail, then this means WE HAVE to roll on the encounter table (something I had a small caveat with the original core book, as given the choice, you have such an advantage to attack first than you would rolling for encounter and risk getting attacked first, for me, these sneaking rules seem to fix that nippick). And then with the party of 12 Adventurer's there is a spell in the book that allows when an adventurer dies, you can cast this spell a new party member takes it's place. This sounds super fun, to create 12 unique heroes and then play a campaign where I just keep going until I'm down to my final 4 heroes and see where I can go. I'd just houserule that this spell is just automatic for the party and that a random hero from our roster just poofs in right at the moment they're needed! That's where my 4ad inklings have lead me over the week, back to your vid though, DDD I feel is really meant for horror dungeon delves, as in for you the player, you're on the edge of your seat to see what will happen next and if they'll survive, or, to be used as a toolbox to take ideas from it and adapt it to turning 4ad into a lite-rpg. A minor example is that the dwarf god cleric in the book is a great way to imagine class/race conversion for 4ad as you can 100% just use that cleric subclass either for a Dwarf Cleric or as Dwarf Rogue- and just interpret the Dwarf from the core as a Dwarf Fighter. I think the book also is a great template for creating a crumbling Wizard's Tower minor dungeon. Just use each tile as a level and layer to the wizards tower and give it maybe 4 levels or so and you've great a way to utilize the book for above ground sandbox play. - and although I've never played d100- just seen the vids on your channel- the hardcore rules in conjunction with maybe the solo rules in Adventures guild are perhaps ways to use 4ad stuff in conjunction with d100 content- but that is just a minor observation. As for your solo/duo conundrum, perhaps use the Relic rules from EEE. These living relics might be ways to help beef up that party? Hirling rules, if you were unaware, are in Four Against the Abyss (there are also are some hirling options in the Grail book Knight's of Destiny- if you have that book). As for an outdoor adventure to run them through for level 1, I suggest the following combinations: 1) use the forest tiles from Crucible 2) for encounters use Warlike Woes but when it comes to minions and bosses roll a d6, 1-4 use the minions boss found on pages 8 and 10, but on a 5-6 pages 18 and 19- or if you want some randomness - 1-3 roll the first tables, 4-5 roll the second tables, and on a 6 roll maybe the vermin from Crucible and encounter them as minions? 3)In place of tables found in the core and CCC, instead use tables in WW (treasure, magic treasure, traps, special events). For Special Features perhaps roll D6 on 3 Rings - if you have that- or on a table from the Grail book - and whenever you hut tile in Crucible, roll on the halfling hut table from 3 Rings and if you encounter a Well, I believe Dark Waters has a Pool table that you can roll on. 4)As for a quest, maybe that triggers the Nixie and the Nightskin mini adventure from Dens and Burrows (or just use that book to generate quests?) Just some suggestions, hopefully something here sparked some direction!

[@GeekGamers01]

Thank you for all these great suggestions! I am going to save this comment for reference. The living relics idea is a great one that I could use right away.

[@brianpatterson5690]

Great stuff as usual! Just ordered your Wanderings book as I "devoured" your Solo DM book pdf while waiting for the hard copy to arrive.

[@GeekGamers01]

Thank you for the support!, and glad you enjoyed the vid. Much appreciated,

[@igloboy]

oh, did not know there are rules for solo adventure play. thank you for the video

[@blainroman7317]

Hi. I enjoyed this video. I would like to see other videos (short if necessary) on the journeys of your 1 or 2 character party using the solo rules. I had played a game of 12 Years recently and I was in a sunken cavern in the marsh with a deadend trying to survive a two-headed troll and a ogre. TPK with 2 fae, a giant and a hermit. A fun game!

[@GeekGamers01]

Ooh I like the after play report on 12 Years. Sounds like a fun session even if you died… the sign of a good game. And thanks for the comment - glad you enjoyed the vid. Sometime before the end of the year I will do at least one more vid reporting on my try solo play experiences. I’m going to see if I can get a character leveled up a bit on his own.

[@exhead1972]

I've never played with the DotDD rules. For me starting with a mystical assassin worked very well. I enjoyed the emersion I experienced. Almost being being grieved when he died horribly in one off the Temples of Quaarra.

[@GeekGamers01]

I like that and can totally see it! That’s a good character to start with

[@exhead1972]

@@GeekGamers01 If I wasn't on a Ironsworn-trip I'd be playing it again.

[@JevousGaming]

Hi GeekGamers. Have you or are you planning on taking a look at Rusty Dagger? Definitely in line with the games on this channel.

[@GeekGamers01]

Maybe…. I don’t have it but it’s on a (long) list of possible games to cover….have you played it & if so what did you think?

[@JevousGaming]

@@GeekGamers01 No, not yet, but I’ve been following the Facebook group and watch Robert’s (the designer) and other people’s playthroughs and so I was wondering if you had covered it yet.

[@michaellegg1631]

Good video, but sometimes I get lost in the details. I do have Four Against Darkness, but its a lot of stuff to keep track of. I don't know. Is your solo book more basic?

[@GeekGamers01]

Are you asking about my solo GM guide? It’s quite different than 4AD as it is not a game but rather a book designed to help with solo play. I’d suggest watching one of my vids that does a look inside the book to see if it’s for you or not.

[@magiouskrat222]

cool. will you be showcasing a solo mission game next?

[@GeekGamers01]

Um, well, I summarized the game I played in this vid... that was the point of the vid... if you mean a game with just one character instead of two... maybe.... not going to do gameplay but I might do a post-game summary of a mission with just one character and talk about how the rules play out.