All Things Solo

For players who want to learn more about the usage of consequences in their Solo Sessions, I made a quick table. You can use it as a cheat sheet to find out about your PC's actions if you're stuck.

# About Choices

"Strategy is making tough choices with incomplete data."

We all make our own choices in life with what we have in our arsenal. Sometimes they are right sometimes they prove to be wrong. Making tough choices require wisdom but the problem is that you can't be wise without making mistakes and learning from them.

Characters we play - not just PCs - are subject to the same rules. As all choices lead to an action, there should always be a reaction whether or not it is immediate. Because our PCs may act but there are other forces in the game that may want to react. This chain is a block that completes the imitation of real world in art forms.

# About Failure

At first, you might think that failure or death of a solo PC is the end. But Solo Gameplay teaches us embracing the failures and taking responsibility for the consequences of actions in a fun way through characters we play. That's why I encourage making mistakes (even deliberately) in Solo Sessions just to learn. I used to list all the mistakes a certain classes could do in a battle then simulate it just to learn about the class. Pen and paper is not a great game-space to do that but VTTs make it so much easier.

# Consequences Table

Type	Description	Example	Chains to
General
Natural	Cause & Effect	Using low skills unwisely; climbing a rock with penalty	Natural effects; physics, chemistry
Logical	Consequence logically connected to action	Entering into a cave alone and getting into combat	Run Forest, run! Or take responsibility
Contrived	Devised punishments from villains	Saving the last hp potion for next turn at low health and getting hit	Resentment, Rebellion, Revenge, or Retreat
Attributes
Physical	Bodily punishments	Injury, disability, wounds	Seeking help in life or death situations
Mental	Attacks to the Mind	Stun, confusion, being puzzled or worse	Search for answers, mustering willpower
Emotional / Spiritual	Getting beaten by fundamental laws & higher forces	Negative emotions and questioning faith (i.e: Oathbreaker)	Good: Self-Control Neutral: Choose above or below Evil: Evil Actions
Serious
Imbalance	Within your PC and in between PCs & Villains	Physical, mental, spiritual or material / wealth	External conflicts
Loss	Deprivation of	Abilities, opportunities, allies, freedom, materials, wealth, authority, motivation	Internal conflicts
The Ultimate	Losing body, life, soul, mind...	Death, becoming an illithid, undead	Continue as is, New PC or Afterlife (Planes of Existence)
Argh!
Unnecessary	RNG...	Perfectly devised plan fails because numbers says so	New plan, loss of motivation, rage quit, acceptance, replay