HywelPhillips
December 17th, 2020, 00:22
Hi Everyone,
What are your recommendations and experiences solo adventuring using Fantasy Grounds?
I've solo'd myself through a few adventures (5E) recently, some purpose-made and some regular adventure modules. Here are a few thoughts - what are yours?
1) A lot of solo scenarios overcomplicate in an attempt to provide AI for NPC's or too many branch points to the narrative. I just played one where every map had special combat rules and complicated "now you can move on to the next section" conditions, and they were honestly more of a pain to keep track of than they were worth. Move on if you win, do this if you die is enough for me.
2) The solo stuff also fall down on placement of enemies. I find it easier to run a combat for myself just exploring a map with well-placed encounter pins to drop on when you open a door or turn a corner; the enemy pre-placement can get you a lot of tactical decision making for nothing. Two archers at the back of the room and a tank right by the door already makes you react and plan how the heck to deal with the situation.
3) Maybe players aren't used to fairly controlling NPCs in combat, but for me elaborate enemy AI is unnecessary, I'm quite happy to run the monsters as if I were GM'ing the session. If you do want to provide NPC AI, keep it REALLY SIMPLE. "Charge the person who has the lowest AC if you can get to them otherwise retreat and snipe with missiles" is more than enough.
4) If you're writing a solo adventure IMO you should support single player characters and not make two-character parties or sidekicks mandatory. You can do this starting at somewhat higher level - a 3rd level cleric or a 4th level wizard can often solo a 1st level four-character beginning scenario really effectively and with good balance.
5) If you are going to give branching choices, it's OK to make them small ones to emphasise character roleplaying and leave the main plot as fairly linear. It's a solo game, we know there's gotta be a big railroad in there for efficiency. But let me decide HOW I progress, in the style of the character.
6) OMG the possibilities of a map-based exploration for tactical choices in FG is awesome. I mentioned it a bit in 2) above but honestly I found solo'ing Mine of Phandelver / Icespire peak starting with a 3rd level cleric so much more fun than any of the solo scenarios I've tried. A really compelling solo adventure could be a big battlemap, a story pin for each new area, a big star on the map saying "Start here. You are looking for the lost key to the Crypt of Everdark. It's in here somewhere. Go." Encode decisions and extra possibilities in story links for each area- make it one or two at most interesting things per area and provide things at least for the four basic character types and some talking rather than fighting. It can be as simple as an instruction on the story for a new room or area "Make a stealth roll. If you make it, you have the drop on creatures inside. You can attack, getting surprise, or parlay. Do you want to talk? Make a DC15 persuasion check... pass link, fail link". "Make a perception or investigation roll here. If you make it, click to roll on this table". The great thing about beginner modules like LMoP and Icespire is that they have a lot of these suggestions for starting DM's, so you don't have to think of them yourselves, and they are pinned right there on the maps.
I know going too far down this route and you might as well just play a computer game. But the computer game probably doesn't let you cast charm person and hoodwink the orc into being your bodyguard for the next three encounters, which you can totally do for yourself with FG rolling saves for you and then a persuasion roll.
I think for me less is more for solo adventuring with FG to provide all the system support.
What have your best solo adventuring experiences been?
Cheers, Hywel
What are your recommendations and experiences solo adventuring using Fantasy Grounds?
I've solo'd myself through a few adventures (5E) recently, some purpose-made and some regular adventure modules. Here are a few thoughts - what are yours?
1) A lot of solo scenarios overcomplicate in an attempt to provide AI for NPC's or too many branch points to the narrative. I just played one where every map had special combat rules and complicated "now you can move on to the next section" conditions, and they were honestly more of a pain to keep track of than they were worth. Move on if you win, do this if you die is enough for me.
2) The solo stuff also fall down on placement of enemies. I find it easier to run a combat for myself just exploring a map with well-placed encounter pins to drop on when you open a door or turn a corner; the enemy pre-placement can get you a lot of tactical decision making for nothing. Two archers at the back of the room and a tank right by the door already makes you react and plan how the heck to deal with the situation.
3) Maybe players aren't used to fairly controlling NPCs in combat, but for me elaborate enemy AI is unnecessary, I'm quite happy to run the monsters as if I were GM'ing the session. If you do want to provide NPC AI, keep it REALLY SIMPLE. "Charge the person who has the lowest AC if you can get to them otherwise retreat and snipe with missiles" is more than enough.
4) If you're writing a solo adventure IMO you should support single player characters and not make two-character parties or sidekicks mandatory. You can do this starting at somewhat higher level - a 3rd level cleric or a 4th level wizard can often solo a 1st level four-character beginning scenario really effectively and with good balance.
5) If you are going to give branching choices, it's OK to make them small ones to emphasise character roleplaying and leave the main plot as fairly linear. It's a solo game, we know there's gotta be a big railroad in there for efficiency. But let me decide HOW I progress, in the style of the character.
6) OMG the possibilities of a map-based exploration for tactical choices in FG is awesome. I mentioned it a bit in 2) above but honestly I found solo'ing Mine of Phandelver / Icespire peak starting with a 3rd level cleric so much more fun than any of the solo scenarios I've tried. A really compelling solo adventure could be a big battlemap, a story pin for each new area, a big star on the map saying "Start here. You are looking for the lost key to the Crypt of Everdark. It's in here somewhere. Go." Encode decisions and extra possibilities in story links for each area- make it one or two at most interesting things per area and provide things at least for the four basic character types and some talking rather than fighting. It can be as simple as an instruction on the story for a new room or area "Make a stealth roll. If you make it, you have the drop on creatures inside. You can attack, getting surprise, or parlay. Do you want to talk? Make a DC15 persuasion check... pass link, fail link". "Make a perception or investigation roll here. If you make it, click to roll on this table". The great thing about beginner modules like LMoP and Icespire is that they have a lot of these suggestions for starting DM's, so you don't have to think of them yourselves, and they are pinned right there on the maps.
I know going too far down this route and you might as well just play a computer game. But the computer game probably doesn't let you cast charm person and hoodwink the orc into being your bodyguard for the next three encounters, which you can totally do for yourself with FG rolling saves for you and then a persuasion roll.
I think for me less is more for solo adventuring with FG to provide all the system support.
What have your best solo adventuring experiences been?
Cheers, Hywel