Theater of the mindis a controversial issue in TTRPGs. Battlemaps and minis allow you to easily and efficiently visualize combat encounters. There is no worrying about where everyone is on the battlefield, and it’s very clear to see who is attacking whom. In groups, it prevents arguments about who is where, and solo players don’t have to wrack their brains trying to imagine what’s going on on the battlefield. On top of this, minis are a lot of fun to play with. I personally enjoy making my own cardstock minis and playing solo games with them.
That being said, minis and battlemaps have several drawbacks for solo players:
You are limited in your ability to set up the battlefield because you can only use what you have available. If you don’t have minis and battlemaps, you can’t play.
Setup time for miniatures and battlemaps can be time-consuming for brand new games. From buying the minis and painting them to creating or downloading battlemaps, setting up the battlefield for your game takes time unless you’re well-stocked on play aids. This can interfere with solo games when an unexpected encounter occurs.
Issues with portability. Because you’re using minis and battlemaps, you cannot play anywhere you like. For example, you cannot play a quick game on your lunch break at work or school.
Not all RPGs have minis available for gameplay. Although major RPGs such as D&D and Pathfinder all have miniature and battlemap support, many smaller games don’t. This can limit your options regarding combat situations.
Tactical theater of the mind
Theater of the mind is highly immersive when done correctly. If you have a vivid imagination, you can picture epic vistas, hellish landscapes, and deep, dark dungeons. You aren’t limited by the minis and battlemaps you have available.
However, the biggest problem with the theater of the mind is keeping track of each combatant and what they’re doing. This limits tactical gameplay for solo players who like crunchy rules.
What many solo players need are tactical theater of the mind rules that allow for gameplay depth, while needing only a scrap of paper to keep track of combatants.
The following theater of the mind rules simplifies combat without minis while still maintaining tactical depth. It’s based on the movement of old turn-based RPGs and strategy games. Feel free to change and adapt this system to suit your game.
The abstract battlemap for theater of the mind
An abstract battlemap is a way of imagining the battlefield without needing minis or a physical battlemap. The abstract map is divided into three zones of combat:
Close range: When a combatant is at Close range, they can use melee and close-range attacks against enemies. Ranged attacks have disadvantage.
Medium range: At Medium range, the combatant can only use ranged attacks to hit enemies. Melee attacks are out of range.
Long range: The combatant is out of range of all melee attacks, and medium-range attacks have disadvantage. The only exceptions are long-range weapons such as sniper rifles and similar spells or abilities.
Actions on the abstract battlemap
It takes a movement action to move from Close to Medium range, or from Medium to Long range.
Attacks of opportunity trigger when a combatant at Close range attempts to move to Medium or Long range.
Enemies will prioritize party members at closer ranges over those at longer ranges. If more than one party member is within the same range, enemies will prioritize the party member with the highest initiative.
If you wish to flank a monster, then both party members must be within close range and spend a movement action.
If you wish to attempt to hide behind terrain to use stealth-based attacks and abilities, then you must be within medium range and spend a movement action.
AOE and cleave attacks strike everyone within the same range as the primary target.
Step by Step Theater of the Mind Combat
Determine the initiative or turn order of each combatant, then deploy them at Medium range at the start of combat.
When it’s the player’s turn, choose an attack and move towards the appropriate range for your attack. For example, move towards Close range for a melee weapon attack.
When it’s the monster’s turn, choose the monster’s attack by rolling a die. For example, roll 1D2 to select between two attacks, then move the monster towards the most appropriate range for the attack.
Use a notepad to keep track of enemy and player ranges if there are several combatants.
Example:
To illustrate how this all works in practice, I will use gameplay from D&D 5e as an example. However, the same basic idea can be applied to most RPGs.
Our player is a level 5 barbarian attacking a manticore. The player rolls for initiative; the barbarian’s initiative is 5, and the manticore’s is 16. The manticore acts first.
The manticore has 3 actions, so our player rolls a 1D3 to select one of its actions at random. The result is 3, so the manticore attacks with its Tail Spike attack.
Because this is a ranged attack, the manticore moves to Medium range to attack the barbarian. Its attack rolls succeed, and together with the extra attacks granted by its multiattack, the manticore deals 21 damage to the barbarian.
The barbarian decides to enter a rage and melee the manticore. He moves to Close range to attack it with his greataxe. His attack roll succeeds and deals 15 damage to the manticore.
On the manticore’s turn, our player rolls 1D3 to select the creature’s next attack. The result is 1, so the manticore attacks with its Bite. However, due to its multiattack ability, it attacks once with its Bite and twice with its claws, dealing 15 damage at Close range.
Conclusion
Theater of the mind allows you to run combat encounters even if you lack minis. By substituting minis and battlemaps with an abstract map, you can play virtually any scenario without needing physical play aids. This makes the game highly portable, allowing you to play anywhere at any time. All you need is a piece of paper and a pencil, and you can play any combat scenario you want.
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In this guide, you will learn how to play Fallout solo with ChatGPT, using Fallout: The Roleplaying Game by Modiphius. If you want to buy Fallout: The Roleplaying Game because you want to play it instead of running it for other players, then you’re in luck. In this guide, I will show you exactly how to play Fallout the RPG solo, without needing a game master or group of players.
What makes Fallout such an excellent choice for solo play is the high quality of the setting overall. Fallout dates back to the ’90s, and the lore is extensive. This is good news for AI roleplaying, as ChatGPT can draw upon decades of games and their respective lore. This allows for highly immersive, compelling gameplay, as the AI has a formidable amount of information to use as a reference.
Another good reason for playing Fallout: The Roleplaying Game solo with ChatGPT is the core rulebook itself. Modiphius’ 2D20 system works great out of the box and requires very little tweaking to make it suitable for solo play. Secondly, the rulebook does an excellent job of turning the Fallout universe into a tabletop roleplaying game, with many of the goodies from Fallout 4. This includes guns, loot, enemies, and locations to explore.
The core rulebook provides a wealth of information for you to draw upon, allowing you to use it as a strategy guide of sorts to explore The Commonwealth. It is perfectly possible to explore the wastelands of other areas of the Fallout universe; however, this will require some homebrewing on your part to match enemies and loot with your chosen location.
Fallout the RPG solo prompt for ChatGPT
Preparing ChatGPT for solo play
On PC go to (Settings > Customize ChatGPT >Custom Instructions)
On the mobile app (Settings > Personalization >Customizations)
Copy/Paste the following prompt into Custom Instructions in ChatGPT to create your Fallout campaign.
What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses?
Assume the role of an expert post-apocalyptic writer that specializes in interactive fiction, as well as the storyline, quests, characters and character descriptions, locations, descriptions, groups and organizations, stories, events, and technology of Fallout 1, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4. The adventure takes place in the Commonwealth.
How would you like ChatGPT to respond?
Describe everything that follows in the present tense, in response to what I type, while strictly and accurately adhering to only the established lore, descriptions, monsters and enemies, events and technology of Fallout 1, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4, and written in the descriptive style of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Provide names for characters, locations, groups and organizations, events, and technology. Characters should always use dialogue, enclosed in quotation marks when speaking, addressing, or interacting with, written in the conversational style of Fallout 4. Do not type, compose, dictate, influence, script, generate, control, or describe what I am doing, saying, acting, behaving, thinking, feeling, experiencing, or any other aspect concerning me throughout the entire adventure, scenario, story, location, quest, mission, scene, event, description, dialogue, and conversation. Keep all responses to 80 words or less.
The opening scene
After you’ve set up ChatGPT for Fallout solo play, you need to enter the opening scene of your adventure. The opening scene acts as a spawn point for your character and seeds ChatGPT with the information it needs to start the game.
To start the game, enter the following prompt in the chat box as your opening scene:
I arrive at/travel to/enter [Insert Location]. What do I see when I arrive?
Example:
Player: I arrive near a small settlement in the Wasteland. What do I see when I arrive?
ChatGPT: The settlement, a cluster of ramshackle buildings, stands in a desolate expanse of the Wasteland. Rusted metal sheets patch gaps in crumbling walls. Smoke rises from a makeshift chimney. A tattered sign reads “Dusthaven.” Muted voices and the occasional clatter hint at life within. Guard towers, manned by wary figures with makeshift rifles, overlook the perimeter. Barren land stretches around, dotted with skeletal remains of long-dead trees.
Exploring settlements in Fallout: The Roleplaying Game with ChatGPT
When you play Fallout: The Roleplaying Game solo with ChatGPT, you can explore any place you wish. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a bustling city or a sun-blasted wasteland; the same method can be used for all locations. This allows the player to create an endless number of places to explore.
The method is fairly straightforward and is as follows:
The player prompts ChatGPT to create a list of places to explore.
The player then travels between these locations by using simple commands.
Creating a Fallout settlement with ChatGPT
Whenever you enter a town or city, you can use ChatGPT to generate locations for Fallout solo play. This method works for any location, whether it’s a small settlement, an irradiated swamp or a large city. First, decide on what type of location you want to explore, whether it’s a town or city. Then, consult the table below to determine how many important locations it contains. The larger the habitation, the more places of interest it contains.
The settlement prompt for Fallout: The Roleplaying game solo play
You can create a list of places to visit in a settlement by using the prompt below. This prompt can be used at any point when you arrive in a settlement.
Create a list of [Insert amount] places in [Insert settlement name] consisting of short, one-sentence descriptions.
Example:
Having arrived in the town of Dusthaven, we need a series of places to explore. Our player enters the following prompt into ChatGPT:
Create a list of 6 locations in Dusthaven consisting of short, one-sentence descriptions.
Location list
Our player’s prompt created the following list of locations for them to visit in Dusthaven.
The Rusty Barrel – A dimly lit bar with scavenged furniture and a jukebox that occasionally sputters to life.
Dusthaven Market – A bustling open-air market where traders hawk their wares from rickety stalls.
Clinic of Dr. Jansen – A small, clean clinic run by an aging doctor who treats wounds with a mix of skill and luck.
Sheriff’s Office – A sturdy building with barred windows, home to the settlement’s lawkeeper and a single jail cell.
Hollowed Out Schoolhouse – An abandoned pre-war school turned community center, where children learn basic skills.
Rusty Arms Depot – A fortified shack selling a motley collection of weapons and ammo scavenged from the Wasteland.
Visiting a location in a settlement
During Fallout solo play, you can visit any location on the location list. Moreover, you can interact with anything or anyone you meet there. There are no limitations on who or what you can encounter in your city. Every person in the city has a potential tale to tell.
To visit a location on your settlement’s location list enter the following prompt into ChatGPT.
I arrive at/travel to/enter [Insert Location].
Example:
Our player decides to explore location 1 on the list: The Rusty Barrel.
Player: I enter the Rusty Barrel.
ChatGPT: The Rusty Barrel exudes a dim, smoky ambiance. Scratched wooden tables and mismatched chairs are scattered haphazardly. A battered jukebox hums softly in the corner, playing an old tune. Patrons, mostly rough-looking wastelanders, murmur in low voices. The bartender, a burly man with a scarred face, wipes down the counter with a dirty rag. Behind him, shelves are lined with dusty bottles of various liquors. The air smells of stale beer and grilled meat.
Talking to NPCs in your solo game
You can talk to any NPC you encounter when you play Fallout: The Roleplaying Game solo. However, to avoid confusing the AI, use proper punctuation during conversations and always make it clear to whom you’re speaking. Failing to do so might cause unpredictable results.
Example:
Player: I walk up to the bartender and say to him, “Howdy partner. My name’s McCoy and I’m a bounty hunter who brings troublemakers to justice. Know of anyone who might need my services?”
ChatGPT: The bartender looks up, eyeing you with cautious interest. “McCoy, huh?” he says, his voice gravelly. “Name’s Hank. We always got trouble around here. Folks talk about a gang causing a ruckus out near Deadman’s Hollow. Sheriff might have more details.” He sets a glass on the counter, pouring a generous measure of amber liquid. “Drink?”
Player: “Yes sir. What do you have there for me?”
ChatGPT: Hank slides the glass toward you, filled with a deep amber liquid. “This here is Dusthaven’s finest homebrew,” he says with a faint smirk. “Ain’t much, but it’ll put hair on your chest. On the house, seeing as you’re lookin’ to help out.” He leans on the counter. “Sheriff’s office is down the main drag, can’t miss it.”
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The D6 oracle
Roleplaying oracles are the most basic tools for solo play. These dice tables help procedurally generate content for your solo roleplaying games through a question-and-answer format. Players create the adventure by asking questions and then use their chosen oracle’s answers to improvise and steer the scene. This introduces unpredictability into the game and allows the player to use skill tests to affect the storyline.
The D6 oracle is a variation of the oracle in this article and contains two parts:
Yes/no answers
Action outcomes
Yes/no questions and answers
The simplest question you can ask a solo roleplaying oracle is a yes/no question. The yes/no oracle answers a range of simple questions about your game world. Whenever you have a yes/no question, roll D6 and consult the D6 oracle above.
When the oracle has given you it’s answer, write the question in the chat box with the yes/no answer from the D6 oracle.
Here are a few examples:
• Does the factory have a basement? (yes, and)
• Are there guards posted outside? (no,but)
• Can I pick the lock without being seen? (no)
Example:
Our player leaves the Rusty Barrel to see the sheriff of the settlement.
Player: I look around the town of Dusthaven, does anything interesting catch my eye? (yes, and)
ChatGPT: Among the settlement’s clutter and dust, an old, pre-war billboard stands out, remarkably intact. It advertises “Silver Valley,” a once-luxurious resort now lost to time. Faded but discernible, it features an idyllic scene: pristine lakes, lush greenery, and elegant buildings. The slogan reads, “Paradise Awaits.” The mention of Silver Valley stirs curiosity and whispers of hidden wealth and untold secrets. Locals glance at it occasionally, a mix of hope and wariness in their eyes.
Changing the outcome of the Yes/No oracle using skill tests
The only way to influence the outcome of the yes/no oracle is through skill tests. Each success allows you to add +1 to the oracle’s answer. Alternatively, you can subtract -1 from the answer if it will be more favorable. Players can spend Action Points to gain more successes and thus change the outcome more dramatically.
Example:
Are the locals willing to talk to me about Silver Valley?
Yes/no oracle answer: No, but…
To alter the outcome of this answer, our player decides to roll a Speech skill test and gains two successes. The answer from the oracle becomes “Yes”.
Player: Are the locals willing to talk to me about Silver Valley? (yes)
ChatGPT: A grizzled settler, leaning on a rusty cane, eventually shares his tale. “Silver Valley, huh? Used to be a high-class resort before the bombs fell. Now it’s a ghost town. Rumor has it, there’s still treasure hidden there—pre-war tech, caps, who knows what else. Problem is, it’s crawling with raiders and worse. Folks who’ve gone lookin’ ain’t come back. If you’re thinkin’ of goin’, best be prepared for a fight.”
Skill Tests and Action outcomes
To make Fallout: The Roleplaying Game compatible with solo play, changes need to be made to how skill tests function. To find out the outcome of any roleplaying actions, whether you are picking a lock or intimidating an enemy, roll a D6. Then consult the D6 oracle for the action outcome.
To change the outcome of the roll, perform a skill test. Any skill that’s relevant to the action can be used. Each success from a skill test adds +1 to the action outcome.
Rolling a 1 on the 1D20 or using a Tag Skill generates two successes and 1 Action Point. You can use Action Points to roll more D20s.
Creating dungeons for Fallout: The Roleplaying Game solo play
Fallout dungeons, whether they be forgotten vaults, abandoned factories, or bombed out cities, can be generated easily for solo play.
To create a dungeon, use the following prompt:
Create a list of locations in [Insert dungeon] consisting of short, one-sentence descriptions.
Example:
Our player wants to explore Silver Valley; a bombed out resort crawling with raiders, but might contain pre-war items and loot.
Player: Create a list of locations in Silver Valley consisting of short, one-sentence descriptions.
ChatGPT:
The Grandeur Hotel – Once Silver Valley’s premier accommodation, its lobby is a blasted ruin, littered with broken chandeliers and upturned marble statues, now used as a raider fortress.
Blue Cascade Pool – An Olympic-sized pool gone stagnant and murky, its surface barely visible beneath a thick layer of algae and floating junk.
Valley Plaza Mall – A sprawling, gutted shopping complex, where skeletal mannequins stand among burnt-out storefronts and scavengers sift through rubble for scraps.
Emerald Casino – This half-collapsed casino reeks of stale smoke and mold, its slot machines jammed with grime, and its tables claimed as raider gambling dens.
Starlight Cinema – An abandoned theater where broken film reels dangle from the ceiling; gutted projector rooms serve as grim shelters for drifters and ghouls.
The Overlook Lounge – Perched at the valley’s edge, this once-glamorous bar now holds only shattered windows and a panoramic view of desolation.
Sunset Garden Spa – Overrun by weeds and broken fountains, this spa’s rotting massage tables lie beneath holes in the ceiling where rainwater drips through.
Luxury Cabins – Formerly private retreats for the wealthy, these cabins are now looted husks with splintered furniture and walls lined with raider graffiti.
Glassway Monorail Station – The rusted station remains frozen in time, with half-buried tracks and the remains of shattered monorail cars littering the platform.
Echo Falls – Once a scenic waterfall, now a dry cliffside where abandoned structures cling, echoing the valley’s past wealth and present ruin.
Entering a dungeon location
You can enter any location when you play Fallout solo with ChatGPT in this manner. You can use the exact same method as visiting a location in a settlement.
To enter a location in your dungeon enter the following prompt into ChatGPT.
I arrive enter [Insert Location].
Example:
Player: I enter the Grandeur Hotel.
ChatGPT: The lobby yawns open like the mouth of some forgotten beast, columns crumbling and floors slick with grime. Broken marble tiles crunch underfoot, and the air smells of mold and stale smoke. Tattered remnants of red carpets snake toward a ruined front desk, where a flickering lantern casts jittery shadows. Empty eyes of cracked portraits stare from the walls, watching the shattered grandeur decay. A faint murmur of voices echoes from deeper within, punctuated by laughter and the clang of metal.
To use your encounter alongside ChatGPT, enter the encounter description in brackets ().
For example:
(an untriggered booby trap)
(mole rats)
(a rampant AI)
(Raiders have taken over a small set of shanty huts and shout demands)
Example:
Our player has entered The Grandeur Hotel in Silver Valley and has an encounter.
Player: (an enemy encounter)
ChatGPT: From the shadows, a hulking figure steps forward, his armor a mishmash of welded scrap and dented steel plates. A scarred raider, face twisted into a half-mad grin, raises a sledgehammer hefted high, muscles straining beneath grimy tattoos. “Well, look what wandered in,” he sneers, eyes gleaming with vicious delight. Behind him, two more raiders fan out, each brandishing rusty knives and cracked pistols, their faces hidden behind masks fashioned from shattered helmets and torn cloth. “Ain’t no one leavin’ the Grandeur tonight,” one of them laughs.
Combat in Fallout solo play
Combat during Fallout: The Roleplaying Game solo play is extremely deadly if you don’t stay on your toes.There are two main requirements for solo combat in Fallout:
Generating a battlefield.
Controlling enemies through dice rolls.
Generating a battlefield
Fallout: The Roleplaying Game doesn’t use crunchy, grid-based combat. Instead it visualizes the battlefield as an environment divided into zones and ranges.
On pp. 38-39 are a series of tables that describe battlefield conditions. Whenever you enter combat or move from one zone to the next, roll on the following table.
Then roll a random die on the appropriate tables on pp. 38-39 to select the terrain features on the battlefield. You will need to use a non-standard die roll on certain tables.
To determine the correct dice roll for non-standard dice, consult the following table.
Controlling enemies during combat
To control enemies during combat, select one of the enemy’s attacks at random using a die roll. Most enemies in the Fallout core rulebook have either two or three attacks. You can use the non-standard dice table above to determine the correct dice roll for controlling enemy attacks.
When you’ve determined the enemy’s attack, move the opponent within the correct range and roll for attack.
Important things to remember about Fallout solo play with ChatGPT
Be as clear as possible
Whenever you ask questions from the AI or engage in dialogue, be as clear and unambiguous as possible. When talking to NPCs, direct your conversations at them. Clearly indicate who you are talking to duringdialogue to prevent misunderstandings by the AI. Whenever possible, use the correct punctuation during the dialogue to show you’re talking to an NPC.
The AI makes mistakes
Due to AI token reference limits as well as other factors, the AI may make mistakes during a game. This is a broader issue in AI design that also impacts AI roleplaying.
Be careful when instructing the AI
The AI is quite easy to break with the wrong instructions. Even seemingly minor changes in a prompt or custom instruction can have unintended effects. Whenever the AI behaves strangely, make sure your Custom Instructions are written correctly and that the prompt you’re using is clearly worded. Avoid using suggested replies as they can break your game.
Don’t use the AI to generate enemies or loot
ChatGPT is not precise enough to generate enemies and loot in a satisfying way. Whenever you need to face an enemy, buy an item, loot an opponent, or receive a quest reward, refer the other tables in your rulebook instead of relying on the AI. The only exception to this rule is for quest items.
In this guide I will show you how to play published D&D adventures solo, using Death House by Wizards of the Coast. One of the most common challenges for the solo players is the difficulty in engaging with published adventures. Thankfully, advancements in AI technology have revolutionized this aspect, making it remarkably accessible through the use of appropriate prompts.
The secret lies in the ‘talk to your document’ feature of ChatGPT. You can upload a PDF of a chosen adventure and play it as a text adventure completely solo. This means that you can buy an adventure of your choice, upload it, and play it as a text adventure in ChatGPT. If you’re new to AI roleplaying, read this guide first before going any further.
In this guide I will show you:
How to prompt ChatGPT to create a text adventure based the Death House; the introductory adventure to The Curse of Strahd.
How to run dungeon crawls without a Dungeon Master, using ChatGPT.
Setting up ChatGPT for AI Roleplaying
To set up ChatGPT and Death House for AI roleplaying, you need to enter custom instructions to prepare the bot for the published adventure.
On PC go to (Settings > Customize ChatGPT > Custom Instructions)
On the mobile app (Settings > Personalization > Customizations)
Then copy/paste the following campaign prompt into ChatGPT.
Curse of Strahd/Death House ChatGPT prompt
What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses?
Assume the role of an expert fantasy writer that specializes in interactive fiction, as well as the storylines, characters and character descriptions, locations, descriptions, groups and organizations, stories, events, and magical objects of The Curse of Strahd.
How would you like ChatGPT to respond?
Describe everything that follows in the present tense, in response to what I type, while strictly and accurately adhering to the established lore, characters, locations, descriptions, monsters/encounters, events, and magical objects of Death House, written in the descriptive style of Bram Stoker. Provide names for characters, locations, groups and organizations, events, and magical objects. Characters should always use dialogue, enclosed in quotation marks when speaking, addressing, or interacting with me or my party members, written in the conversational style of Bram Stoker. Do not type, compose, dictate, influence, script, generate, control, or describe what me or my party members are doing, saying, acting, behaving, thinking, feeling, experiencing, or any other aspect concerning me or my party members throughout the entire adventure, scenario, story, location, quest, mission, scene, event, description, dialogue, and conversation. Keep all responses to 80 words or less.
Uploading your PDF and entering the opening scene
After you’ve prepared the bot for solo play, you need to upload your PDF and enter the opening scene alongside the upload.
The opening scene is crucial. It acts as a spawn point for your character and seeds the AI with information it needs to start the adventure.
I arrive in the village of Barovia. What do I see when I arrive?
Interacting with NPCs
You can interact with NPCs and talk to them as you would in a game. However, you need to use quotation marks to let the AI know you’re talking to someone.
Example:
ChatGPT: When you arrive in the village of Barovia, a sense of deep gloom permeates the air. The tall, dark houses loom like gravestones, their windows cold and lifeless. Shops are shuttered, and even the tavern appears sealed tight against the chill. A soft, eerie mist clings to the ground, and the only sound that breaks the silence is the faint whimpering of two children standing alone in a deserted street, one clutching a doll, the other trying to hush him.
Player: “What’s wrong little ones, why are you crying?”
ChatGPT: The older child, a girl with pale skin and haunted eyes, shushes her brother gently before turning to you. “There’s a monster in our house,” she says, her voice trembling but composed. She points to a tall brick row house nearby, its windows dark and foreboding. “Our parents keep it in the basement… we’re scared to go back until it’s gone.” The boy, clutching a worn stuffed doll, whimpers quietly, burying his face in her side.
Player: “What are your names?”
ChatGPT: The girl stands a little straighter and answers, “I’m Rosavalda, but you can call me Rose. This is my brother, Thornboldt. We just call him Thorn.” Thorn peeks up from behind his sister, his wide eyes filled with fear. He clutches his doll tighter but says nothing, only nodding timidly in response to his name being mentioned. Rose adds, her voice quiet, “Please… help us.”
How to play adventures solo using a hard copy of the adventure book
Having a copy of the published adventure is vital when it comes to playing a D&D adventure solo. However, the adventure must be in PDF format so that ChatGPT can read it.
If you have a hard copy of an adventure then you must scan the book and create the PDF yourself if you want to play it. When you do this, make sure that the file is readable by ChatGPT. Fortunately, Death House is already in PDF format, making it a great choice for beginners.
Not only is a copy of the adventure important for AI roleplaying, it serves as a valuable resource. It provides crucial information on dungeons and encounters that are essential for an enjoyable gameplay experience.
For solo players, the adventure’s book also acts as the ultimate strategy guide for navigating the text adventure. It serves as a tool to orient themselves within the game world and offers guidance on what steps to take next.
Moreover, owning a copy of the published adventure enhances your ability to explore dungeons more effectively. The room descriptions found within the adventure can be utilized as prompts to delve into various dungeon locations. Additionally, the published material includes vital details regarding encounters and other events that occur within the dungeon.
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How to create fog of war using hex maps
Hex maps are an effective way of creating fog of war for solo exploration. The hex maps in this guide are based on the hex flower method. The player makes a list of the rooms in a dungeon or areas in a location. Then the player writes each room’s number on a hex grid. The hex map can be any shape the player desires.
Example: The Death House in the village of Barovia
Room List
Entrance
Main Hall
Den of Wolves
Kitchen and Pantry
Dining Room
Upper Hall
Servant’s Room
Library
Secret Room
Conservatory
Balcony
Master Suite
Bathroom
Storage Room
Nursemaid’s Suite
Attic Hall
Spare Bedroom
Storage Room
Spare Bedroom
Children’s Room
Secret Stairs
Dungeon Level Access
Family Crypts
Cult Initiates’ Quarters
Well and Cultists’ Quarters
Hidden Spike Pit
Dining Hall
Larder
Ghoulish Encounter
Stairs Down
Darklord’s Shrine
Hidden Trapdoor
Cult Leader’s Den
Cult Leader’s Quarters
Reliquary
Prison
Portcullis
Ritual Chamber
Each number below represents a room on the Room list in the Death House dungeon.
How to play published adventures solo by using hex maps
The player places a token on the hex marked “1” and types in ChatGPT:
I go to the [Insert room name on list]
The objective is to reach the final numbered hex on the map.
To explore the world created by ChatGPT, simply tell the game where you’re going. You can explore the game world in any way that’s consistent with the adventure.
Example:
Player: “Will you show me where your house is and I will take care of that monster.”
ChatGPT: Rose nods solemnly, her small hand gripping Thorn’s arm as she points toward the looming house. “It’s just there,” she says, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. The house stands tall and grim, with a rusty iron gate slightly ajar, leading to a shadowed portico. The windows are dark, and the structure appears abandoned, as though it has not been lived in for years. “Be careful,” Rose adds softly, “We’ll wait here until it’s safe.”
Player: I go to the Entrance.
ChatGPT: The iron gate creaks loudly as you push it open, its rusted hinges protesting your entry. The house looms before you, dark and silent, with thick shadows clinging to its stone walls. Oil lamps hang from the portico’s ceiling, their flames long extinguished. The grand oaken doors stand before you, adorned with intricate carvings of twisted vines and serpents. As you approach, a chill wind stirs, brushing past you like the breath of something unseen, and the doors seem to beckon you inward.
Player: I enter the Main Hall.
ChatGPT: You step into the grand foyer, where the air is unnaturally still. The walls are lined with dark mahogany paneling, and a large, dusty shield hangs on the south wall, emblazoned with a golden windmill on a crimson field. Stony-faced portraits of long-dead aristocrats stare down at you. Ahead, mahogany double doors with stained glass panes lead deeper into the house. To your right, a sweeping red marble staircase ascends, its cold, polished surface reflecting the dim light from the room. Silence pervades the hall.
Player: I search the room for something of interest.
ChatGPT: As you carefully search the room, your keen eye catches subtle details in the ornately carved wooden panels along the walls. Among the depictions of vines and flowers, you notice something unsettling—serpents and skulls are inconspicuously woven into the design, almost as if the house itself is hiding sinister secrets beneath its beauty. Above the black marble fireplace at the end of the hall, a longsword with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt hangs, untouched and gleaming despite the surrounding decay.
Combat encounters
ChatGPT isn’t the best at running combat, due to it flagging violent material. Therefore you’ll have to run combat separately, using the information in the published adventure. This means that you’ll be the one to decide when combat is necessary or required. Fortunately, this is where game supplements come in handy. For example, game supplements contain the stat blocks of the monsters you’ll be facing. Use this information to control them during combat using AI rules. When combat is over, move to the next hex on the hex map.
Playing around ChatGPT’s memory limit
The AI’s memory limit of roughly 3000 words which causes the AI to “forget” important information as the adventure progresses. When the AI reaches this threshold, it starts to truncate parts of the conversation. This decoherence will build and eventually destroy the game. Therefore, to manage memory correctly, I recommend using the following memory management strategies.
1. Refresh the AI’s memory at regular intervals
Use the following prompt at regular intervals to “save” your game. I recommend doing this after every two hours of play.
Create an accurate, detailed summary of everything that has happened thus far as well as all the characters I have met.
When this prompt is entered into the chat box, ChatGPT will create a summary of everything that happened to you, as well as all the important NPCs you’ve met. This synopsis keeps the important details of your adventure in ChatGPT’s memory thereby effectively saving your game. After ChatGPT has created the summary, you can continue normally.
2. Use ChatGPTs memorization feature
To save specific details, use ChatGPT’s memorization feature. This method can be used alongside memory refreshing to assist ChatGPT in remembering the finer details in your adventure. If something important happens, tell ChatGPT to remember that detail and it will remember it.
Examples include:
• “Remember this place.”
• “Remember this character.”
• “Remember what happened here.”
Conclusion
ChatGPT’s ‘talk to your document’ functionality is extremely powerful for solo play. It enables the player to turn virtually any readable PDF document into a solo adventure. What this means is that as long as ChatGPT can read it, you can play it. With the right prompts, you can buy a PDF adventure of your choice, upload it to ChatGPT and play it as a text adventure. Players are not bound by the need for a GM or group to play their favorite adventures, all they need is a PDF and the right prompt for the job.
An important part of AI roleplaying is managing ChatGPT’s memory. If you wish to play AI text adventures by using prompts such as the one in part 3 of our solo DM guide, you need to learn proper memory management. ChatGPT’s memory limit of roughly 3000 words poses a significant challenge for AI roleplaying. When the conversation exceeds this word limit, the AI starts to forget details about the game, and the adventure begins to lose its coherency.
ChatGPT’s maximum context length and what it means
A crucial aspect of utilizing ChatGPT 3.5, available to free users, is comprehending the token constraints for AI roleplaying. With a maximum token reference of 4,096 in a conversation, this encompasses both user input and AI-generated responses. This essentially equates to around 3,000 words per conversation. Venturing beyond this token limit triggers token truncation, posing a risk to the coherence of your roleplaying adventure.
Furthermore, exceeding the token threshold not only affects coherence but also impacts the responsiveness of ChatGPT. As word count accumulates within the conversation, the AI’s ability to promptly generate replies diminishes, leading to potential lags in the storytelling experience.
Navigating these limitations demands a strategic approach. By maintaining conversations within the token confines, you preserve the narrative’s flow and avoid compromising the AI’s performance. Consistency in managing tokens ensures that your interactions remain engaging and comprehensible.
Manage ChatGPT’s memory by administrating the rules yourself, this includes running combat
Avoid burdening the AI with administrative tasks like rule management and combat resolution, like the prompt in this article. Rather than relying on the AI to administrate the rules or orchestrate combat, it’s recommended to handle these aspects externally. This approach helps conserve memory and allows the AI to focus on the storytelling and character interactions that make roleplaying engaging.
For instance, take charge of combat scenarios and rule enforcement personally. By doing so, you prevent the unnecessary consumption of memory tokens. If you wish to involve the AI in combat sequences, consider initiating a separate conversation dedicated solely to combat. This separation ensures that the tokens generated during combat do not erode the limited memory available for the main storyline.
Remember, the AI’s strength lies in its creative storytelling abilities and its capacity to generate engaging dialogue. By reserving memory for these pivotal elements of roleplaying, you enhance the overall quality of the experience.
Managing ChatGPT’s memory by imposing a word limit on ChatGPT
ChatGPT’s default tendency leans towards using approximately 300 words for scenes. However, it’s important to recognize that this excessive verbiage can lead to unnecessary rambling and memory usage. To counter this, consider setting a word limit of 100 to 150 words in your opening prompt. This strategic approach serves multiple purposes.
Firstly, implementing a word limit contributes to memory conservation. By restricting the AI’s output, you ensure that valuable memory resources aren’t exhausted on extensive textual content. This, in turn, enhances the overall coherence and continuity of your roleplaying adventure.
Secondly, a word limit greatly enhances readability. By curbing the AI’s inclination to create overly detailed descriptions or prolonged monologues, you create a more engaging and concise narrative. The player can absorb information more effectively, and the pacing of the story remains dynamic and interesting.
Lastly, enforcing a word limit prevents the AI from indulging in needless verbosity. It encourages the AI to focus on the essence of the scene, conveying important details succinctly. This results in a narrative that is both immersive and to the point.
Ask questions from oracles whenever possible
Rather than turning to the AI for answers, consider asking a roleplaying oracle when possible. This practice yields two significant benefits. Primarily, it helps preserve valuable memory resources. By utilizing oracles, you minimize the AI’s involvement in addressing queries, thereby conserving memory for core storytelling and interactions.
Secondly, consulting oracles promotes a sense of depth and unpredictability in your roleplaying journey. Oracles introduce an element of randomness and creativity that can lead to intriguing plot twists and developments. This adds a layer of excitement and spontaneity to the adventure.
It’s advisable to reserve AI interactions for cases where an oracle isn’t readily available to provide an answer. Once you’ve obtained insights from an oracle, seamlessly incorporate the newfound information into the roleplaying scene when using the AI. This approach ensures that the narrative remains consistent while optimizing memory allocation.
Manage ChatGPT’s memory by using more than one conversation
A valuable technique for achieving optimal memory utilization involves employing multiple ChatGPT conversations for your campaign. This approach not only enhances memory efficiency but also contributes to a more immersive storytelling experience.
At its core, this strategy involves the utilization of at least three distinct conversations as a foundation for your adventure. This combination of conversations serves different purposes, each contributing to a cohesive and engaging narrative. The breakdown typically includes:
Main Quest Conversation: Dedicated to the core storyline and pivotal plot developments, this conversation forms the heart of your adventure. It centers on the primary quest, allowing you to delve deep into character interactions, major plot points, and overarching themes.
Travel and Exploration Conversation: This conversation tackles the aspects of journeying, exploration, and world-building. It provides a platform to describe landscapes, encounters during travels, and wilderness exploration.
Dungeon Conversation: Tailored specifically for dungeon crawling experiences. This conversation is where you’ll generate descriptions for dungeons and similar locations.
The effectiveness of this approach lies in its simplicity. While each conversation has a unique focus, the prompt template from part 3 of the solo DM guide remains the same across all three. By utilizing the same prompt for all conversations and modifying only the opening scene to align with the context, you streamline your process without compromising on narrative quality.
In fact, the same approach can be extended to include additional conversations for major quest arcs or significant locations within your campaign, providing an even broader canvas for storytelling.
View your campaign as episodic
A useful technique to optimize memory usage involves perceiving your game as a sequence of episodes, each containing disposable events and characters. This mindset not only streamlines gameplay but also addresses the challenge of the AI forgetting past elements due to token truncation.
As your campaign unfolds, it’s crucial to recognize that the AI’s memory is subject to limitations. To counteract this, envision your campaign as a TV series, with each episode bringing new events and characters to the forefront. When certain characters and events exit the stage, consider them forgotten by the AI. This approach prevents memory overload and sustains the narrative’s coherency.
Maintaining notes of past events and characters serves as a valuable practice. At the conclusion of an episode, record what transpired and who was involved. When embarking on a new adventure, initiate fresh conversations to effectively reset the AI’s memory. To ensure continuity, reference the notes you’ve created, essentially “reminding” the AI of past events and characters as the story progresses.
Best practices for managing ChatGPT’s memory in a conversation
One effective approach towards managing ChatGPT’s memory is to maintain concise and focused conversations. By being mindful of the word count and prioritizing essential information, the player can help ensure that the AI retains important context throughout the roleplaying experience.
Another tactic is to periodically recap the storyline or significant events. Offering succinct summaries of the plot and key decisions made in the game can help refresh the AI’s memory and reestablish the flow of the adventure. This practice aids in sustaining the coherence of the narrative, even when dealing with limited memory capacity.
Additionally, the player should avoid going off on tangents or introducing excessive new elements within the conversation. Staying within the established framework of the roleplaying scenario prevents unnecessary strain on ChatGPT’s memory and promotes a more seamless gameplay experience.
In some cases, it might be beneficial to create reference documents or notes outside of the AI system. These documents can serve as quick references for both the player and the AI, ensuring that crucial details are not lost as the adventure progresses.
Furthermore, strategic repetition of important information can be advantageous. Reiterating essential facts and decisions at intervals helps reinforce the memory of both the AI and the participants, enabling a smoother and more coherent roleplaying adventure.
In this solo DM guide, we will describe the fundamentals of solo roleplaying using oracles and ChatGPT. This guide will provide you with game rules on how to play Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition as your own Dungeon Master. Additionally, the Oracle RPG system allows the player to take over the role of DM while still keeping the game interesting. As a result, it’s possible to play D&D 5e as a solo DM, without the need for other players. Moreover with ChatGPT, you can have an adventure anytime you want. For more information on this approach, you can look at Oracle Solo Roleplaying Magazine Issue 1.
ChatGPT is an invaluable assistant for the solo DM. In fact, with the solo DM guide on this site, you can use ChatGPT to create interactive text adventures driven by the rules of 5E on demand. Consequently, you can adventure anytime you want, using a powerful tabletop ruleset.
Moreover, with the Oracle RPG solo DM guide, you can roleplay D&D entirely by yourself. This means that you can create adventures and explore dungeons using your imagination and creativity, without the game feeling predictable. Additionally, by using the AI prompts in our solo DM guide, you will be able to create rich and compelling text-based gaming sessions.
How does solo roleplaying work? Scenes, oracles, and AI
To understand the solo guides on this site, view a D&D game as a collection of scenes like a film or TV series. For instance, if you want to enter an inn and talk to the patrons, you treat that event like a scene in a film. Moreover, a tavern scene is populated by characters. These characters are NPCs or groups of NPCs that your character can interact with in a scene.
To complete the scene, you need information about what’s happening. In a traditional game, the DM would provide this information by describing the scene and roleplaying the characters. However, in the Oracle RPG system, you populate a scene by using oracles and ChatGPT.
Solo roleplaying oracles
Oracles are tables that answer questions, create story elements, and provide content for improvisation. During a traditional game, you ask your DM questions. In our solo DM guide, you ask an oracle these questions.
The player envisions a scene and then ask the oracle questions about the environment and what’s happening. They then roll a die or draw a card to obtain an answer to their questions. They can then interpret the answer from the oracle and apply it to their scene. The more creative your questions and the more creatively you interpret an oracle, the better your game becomes.
Oracles also provide story elements that can develop into full-fledged adventures. As you play, the oracles in this solo DM guide will add plot hooks and non-player characters to your campaign. You can then use these to create more scenarios for you to investigate.
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Oracles and ChatGPT
Once the player has an answer from an oracle, they can use it as a prompt for ChatGPT. Properly used, answers given by oracles in this solo DM guide can be transformed into open-ended text adventures by this powerful AI chatbot. ChatGPT takes the bare-bones descriptions provided by oracles and breathes life into them; transforming the oracle’s descriptions into a story. This creates less work for the solo DM allowing for more rich and more compelling gameplay.
What can you expect from this system?
The guides on this site covers the three pillars of solo roleplaying: exploration, social interaction, and combat. With the solo DM guide, you will be able to explore a game world, have social interactions with its inhabitants, and engage in combat with enemies.
You can fight enemies on a grid by using battle maps with our Monster AI rules. We will also show you how to use miniatures and graph paper with the Dungeon Generator. You can effectively turn D&D 5e into a solo miniature adventure game with a compelling story.
Don’t worry about your games feeling predictable or on rails, let me assure you that they won’t. The solo DM guide was designed to be unpredictable but still allow for organic story development.
Can a friend play with me if I use the solo DM guide?
Yes. You can expand this system to include other players if you want to share this experience with a friend or loved one. The system plays almost exactly like a solo session, but two people are creating the adventure together. Cooperative, DM-free roleplaying creates fantastic adventures and is worth experiencing with a friend.
You can use the Oracle solo DM guide system in two types of D&D games:
Solo: You are both the player and DM of your own adventure. You create the game as you play in your own private session.
Cooperative (Co-Op): You and one or more friends create the game as you play. The entire group acts as the DM.
What you will need for the solo DM guide
A set of polyhedral dice
A six-sided die (d6). This is the core die for creating and controlling your adventure.
Percentile dice (d100). Together with the d6, this set of dice is creates content for your adventure.
A pack of playing cards. The tables in this solo DM guide uses playing cards to procedurally generate game sessions.
The solo roleplaying oracle is the most basic method for solo play. Oracles are special tools and tables that procedurally generate content for your solo roleplaying games through a question and answer format. The player then uses these oracles’ answers to help them create the adventure as they play. These answers can also be used together with ChatGPT to further enhance the game as detailed in the Solo DM Guide Part 3 – ChatGPT As Assistant AI Dungeon Master. For a more detailed guide on how to use oracles alongside AI, take a look at Oracle Solo Roleplaying Magazine Issue 1.
Players create the game as they play by:
Asking questions and selecting the most appropriate oracles.
Using their chosen oracles’ answer to improvise a roleplaying scene.
However, if you’re looking for solo games similar to Fighting Fantasy and other “choose your own adventure” game books, visit this page.
The Yes/No Solo Roleplaying Oracle
The simplest question you can ask a solo roleplaying oracle is a yes/no question. The Fate oracle answers a range of simple questions about your game world. It’s derived from FU: The Freeform Universal RPG.
Here are a few examples:
Does the mansion have a basement?
Are there guards posted outside?
Can I pick the lock without being seen?
To answer a yes/no question about your game, perform a Fate roll by rolling a 1d6 and finding your answer on the table below.
You would’ve noticed that the Fate oracle not only gives “yes” and “no” as answers. It also provides variations such as “yes, and…” or “yes, but…”. A “6” is the most positive result and a “1” is the most negative. To understand what these different answers mean, we will use an example. We will look at how the same solo roleplaying oracle can give different answers about the same scene.
Using the Fate Oracle
First envision the scene that you want to interact with within your game. Then ask the Fate oracle a yes/no question. Use the answers from the solo roleplaying oracle and the inner logic of your story to populate the scene.
For example, you’re investigating a murder scene. You’re looking for any clues about the killer’s identity. You ask the question “Do I find any clues about the killer?” You roll a 1d6 for a yes/no answer. Here are some possible Fate oracle answers:
6 Yes, and…
The answer to your question is “yes”, but with an extra positive twist. In our example, it can mean “yes”, you find a clue about the killer, and it’s an important lead.
5 Yes
The simple default “yes” without any added twists or factors. In our example, the answer is “yes”, you do find a clue about the killer. However, the kind of clue it is and how much it reveals depends on more Fate rolls.
4 Yes, but…
The answer is “yes”, but there’s a negative twist to the answer. Yes, you find clues, but don’t tell you much about the killer’s identity. You will have to keep digging.
3 No, but…
The answer is “no”, but there’s a positive twist. No, you don’t find any clues about the killer, but find a clue about a potential witness.
2 No
A simple default “no” answer. You don’t find a clue about the killer at the crime scene.
1 No, and…
The answer is “no”, but with an added negative twist. You don’t find any clues and what you find is worthless and tells you nothing.
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Fate Oracle Modifier
The only way to change the outcome of the Fate oracle is through roleplaying and skill checks. If you succeed in a skill check that’s relevant to the scene, you can add your character’s proficiency bonus to the Fate roll. For a more in-depth discussion on how skill checks work in the Oracle system please read Skill Checks In Solo Roleplaying.
Branching options
You can also use the Fate oracle to choose between two possibilities. Why? During your playthrough, you will be confronted with branching storylines and possibilities and you can use dice rolls to choose between them.
In our previous scene, you decide that there are probably two possible suspects for the murder: a local criminal gang or a highly paid assassin. To decide which of these options are responsible roll a 1d6. A result of 1 to 3 means it’s the gang, while a roll of 4 to 6 would mean it’s an assassin. The logic of your setting and your improvisation skills will provide you with ideas for possible options.
Scale Questions
The Fate oracle can also answer questions such as:
How high is the tower?
What is the time of day?
How far away is the approaching army?
To answer questions like these you can place them on a scale from 1 to 6 and then perform a Fate Roll. To know how high a tower is rolling a “1” might indicate a tower with a single story, while a “6” will be an incredibly high and formidable tower. If you want to know how far away an approaching army is, a “1” shows that it’s close by, and a “6” shows it’s very far away.
The other solo roleplaying oracles on this website give you the ability to answer more complex questions such as:
What are those NPCs talking about?
What’s happening in the market?
What kind of work do I find on the billboard?
What does the town look like?
What’s inside a dungeon room?
Collecting your own oracles
We strongly recommend that every player start their own collection of oracles. There are many random tables available online and in books that you can use as oracles. Any table that can add fun content to a game or answer questions counts as an oracle. So where do I find them? One of the best resources for oracles and random tables is Mythmere Games’ Tome Of Adventure Design. The original classic was the go-to reference for solo players for years, and the revised edition is fantastic. Alternatively, you can invest in Ultimate Toolbox by World’s Largest RPGs. Another massive collection of random tables. This book is a treasure trove of oracles that range from dungeon generation to NPC creation. This resource is equally useful compared to the Tome of Adventure Design, and makes an excellent addition to your solo library.
However, if you want to go the free route, this site contains a few free oracles to get your feet wet. They are a starting point and you should create and collect your own as soon as possible.
Here are a list of the oracles our system uses for D&D 5e:
The Fortune Oracle is the Oracle RPG system’s version of the tarot . This oracle uses playing cards to procedurally generate events in your game world. It’s an extremely flexible tool that you can use in a variety of ways.
The Random Event Oracle introduces random events into your story to create story hooks and keep your adventures interesting. At appropriate times the Fortune oracle will show you that a random event is occurring. This event creates changes in your game world that you will have to adapt to.
The NPC Generator uses the playing cards to create an NPC. These tables will provide the NPC with a character role, personality, and motivations. All you need to do is draw three playing cards to create the NPC.
The Adventure Generator will provide you with adventure ideas and missions to do in-game. All you need to do is draw a card and consult the tables.
The Dungeon Generator provides tables that will enable you to create random dungeons and wilderness locations that you can explore.
Monster AI for Solo DnD Encounters covers the Oracle system’s dice-based AI rules for monsters. We will show you how to control an enemy using dice rolls and special AI rules.
How to use oracles and not “cheat”
How do you prevent yourself from cheating? What kind of questions is okay to ask? When asking oracles questions keep the following in mind at all times:
Is my question consistent with the adventure’s setting and situation? Does it follow the logic of my story?
Does my question make the game more fun?
Story logic is extremely important when playing a game without a DM. Every question you ask must be as plausible as possible. Always keep the setting and the adventure in mind. If you’re in a tavern in Baldur’s Gate asking, “Did someone leave a Deck of Many Things on the table?” wouldn’t make sense. Why would someone leave such a valuable item on a table in a random tavern?
If you’re playing cooperatively then make sure that your questions make the game as fun as possible for everyone. Trying to sneak onto a ship? Ask whether there are lookouts. Make sure that your questions create fun situations for yourself and other players.
Using oracles correctly
There is no limit on how many times you can consult an oracle. You can try to clarify an oracle’s answer by asking more and more questions. We strongly advise against this approach. Don’t try to automatically generate every scene, detail, and event with dice. This makes the game feel too random. Go with your instincts and use the oracles to fill in the gaps.
Conclusion: How to use solo roleplaying oracles, step by step
Ask a question and choose the most appropriate oracle to answer your question.
Roll the required dice or draw one or more playing cards.
Consult the oracle and look at the answer it gives you.
Apply the answer to the context of your situation, setting, and lore. Does it give you any ideas or sparks of inspiration?
If you have your answer incorporate it into the scene and continue playing.
If you’re struggling with the answers to the oracle you’re using, try again, use another oracle, or go with your instincts. For a deeper discussion on oracles and how to use them alongside AI, refer to Oracle Solo Roleplaying Magazine Issue 1.
In this article, we cover the exact steps in planning and playing a solo DnD adventure using the Solo Gaming Tool. This system was designed to be among the easiest solo roleplaying experiences for DnD 5e. At the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to play DnD 5e alone, without a DM.
The core planning tool for this system is your setting, its lore, and the Adventure Worksheet. At the end of the article, we bring everything together in a step by step format. Many of the ideas in this article were adapted for DnD 5e using Ironsworn.
Setting and story logic in solo DnD
Before you start you need a rough idea of what kind of adventure you want to play. Your setting and its lore are extremely important. The setting will give you an idea of what’s possible in that world. It also provides a type of story logic that you use to shape your adventure.
This story logic dictates what kind of adventure you’ll be having. If your adventure takes place in Middle Earth, then Tolkien’s works will provide you with “rules” of what can happen in that world. If you want to play a hobbit from the Shire, you won’t be shooting lasers out of your eyes because it isn’t consistent with the game world.
The story logic of your setting is one of the most important aspects of your adventure. It provides essential world-building elements that you can use to steer your adventure. These story elements form the basis of the kind of questions you’ll ask oracles.
If you’re playing with a friend then each player must familiarize themselves with the most important parts of the setting’s lore. The more your friend knows the setting’s lore, the better they will be at driving the story forward. Not every player has to be an expert at knowing the setting, but all players must have at least some knowledge of the game’s world.
A map of your game world is essential if you plan to use this system. The map provides locations for you to explore in your adventure. This is particularly important when you travel between towns. Our system treats traveling the same way it does dungeon crawling and a map will tell you what kind of territory you’ll be exploring.
Planning your solo DnD adventure
To plan and pace your adventure you’ll need the Adventure Worksheet. The Adventure Worksheet is where you write down the most important parts of the adventure.
The quest objective and the Progress Track
To start your adventure, you need a clear objective for your story. Are you looking for treasure? Saving a loved one? Or do you want to overthrow the Dark Lord himself? The goal of the game is to reach your objective. When you reach the objective of your adventure you’ve succeeded.
You reach your objective by accumulating Progress points. You accumulate Progress points for every story event that you consider a milestone in the adventure. Milestones are any kind of in-game event that brings you closer to succeeding in your quest objective.
Example:
Your quest objective is to investigate a series of murders in a small town. Examples of achieving milestones can include:
Finding important information about the victims.
Securing the help of the townsfolk.
Discovering clues about the killer.
The Progress Track’s role in solo DnD
The Oracle RPG system uses the Progress Track to determine the Difficulty Challenge (DC) of skill checks as well as the encounter difficulty. As your adventure progresses the DC of skill checks increase. As you gain more Progress, you also gain Rank. Rank shows how close you are to finishing your adventure and how dangerous your enemies are becoming.
As you progress in your adventure you tick the boxes on the Progress Track. Tick a box for each milestone that brings you closer to your objective. DC starts at 10 and increases with every second milestone.
Solo DnD and experience point rewards
You receive experience points equal to the encounter difficulty of your adventure’s Rank. The higher the Rank of your adventure, the more bonus experience you receive. Consult page 82 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for the XP thresholds for characters.
Example:
Lorian a level 4 Paladin has freed a town from a local bandit gang. He concluded the quest when it reached Rank 4. He gains the same amount of bonus experience points as defeating a Deadly enemy. On page 82 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, he sees that the XP threshold for a Deadly enemy at Level 4 is 500 XP. Lorian is awarded 500 XP for freeing the town.
Quest obstacles and setbacks in a solo DnD game
The obstacle is what stands in the way of reaching your objective. If you’re looking for treasure then it could be a perilous dungeon full of dangers. If you need to save a loved one, perhaps they were abducted by a mortal enemy. The obstacle is the enemy in your adventure. If the obstacle wins, you lose.
Instead of accumulating progress, the obstacle accumulates Setback points. When you reach 10 Setback points you fail the adventure outright and the obstacle wins. Setbacks are problems that prevent you from achieving the adventure’s objective. When you receive a setback, mark 1d4 Setback points on the Adventure Worksheet. Then come up with an appropriately bad event that takes place in your scene.
Setbacks can take place in one of three ways:
Delaying an adventure to perform other tasks (such as leaving a dungeon to heal in a nearby town).
A critical failure on a skill check.
Failing a skill check at the worst possible time.
Rolling a 1 during a Fate roll at the worst possible time.
Example:
You were caught stealing from a corrupt nobleman and need to fool two guards into letting you go. Unfortunately, you roll a 1 during a Deception check and critically fail the action. You need to describe a suitable setback and mark 1d4 Setback points. The guards try to take you into custody.
Characters and story events
The Characters and Story Events section of the worksheet is where you keep track of the characters and story developments of your campaign. Story events are major points in your campaign that are worth keeping track of. In this section, you place NPCs you encounter or create with the the NPC generator.
Story events are a record of major events in your adventure. All important story events that helped shape your adventure should be filled in the Adventure Worksheet.
How to play solo DnD step by step
Choose a setting. Get a map and familiarize yourself with the lore.
Fill in the Adventure Worksheet.
Envision an opening scene. For information on scenes see part 1 of this guide. Instead of a Dungeon Master, ask an oracle to fill in the details. Use the oracles’ answers to create the scene.
Through roleplaying and your PC’s skills, pursue the objective on the Adventure Worksheet. Use oracles to help create the various scenes along the way.
Mark Progress points for every major scene that moves you closer to the objective. Mark 1d4 Setback points whenever you experience a major obstacle.
When you think your story is ready to wrap up. Roll a 1d6 and add your adventure’s Rank. A result of 1 indicates abysmal quest failure, while a result of 6 indicates the happiest possible outcome. Envision the ending based on this roll.
How do skill checks work in a DND solo roleplaying game? Our system uses skill checks in two ways: to perform story-based actions in the game world and to influence the outcome of yes/no oracles. Choose your character’s skills very carefully as this will dictate what they can do in the world and how they can affect it.
A bard with high Charisma and skills in Persuasion, Performance, and Deception will play very differently in a scene than a thief with high Stealth, Perception, and Sleight of Hand. As a rule of thumb treat your skills as tools to create an adventure. They will dictate how you play the game.
For example, in a scene, your character is taken captive by a band of orcs. You need to escape, but how? A bard can try to use Performance to tell them a raucous tale or use Persuasion and a silver tongue to escape. A thief will deal with this scene differently. They might decide to pick the lock of their cell and then sneak away while keeping a watchful eye.
Skills and Fate rolls
In the Oracle system, skill checks are the only way to affect Fate rolls. Successful skill checks allow you to add your proficiency bonus to a Fate roll.
Example:
Your character needs to hide from an orc party. You roll a 1d6 and ask Oracle 1: The Fate Oracle “Is there a hiding place?”. However, you hit a snag and roll a 2. The answer is “No”. You can’t find a hiding place. What can you do? This is where skill checks come in.
Skill checks improve the odds on a Fate roll. As long as you have a skill that’s relevant to the question at hand, you can use it to improve the Fate roll after you rolled it. Suppose your character has high Stealth. You want to hide from the orc party by sneaking around and looking for a place to hide.
If you roll a successful skill check you can change the outcome of a Fate roll by one for each proficiency bonus level. Your character is a level 5 Thief, which means you have a proficiency bonus of +3. If your skill check succeeds you can add +3 to the Fate roll. This gives you a 5, and an answer of “Yes…”. Your stealthy approach helps you find a hiding place in the nick of time.
Spells in solo roleplaying
Our system divides spells and abilities into two broad categories: combat and non-combat. Combat spells not only include offensive spells like Fireball, but all spells that have combat effects. The spell Invisibility is one example. In 5e attackers have disadvantage to attacks against invisible characters. A spell you can be use in combat counts as a combat spell.
Non-combat spells are used outside combat for roleplaying. Players use spells like Arcane Eye outside of combat to scout for enemies or gather information. Spells like these cannot be used in combat and provide no combat benefits. Another example is Disguise Self. This spell provides no combat abilities but is very useful in roleplaying situations.
We use non-combat spells to change or alter the outcome of a Fate roll. Every useful spell or ability that’s relevant to the scene can change the outcome of a Fate roll by 1. For example, you’re about to be caught by a guard at an enemy compound. You ask the Fate Oracle “Can I lie my way out of this?”. The answer is a 2, “No…”.
To change the outcome of the Fate roll, you decide to cast Disguise Self. This spell can make you look like another guard. As a result, you can add +1 to the Fate roll. You also decide to cast Charm Person on the guard to make him think you’re his friend. This spell can another +1 to the Fate roll. As the guard arrives you cast your spells and roll a successful Deception check. The two spells together add +2 and the successful Deception check adds another +3 from your proficiency bonus. After adding all the modifiers, you have the final result of 6 “Yes, and…”. The guard thinks your one of his friends and you manage to lie your way out of your predicament.
Failing skill checks
Always roleplay a failed skill check. When you fail a skill check there’s a chance that the party could experience a setback. A setback is any scene that moves you further away from reaching the objective of the adventure. A critical failure always results in a setback. However any time you fail a skill check at the worst possible moment, you can experience a setback, even if it wasn’t a critical failure.
You should always roleplay failed skill checks and their consequences. If you cant persuade a guard you’re innocent, roleplay the encounter and describe the most plausible outcome. When you experience a setback mark 1d4 Setback Points on your Adventure Sheet. If you accumulate 10 Setback Points, you fail the adventure.
In this guide, you will learn a set of monster AI rules for solo DnD encounters. The core idea is simple: the monster uses a simple priority system to choose an appropriate action and the right target. Once the enemy ability and target have been selected, combat resolves as per D&D rules. When I designed this system, I looked at three board games for inspiration: Gloomhaven, Middara, and Dungeon of the Mad Mage. I adjusted their AI rules so that you can use them with D&D 5e.
Monster AI action priorities
During the monster’s turn, the monster prioritizes its actions from highest to lowest as follows:
Making saving throws and removing conditions.
Lair actions (if within a lair).
Defensive spells on self (if needed), followed by offensive spells against enemies.
Special abilities such as summonings, eye beams, and other special attacks.
Ranged weapon attacks until the enemy enters melee range.
Melee attacks until the opponent leaves melee range.
When it’s an opponent’s turn, the monster prioritizes:
Legendary actions, followed by reactions.
Monster AI rules during combat
When it’s the monster’s turn, it targets the PC party member closest to it. If there are two or more targets within the same distance, choose the one with the highest initiative.
Choose an attack based on the actions available to the monster and which of its actions have the highest priority. If there there are two or more actions with the same priority, choose one at random.
Move the monster towards the target until it’s within the range of the attack.
Roll the appropriate dice for the attack.
Choosing attacks and targets randomly with dice rolls
A player can randomly select a monster attack by assigning a number to each action and rolling the appropriately numbered die. Standard dice are the typical d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. However, to select a random attack or target, you can use dice that also cover other numbers such as d2, d3, and d5.
These are non-standard dice that use a pre-existing die, but with a simple formula. To roll 1d2, roll a d4, divide the result by 2, and round it up. To roll 1d3 and 1d5 you use the same formula but use a d6 and d10 respectively.
Important Monster AI rules
Monsters always target the closest opponent. If a monster has more than one target, it will prioritize the opponent with the highest initiative.
Monsters do not attack invisible or stealthed characters if they’re successfully hidden.
Monsters stop attacking characters that have been reduced to 0 health points.
If a monster needs to make a saving throw, break a spell effect, or remove a condition, it will prioritize it first before everything else.
Monsters will always try to establish a line of sight when making a ranged attack against an opponent.
Monsters with ranged attacks move until an opponent is within the range of their attack. If the opponent is already within range, discard any movement actions unless the attack requires line of sight.
Monsters with ranged attacks will attempt to hide behind the closest terrain feature that provides cover after completing their actions.
Monsters always seek to avoid visible traps and dangerous terrain. They will move around such threats during combat.
In this tutorial, we will show you how to use the Dungeon Generator. This is the main tool we use to create dungeons during solo play. All the tables in this guide are all included in the Solo Gaming Tool which is available for free. There are three main oracles we use to create our dungeons: Room Tiles, Dungeon/Wilderness Content, and Battlemap Features. These three oracles together create indoor and wilderness battlemaps for our games.
What you will need
To use the Dungeon Generator you will need a pack of playing cards, a d100, and the oracles in this guide. You can use this Dungeon Generator with miniatures, terrain features, tokens, and graph paper. Graph paper is an affordable alternative to miniatures and works especially well with theatre of the mind.
Download the following Dungeon/Wilderness Worksheet and fill in the Description, Objective, and the Rank of the dungeon.
The Description describes the dungeon and how it fits into your adventure. Are you exploring an abandoned stronghold, a cave, or a haunted barrow? The Objective states what you’re doing in the dungeon. Are you looking for treasure or are you trying to kill a villain? Write down what you want to accomplish and write it in the Objective section of the Dungeon/Wilderness Worksheet.
The Rank of the dungeon determines how large, and dangerous the dungeon is. There are four ranks, Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Epic. A Common dungeon requires little time to explore and active traps have a lower trigger chance. An Epic dungeon requires a lot of exploration, and traps are more likely to trigger. To determine the Rank of your dungeon roll a 1d4; “1” is Common, “2” is Uncommon, “3” is Rare, and “4” is an Epic dungeon.
Enemies in your dungeon
There are tables online that give random encounters and they work fine in many cases. However, if you want your dungeon to have the monsters of your choice, fill in the Enemies table on the Dungeon/Wilderness Worksheet.
Consult the Monster Manualor any other suitable bestiary. Look at which enemies would make the most sense in your dungeon. Decide which ones look interesting and are within your capabilities to kill and place them on the Enemies table. Arrange your list of enemies according to how common or rare they are in your dungeon.
How to explore a dungeon with the Dungeon generator
Step 1: Determine the room tile
Shuffle a pack of playing cards, draw one card and consult Oracle 10: Room Tiles below.
This will give you your first starting area. Place physical tiles or draw the room on graph paper according to the room tile on the oracle.
Step 2: Determine the room content
Place your character in the room and move them according to the movement rules of D&D. In 5e this is on page 190 of the Player’s Handbook. The openings in the tiles represent doors. When you reach a door roll a d100 and consult Oracle 11: Dungeon and Wilderness Content. This will tell you what’s inside the room.
Step 3: Attack or evade enemies
Whenever you encounter a monster roll a d100 and consult the Enemies section on the Dungeon/Wilderness Worksheet you filled in earlier.
There are primarily two types of enemies in Oracle 11: monsters without treasure and monsters with treasure. Monsters without treasure don’t carry anything of use and have no loot. Monsters with treasure carry loot and you can use loot tables for them. This site has extensive tables for the individual treasure monsters can carry according to their Challenge Rating.
Step 4: Place terrain features
The Dungeon Generator uses terrain feature placement to quickly create a battlefield. If there’s going to be combat, roll a d100 and consult Oracle 12: Battlemap Features. This will provide you with the terrain features for your battlemap. Place these on your battlemap or draw them on graph paper. Place your party in the room and place the enemies on the opposite side of the room.
Step 5: Detect/disable traps
Traps are an important part of the Dungeon Generator. If there are any traps, detect or disable them. Until you disable or detect the trap, there is a chance it can trigger whenever a party member moves inside the room. To find out what kind of trap is in the room, roll a d100 and consult Oracle 13: Trap Descriptions below.
Every time a player character moves inside the room, roll a d100 to see if a trap is triggered. The higher the Rank of your dungeon the higher the probability it will trigger and damage the party. The trigger chance of a trap according to dungeon rank is as follows: Common 20%, Uncommon 40%, Rare 60%, Epic 80%. Traps deal the target’s level + 1d6 damage.
To detect and disable the trap, roll a skill check. In D&D 5e this is a Perception check. Other systems such as the various OSR rulesets should use their respective rules. Our system treats detecting and disabling a trap as having the same in-game effect. It prevents party members from triggering the trap.
Sometimes you will encounter trapped treasures. To obtain the treasure, the trap has to be disabled first. These trapped treasures should be appropriate for your level.
Step 6: Loot treasure
Loot unguarded treasure. Unguarded treasures are level-appropriate treasures that aren’t guarded by monsters or traps. A treasure hoard on the other hand is awarded by special encounters or meeting a dungeon objective. For example, you can award yourself a treasure hoard if the dungeon’s Objective was to look and find a treasure. Use this site to determine what treasure you receive.
Step 7: Roleplay special encounters
Interact with special encounters. Special encounters are roleplaying events that take place in dungeons. They may turn into combat encounters but not necessarily. For examples of special encounters use Oracle: 14: Special Encounters in the Solo Gaming Tool.
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Traveling and exploring wilderness areas with the Dungeon Generator
Traveling and exploring wilderness areas is also part of the Dungeon Generator and uses the same rules as dungeon exploration. However, there are no room tiles or traps, and the battle maps are larger with more terrain features.
Whenever you need to travel through a wilderness area to reach a destination or objective, treat it as a type of dungeon exploration. Start by determining the Rank of the Wilderness location by rolling a d4. Fill in the Description, Objective, and Enemies on the Dungeon/Wilderness Worksheet.
How to explore a wilderness area with the Dungeon Generator.
Step 1: Determine the terrain features of the wilderness area
Because wilderness areas don’t have rooms, room tiles won’t work. To create a wilderness area we place or draw terrain features to visualize the area. Roll a d100 and consult Oracle 12: Battlemap Features. Use the Wilderness Terrain table to place the battlemap features.
Place your character on the battlemap. Move your character according to the movement rules of the system you’re using.
Step 2: Determine if there are any encounters.
To determine the encounters in your location, roll a d100 and consult Oracle 11: Dungeon and Wilderness Content. This will tell you whether you face any enemies or encounter other problems.
Step 3: Fight or evade any enemies you come across
If Oracle 11 gives you a combat encounter, roll a d100 and consult the Enemies table on the Dungeon/Wilderness Worksheet. Place the enemies on the opposite side of the battlemap.
Step 4: Evade environmental hazards
Environmental hazards serve the same function as traps. They impede and endanger the party. Environmental hazards include natural occurrences such as sandstorms, quicksand, rock slides, earthquakes, etc. The likelihood the hazard will injure a party member is determined by the Rank of the wilderness area. The injury likelihood for the wilderness area is as follows: Common 20%, Uncommon 40%, Rare 60%, Epic 80%.
To evade an environmental hazard you need to make a Survival check. Failing a check results in damage equal to the target’s level + 1d6.
Step 5: Interact with NPCs
If you come across any friendly or neutral NPCs, you can choose to interact with them. Consult Oracles 4 to 6 to create these NPCs if you want to turn them into more fleshed-out characters.
Step 6: Roleplay special encounters
Special encounters provide roleplaying opportunities in your travels. These may turn into combat encounters depending on the inclinations of the player. For examples of special encounters, you can use the same tool you used for Step 7 previously.
Exploration objectives and the Dungeon Generator
The Dungeon Generator uses Progress to determine when you reach your objective. When you reach the edge of the battlemap start again at Step 1 to create a new area. For every room or wilderness area, you explore, tick a Progress box on the Dungeon/Wilderness Worksheet according to the Rank of the location. Tick 4 Progress boxes for Common, 3 for Uncommon, 2 for Rare, and 1 for Epic dungeons/wilderness areas. Progress shows how close you are to achieving the objective on your Dungeon/Wilderness Worksheet.
Every 8 Progress points add +1 to a Resolution Roll. If you’ve accumulated 8 Progress it’s a +1 modifier, 16 Progress is +2, 24 Progress is +3, and so on. When you think you’ve explored a dungeon or wilderness location sufficiently, roll a 1d6, add the modifiers, and consult the table below.
A result of “6” indicates that not only have you reached your objective, but you also gain a point of inspiration. Due to the challenging nature of our solo roleplaying system, we strongly recommend using the inspiration system in 5e. Even if you use other D&D variants, inspiration is very useful for a solo player. Having advantage on a roll at the right moment can save a game, which is why many tabletop RPGs use similar mechanics. You can ignore setback points for dungeons and wilderness areas.
In this guide, we will show you how to use our Adventure Generator for D&D and other fantasy roleplaying games. The adventure generator uses percentile tables to create a basic outline for an adventure. The player can then use this outline as a starter for a campaign or other important quest. The adventure generator uses seven tables to create the plot for your game.
These seven tables, when combined with the background lore of your setting, can provide many hours of adventuring for the solo player. These hooks can serve as inspiration when starting a game, or as a way to create other major quests. This tool can also be used alongside ChatGPT to help create text-based adventures. Our Solo DM Guide Part 3 – ChatGPT As Assistant AI Dungeon Master covers this method in detail.
The Adventure Generator is extremely useful and you can use it in many different ways. Need to do a favour for an NPC? Use the Adventure Generator to find out what they want from you. Looking for work because you’re low on funds? Use the Adventure Generator to find out what work is available.
What are Adventure Generators?
Adventure generators are tables that help you to create a random adventure. There are many tables like these online and feature often in OSR resources. If you want to have an idea for an adventure you simply throw a die and consult a table. Some players may already have an idea for an adventure before the session starts. This adventure idea can come from a film, book, or video game. In this case, an Adventure Generator isn’t necessary. Use your idea instead.
Adventure Type
The adventure generator uses four adventure types when generating a plot.
Caught up in events
The adventurers are caught up in events that are beyond their control. A character might be struck down by a curse or a party member might’ve seen something they shouldn’t have.
Employment
The characters are hired by an employer to do a job. They might have to look for a missing person, hunt down a dangerous creature, or mediate peace talks between rivals.
Exploration
The party needs to explore a location to achieve a goal. They might be looking for a lost treasure, a creature’s lair, or a place of mystical power.
Civic affair
The adventurers are asked to help a community in need. This might involve overthrowing a tyrant, investigating a cult, or saving a town from disaster.
The Who table
The Who table details people who need help or are directly involved in the adventure. This table gives brief descriptions of non-player characters that can act as quest givers in a campaign. However, in certain adventures, the Who table can also be used to generate enemies that work against the player.
To discover how much power an individual wields within the campaign (such as nobles, government officials, and military members) roll a 1d6. A result of 1 indicates a weak or low-ranking member. A result of 6, on the other hand, indicates an extremely powerful individual, such as a king or general.
The Opposition table
The Opposition table contains enemies that oppose the adventurers in the campaign. These can range from powerful entities to organizations that want to prevent the party from reaching the quest objective.
Roll a 1d6 to discover your opposition’s power. A result of 1 indicates that a weak individual or group. However, a result of 6 indicates an extremely powerful enemy. How they oppose the adventuring party should be based on the campaign setting and the player’s personal preference.
Using the adventure generator
The player can use the adventure in one of two ways. The first method involves rolling a d100 and consulting the various tables.
Begin by rolling a die or choose a quest type on the Adventure Type table. Then roll a d100 a second time and consult the tables detailing the adventure type. Exploration adventures have an Exploration Location and Exploration Goal table. These tables describe where the adventure takes place and why the adventurers are exploring that location.
If you need a quest giver, roll on the Who table. To find out who opposes or works against you during an adventure, roll on the Opposition table. Then roll a 1d6 to determine how powerful the opposition is that you’re facing. A result of 1 indicates a weak opponent, while 6 indicates en extremely powerful opponent.
Alternatively, instead of rolling on the various tables, the player can simply choose the options that appeal to them. If the player already has a quest giver in mind, then rolling on the Who table might not be necessary. Similarly, if the player already has a suitable enemy in their campaign, then rolling on the Opposition table might not be needed.
When you have the various plot elements, adapt them to your campaign setting’s lore and locations. Use these plot elements to create a basic synopsis for your adventure.
Example
Peter wants to create an adventure that takes place in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. He decides to create an adventure for his party by rolling on the tables in the adventure generator.
On the Adventure Type table he rolls a 57. His party needs to explore an area. On the Exploration Location table he rolls a 98. The location is an ancient castle. To find out why his party is exploring this location, Peter rolls on the Exploration Goal table and gets 80. He needs to explore this castle to find a lost treasure.
Peter wants a quest giver for the adventure, so he decides to roll on the Who table to see who hired the party. Peter rolls 62, a religious figure needs his help. To find out how powerful this religious figure is, he rolls a 1d6 and gets a 4. The religious figure has some influence, but isn’t that powerful in their church.
To finish of the adventure outline, Peter rolls on the Opposition table to find out who opposes the party. He rolls 91. The party is opposed by a mystical entity. To discover how powerful this entity is, Peter rolls a 1d6 and gets 1, the entity is weak, but can still cause problems.
Peter decides that his party is hired by a Dawnmaster of Lathander to seek a lost artefact stolen by an imp. The imp is hiding in an ancient castle near the city of Baldur’s Gate.
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Create side-quests with the legacy Adventure Generator
The legacy Adventure Generator is a part of the Solo Gaming Tool and uses a pack of playing cards to generate adventures. The legacy Adventure Generator is useful for creating quick side-quests during a game instead of at the start of the session. There are four categories of quests in the legacy version, one for each card suit: event-based (Spades), item-based (Hearts), NPC-based (Diamonds), and location-based (Clubs). The card suit determines the objective and focus of your quest.
Here are the oracles in the legacy Adventure Generator.
How to use the legacy Adventure Generator
To use this tool, draw a card, consult the oracle, and follow the instructions on the oracle.
For example, drawing a 4 of Spades gives the objective as “protect someone involved in …”.
To find out the second part, the subject of the adventure, follow the instructions listed under the suit. In our example, because we drew a Spade so we must draw another card and consult Oracle 8. Oracle 8 contains a list of possibilities. If we draw a 7 of Hearts it gives us “… a mystical event”.
Together the 4 of Spades and 7 of Hearts give us “protect someone involved in a mystical event”. You can use this short adventure hook any way you see fit in your campaign. You can use it as is and use other oracles to flesh it out, or you can use it as inspiration for coming up with your ideas.
Example:
You walk into a tavern and ask the innkeeper if he knows of anyone who has work for you. The Fate Roll says “yes, and …”. The innkeeper points you in the direction of a stranger sitting alone at a table. You ask them, “I hear you have work, what do you have to offer?”. To find out what your employer wants you to do, you decide to use the Adventure Generator.
You draw a 6 of Spades. Oracle 7 gives you “Circumvent… ”. The oracle instructs you to draw another card and consult Oracle 8. You draw a 5 of Spades. This gives you “… a trial.” Together they give you “circumvent a trial.”
The stranger tells you that he needs someone who can get their hands dirty. A friend of his has been arrested and he wants to break him out during his trial. Whether you accept the stranger’s offer or report it to the authorities is up to you.
Choosing locations for location-based adventures
The suit of Clubs refers to adventure objectives that involve locations. If you draw the 5 of Clubs, you are given “Destroy…” as an adventure objective. You are then instructed by the Oracle to choose a location.
Make a list of possible locations that you think would be suitable to destroy in your setting. You may have come across a bandit camp, a cult fortress, an infernal stronghold, etc. Roll a die to select which one you will attack and try to destroy. If you can think of only one suitable location, then choose that one.
Example:
You meet an agent in Waterdeep who has a task for you. To find out what she wants from you, you decide to use the Adventure Generator . You draw a 9 of Hearts which gives the objective as “Infiltrate …”.
Based on your setting you decide 4 possible locations would make sense: (1) A Zhentarim stronghold, (2) a Shadow Thieves hideout, (3) a corrupt merchant’s guild, and (4) an enclave of Red Wizards. As a result, you decide to roll a 1d4 to select the location. You roll a 2, the Shadow Thieves hideout.
You can interpret this as follows: the agent wants you to infiltrate a Shadow Thieves hideout in Waterdeep.
How to make the most of the Adventure Generator
Use these adventure hooks as inspiration, don’t follow them slavishly. If you come up with a better adventure hook, use that one instead. You are your own GM when playing solo or cooperatively. These rules and tools are intended to help you, not replace your judgment or creativity.
When you’re satisfied with your adventure hook write it down. It will provide context to your actions as well as a clear goal for your character to strive for. This will form the core of your story and can develop into an entire campaign. It will evolve in unpredictable ways and provide more inspiration for more adventures to come.
Our NPC generator can create non-player characters on the fly for your solo and co-op games. The oracles in this guide can quickly generate a basic character outline for any NPC you encounter. To use it, all you need are percentile dice (D100) and the tables included below. All the oracles in this guide are available for free in the Solo Gaming Tool.
How to Use the NPC Generator
To use the NPC generator take a D100 and roll three times when you encounter an NPC. The tables will show the following things about a new NPC.
The first table is the NPC’s role and what they do in the story. They could be a criminal, healer, or any other character. If you already know the role an NPC plays in your story, skip this card and go to the second playing card.
The second table is the NPC’s most dominant personality trait; are they stern, aggressive, or gloomy? This card will give you a basic idea of how the NPC comes across to others. If you want a more complex character you can draw more cards.
The third table is the NPC’s goal or motivation. It describes what they want to do in the game world. They might want to harm a rival or rebel against the authorities in your story.
The Character Role Oracle
Oracle 4: Character Role describes what the NPC does in your game world. This table contains a list of the possible types of NPCs you can encounter randomly. You don’t have to use this table if you already know what an NPC does in your world.
NPC Personality Trait Oracle
This oracle in the NPC Generator contains a collection of dominant personality traits for NPC in your game world. Use this oracle as you deem necessary. If you encounter a random stranger then, a single personality trait is all you need. However, if you need more complex personalities for more important characters, you can roll more personality traits.
The Character Goal Oracle
To give an NPC a motivation in your story, use this table in the NPC Generator. These character goals can be worked into the story as you see fit. If you already know what an NPC wants to accomplish in your story, then you can ignore this table.
Stat blocks and NPC proxies
A stat block is the list of NPC attributes that come into play during roleplaying and combat situations. Stat blocks tell you what an NPC can do in a confrontation or how your abilities can affect them. D&D’s Monster Manual contains stat blocks you can use for NPCs in Appendix B. To use these stat blocks for NPCs choose a stat block that you think matches your NPC the most.
If you want to create an exotic NPC, feel free to use monster stat blocks. These stat blocks can function as proxies for NPCs. Want to create a bandit leader who is feared across the continent and has the strength of 10 men? Use the stats of a giant instead of a default bandit. When you use monster stat blocks as proxies for NPCs you can create some very memorable characters.
Bringing NPCs into your game
You can bring an NPC into your game either deliberately or randomly. An NPC that’s deliberately created already has a predefined character role. You might need a captain of the guard for your game or the villain of your story might be a vampire. In these cases, you decide to bring the character into your game based on the needs of your adventure.
Alternatively, a random NPC is brought into the game by the Fortune Oracle. Whenever you draw a Jack, Queen, or King when using this oracle, an NPC has entered the scene. Whether this NPC is important or not depends on the plot of your story. When an NPC enters your adventure link it with a face card and write down on the Adventure Worksheet.
If you run out of a specific face card, use another one instead. The face cards can be any gender you like, the ones in the guide are only a suggestion.
When an NPC dies, simply remove them from the list. After every game review your list and decide which NPCs should stay in your adventure.
Whenever you draw face card that’s been linked to an NPC, it means that the linked NPC has entered the scene. The scene might refer to them or they might make an actual appearance, depending on the logic of your story.
Example NPC list:
You entered a town where a cult of Pazuzu has taken root. As you progressed through the story you encountered the following NPCs and linked them to face cards:
King of Spades: Harald Proudfoot (the mayor).
Jack of Spades: Alex Proudfoot (the mayor’s son and a Harper agent).
Queen of Diamonds: Rebecca Whitemane (a sorceress and ally to Harald Proudfoot).
Jack of Hearts: The cult of Pazuzu (a devil-worshipping cult).
Jack of Clubs: Dirzzt (an imp and emissary to Pazuzu).
Example of play:
To investigate the cult of Pazuzu, you managed to track down their location to a remote estate. When you arrive at the estate, you ask the Fortune oracle “What do I see outside the entrance?” You draw a King of Spades. On your Adventure Worksheet, you see that the King of Spades is linked to Harald Proudfoot, the mayor. Outside the remote estate, you see Harald Proudfoot about to enter it.
Roleplaying NPC interactions
The oracles and tools included in this tutorial are versatile enough to allow for conversations with NPCs. However, you will need to know the NPC’s basic personality and how they initially react to you.
When you want to talk to an NPC, roll for the NPC’s personality traits. To find out how an NPC reacts to you roll a 1d6 and consult the following table:
The NPC Personality Trait and NPC Reaction oracles will give an idea of how the conversation might go. You can roleplay the interaction by asking questions. To answer simple questions use the Fate Oracle. To flesh out the conversation or to engage in small-talk, use the Fortune oracle.
The various themes and keywords of the Fortune oracle cover many possible conversation topics and themes. Together with Fate rolls and a little improvisation, you can have full conversations.
The key to interacting with NPCs without a DM is to improvise a conversation. This improvised conversation is based on the questions you ask and the oracles you use to answer them. The better you become at asking good questions and using the right oracles, the more natural your social interactions will be.
Example:
You decide to confront Harald Proudfoot about his presence at the cult estate. What is he doing here? You decide to consult the Fortune oracle to tell you what he says. You draw:
2 of Diamonds
Keywords: Change, adaptation, alteration
Interpretation: He has changed his mind about the cult. One of their representatives met with him and convinced him that they don’t mean any harm. He is there to improve relations between the cult and the town.
Story events
As you play through your campaign, previous events have an impact on your adventure. Whenever a significant story event takes place, write it down on the Adventure Sheet and link it to a face card.
Example:
Harald Proudfoot befriending the cult of Pazuzu is a significant event in your adventure. You decide to record it on your Adventure Worksheet and link it to the Jack of Hearts.
Whenever you draw a Jack of Hearts, Harald Proudfoot’s friendship with the cult becomes an important factor in your scene.
