Solo play

question
#1

Has any one tried ICRPG in a solo capacity? How did it turn out?

#2

I haven’t tried solo ICRPG yet but am interested in trying it. I see that there is a guy that has a PDF on DrivethruRPG about roleplaying ICRPG solo. Can’t say I recommend the thing since I haven’t read it but it seems there are people actually doing this. I’d also be interested in hearing from anyone that has tried this.

#3

I’m currently working on combining ICRPG with Four Against Darkness for solo play. Seems do-able.

#4

I started playing ICRPG solo using the Neverland 5e book as the setting!
I’ve found that ICRPG still has too many moving parts for me to manage a party (if you run a single character you have to mess with stats or bring hirelings or something) and combat really, really drags on when playing solo. I’ve since moved on to another much lighter system that is much more deadly and therefore makes for more interesting decisions than “hit monster again until dead.” I still love hitting monster, don’t get me wrong, but trying to have tactical combat against yourself is… not great. Unless that’s your thing! I have 4AD as well but only played it once, I didn’t dig it that much. But that’s how solo goes!

#5

Wow, Homebrew class creation, solo play ICRPG design… busy dude! Love the creativity.

#6

I agree, I didn’t care for 4AD as it stood. That’s why I’m hoping ICRPG can help 4AD and make a better solo game.

#7

Ultimately solo kinda is fizzling out for me now that it’s summer, that’s why I’m so stoked to find a pbp here on the Forum. ICRPG will always be my first love! Have you read Cairn? I recommend it highly for solo!

#8

If I didn’t play solo then I wouldn’t play at all, lol

#9

Maybe not ICRPG, but with the

I have played solo! It was good fun :smiley:

It uses the VDS “rules” essentially, but you can easily play without knowing much about VDS

#10

Do you want to take turn solo GM-ing each other on Discord maybe? Try out different ideas?

#11

Sounds good, but I have zero exp in ICRPG.

#12

I’ve been using ICRPG for solo play regularly. The system works great, but I generally find myself “hacking” settings and adding random tables and oracles related to the worlds I’m specifically playing in.

#13

I solo a lot of RPGs and am soloing Hard Suit.

#14

How did you go about doing this?

#15

Stacked Deck
The Method I derived and use for ICRPG:

Players: “The Number of Humanity is 6”

If you look on page 66 of the ICRPG master edition book, there are 6 player styles- this is a factor of the game to me - how a game teaches you to play. Roll one as your “Plan A” and one as your “Plan B” for each character. Then spend your stat points accordingly. This is your baseline character. You could choose if you want but I like emergent play. So this gives me a general understanding of two and their strongest types of approaches. The “player emulation” is based on simple Plan A or Plan B type “OR” gate logic. This is important because players - and GM’s- are sources of Input and Output in ttRPGs. I use odd number parties so I can vote and not have ties if needed. When in doubt roll a d6 and see which way to address an encounter or scenario.

The GM: the 789 to the 6 which is the Number of Humanity

For the GM Role Emulation is it also easy. On page 78, There are 9 articles to the GM. Role a 1d10 counting zero as “your choice”. The first is “Plan A” for the scene and focus on that one. Roll again and that is “Plan B” for the scene.

Now we have Microcosmic Players and a GM in the Macrocosm of the Soloist themselves. It is made of the stuff of our lives, our hopes, fears, dreams, and wishes.

The Think Deck, timers, a few dice, and a few of the art decks index cards and dry erase get me the rest of the way there. But all I needed was some players really. For the story board, I draw and keep cards, FACE DOWN. I am trying to generate a game around my own will in the matter. And I think ICRPG makes that easy.

I also found some stuff in other ICRPG products to help, but I am sure you can too! This is more than enough to get you started.

When you doubt or question something outside of these use those as rolly charts to come up with HOW to determine an answer, not what the answer is- stay agile and adaptable. There is a lot of stuff in the book(s) that is philosophically presented that becomes a way to emulate and create procedures to determine other elements of the game keeping it organic and connecting to story not just “word legos” like some systems.

In this way the whole game can be played with a deck of cards. If you elect to not use or just don’t have dice. I carry a deck of cards everywhere. My solo methods are also co-GM methods and GMless methods. I enjoy group games but I can’t have people over and I live in an area where ttRPGs are not popular. I have ran group and solo’d games since the 80’s.

Now- the more personal part is something I did before ICRPG existed and I started in in the 80’s with D&D and most games since.

The other part of my solo method is the Elder Futhark. There is power is 3’s and the 24 runes are divided into three Aett’s (Sets of 8). So doing a proper 3 Rune reading is going to be done with one from Freyr’s Aett, one from Heimdall’s Aett, and One from Tyr’s Aett. This was in drinking hall games of story telling played since the times the Romans found and documented the Germanic people. Translated that to a 3d8 system using three different color d8’s long ago and it has worked ever since. It has a very key base story structure of Means of Success and Potential, Ordeal and Opportunity, Ambition and Desired Outcome. It’d be nice if more books on The Futhark would put that out there.

#16

You can find a LOT of patterns and philosophy to use to procedurally generate game content for groups or solo play in the books.

#17

Hello there!

I wind up soloing a lot of different RPGs to test out the mechanics and characters.

I’ve rolled ICRPG a couple of times solo, but the two big ones were:
Hot Springs Island with 4 Torton’s who happened to be Teenagers… and ninjas. Was pretty fun.
and
Lost Mines of Phandelver with 4 Mechas, who were a military strike team, crashed on Faerun, and was looking for a way home

Fun wise, both were pretty stinking fun:

ICRPG strengths, like target numbers, everything in turns, and the loot based progression make it really easy and fun to use in a solo game. Hankerin’ made a solid system to do loot through drops and purchase. You can and should use both methods.

Soloing isn’t necessarily about the system, they’ll all work. So here are some solo tips no matter the system (from Solo Game Master’s Guide by Geek Gamers and my own lesson’s learned)
Ensure you have random tables for more than just loot, you’ll want generative tables for dungeons, towns, wilderness, NPC/player personalities, and narrative creation.
Have your favorite edition of ICRPG handy or your other favorite system - you need something suggestive to give you some inspriation
You need something restrictive like a percentile table to help you make decisions outside your own meta-knowledge, keeps it fair and fun - something more than yes or no

Other hot tips
Start with your setting or adventure. If you like Keep on the Borderlands or Descent into Avernus start there and really dig in so you know what is going on and if you’re really going - find some place that speaks to you so you can start there. Once you have a idea of the narrative trajectory of the game (or the adventure) then you plot in a character(s).
Make sure they have something to do, I recommend they carry a trinket or have a McGuffin they are looking for, one you have sense of what your character(s) places in the world are then you roll um’ up stat wise.
Remember stats are not the game, but they can help tell the story, i.e. low strength, high charisma gives you an idea of what that character may do.

Final tips: Often you’ll want to keep the target numbers low, it’s super boring to swing and miss on both sides 4 or 5 times in a row - I don’t care how awesome your imagination is with the sword fight. Use the battle fury and spell burn rules too. Think about adjusting the hit points, its no fun to die in the first round of combat. Don’t be stingy with the loot - and don’t be afraid to have loot destroying things as well. It should come and go quite often.

ICRPG can work really well solo, just ensure you have the right support system in place for oracle work, and adventure settings. #1 staller is after that first adventure you get the “now what…” Avoid it with that setting and narrative arc. Use the rules to help you, and have a fun!

My two drachma,
Deathbare

#18

If you attempt and miss in ICRPG, your next attempt - if allowed- is easy. The presumption here is if the DM allows it the game should too.

What I like about Solo ICRPG especially, is it js player centric and OSS. OSS is Old School Spirit. Many games in the “OSR” movement lack the real “spirit” of the OSR games, and editions. It ks not all just cloning B/X and 1st Edition AD&D. ICRPG could be as expansive as BECMI or Rifts, and REALLY easily. And there is a lot to unpack in each setting and supplement and it is very easy to work your own ideas in. Being player centric, but discouraging obsession with a character covered with Plot Armor and still making each feel dynamic and relevant to the Player interest. Furthermore there is NO need to “fudge the rolls” - I hate people doing that. Like a lot a lot. ICRPG can really encourage making death meaningful because every action scene where death is possible is meaningful. There is a stigma on character death - we used to love it because it was a change to roleplay the death scene and get a new character idea in the game. There is a reason actors love death scenes. Some of the best stories and movies have great tragic but glorious scenes of defeat or even death of those who would not abide by evil or tyranny.

#19

Final tip and I’ll let this one die. When you are soloing a RPG, everything is playing, but you don’t need everything. If you want plot armor - its yours. If you don’t like a roll, ignore it. It’s your time - there is no right way to do it.

I outlined a few techniques that could help you get started and keep going, but in the end, if you just like building a sweet world - or a Warp Shell or whatever and it never goes anywhere - that’s still playing and as long your having fun all is good.

My two drachma,
Deathbare

#20

I bought this from DriveThru after VDS. What rule system does it use. I get the Tarot locations and turns but how does the DM hit a character?. Is it TN 9? How many dice do I use, 2?.It also seems extremely hard for the players, if they draw a 10 of pentangles (I know a player can swap it out) how can players kill them all in 2 rounds without the mage?. If a player doesn’t choose 1 of 2 options for armour are they dead on first hit or can they use equipment to block. Do players use attribute + equipment?. Any help would be great. Thanks in advance….