All Things Solo

I defined conflict in Player Approach Part II as "Anything that makes things difficult for the PC and opposes them." But in this entry, I'll expand on it to present you the types of conflicts you can use in your games. Group GMs can also take advantage of it.

"Once upon a time, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves lived happily ever after... dull isn't it?"

# What Should Conflict Do?

Two things: 1) Conflict should expose who a "character" really is. 2) It should make a change in the character's mind and/or world and force the PC into the change through action.

## Internal vs. External Conflict

All conflict types fall into two categories. Internal or External. In real life, external conflicts can turn into internal conflicts in the form of bad memories but since this is a game, you can also project internal conflicts into external ones. One example is, nightmares that come true. Another example is, war's destructive effects turn into rageoholism for a barbarian.

### Internal Conflicts

These are inner conflicts of characters as they struggle with their own opposing desires or beliefs to drive their development as a character. Check [this pdf] for a huge range of emotions to be inspired.

### External Conflicts

Everything else that comes from outside as an obstacle. You know the saying "I'm in between a rock and a hard place?" Good external conflicts place the PC into such a situation. Not impossible situations, mind you. But places or events that will force the PC's hand, and make them think fast. Try to hit two birds with one stone while creating this type. Such as exiting a cavern system means an encounter with an orc patrol but staying means getting eaten by a dragon.

# Advice on the Use of Conflict

This is for both Group and Solo GMs.

• Imitate life and use both internal and external conflicts in your games for impact.
• Finding your Player "CHARACTER'S" Internal conflict and poking it with External conflicts in the context of the story usually what makes a session memorable. BUT understand that this does NOT mean attacking your player or yourself!
• EXAMPLE 1: Player has fear of spiders. Don't surround his / her PC with arachnids, ever.
• EXAMPLE 2: Player's Character struggling against his/her fear of arachnids. But the player also has the fear. Discuss it with your player.
• EXAMPLE 3: Player doesn't fear any insects but the Player Character is a coward because the Player wants to play a coward for fun. Give his/her "character" chances to be courageous in roleplay. Which means fearful conflicts.

# 9 Types of Conflicts

## Character VS. Nature

This is one of the first conflict types that we faced as species. When a character is in conflict with nature, this can mean two things. 1) Character starts a war against nature. Might be because of its resources, revenge, or pure hatred. 2) Nature starts to haunt the character. This can start by the weather, continue with the wilderness and the monsters in it, and end with a natural disaster, or even an illness. Normally, it is a classic theme in books such as Robinson Crusoe. A civilized man stranded on an empty island and has to survive alone. But you can use any other land type, such as deserts, mountains, forests, etc. It is best to see the nature as a conscious character that wants to hurt the characters.

## Character VS. Character

When we conquered the nature, we turned against each other as species. This is your classic PC vs. Villain plot. When a villain's desires are at odd with the Hero's, those two start to clash. It mostly revolves around two forces working against each other to bring each other down. Resolution almost always comes to violence or defeat. This violence can be as simple as a sword duel / party combat or as intricate and complex as in Game of Thrones.

## Character VS. Environment

After we conquered the nature and founded civilization to bring order to our lives, we learned to get along with other people. Kind of. Then we set our eyes into this new environment and said: "I will conquer you, too." But there is a distinction in between nature and environment since the two doesn't always mean the same thing. In a druid coven's case, their environment is nature, but when they visit a big city, their environment is an urban setting with everything in it. So, this type of conflict can be callously cynical in the druid's case or conspicuously dangerous in a thief guild member's case. Sometimes even we, real people feel like the environment is waging war against us to dominate us, as everything goes bad. Or when we turn to outside for help, we feel like the environment is failing us. These are some manifestations of this type of conflict.

## Character VS. Fate / God

Having conquered the external and physical elements of his world, we thought that "why not reaching for the stars?" But there are laws, fundamental laws that never change. When characters desire something so badly and it never happens, or something unwanted happens to them, sometimes they search for someone to blame. And what is easier than shaking fist against fate or gods? Clerics and paladins can be tested by these conflicts.

## Character VS. Supernatural

As mortals' rebellion against gods always creates tragedy, occasionally lesser powers come into play as combatants in this insurrection, either for or against it. Angels & Aasimars vs. Demons & Devils vs. mortals that are all already infighting, each with their own agenda... But sometimes, the supernatural acts as a catalyst for other conflicts (inner) as in Constantine or The Exorcist movies.

## Character VS. Self

Hah! We conquered all things that we can't directly control: nature, people, gods, environment, and the supernatural. Finally, we can find peace and happiness, right? If only it was that easy! Characters don't even have to be in distress of any sort to conflict within themselves. Inner conflicts and flaws will play a crucial role in this type. It can also be intricate, though. If you watched Life of Pi, you'll understand what I mean by that.

## Character VS. Machine

This conflict type is the proof of conquering everything and mastering oneself is not enough to satisfy our adventure addiction. The moment our blood pressure drops, we create robots in our own image to eventually fight against them. Maybe this is the God's way of saying "Go ahead, taste your own medicine." Artificers and gnomes shine in this type as they can both be inventive and crazy. But that doesn't mean necromancers can't "invent" new "life" forms that can be as hard as machines.

## Character VS. The Unknown

Now this is a conflict type that finally something else brought to us. Just like the eldritch horrors in Cthulhu, the enemy is incomprehensible, otherworldly or extraterrestrial. Like an alien, aberration, illithid, githyanki / githzerai, etc. These things have strange ways to manipulate lesser beings and cause so much internal and external conflict, not to mention the horrors. And setting can be a usual continent or even space (Spelljammer).

## Character In the Middle

Take any conflict type, give it to NPCs / groups, then place your PC into the middle of their fight and lock the door behind them.

# How to Create Conflict?

By using Irvine's Ways.