Solo RPG Patron Questions Answered

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[@HidingSleeper]

The best thing to keep in mind when solo role playing is to not worry about "getting things" wrong because in actuality, you can't. You r imagination is the game, the game rule books and oracles are all the toys you play with to facilitate it. The same way as Trevor said, a child plays with action figures and toys, they could just as easily use sticks and stones and pretend they're something else. Ask yourself what feels fun, then do it. That's all there is to solo roleplaying. Everything else is just methods of play.

[@wilonascave]

I on the other hand only play solo for a very long time. When I’m asked about it I respond with: be patient and don’t stress over it, have fun. Then they typically ask many more questions after that.

[@rlmarin1968]

How do you handle multi day journeys? Do you use the mechanics of the game you’ve chosen or do you use the oracle (mythic) to determine when something happens and what that is.

[@crapphone7744]

I don't look at my unfinished games as unfinished, I look at them as future adventures to return to and frequently do. One of the great things about playing solo is when you're kind of tired of one setting you can pivot to another one instantly. I often find that I come back to an old setting that I was born with and find it refreshing and fun again after being away from it for 4 to 6 months. Looking at the old character is like meeting an old friend you haven't seen in a couple of years at the coffee shop. I got past the awkwardness of not having a group dynamic by speaking my characters lines in the NPC responses out loud in the voice of the character as best I could. It sounds counterintuitive but it did actually work. Don't be afraid to change the voice as the character of evolves and where is the NPC reveals themself. There's nobody around to object to the lack of continuity, that's part of the fun of being solo!

[@GrahamFryeJr]

I've been soloing for about six months now. I journal everything and the rp felt really awkward at first. Now, the journal has become a hybrid of game notes, ideas, script, and short story. Two things that help me are considering the whole process part of the fun and realizing that my target quality is somewhere around the level of playing with my friends. Once i gave myself that slack, it became easier.

[@Capng123]

UNE is great but I find when the imagination falters adding in its sister product BOLD does the trick. With a few dice rolls you can generate an NPC with a (fairly) complete backstory, full of surprises, without slowing your flow.

[@HeadHunterSix]

If you want to play old-school D&D-oriented games with a single character, try Scarlet Heroes. You really don't need a party or a get-out-of-jail card, and you don't need to modify the modules or underlying system. There's a free quickstart available so you can see for yourself.

[@luizricon]

Not even at 01:00 into the video but I'd like to point out the 'production value' increase in the audio and images here. I don't know what setup change you've made, but THIS is really, really good! I hope Season 4 looks like this. 😃

[@artistpoet5253]

All great tips. I play Ironsworn/Starforged and Five Parsecs From Home. When I play a game that isn't designed for solo play, I keep my role as the "Forever GM" and then use emulators/oracles to figure out what the characters will do. Really it's just a matter of finding some NPC reaction/motivations tables and interpret the results in context. You can then play any system you want and all the published adventures besides. Of course, you're the GM and maybe that's why you want to play solo is to play as the Player Character but really, you kind of are. It's more about a state of mind and letting yourself have fun with your imagination.

[@StatsScott]

I’ve tried doing a single level 1 PC solo D&D 5e and he got demolished in his first fight with 2 spiders. So now I always have at least 2 and as many as 4. With D&D I nominate 1 primary and the others as sidekicks to keep things more manageable. I don’t do voices but I do envision each character’s personality and how they’d likely react to a given situation and then envision how that discussion might go, at least the broad strokes. If I can’t decide for sure the final decision they’d make I do a die roll. I definitely think the interplay of different PC personalities is a big part of what makes RPGs so fun in a group setting so definitely don’t skip that part in a solo session.

[@philmitchell12]

“When we were kids playing with action figures…” that sentence transported me back to my childhood using my trove of Star Wars and other action figures to play out my own stories for hours upon hours upon hours… it remains the happiest I have ever been. I’d forgotten - so thanks for bringing that back.

[@tahunuva4254]

"Play" really is the operative word here. I was poor as fuck as a kid, so I'd look at the toys in magazines and imagine playing with them. Solo roleplaying, to me at least, is a very similar activity. Those mags were early oracles.

[@andyslack4728]

It helps to choose a game where characters have hindrances, disadvantages, flaws, whatever the game calls them. That directs their responses and conversations. I also find that random encounters drive the plot, so you need a game or supplement which supports those. Humans instinctively look for patterns, so patterns will emerge from the randomness as you play.

[@johnberry5296]

Great tips. I’ve been playing solo for many years and the absolute best resource for playing pre-written standard modules is Tom Scutt’s DMYOURSELF and its sequel DMYOURSELVES. This basically suggests you make a primary and secondary character and to give them default behaviours to stop you cheating.

[@Stephen-Fox]

The thing the group dynamic helps me with that I struggle with for solo gaming is that I often feel like I should be pouring the creative energy I'm putting into playing a game into my writing when I'm (and, I know that having multiple creative projects on the go at once is healthy, and I know that it's a different creative muscle when I'm doing solo gaming than when I'm writing or editing) I also find how I handle... The game generally... for solo play varies depending on what I'm playing. Some games I go heavy on the journalling - I find anything using Ironsworn or a hack of it typically sends me in that direction, typically taking extensive notes on the result of any move I use - while if I'm using Mythic I'll play act the conversations, etc, out loud (actually I have a bit of a rule for myself that if I don't _ask_ the oracle verbally it didn't count because I sometimes find flaws in my question when I say them. Usually because I ask an either/or question rather than a yes/no one) and then summarize the scene in a single paragraph when I'm adjusting the chaos factor.

[@larryg.6118]

Great tips in the video and the comments! The point about not using too many supplements is a very good one, especially for beginners. When I started looking into solo role-playing I felt overwhelmed by the many emulators, oracles, and books of random tables that, apparently, I had to use to make this work. Then, I discovered Ironsworn, and I had a very successful first solo campaign with just one book. Watching the second season of MMD also helped me "getting it".

[@koltonkulis4763]

I journal my games. When I first started, I wrote way too much and ended up with something like a novella. But this burned me out. These days I just log my dice rolls and write a brief summary about what is happening. I used to write long dialogues between characters, but now I just write a line from each character to summarize the gist of the conversation. I don't worry anymore about making it perfect since I'm the only one who will read it.

[@whaarp]

I really hope that you thrive despite that identity put onto the channel for what was initially a solo experiment! Branding is tough, changing to something loke actually "The Sage's Library" might impact your identity... but regardless, just as last video and this one show, you do whatever you want with your channel and I think it really matters. Please keep doing what interests you, the surprise factor of getting various topics on video is super refreshing.

[@jcraigwilliams70]

Some really good stuff here and several things that apply directly to me. I can relate to the first question, in particular. When I first learned about solo RPGs, I was *thrilled* because I moved to a new city several years ago and lost access to my gaming group. The idea of being able to play my favourite RPGs by myself was really exciting, but I quickly found that I felt really weird telling stories to myself... I felt very self-conscious acting out scenes and dialogue, but didn't want to spend all my time journaling, either. I contemplated recording my sessions and posting them, but I don't have the patience or skill to do so effectively. And I have to agree about too many supplements... I have found many tools that appeal to me for different reasons, and find myself torn between which ones to use at any given time.

[@harringtonmartin]

An excellent offering, Trevor. Good stuff. Something I would offer for those seeking an easy on-ramp for solo ttrpgs is the idea of taking a game that's more of a board game with rpg elements and slowly adding more rpg elements as you go along. Games like Four Against Darkness, D100 Dungeon, and Five Parsecs From Home are examples of easy on-ramps. Hell, I play a lot of solo ttrpgs, yet I still go back to those types of rpg-light board games because it's just a nice, easy change of pace for my brain on occasion. I have a homebrewed Four Against Darkness game world that's been expanded with various supplements, and it's sometimes more inspiring and thought-inducing/provoking than more classic solo engines.

[@shawnwolf5961]

Ironsworn and Starforged are also designed around a solo player and a great kickoff point for solo RPG I think. When I watched S2 on this channel, I tried Ironsworn for myself, and I've extended to trying out DnD solo (with a sidekick or two using Tasha's Cauldron). I've also dipped a toe into other systems solo, and will soon be attempting Call of Cthulhu. Maybe I am biased because my first solo adventures were with the gritty Ironsworn, but I think it's probably one of the best ways to practice solo gameplay--and slowly you can move into more complex games if you even want to do that.

[@harringtonmartin]

@shawnwolf5961 I've played a lot of Ironsworn and Starforged. While good, I wouldn't necessarily recommend them to people who might be more used to classic ttrpgs. Building narrative on top of a rigid structure, and doing it in small increments, is easier than diving headlong into a narrative-heavy pbta game. It depends on the type of gamer, to be sure, but in general I find people playing solo for the first time need more guard rails and guide posts rather than oracles and being left to build narrative at every turn. I tend to think easing into it is a wise move for their longterm enjoyment of solo.

[@dustinshorter2391]

I currently and enjoying Solo RPG's more than group play. I think my previous group only wanted to play D&D 5e and it's not a game I want to continue playing. With Solo RPG's I am having a great time using the dice to help tell the story. I found that it's so much easier to use the GM emulators for random inspiration than trying to understand what the the game's point is and discovering the story via play. I could be that my group and I weren't on the same page but with Solo RPG's, it seems so much more fluid and engaging and it's never boring because I don't have to rush my turn or wait on anyone because I am always engaged in what's happening. Thanks so much for the video and your channel! It helped me discover Solo RPG's and currently are my favorite style of play!

[@simontemplar3359]

I have loved all the seasons, but Simon of Argostan... what a story. I mean my God. That is still some of the best fiction I've encountered in ages. Bloody fantastic! Anyone who has not watched that season, DO EET! DO EET NOW!

[@David-su4is]

"How to DM yourself", "How to DM yourselves," and "The Solo Adventurers Tool Box" are wonderful aids for that other style of solo roleplaying. They are geared toward 5e, but can be used with other systems.

[@TheMythandLegend]

And there's a second part to the toolbox out now.

[@scrapperlock9437]

I can definitely relate to your comment about rules-light systems not having enough meat on the bone. I have mostly tried solo RPing with rules-light because it seemed easier, and at first it is, but you are right, after a while, I get bored -- I think because in rules-light games, there just aren't enough different things you can do mechanically. I'm busy running 2 SWADE games (one Deadlands, one in Harn) for my game group right now (Deadlands is live/zoom, Harn is play by post), and we are having fun, and I think one of the reasons is there is enough meat to Savage Worlds.

[@janviggoneubergjohansen]

Talking out loud helped alot. As i heard my voice it was weird at first but it helped. & write down the story. Later i found this channel 4-5 days ago 😂 & OMG!! Of course you are a voice actor! ❤❤❤

[@jamesmorton7852]

I have just started this style of Solo gaming using Mythic GM emulator and my old Runequest 2nd edition game. So far its working out quite well. As an old gamer I am used to the old "pick a path" style solo game books used in Tunnels and Trolls and the fighting fantasy books. This process is new to me, but having a blast so far.

[@mg1342mg]

Thank you for saying "champing at the bit," not "chomping."

[@Eulindo1986]

Nice tips! About the topic of giving some power to the solo character (since most of the games are designed for a group), the Scarlet Heroes RPG have some nice mechanics that are made specific for the purpose of playing with only one character using the old school systems of old B/X D&D and other OSR games. It´s very cool.

[@SaintSolo]

Always very valuable thanks so much man

[@pvt.prinny759]

i liked these choose your own adventure books as a kid, i think rpg's are just kind of more advanced version of that

[@tobarstep]

Thinking about it like playing with my Star Wars action figures as a kid is very helpful. And I think one more reason why I find minis and battlemaps important to solo playing. I need that physical connection to the story.

[@Rich_H_1972]

Great video and advice as always, Trevor.

[@socialcommentary]

Great video, as always!

[@RealmBuilderGuy]

This was great. I’m beginning with solo play and am looking forward to. Forbidden Lands is what I’m starting with

[@marzaik]

Great video. It was very helpful. I am looking forward to the Top 5 solo supplements. Maybe a top 10!

[@drewwest7261]

I'm just so thankful for everything you do, Trevor. Thanks for giving us your time.

[@NuttySquirrel_8]

Thank you for your insight! It's always great to find someone who wants to genuinely help others and share their experiences simply out of love for the hobby!

[@dirigoallagash3464]

Picking up and flipping through my old softcover copy of WFRP 1e always brings me joy. It's the crown jewel of my collection. Great topic/episode, T!

[@dorsteinneverett]

Thank you for doing this video, the best gaming-related video I've watched in ages, and I watch a lot. You nailed the topic and the challenges I have personally faced trying to get into solo rpgs. You're actually the reason I decided to get into the solo games, keep doing what you're doing.

[@luizricon]

I think one thing that can help is build a small set up with the books you're using, a grid and some minis to add a more tactic (and tactile) dimension to your game. I've seen a couple of solo gamers using that on YT

[@toddzircher6168]

Fun chat and good advice. Keeping a detailed journal (notes, maps, character art, full dialogues, etc.) is part of my motivation to get psyched up. So does talking about my games on places like reddit (there is a large solo community there.) Having a schedule helps, I do my solo play when I am babysitting the grandkids. I agree with limited and focused generators. When I start a new game, part of my 'session zero' is defining what my primary tools will be out of the dozens if not hundreds that I already have. For those with a driving desire to finish a campaign, look at story arcs. This has worked really well for me in the past. And, I happen to know this guy that switched game systems, themes, and even characters three times between story arcs. 🙂

[@obadiah_v]

Thank you again Trevor. A couple of thoughts. You really have touched on some of my learnings already. The idea of too many options in supplements is something I have gotten trapped with. I have also become frustrated with myself never finishing a "campaign". I have had a character in my head for sometime and so once I decided to give them life in a solo campaign (it was my first) and then it just ground to a hole where I didn't know what to do next, and it has sat that way ever since. I am frustrated still at not able to finish it. I am kind of at a point where perhaps I try again but wipe the slate clean. One last thing, this video gave me a moment that was like I had one day at work. We were in a training course doing intros and they asked what it experience was in this subject, everyone else in the room was between 1 and 5 years experience - for me it was almost 20 years. You got me thinking about how much experience I have in RPGs and I realised that I have so much experience and so I should back myself a bit more rather than doubting my thoughts. Thank you.

[@marccaron6008]

The way I do it is to roll the social skills first, for both sides, then imagine how the conversation played out based on the results. Let the dice speak.

[@chadnine3432]

When doing solo RPGs, I tend to treat it like a solo board game with RPG elements. That's why I really loved the 5 Parsecs videos you posted. IMO having structure keeps me from getting overwhelmed with too many possibilities.

[@dragonias8]

Thanks a lot for the video. Your channel supported me a lot with playing solo. At the beginning I overcomlicated thinks by thinking to much of the rules a supplement and the system have. Then I read Ironsworn and using this mechanics reduced this thinking. Now I use Plot unfolding machine or TOR Strider mode and ideas are flowing.

[@MmmVomit]

One thing that helps me is to get out of the house. Pack up your game, take it to a quiet cafe or chill bar. Now, you have nothing to do but play your game.

[@slump2u]

Great video. All your advice is spot on. I would recommend using a voice recorder or app. Helpful if you are not fond of detailed journaling, I also find it helps avoid the awkwardness of talking to yourself. Personally, I only game solo for about an hour or two at a time. Using a stack of Mythic's scene notations, I can pick up where I was very quickly next session. Also, I type up a more detailed account of the action, plots, and threads at the end of each session, which substitutes for sitting around with the group talking about highlights. Rereading this narrative is very enjoyable before starting the next episode. I find it helpful to give my main character an ally, hired help, or cohort NPC from the start. They get their own motivations and I let the GM system be their freewill. As Trevor notes, it's good to be lenient, at first especially, but mortality must always be a possibility. I have three 'stories' running in the same world that all started trying out different rules and supplements. But over time, I trimmed down to Mythic GM, 90% of a primary game system, a crunchier combat system, and a handful of supplement tables printed out. It all fits on one clipboard, the most often used pages on top.A second clipboard has character and NPC sheets, and scene sheets. It works out great. Thank you Trevor for your channel, I started watching mid pandemic when I was cobbling together a way to play solo. I finally thought to google and suddenly was watching Season 2 unfold. My way forward got a lot easier, I have benefited immensely from your endeavors!

[@Scibelius]

You're doing a great job so you obviously are an expert. Very inspiring, thanks. 👍I play solo and with a group as well. With a group of friends the social aspect takes up a whole lot of space. Playing solo leaves a lot more room for creativity and imagination of your own device. I don't feel that solo awkwardness that sparked the video but what I do is write. I type out my pc vs npc and the world interactions in notion as a journal for myself. That works for me. Plus it allows me to build a database where I keep track of npc's, locations, world events, do my worldbuilding and create my own oracles (within the same app). That's all solo roleplaying as well. As for motivating myself to play again solo? There's always this curiosity over what will happen in the next scene. There's always some kind of cliffhanger to come back to. And when I don't feel like it. I start something new and get back to the other game when I do. or not... who cares. But what I like most is the theatre of the mind. Allow yourself to see yourself standing on that dock and envision that hulk of a ship approaching, with that odd list to the port side. And what is that remarkable flag? What does it mean? Who sails it? And why is it coming here. Test your oracle's. Let them surprise you. That's the fun I get from solo roleplaying.

[@paranoidpenguin9077]

I feel like the thing that’s going to be a hang up for a lot of people is that the role playing process you employ clearly takes effort and work on your part to make for a story that is compelling. I think solo role playing often works best for people who A) already GM and B) people who build and customize their own stories for the sessions they run. I think players can do it, but you’ve got to find that part of you that wants to tell a story outside of the scope of a singular character. You have to connect back to that part of yourself that can imagine a scenario and want to play it out. Like being a kid, it’s play, it’s exploration and it’s doing it in a way that’s non-self conscious. It’d be nice if there was a magic pill for that, but it’s something that you get out what you put in and it takes practice.

[@UllricLex]

There are great channels for TTRPG music and ambient sounds. I always use them while playing. Inspires my imagination and creativity 🙂

[@JonasSusara]

Great question and answers! "Being not too hard on yourself" is good advice coz you're mainly playing to have fun, not going to boot camp! I recommend Geek Gamer's channel and books, with tips on enjoying solo gaming 😊

[@jeansenvaars]

Genuinely curious, why is it harder to play "offline"? Is an audience (or at least recording) a helpful motivation to get to play? Or a matter of time? Perhaps this could also mean that others should try self recording at least as a driver to get to play. If you ever pay offline, would love to hear how such experience is, and what did you have to change in order to make it work! Thanks for the reflections, awesome topic.

[@theyxaj]

Re: self-recording, I'm always on the lookout for Apothecaria play session videos, and I recently came across a person playing Apothecaria without writing anything down, only playing and talking about what happens... the videos kind of ended up being the journal. I think this is a great way to make gameplay go faster, or maybe to play a journaling game when you don't like to journal.

[@jeansenvaars]

Indeed! It also reduces the effort or pressure of coming up with poetry or literature writing quality. In videos, one can wave hands and make impromptu analogies to compensate for the lack of words.@@theyxaj

[@keldin9303]

Another tool that I use that I never hear anyone talk about is AI. Your favorite chatbot loves to talk about adventures. Talk about your previous adventures or ideas for adventures. Ask for ideas how to continue based on what you just finished. Those bots will give ideas for days.

[@drunkendelver1966]

I think my biggest inspiration when psyching myself up to play a solo session is just thinking about what happened previously, and wondering what might happen next. Since I'm making it up as I go, literally anything could happen, within the bounds of reasonable logic. I do find, however, that like you said, since I'm making up the game as I go, it is sometimes easy to accidentally go too hard on my characters to compensate for thinking I might be cheating in some way. Yeah, cheating at a game that only I am playing. Is this a common thing with solo games? Also, on your point about keeping supplements reasonably limited, I've been debating getting the Mythic Variations book in the hopes of branching out the flavor and genres I'm able to play. I remember you rolling on a horror oracle in that book during an episode of your Savage Worlds campaign. What all genres does Mythic Variations offer, and how well do its oracles translate that flavor to the game in comparison to the normal GME book?

[@vincentc964]

To your point about playing as only a single character (and the balancing issues that come from that) when talking about solo RP, one of the most interesting things about season 1 was that it actually DID become a party in the second half. We started off with Simon, and then of course Arn and Edbert joined later on. How much more difficult did that make running the first season? Did it make a significant impact, now having to keep track of three different characters, all with their own abilities, objectives and personalities? I do really want to start a Savage Worlds solo campaign, but the thought of keeping track of everything seems kind of intimidating. So I've been sticking mostly with Ironsworn as it's tailor made for solo play. But I guess my point is there's nothing stopping you from playing a party of heroes as a solo player as long as you are willing and able to keep track of everything.

[@pencilmage]

omg the rules lite systems comment really hit with me... i dont like bringing them to my table, as fun as they may be, because my players will lose interest after 4 or 5 sessions. there is just not enough there to keep them wanting more.

[@guyredman7734]

Hi, please do the solo supplement video sooner rather than later. It would help me massively. Love the show! Especially the investment in the viewer.

[@josephpurdy8390]

If you set it up like your playing a mercenary. You get the contract. Maybe with partial payment in advance for hirlings. That your character has to be responsible for them. Loot sharing, paying bonuses, and the risk may make it appear not viable. Your character is responsible for all the resources, and tough judgement calls will likely be made. If crunching more numbers to work your way through a scenario is okay. The reward is a better evaluation of your choices, and accepting consequences for your decisions.

[@theyxaj]

re: players reminiscing making the GM want to play; it may sound weird, but I kinda do this with the games I play on my own. I'll play a video game and then take a break, then watch some KZbin videos of other people playing it, which will make me want to play again.

[@GeorgeL909]

I highly recommend Dungeon Synth as a genre for inspiration. It's like the whole genre exists to help you come up with fantasy scenarios. I live deep in the city and there's no nature to be found here, but throw on some dungeon synth on my walkman and boom, I'm in freaking Hyboria baby.

[@Mantorp86]

I mostly have problems closing adventures: when some threads needs closure. I always end up creating more threads and forking the story that in the end it is just some spaghetti story 🤣 lately I am trying to solo oneshots - create and end the story in one session so it forces me to close all the treads 👍

[@destroso]

Top supplements would be awesome. I’m new to the channel and at the moment I’ve learned about Mythic from you which I’m thinking of buying just to help me never grind to a halt. I’ve seen sandbox generators from atelier clandestine and the d30 but don’t know what to get

[@JoeVanore]

Does "Mythic Horror Tables" refer to the Event Focus Table in Mythic Variations, or is there another supplement with more horror content? If there is, I'd love to know where to find it!

[@dziooooo]

9:13 about the GM not wanting to disappoint the players when they don't feel like playing - sure, you need to be considerate. But the GM is a player too, and the session needs to be fun for them too. When I'm exhausted, unfocused or feeling unwell, I would rather cancel the session than struggle through it and make myself feel even worse. That's the straight path to Burnout Town. GMs, take care of yourselves! And if the players pressure you into running a session when you're not up to it, THEY are the jackasses, not you!

[@0ldSch00l13]

I miss the Savage Worlds games. You should revisit that system.

[@samakechijowo]

For me, once I start a campaign, be it short or long, it'll encourage me to continue playing. But after I finished the campaign and put the characters to rest, I got too lazy to start again. I think in my case I just need to quickly choose a system and make a character, then I'll be more encouraged to start a mew campaign.

[@backcountrybrian9336]

Quick question as I try to make my way into SRPG. I tend to agree that "rules lite" might be a reason to give up early or look towards some sort of hybrid. My question pertains to everyones solo favorite, Ironsworn. That game is very rules lite and is a good starting point for solo but is it really what you would consider "rules lite"? I haven't played any other game but have read Savage Worlds, and Dragonbane and look forward to more of a "crunchy" game. Am I understanding the difference? Ironsworn was good for my first attempt but it got a bit monotonous solo. Even substituted the included oracle with Mytic and that only made it marginally better. I'm totally new to TTRPGs so just trying to understand some of the terms and expectations.

[@wilonascave]

Yes, you understanding it correctly but even iron sworn is a little (keyword little) bit too crunchy (imo) for rules lite rules lite games are like: Cairn, Into the Odd, Mausritter, maybe Dungeon World, Mörk Borg

[@Dyanosis]

Correction - 10k hours makes you a master, not an expert. "It takes 10k hours to master a skill".

[@funwithmadness]

I've only tried solo RPGs a couple of times and it never went more than a couple of hours. I find it is closer to a creative writing exercise than a game. I don't think that's bad, just not as fulfilling to me as regular group play. You mentioned talking about the session with the other players after a session... What's that like? I'd love to experience it, but my players run out of the door at the first chance. I cannot tell if they feel rude for lingering, we play too long, or I suck as a GM. (They keep coming back, so it likely isn't the last one.)

[@TheMM00s3]

I don't know if this would help with your players leaving quickly or not, but something I do for all my games is planning the last like 10-20 minutes at the end of the game to ask each player a set of questions. I use it as a tool to not only have the players thinking about the game afterwards, but (at least for my tables) it also opens a door to talking about the game that usually far exceeds that 10-20 minutes. I usually ask these questions to each player? 1) What was your favorite overall moment of the game? 2) What was your favorite character moment, outside of your own character? 3) What are you looking forward to? 4) Do you have any feedback for the GM or the other players, positive, negative, or otherwise? These also help let players lift up others and let the GM know what people like about the game. I also do a little player of the game thing where everyone votes on who they think was the best player that night and give them a small reward depending on the system we're using. And you can always replace the questions to better suit your group. Again, not sure if it will help, but it has definitely benefited my games a whole ton. If you try it out, I'd love to hear how it went.

[@kyrnsword72]

The solo system and books I like using is D100 Dungeon and Scarlet Heroes. I hope to get and add Shadow Dark soon. D100 Dungeon mapping game and books worked extremely well for me with some home brewing.

[@crapphone7744]

Top 5 supplements 1 Perilous Wilds 2-5 Perilous Wilds😅

[@7mmScout]

Kicked off a solo game with the most complex rule set I could find...vsdarkmaster. I give myself permission to stuff the rules up while I learn them, I don't complain, and I get to play a game I've been curious about with players who are prepared to learn the rules. Exploring the scenario ideas in my head is spare moments.