Three Recommendations for Solo RPG Systems / Combos (+1 Bonus Recommendation!) - Solo RPG Friday

[@migsmigs2425]

Fabled Lands is way, WAY ahead of its time. Glad to see the series getting more love.

[@jakeholmes9296]

Absolutely love fabled lands!!! An amazing series.

[@Chaoclypse]

Proud to say that I have tried all 3 of these systems, in large part due to your excellent videos. Fabled Lands, however, I have not - Fixing that right now! Just ordered Book 1, it should be coming in the mail tomorrow. Excited to give it a go.

[@juhaollila257]

Thanks for the video. I have used also White Box + Scarlet Heroes combination for the solo gaming. I'm usually playing with two characters so that I can have a spell caster and a fighter. At the moment, I'm using Pathfinder for Savage Worlds and it is also great for solo gaming, but it is a little bit too complex for a casual player.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Yeah. Pathfinder and SW are way over my head. :).

[@alanna7782]

As someone who had zero rpg experience and has quickly fallen in deep this year...started with 4ad, immediately jumped to mork borg so I love your recommendation!, buying scarlet heroes for myself for xmas...

[@TheDungeonDive]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

[@gunpowderboardgames]

I just bought the Fabled Lands, love these kinds of books. Thanks again for some great recommendations DD

[@albertfajarito1]

WOOAH!!! The title got me so HYPED!!!

[@BayonetRecon]

Was it worthy of the hype? 🤔🙂

[@albertfajarito1]

@@BayonetRecon for me yes.

[@JohnDiPonio]

Awesome video. I needed to know what was out there for solo play and this is a good primer.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks! This one might be even better. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4qrpWSmmbiWgZI

[@rpgchronicler]

I honestly used basic fantasy once for a solo rpg. I loved scarlet Heroes' oracles and i may use it when i play 5e solo using the essentials kit and starter set mixed together. Mork borg's too weird for me sadly and too 'grimdark'-ish (at least for me).

[@testtest648]

Agreed. Mork bork is basically just an art port ttrpg. I didn't enjoy it.

[@VengerSatanis]

Your resting video pic (whatever that's called) shows fuchsia and chartreuse dice... prophetic. Cha'alt!

[@richardextall2002]

Great video. Just discovered your channel and love it.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy. :)

[@anthonychaplin6232]

Personally I'd recommend beginners to go with Ironsworn over Scarlet Heroes. Scarlet Heroes is better for people who are already pretty familiar with D&D or D20 system, whereas Ironsworn feels like it teaches a beginner how to tell stories and roleplay their characters from prompts and oracles more. Scarlet Heroes doesn't really tell you where to go as well. Sort of decision paralysis. Whereas in Ironsworn it's always: narrate --> trigger move --> narrate, which I feel is really helpful for beginners.

[@TheDungeonDive]

That's great! Everyone probably has their own suggestions for beginners! So many places to start. I'm simply offering up the things that helped me. One HUGE advantage SH has over IS is the wealth of material out there that can be converted in a matter of seconds, and how all of the rules can be summarized in a single page.

[@wanderdragon1075]

Ironsworn is hard though

[@TheDungeonDive]

@@wanderdragon1075 yeah. IS is in no way a beginners game. Always blows my mind when people suggest that it is.

[@vincenzorinaldi8911]

I'm a beginner and i've finded ironsworn very difficult, specially because of combat

[@samsolitaryroll]

To be honest, it took me watching many yt videos to learn about Ironsworn battle, but I got it in about 3 days. The biggest factor is YT channel The Bad Spot answering my comments that finally make me understand battle, and also, everything I wanted to know is already in the book... But yeah, I chose Ironsworn as my 2nd solo RPG (the 1st was Fabled Lands). And talk about easy access for beginner, I recommend PnP zines like 6x6 Tales or the Dungeon Hero series. Especially 6x6 Tales is, at least for me, engaging and replayable. Also, Ronin, Notequest, Scrap and Into The Zone.

[@boopertime4282]

Just found your channel and am loving it. Will be checking out Scarlet Heroes very soon. But I am super curious: what is the game mat featured in the background? You always have great trinkets in the background and I always want to know what they are.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks! The map is from Forbidden Lands.

[@rickartw8867]

I’m wondering if the Solitary Defilement book could be used with other systems. Perhaps to run basic fantasy solo with?

[@TheDungeonDive]

You could apply some of the concepts.

[@man.inblack]

Chat GPT could be potentially the best system for solo play at the time this comment was made. While it’s in its beta, its generative narrative is a lot of fun to embellish DMs tool box. The first thing I did was to train it to create a ‘fighting fantasy game book’ with dice roll game mechanics in Middle earth, and now I’m playing with training it to provide basic Npc AI As a wise man called it, fundamentally it’s automated plagiarism on a scale that makes it seem unique, and it does show the uncanny valley of its wordplay, but as ‘augmented intelligence’(of the DM), creating whole backstories at random from specific narrative datasets in seconds and its ability to summarise and be trained in specific game mechanics could revolutionise gaming opportunities. When its out of beta it’ll be generating our media and money scams, so get in while you can.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Could be interesting.

[@darkstranger777]

I like that hexagon map in the background what system did that come with?

[@TheDungeonDive]

Forbidden Lands RPG.

[@kenkastle5970]

So Scarlet heroes would work with something like Mothership? I’d love to see a video of you using SH with a module like mothership or some old dnd module like dark sun. Just to see how it’s done.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I wouldn’t use SH for SF games. I also don’t play modules. I like to make up my own stuff.

[@kenkastle5970]

@@TheDungeonDive but it is possible to use these old dnd modules?

[@TheDungeonDive]

Some people do.

[@kasaklubdemola8625]

+1 more: 2D6 Dungeon: A Dungeon Crawler

[@TheDungeonDive]

That wasn’t out when I made this video. Lol. I’ve also reviewed at. :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX_Li4h4j52ni8U

[@fightingfortruth9806]

I own the first 7 books in Fabled Lands. It's not a bad system, and the open world design is cool, but I think the world is a bit bland and boring to be honest. I put maybe 20 hours into it and I started to feel like very little interesting was happening. Maybe it picks up later on, but it certainly didn't grab me.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I would not expect a single thing to grab everyone the same.

[@fightingfortruth9806]

I wish someone would take the neat open world system from the Fabled Lands series and apply it to the Steve Jackson, Ian Livingstone setting. I love that old-school, gritty, dark theme in those Fighting Fantasy books much more.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I grew up with FF (even got a handwritten letter from Jackson when I discovered a fake breaking typo in a book!), but after playing FL I can’t go back.

[@hariszark7396]

I don't remember if you have talked about D100 Dungeons World builder VS Note Quest (with Expanded World rules) so I'm going to ask. Which one do you think better for world building and adventuring?

[@TheDungeonDive]

I will be looking at NQE soon. I like it, but D100DWB is more detailed and expansive. I actually created a little RPG system for NQ to discuss.

[@hariszark7396]

@@TheDungeonDive Nice. I'll be waiting for the video. 👍

[@Ancient_West]

Can I ask where you got your dice in the thumbnail?

[@TheDungeonDive]

From just a big bag of random dice on Amazon.

[@Ancient_West]

@@TheDungeonDive They look awesome. I hunted down a yellow set with black numbers just because of you. havent found the other two yet though.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I like bright color dice!

[@TOAST-FACEKILLAH]

First rpgs I ever played were palladium superhero’s and villain, tmnt, rifts. Then second edition then 3.5 then 5 now mörk borg I don’t think I’ll go back to dnd really I like that the setting is easily skinned into darksouls or bloodborne the combats simple and fluid the random charts are really great. Feels like a boardgame sometimes but a really good one like sleeping gods or mansions of madness. At other times it’s dnd but for cool kids.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I love the Palladium stuff growing up. TMNT, Ninjas & Super Spies, Heros & Villains, and Robotech. But man, looking at those things now, they're so complex and crunchy! SDC and MDC? They have so many armor and HP layers! Still though, tons of great memories.

[@bradwood9818]

It should be called "adventure gaming" because, unless you act out your character and talk in funny voices while by yourself, it's not "role playing"...and if you do those things, you might want to seek help, lol.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I've played RPGs since the mid 80s and never once acted out anything in a funny voice, and actively avoid most people who do (I've encountered one DM who did voices that I was liked). Talking in voices has very little to do with RPGs. Some tables employ acting techniques, others do not. I usual role play in 3rd person even to a GM, telling them what my character is doing, not what I am doing. Let's not gatekeep role playing. There are as many different styles as there are players.

[@bradwood9818]

@@TheDungeonDive I disagree on gatekeeping...we wouldn't have nutjobs screaming "orcs are racist" if we'd employed a little gatekeeping. And "role" playing is all about assuming another identity, otherwise your just "roll" playing...and in any case, I was joking.

[@bradwood9818]

@@TheDungeonDive Great videos btw!

[@TheDungeonDive]

No one is screaming "orcs are racist!" That's a strawman / bad faith argument. Some people are rightly questioning the use of race as a factor that defines things such as intelligence, strength, charisma, and other abilities though. Games have pivoted to using terms such as ancestry, or background, or species, which are all more apt than race.

[@bradwood9818]

@@TheDungeonDive Ugh! I'm sorry. I know where your mindset is and can tell you right away that we are going to disagree on many, many things...I find all things "woke" (which is what you're referring to is) to be ridiculous. "Ancestry" 😂

[@chrisdonovan8795]

Steam has a computer assistant for d100 Dungeon, but I haven't used it. The ratings are mixed. I have tried Fabled Lands on Steam. It's easy to use and has different modes of play like hardcore/permadeath. Pricing is around $15 each, I think.

[@EasyEight3674]

Very nice! I also like Warrior Heroes from Two Hour Wargames since it is designed for solo play and has its own campaign and adventure generation system and dungeon crawl system.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks! I've been wanting to take a look at that, and I'm sure I will at some point. :)

[@BubbaHamilton1]

Another excellent video! The bonus recommendation is great! I can say myself, that Fabled Lands is a great game, easy to use, easy to pick up and put down. Perfect to play in between more involved games. Fun to play even for an old guy like me, that has been playing RPG’s for years and years. I appreciate the solo gaming information supplied here, on the channel. I usually play in a group setting but now, I’m left without a solid group and I’m new to the solo gaming. This has been a great resource for me and a wonderful channel in general. I have ordered a few things you guys recommend and look forward to getting into some games! Thanks so much for this content.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks! Really appreciate this comment. :). Hope you have fun diving into this solo world.

[@bubbawriteoff1683]

@@TheDungeonDiveThank you! I am having fun and I am sure to have more fun soon! I just ordered your Glover Design T-shirt for myself for my Christmas Present!

[@jayvillanueva723]

If you like fabled lands there is a book called rise of the ancients written by Dr Graham Williams, he just got a second part to it the first one was really good I highly suggest it if you like Fable lands

[@kurtthecat3995]

I think another good intro solo adventure system is Warrior Heroes Adventures in Talomir by Two Hour Wargames. There are other solo themes also. That's how I got started into solo RPGs about 12 years ago. It's a solo designed procedural system of tables that will help you create a story. You will still need a dose of imagination to flesh out the story. The system may even overlap into a journaling style game.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks! I’ll look into that.

[@shaneannigans]

Yes! Fabled Lands! Cannot recommend this enough for anyone who is COMPLETELY NEW to soloing RPGs! 😊 All the world building and narrative heavy lifting is done leaving you to just immerse yourself. You don't have to worry about convoluted rulee. As long as you can read, write, and can do very basic math, just print out the sheets, get some pencils and dice, and you're ready to go!!

[@loarnchilcote9895]

Just wanted to say thank you so much Daniel! Getting into the solo TTRPG landscape has been such a huge deal for me these last couple years and you made it possible!

[@TheDungeonDive]

My pleasure.

[@perplexingruins]

Great books! havent picked up fabled lands before. I can only imagine how much bigger d100 would be, with some cooler presentation! Thanks for the solo vids! When I got into solo gaming, people were pretty down on it, then covid hits and channels like yours opened up my gaming world pretty quickly!

[@TheDungeonDive]

It’s weird how some people still get weirdly upset about solo RPGs. :)

[@markstevenson7321]

Thanks again, Daniel. Great suggestions for solo play. Keep it up!

[@Grognard-Solo-Gaming]

This series is great! 👍😁

[@carlwoods4564]

I love Rangers of Shadow Deep. Very atmospheric, great story and a decent combat system.

[@TheDungeonDive]

So many great games!

[@Naruga]

Sounds like you been into making music on that cool synth thing you have.

[@packdog70]

I also find Swords & Wizardry's bestiary book "Monstrosities" to be a go-to book for monster generation. It's huge and lines up very well with Scarlet Heroes stat blocks.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks for the rec!

[@chrisdonovan8795]

You might want to provide links to your detailed videos of some of these games.

[@TheDungeonDive]

There is a playlist of all the solo RPG videos on the channel.

[@televiper11]

Dig the intro music, as always

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks!

[@BayonneJoe35]

Thanks for another great video for beginner solo rpg player.

[@captbiddy160]

Thank your for recommending Scarlet Heroes. Been watching videos for 3 days trying to find what I'm looking for D100, 2d6, Ker Nethalas, 4 Against Darkness, etc. Conan the barbarian is my favorite movie and this is just down my ally I want adventure not survival.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Scarlet Heroes is the perfect game for that kind of Conanesque sword & sorcery!

[@winkthecat]

Scarlet Heroes is our go-to for single GM single player play and it works amazingly well. We actually only use the damage table, defy death, and fray dice. We keep everything else B/X like saves.

[@Shamustodd1]

Mork Borg is too chaotic to look at let alone read. I have ADD and cant read books so polluted with chaos. I like OSE for better to read No chaos style but the over priced books are prohibitive. S&W: whitebox is super simple and pretty easy to read. Honestly if you are an experienced gamer with a collection of books and pdf's you shouldn't need a solo specific system to play solo. Any GM worth his or her salt should be able to play a solo game with their favorite system. I am a Kevin Crawford fan and do have a lot of his books in print form though not scarlet heroes. Have the PDF and at some point will pick up the printed book. Good video, Thanks!

[@TheDungeonDive]

Glad you know what you like!

[@ryanbartlett672]

Thanks for the list. Yes, Fabled Lands! I have the whole series, but there is so much depth in each book, I literally concerned I will not finish it by the time I die! :-) Seriously I have spent years on Books 1 and 3 off and on and have not completed either. I'm playing priest in book 1 and cannot find the climbing gear! :-) awesome.

[@captainnolan5062]

I have been recommending Scarlet Heroes since it came out. I agree with you 100% Ironsworn is also a great all in one solo RPG system.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Waiting on my Ironsworn delivery. But I don’t think that’s one I’d recommend to beginners.

[@captainnolan5062]

@@TheDungeonDive You will love it. I was a Proofreader, Playtester, Contributor to Ironsworn Delve.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Nice! I’ve got that coming as well. :)

[@BayonetRecon]

I had already ordered copies of both! Looking forward to receiving them. Now I know who’s to blame if there are errors! 😜🤣

[@robertcook139]

Ironsworn is a brilliant system created to be solo/coop from the ground up. There is a bit of a paradigm shift if you have never played Powered by the Apocalypse games (Dungeon World, etc) but it is not that complicated. I think that it abstracts things in all of the right places and the mechanics push you to keep developing the narrative spontaneously. I think most of the complication is in understanding how the moves work. I think the best way to internalize this is to play it slowly and it comes together and becomes more intuitive. The Me, Myself and Die Ironsworn series on youtube is also a great way to understand how it works.

[@robertabarnhart6240]

Do you have any suggestions for solo Space Opera (eg Traveler, Stars Without Number, Star Frontiers) games?

[@TheDungeonDive]

I don’t really. I don’t play much space opera. The SF stuff I like is more like pulp action in space. I love Space Aces TNG. It’s great. Blackoath Entertainment has a new solo SF game out. His stuff is great. I haven’t checked it out yet, as it’s a bit on the complex side.

[@kyrnsword72]

D100 Dungeon is my bag. The books best for me is D100 Dungeon A Solo Adventure, Tome of Extraordinary Rules and Dragons Revenge. ASA Players handbook, TER Players supplement and DR monster manual. I love D100 Dungeon!

[@1AngelAlita]

Isn't D100 dungeon basically a board game, and not a solo RPG? At least that's my impression...

[@the_Mike_d]

Not only are all of these things that I've tried, but I genuinely appreciate how you've focused on being mindful of cost! Great, great recommendations.

[@TheDungeonDive]

This hobby is getting more and more expensive by the month, so cost, for me, is becoming a much more important issue when making recommendations.

[@jean-sebastienh.8789]

Thx for this vids! My favorite one is still Mork Borg just because of the fan base creating all sort of adventure everyday. I just saw one to play on christmas about Krampus!!

[@TheDungeonDive]

Yeah - it's really hard to beat the fan-community for MB.

[@isaacixtupe8983]

Any recomendations for Scifi rpg for solo gaming?

[@TheDungeonDive]

Yes! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWnSkKhmlM55gLcsi=BAKQLZXtOCPnJrp1

[@Morgodor]

this is a great series, lots of good recommendations and games! Thanks for sharing your insight on the morkborg system, I have been thinking of trying it on my Solo Sessions. The other system that is nice for solo play is Forbidden Lands (map in background) I started playing solo with that system, using its Journeying mechanics which I found very entertaining.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I know a lot of people like Forbidden Lands. I found it way too complex to grasp. Hundreds of pages of rules. I personally don’t have the mental capacity for something that complex, but like some of its ideas for sure.

[@BiimGamesDev]

Thank you, nice video :)

[@sethpeterson8261]

A++ on Mork Borg plus SD. D100 Dungeons I've always avoided because of how bad it looks, that and the title ruin it thematically for me. Scarlet Heroes... The theme and d&d core keep me away, but will probably pick it up sometime. Other than Mork Borg I'd say Ironsworn and the dungeon expansion are pretty great.

[@theprincipalofficer_1]

After a channel popped up with Cy-Borg the cyberpunk mork Borg then seeing glass cannon doing a play through of the more Borg campaign, I got interested in both then your channel doing a Broken down solo of mork Borg, so I got solo defilement and feretory plus black powder and un-heroic feats. seeing the broken casket adding that would be an interested to see it added to a mork Borg campaign might look into it sometime 😂 So now created my first character and beginnings of the first adventure. Doing a hundred day campaign assuming he lives long enough the miseries only come into play in the last twenty days.

[@Pardan]

Bought the whole Scarlet Heroes and White Box stuff thanks to your recommendation. Looking forward to diving in!

[@TheDungeonDive]

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

[@williambertram7372]

Just wanted to say I love your video and your recommendations. Keep up the good work!

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thank you! Will do!

[@Melvin7727]

I'm leaning most toward Scarlet Heroes + White Box. But being new to solo RPG-ing, I can't wrap my mind around how to "swap in" other material. The idea of getting a great solo system (Scarlet Heroes) and then having the ability to combine with whatever tables/bestiary I want is very appealing to me. Do you have any primer videos about that process of swapping in content or can you briefly describe or point to a resource that gets me up to speed? Thank you!

[@TheDungeonDive]

Check out my solo RPG playlist. Lots of instructional and detail videos in that. Because both SH and WB use a similar OSR rule set, things from one game can be used in the other. They basically expand each other. kzbin.info/aero/PLKewgRd8Eir94v37HapxBRT38gaHInIHh

[@Melvin7727]

@@TheDungeonDive Man, just so you know, I am eating through all of this like crazy. It has been a weird time in my life, but I feel everything happens for a reason, and I happened to discover your channel and it is pushing me into solo roleplaying now, and I am surprisingly very happy to have that outlet in perhaps a difficult time. Your content is awesome. Thank you!

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks, Kyle. Hope things are going OK for you, and happy that you've found the videos useful. :)

[@MrGareth1973]

Great video. So helpful! Thank you very much.

[@marceloaam]

I gave Fabled Lands a try last week and it really didn't click for me. I literally spent half an hour going from one place to another without anything happening to me at all. I guess I shouldn't have started in the Eastern one, because it seemed to play better with the "memory" system. Since I didn't have any, I was constantly facing road blocks. I tried twice and it happened to me in both occasions. Maybe give another try?

[@TheDungeonDive]

I have not had the experience because I bought 1-3 at the same time. Maybe try the 1st book?

[@johnberry5296]

Very well done video. The new game from the makers of Mork Borg is now available, Cy_Borg and it is excellent. The makers of Solo Defilement (that you mentioned) have already done solo rules for Cy_Borg on their website.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Yep! Might eventually get to that.

[@russricht3021]

This is great news! Thanks for the info.

[@BayonetRecon]

I didn’t think much about the layout of D100, but seeing the Scarlet Heroes book after D100 those columns do make a difference. Although not every page of Scarlet Heroes used columns.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Right. Some thought was out into the layout of SH, and it shows. Just makes an easier read.

[@jasoncoker1625]

🤘

[@jonio38]

Hi, thank you for all your beginner's content. It is so helpful! What do you think of the free v2 of d100 dungeon available on bgg?

[@TheDungeonDive]

I have not played it.

[@fightingfortruth9806]

I bought d100 dungeon last year and I also am not too fond of it personally. I guess to me it falls into the uncanny Valley of RPGs. I keep asking myself while playing, "why don't I just play a full fledged RPG instead?". I kind of feel like it is trying to be a full P&P RPG without committing to it, and that just rubs me the wrong way.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I view that as the difference between playing something like Bards Tale versus Divinity Original Sin. Both are RPGs, but both scratch totally different itches with different methods and purposes. There is room for both.

[@TheDungeonDive]

In this example, I prefer Bards Tale most of the time because it’s less work for me.

[@fightingfortruth9806]

We agree there. I do not like the Original Sin games at all.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Too hard!

[@CMDR.Gonzo.von.Richthofen]

Thanks again! Great content as usual! Where did you get that hex map on your table top? It looks really cool!

[@TheDungeonDive]

It’s from the Forgotten Lands rpg box set.

[@reedmccullough7137]

It looks like there's more than 3 fabled lands books, are they all interconnected or are they split in 3s?

[@Rich_H_1972]

All interconnected. They make up a giant world of adventure. Be aware though, some books are more dangerous than others so if you start with one of them first then you'll need to create a higher ranked character.

[@BayonetRecon]

@@Rich_H_1972 So you can continue with the same character from a previous book? Might have to check this out.

[@Rich_H_1972]

@@BayonetRecon Yes, you can, and if you start with the first book you can build you PC up as you explore from Rank 1 and onwards. They're a really great set of (7) books.

[@ClassicRollPlayer]

Four Against The Darkness deserves some love for sure... very similar to D100

[@TheDungeonDive]

Luckily I’ve given it a ton of love with much more to come. kzbin.info/aero/PLKewgRd8Eir8Zt71KZnjbvvcEpGoRcvzH

[@ClassicRollPlayer]

@@TheDungeonDive ha well Im a new sub so you'll forgive my ignorance :) ( I guess 12 videos is enough, lol )

[@TheDungeonDive]

And that’s less than 1/2 of what I have. It’s a great game, but it needs quite a few expansions to really shine. Expect a lot more coverage of 4AD and the related games in the future ! Alone Against Fear is great as well!

[@ajmunzi]

Amazing info as always! Clear and straight to the point, with fantastic insighta. BTW what map is that?

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks. The map is from the Forbidden Lands RPG box set.

[@ajmunzi]

@@TheDungeonDive thank you! Keep the great work!

[@drivers99]

18:23 “a maze of twisty passages all alike”Nice Colossal Cave reference (first text adventure computer game). Excited to try these some time.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Oh nice! Never played that one.

[@drivers99]

@@TheDungeonDive I just found a video called “Colossal Cave Adventure - The Grandaddy of Text Adventures!” on a channel called “Friday Night Arcade” and it includes info about that phrase specifically too, if you’re curious to see it. It does seem solo-RPG like in a lot of ways but of course RPGs are unlimited except for your imagination and computer games are limited by their programming.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Right on! Thank you. One of the best things about KZbin! I love how all this cool information is available.

[@liquefiedpork]

Just subbed. Wish I had found you earlier. Really loving the content so far. I can only find PDF versions of Solitary Defilement. Where did you get your copy?

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks! I got mine as a backer on KS.

[@liquefiedpork]

@The Dungeon Dive Guess a PDF to print it is. Thanks. Have you tried Space Station 0?

[@TheDungeonDive]

I have not! Is it good?

[@liquefiedpork]

@The Dungeon Dive i have been enjoying it. Sci-fi branching story. Squad skirmish. Simple rules solo mostly but can do coop. There are a few KZbin videos (one Bat Rep by one the creators).

[@jonathanstutzman7757]

Great video. I was surprised to not see the Untold Encounters of a Random Kind not included. For me it’s easily the best thing for solo rpger that I’ve picked up from discovering on your channel. Guess it does go outside of the system/supplement criteria but it’s truly a great one. Also curious if you’ve played much of Disciples of Bone and Shadow. I’m quite taken with it at the moment and love it as a all in one solo rpg book.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Untold Encounters is indeed one of the best tools I know of. I almost included it along with Scarlet Heroes, but I wanted to keep the cost a little lower.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I’ve read through DoBaS a couple of times and really like what I’ve read. I need to find a good rules summary / reference before I start playing. There is a lot to remember!

[@jonathanstutzman7757]

@@TheDungeonDive Hear ya. It is a pretty expensive product. Agree it works really well especially with something like Scarlet Hero.

[@jonathanstutzman7757]

@@TheDungeonDive There is a lot to remember but I like a lot of the ideas and it packs a ton in a single volume. I highly recommend the zine supplement 'Marrow and Splinters' from the Exalted Funeral site for it as well. It's packed full of really useful tables that adds to the game.

[@TheDungeonDive]

So much is packed into that single volume. I'll check out Marrow and Splinters, thanks!

[@chriselliott601]

So I live the idea of the scattered heroes + white box and fantasy reference. My question is how do you apply that step by step. That would make a great video series or episode in itself. Do you have any tips how to set up and use that system or step by step to helps newbs use that with OSR?

[@TheDungeonDive]

I've pretty much explained everything in a few videos. What exactly are you looking for help with?

[@chriselliott601]

@@TheDungeonDive thanks for your reply. I guess I'm just not understanding what other game modules for high fantasy are compatible. Also, like dungeon crawl classics or??? I don't feel like developing my own campaign i just want to plug and play. Sorry I'm a newbie to solo rpg and I'm assuming I use scarlets mechanics to develop characters and combat system with the white box (WB) to assist with background/bestiary for fantasy setting. Then use something like dungeon crawl classics to run a pre-made adventures applying them to it. Please correct me if I'm mistaken or with any guidance. Tyvm.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I'm not sure how to run pre-made modules solo, mainly because I don't do it. I'm more into just having sandbox experiences with adventures made up of rolling on random charts, or drawing random cards. You can use the solo rules from Scarlet Heroes for all kinds of things, though. You could use the solo rules from SH and then pick up a module and read it more like a choose your own adventure, or something like that. I've never really liked pre-made modules, and always preferred to make up my own adventures, even when playing RPGs with other people, so I'm probably not the person to seek this kind of advice from. :)

[@MrVoraxTranstellaris]

I'm curious what you think of solo gaming with Precis Intermedia's Coyote Trail (western), EarthAD.2 (post-apocalyptic), Ghostories (horror), HardNova II (space opera) or Mean Streets (noir). These are not at all specifically aimed at solo play, but they use a light rules set and offer non-fantasy options in books that keep things fairly concise.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I have zero idea what any of those are :) I will be exploring some non-fantasy stuff next year.

[@jay_cadiramen]

With Fabled Lands, will you end up in a dead end ever because the series was not finished, I believe, so you may be referred to a section in a book that was never published?

[@TheDungeonDive]

Not sure. There are like 7 books so that’s still many, many dozens of hours of adventure. I wouldn’t pass that up just because you might one day run into a dead end. These games are about the journey, not the destination.

[@ArtecTheGreat]

Great examples. It's to bad that the D100 is harder to find in Canada on the shelves. Printing the pdf may be the only option to avoid custom fees. If you have any other recommendations outside of these please let us all know ;)

[@TheDungeonDive]

I have tons of recommendations! A whole channel's worth! kzbin.info/aero/PLKewgRd8Eir94v37HapxBRT38gaHInIHh

[@ArtecTheGreat]

@@TheDungeonDive Super

[@roger9685]

Are these only solo or can they be adapted to multiplayer ?

[@TheDungeonDive]

Some of these can played MP, but you’re probably better off just playing a game made specifically for MP. White Box is just old school D&D so that’s MP. SH is made for solo or 2 players.

[@roger9685]

@@TheDungeonDive ok just wanted to clarify that, and that makes me interested in the one to two players module. Thanks for the response. I'm new to solo rpgs but got interested trough board games, specially on crawlers.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Same journey here! I’ve got a lot of videos great for beginners. :)

[@roger9685]

@@TheDungeonDive thanks. I've been checking out your other videos.

[@bri.g.5105]

There is an upgrade box for d100 that has tiles instead of drawing them and a play mat for tracking

[@TheDungeonDive]

Sure is! But that falls way out of my $30 price range for the main recollections in this video. It’s very expensive.

[@Takerfan4ever303]

Is that White Box book the same as the one with the dragon on it? I want to get the same white box as you have but I’m not sure if I already have it 😅

[@TheDungeonDive]

I don’t know.

[@wbbartlett]

Mork Borg gives me a headache just looking at it. It's like they purposely designed the most off-putting presentation style possible. Gets a pass from me for that reason no matter how good the actual game might be.

[@TheDungeonDive]

That’s great! So many other games to choose from.

[@ThePixelPear]

I agree mork borg is real ugly. But I am interested in seeing the rules in action

[@rcook158]

There is an official free art free version available somewhere.

[@TheDungeonDive]

I’ve got a ton of videos on Mork Borg for you to see it in action!

[@fightingfortruth9806]

I am running a solo RPG sandbox campaign using Moldvay B/X right now and am having an absolute blast. I honestly can't see any reason to go back to a structured game system any time soon. I have taken some of the suggestions from your videos and they have definitely helped...but by far the thing that is keeping me engaged is using a 1:1 real world time scale. I am planning to put out some videos on this concept a little later, but I encourage people to try it out if they are having trouble staying interested in their game.

[@sethpeterson8261]

You mean like the real world time rules between adventures from old school d&d/ad&d or something different?

[@TheDungeonDive]

There is a popular blog post / KZbin video about real time, and this was actually something old D&D encouraged, so some OSR heads have started doing this. I've even seen posts on Reddit claiming that if you aren't doing that, you aren't actually playing OSR. They're really into gatekeeping in the OSR world!

[@fightingfortruth9806]

@Seth Essentially, yes. 1 day on earth = 1 day in my campaign world. I use the same calendar, and even the same weather (varied by latitude & elevation). This gets me thinking much more about what the party is doing "right now" while I'm away from the game. For example I will look at the forecast and plan to travel around a snow storm, or decide to creep into a barbarian keep while it is raining because it will help cover. Healing from adventures at an inn may take several real life days, but this is fine because it gives me time to plan for the next game. I keep track of my character ages and birthdays. There is a lot of effects real time has on a game and it keeps me excited to keep going and see my characters truly have a long term career.

[@fightingfortruth9806]

@Daniel I did not know about a Reddit group. I saw the idea on an OSR KZbin video several weeks ago and decided to try it. Turned out to be the best solo tip ever.

[@sethpeterson8261]

@@fightingfortruth9806 I remember the real-time rules from ad&d back in the day, but you're really taking it next level, ha!

[@danjohnson887]

If I may make a suggestion: say each game SLOWLY AND CLEARLY. Don't just keep mush-mouthing the title. Be clear and be proud of what you are reviewing.

[@blainroman7317]

I agree that the D100 rules book needs a redo on the format. This is one major turn-off of the game for me. I haven't played Scarlet Heroes. Correct me if I am wrong but even as starter systems for solo RPGing there is still a lot to digest. My recommendation would be the starter sets for PathFinder or DnD. The sets contain simplified rules and an adventure. Thanks again for your video content. You have a real passion for this, and your presentation is always engaging.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Pathfinder and D&D are exponentially more complex than Scarlet Heroes, at least for me. SH is one of the most simplistic but robust systems I’ve ever used. All rules are summarized and a single page, but what’s most important, as I stated, it’s balanced and made specifically for one hero. This is a huge distinction and the thing that makes it the easiest and best IMO.

[@blainroman7317]

@@TheDungeonDive But doesn't some "complexity" give you more options in deciding what to do. Something to simple might lock you into a limited playstyle where you know how the story ends simply because the game is made that way. A game-on-rails as some games are defined as. There probably is a fine line in making a game that is simple enough to teach a system and complex enough with enough systems to keep the game interesting. Colostle comes to mind.

[@TheDungeonDive]

For me, no. Complexity pulls me out of the game - as soon as I have to think about a rule, I'm out. I've played Pathfinder, D&D, and Scarlet Heroes, and by far SH is my system of choice for solo play. Like I said, it's made for the ground up for solo and for one hero. That's just all there is to it for me. :) Nothing is on rails. I'm not sure where you are getting that from - maybe thinking of a different game? I have an entire series of videos showcasing Scarlet Heroes. SH takes all of the great things about classic D&D, simplifies the rules (substituting THACO for Target20, a single saving throw, 2D8 stat/skill tests, etc), and then creates a solo game out of it all. kzbin.info/aero/PLKewgRd8Eir-22quT7vR9AZu5NwTYXShD

[@blainroman7317]

@@TheDungeonDive OK. Fair enough. Mork Borg is a bit weird. Scarlet Heroes doesn't interest me either. D100 is more my style a traditional RPG where you build a character and go hit something until it stops moving. The choices you showcase perhaps is good for a beginner. But for me this isn't the case. Perhaps Four against Darkness would be a good beginner start or maybe 12 years? What do you think? Maybe, not?

[@TheDungeonDive]

4AD is a great little dungeon crawler! Tons of supplements for it as well. I have a ton of videos on that as well. Check the playlists.

[@konjecture]

You move your hands too much 😂

[@TheDungeonDive]

Thanks!

[@BayonetRecon]

@@TheDungeonDive It’s all good! I never noticed until it was mentioned. I think it conveys the passion/excitement while speaking. Interesting how you continue to use your hands while speaking even though your just in front of the camera and no one else is present. Do you do the same when you’re on the phone? 🤔

[@TheDungeonDive]

Yes. I convey a lot of info in face / body / hand language. It’s a super important to do when presenting.

[@squattingheads]

Fabled Lands also has a videogame out for quite some time now. The game is a bit too hard for modern audiences to be worth the bookkeeping. Even if you know where to get blessings and potions, the game has plenty of insta death situations. And challenges are risky even with the bonuses

[@Stefan-yz5lr]

What's the map in the background from? Also thanks for video, going with Scarlet Heroes just not sure what I want to pair it with yet.

[@TheDungeonDive]

Forbidden Lands

[@Stefan-yz5lr]

@@TheDungeonDive Ooo nice, just so happens that was top of my list of systems to pair with Scarlet Heroes. Definitely want to get that map now!

[@TheDungeonDive]

The two systems would need a bit of work to pair together. I’m actually not a big fan of FL. For me it’s very complex.