image from British Library
OSR system
I’ve been toying with the thought of running a solo campaign in the old school / OSR fantasy genre. This has mainly arisen from coming across Knave and the recent release of Dwarrowdeep. Knave is the lightest yet complete OSR system I’ve seen. I like it a lot. I dig the flexibility in class based on what items you have. This feels like a true motivation to dig into dungeons and steal all the items I can. A perfect opportunity to play out all the great OSR modules I’ve been collecting. Dwarrowdeep is one such module.
For my solo game I’m considering a couple of adjustments though.
Ability Checks
- get +2 if virtue or background apply.
- -2 if vice would detract
- check DCs are generally 15+ for clean success; 12-14 for partial; 11- for GM move.
Gear
Instead of tracking all utility items, I’ll use the abstraction of the Adventurer’s Pack, with Usage Die. It starts at d20, and descends across the dice chain: d20 -> d12 -> d10 etc. Every time you want to use an item like: lock picks, torch, camp gear etc. you roll that UD. On a 1-2 decrease the UD by one step. When you roll a 1-2 on a d4 you’re out of gear. Replenishing one level costs 200 cp. Takes up UD/4 rounded up slots. Includes the usual items: traps, bedroll, rope, pots, crowbar, torch, lantern, saws, lockpicks, rations etc.
Holy symbol for Cleric
I found this somewhere on reddit
I have the holy symbol take up two slots because it does two things - turn the undead and gives some healing (which is pretty important in Knave even if it isn’t much). You can only acquire a holy symbol at a temple and you’re probably going to have to do something for the clerical order in order to get one. Holy Symbol – Banish Undead + Heal Level# per day; force up to WIS number of HD of undead to make a MORALE check Banished undead LOSE d4 HP and attempt to leave the area for 1d4 rounds Restore 1d4 HP to self/ other PC’s L times per day with successful WIS check
Spells
Spell lists from https://wrathofzombie.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/the-concise-spell-list-for-any-version-of-dd-or-osr/
Solo
To make the character more robust, I take the following inspiration from Scarlet Heroes:
- multiply damage output from PCs to NPCs by 4
- divide damage taken by PCs by 4
This is for one PC. Since I will probably run two, I will adjust those numbers to 2.
Fray dice
- Once per round.
- Fighters DMG to all under lvl in melee range (d8)
- Wizards DMG to one at any lvl any range (d4)
Others
I’d plop PBTA moves as I see fit.
- For ex, I don’t enjoy hexcrawling so I’d use Undertake a journey instead.
Solo framework
I will use the One Page Solo Engine. It is implemented on this website.
I add the quest tracker system from Ironsworn. For every quest I choose a difficulty, a number. The number represents the number of relevant scenes I need to finish with success. I will have to experiment with this number.
Campaign ideas
- Carcosa, for a dark dying earth vibe
- Dolmenwood, as the set released on Patreon seems complete and aventure-ready
- Points of Light, by Goodman Games
- use WWN to build my own world as I go along