Solo RPG 101 : 10 Tips to Better Use GM Oracles

Quick video to help teach new Solo RPG players how to better interpret their GM Emulator Oracles.

[@Stefan-yz5lr]

You're the man, always plugging away with videos that fit what I'm looking for. Thank you sir.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Thanks Stefan! Appreciate it.

[@PhilipDudley3]

For divining meaning from random table results, I tend to use the "Word Association Game" and just think of related items using the given context. Use the 5 W (and H) to help figure out different things for the same words. Not only helps you build vocabulary, but also mental agility.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Good tip! Thanks for watching.

[@davestory8614]

It’s always easier to interpret oracles if your setting is detailed. You have a lot more context for hooking “random” results to. Also, I would suggest try to avoid using yes/no oracles - they are very limiting in results (even the yes+, etc). Use the more robust word lists to open up your mind to interesting possibilities.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Excellent advice. I think you have to have the Yes/No option, but the more you use it, the weaker the oracle appears.

[@quickanddirtyroleplaying]

Regarding yes/no dice rolls that have gradated results, there's also the matter of how often you would want to have mixed results occur over absolute results. On the one hand, a d6 could work just fine if the results are "No, and...," "No," "No, but...," "Yes, but...," "Yes," and "Yes, and..." However, if you want the results with "and" and "but" to occur less often so that you reduce the fatigue of having to figure out how to represent the conditional part, you may want to use a die with more sides on it and have the absolute results occur more often while each conditional result occurs on only one side. For example, with a d10, a 1 could be "No, and...," a 2-4 could be "No," a 5 could be "No, but...," a 6 could be "Yes, but..." a 7-9 could be "Yes," and a 0 could be "Yes, and..." Other than that, good video!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Absolutely, good point!

[@TheRedPolyhedral]

@@booksbricksandboards783 Or, you could still use the d6 for yes/no and combine that with a fudge die to decide whether there are consequences.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Yep, gotta love the Fudge dice

[@troyschnierer2940]

Simple idea but I like the idea of using two emulators at once. Been using the Fobidden Lands rules recently and loving it. I also have 1st ed Mythic. Going to use both next session, which may well be later on today.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

I feel like it helps drive the story in different directions too. The contextual queues you get from Solitary Defilement are very different from the ones in Mythic, which are in turn very different from what the GM’s Apprentice will give me. By occasionally bouncing it keeps things weird and prevents ‘routine’ results.

[@Marsh1563]

Great tips. I liked your yes/no oracle example too. I use something similar for a gradient answer oracle. As an example I'd ask: How difficult is this encounter? A 4-5 is the baseline or average/medium result. Any lower is more difficult and any higher is easier. Getting harder and easier respectively at the extremes. I do the same for loot. "How much loot do I get?" I set a baseline amount before rolling (which would be the amount I'd get if I rolled a 4-5) and then I roll. I don't know if I have any good oracle tips but my favourite yes/no oracle is to roll a D8 and I need to get a 7 or 8 to succeed. I can add a +0 up to a +4 to this roll depending on the difficulty. With this system there's always at least a 25% chance of success or a max of a 75% chance of success. Also having only 5 different percentages to choose from is a nice amount imo. If a "And/but" modifier makes sense for the question I'll also roll a D4 with it. A 1 being a "but" and a 4 being an "and". Great video and great topic.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Fenrir, love the insight into your process. My guess is that a lot of us have our own systems like this that we use, and my hope is that a newer player is going to feel more justified in creating their own based upon seeing how we have done exactly that. At the end of the day, if you are rolling dice and having fun, you ARE doing it right! 😉 thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Marsh1563]

Well said. My thoughts exactly. When I was starting out I always wished there were more examples of how people actually played so now that I have a handle on solo roleplaying I try to share just that. Like you said, it helps show that there's no rules and you can make it your own.

[@HeadHunterSix]

Thanks for the tips! I especially like the one about phrasing questions in a way that drives the narrative forward. It's all to easy to game even a Yes/No oracle if you know the roll is weighted one way or another, just by rephrasing the question. So this will be food for thought as to "how can I ask better questions?"

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Well stated. It’s like playing Yahtzee by yourself, you can cheat, but who are you cheating? Oracles are very easy to take advantage of, but if you do, you only cheat yourself.