I don't see a forum section for solo play and I tried to search solo but it said there's nothing in the forum which I know isn't true. I've made a post about it. The forum could use a solo section. Anyhow, who's doing solo and are you using offial solo rules or winging it or what?
The board game “Gloomhaven” is basically exactly what you’re looking for. Can be played alone or with friends.
It’s kinda pricy though at $110+ iirc. But it’s been on my list forever because of the rave reviews and apparently the strong replay value (lots of diff scenarios). Disclaimer, I haven’t played it. Just had it recommended to me many times. https://100001****/
I don't see a forum section for solo play and I tried to search solo but it said there's nothing in the forum which I know isn't true. I've made a post about it. The forum could use a solo section. Anyhow, who's doing solo and are you using offial solo rules or winging it or what?
Why does the forum need a section for solo play? Forums are explicitly for conversing with other people. If you want to solo play D&D, just open up a google doc and write down what happens?
Unless you mean one DM, one player (commonly called 'duet')? In which case I'm pretty sure that falls under Play by Post.
There are people that give some adventures a run through solo to get a feel for them, but I'd say most of the people you'll find on the forums don't go for solo play. There ar communities, whether online or local, that have games cropping up all the time - some learning games, some for more experienced players.
If you're looking for lots of conversation around pure solo play it will be tough to find probably. However, if you're looking for a group to play with, I'd recommend checking out the section in the forums here for it (Looking for Groups); I'd also recommend checking out any local game stores in your area, after school clubs (if you're in school), or even official DnD Adventure's League information.
I'm not currently running any online games, but if that changes in the future and you're interested in playing with a group, shoot me a PM and I'll keep you in the loop of when I may start one up.
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
I don't see a forum section for solo play and I tried to search solo but it said there's nothing in the forum which I know isn't true. I've made a post about it. The forum could use a solo section. Anyhow, who's doing solo and are you using offial solo rules or winging it or what?
Why does the forum need a section for solo play? Forums are explicitly for conversing with other people. If you want to solo play D&D, just open up a google doc and write down what happens?
Unless you mean one DM, one player (commonly called 'duet')? In which case I'm pretty sure that falls under Play by Post.
Just because folks want to play the game solo does not mean they do not want to talk with others about their solo games. The OP is not asking for a place to play solo games - they are asking for a place to discuss them. I presume that, just like any other method of playing D&D, users want to nerd out over what they have done (perhaps more so, since there is no one else at your table to share in the jubilations), ask questions, discuss how to run the game, etc. I have never played solo, but I expect the gameplay is different enough that folks might want a specialized forum where the primary readers and responders are knowledgeable on solo play. The fact that threads on solo play pop up every so often clearly shows there is some desire to discuss this type of game--D&D Beyond's current forums do not really promote that discussion with the present categories.
That said, while I do not think we should be outright dismissing the idea of solo play users wanting to talk with one another, I do think this comes down to a cost benefit analysis of whether such a forum section would provide sufficient utility to D&D Beyond. Even though there is clearly some popularity to solo play (the Solo Adventurer's Toolkit is consistently in the top 3 most popular books in DMs Guild), I am not sure we have seen enough activity on the site to justify it. Solo play threads appear every couple of months, but they are not so ubiquitous to believe there would be a large number of folks using a solo play forum (even counting in that the creation of such a forum would spur additional discussion).
I don't see a forum section for solo play and I tried to search solo but it said there's nothing in the forum which I know isn't true. I've made a post about it. The forum could use a solo section. Anyhow, who's doing solo and are you using offial solo rules or winging it or what?
Why does the forum need a section for solo play? Forums are explicitly for conversing with other people. If you want to solo play D&D, just open up a google doc and write down what happens?
Unless you mean one DM, one player (commonly called 'duet')? In which case I'm pretty sure that falls under Play by Post.
Just because folks want to play the game solo does not mean they do not want to talk with others about their solo games. The OP is not asking for a place to play solo games - they are asking for a place to discuss them. I presume that, just like any other method of playing D&D, users want to nerd out over what they have done (perhaps more so, since there is no one else at your table to share in the jubilations), ask questions, discuss how to run the game, etc. I have never played solo, but I expect the gameplay is different enough that folks might want a specialized forum where the primary readers and responders are knowledgeable on solo play. The fact that threads on solo play pop up every so often clearly shows there is some desire to discuss this type of game--D&D Beyond's current forums do not really promote that discussion with the present categories.
That said, while I do not think we should be outright dismissing the idea of solo play users wanting to talk with one another, I do think this comes down to a cost benefit analysis of whether such a forum section would provide sufficient utility to D&D Beyond. Even though there is clearly some popularity to solo play (the Solo Adventurer's Toolkit is consistently in the top 3 most popular books in DMs Guild), I am not sure we have seen enough activity on the site to justify it. Solo play threads appear every couple of months, but they are not so ubiquitous to believe there would be a large number of folks using a solo play forum (even counting in that the creation of such a forum would spur additional discussion).
I was very obviously replying under the assumption they were talking about a forum for playing solo games, not discussing them........
So, i have done some solo-play, but it was before 5E, so i wasn't using official rules or anything. It was during 4E, and i was testing out encounters and map hazard stuff i made. I was pretty much winging it, managing 4 characters and the monsters. Was a lot of work, but it was good i did, because i way over tuned the encounter and my players would have hated it without adjustment.
The only other Adjacent thing i did, was roll up a character, then play through a small combat, taking notes then turning it into a story. Thought the dice would give me something more real and thrilling to write then my imagination alone, but that was not the case. I was rolling so hot that i burned the foes down in no time. I ended up just keeping the character for an NPC next time i DMed. Solo play has always been a mixed bag for me. Either lots of effort, or it was so dissapointing in other respects. Might try it again to see how builds work in hypothetical combat if i start joining some of the tougher tables again.
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He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
I was very obviously replying under the assumption they were talking about a forum for playing solo games, not discussing them........
How would that even work? Solo is alone, you don't need a forum for playing it. That makes as much as sense as a grasshopper in the artic.
Yes, I know, hence my perplexed response to your question:
Why does the forum need a section for solo play? Forums are explicitly for conversing with other people. If you want to solo play D&D, just open up a google doc and write down what happens?
Unless you mean one DM, one player (commonly called 'duet')? In which case I'm pretty sure that falls under Play by Post.
But I'm assuming based on your response you mean a section dedicated to discussing solo play, which seems like a niche topic for an entire forum section.
You could always share your adventures in Story & Lore : Discuss the lore of the worlds of D&D and share your own stories or character backgrounds!
We're unlikely to ever make a forum specifically for solo play or tales from the table, but we do have space you can share them. You could also write a blog and share it.
Also I'm curious, has the community come up with solo rules on how to play? I don't think there are any official solo rules for D&D. But there are certainly tips and tricks people could share with each other or take from solo TTRPGs designed for such, or take inspiration from some of the much solo modules in D&D (Going all the way back to 1e). Not sure if there were any 'official' official ones, but certainly have been ones published in Dungeon Magazine. I know of a few official duet modules, designed for one player and one DM.
I think the closest recently to an 'official' solo play is D&D Beyond's Before the Storm a Guided D&D Adventure but it's more a Choose Your Own Adventure (which most of the Dungeon Modules were as well, with some extra dice rolling- there are also actual D&D Choose your own adventure books).
Do folk have tips for solo emergent play? I imagine it'll be harder with D&D versus a TTRPG designed for it, but there are definitely lots of tables we can draw from to randomise play. More if you borrow from older editions as well.
Back in 1e, I did what would be called solo play today, I guess.
used the random tables to generate a dungeon on the fly, and then navigate your characters through it. they were used by several of the folks I knew back then for just playing to play.
Then, shortly after the CYOA books were released by TSR, there was a whole CYOA type set up in Dragon Magazine, as well.
so there are some elements around it from older editions, but I don’t recall anything from 2e, 4e, or 5e that I have seen with any depth.
might put that on my side burner once things calm down for me.
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Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
I was actually thinking of some of the 1e tables, as they had quite a few more tables for generating encounters along a map and respawn rates and such, even down to character generation.
A rogue like dungeon could be quite easy to emulate via random tables including room generation tables (In fact I think the early Rogue game that inspired the whole 'roguelike' genre was itself inspired partially by AD&D and was called Rogue as it was a solo PC, not the party). A lot of the techniques you can use for a sandbox game you could used for an emergent solo game. I once considered trying to make some automated randomisers through excel, but as I was not playing a sandbox game anytime soon, and here were premade generators that worked for what I wanted, I decided against doing so. (There's also something not quite as fun when clicking a button to get instant results instead of rolling through the tables and slowly building up what happens).
D&D's a bit more complex than most solo TTRPGs, but I could see that working, if you like telling stories from randomised events (Similar concept to playing games like Dwarf Fortress, or actual solo TTRPGs).
You could always share your adventures in Story & Lore : Discuss the lore of the worlds of D&D and share your own stories or character backgrounds!
We're unlikely to ever make a forum specifically for solo play or tales from the table, but we do have space you can share them. You could also write a blog and share it.
Also I'm curious, has the community come up with solo rules on how to play? I don't think there are any official solo rules for D&D. But there are certainly tips and tricks people could share with each other or take from solo TTRPGs designed for such, or take inspiration from some of the much solo modules in D&D (Going all the way back to 1e). Not sure if there were any 'official' official ones, but certainly have been ones published in Dungeon Magazine. I know of a few official duet modules, designed for one player and one DM.
I think the closest recently to an 'official' solo play is D&D Beyond's Before the Storm a Guided D&D Adventure but it's more a Choose Your Own Adventure (which most of the Dungeon Modules were as well, with some extra dice rolling- there are also actual D&D Choose your own adventure books).
Do folk have tips for solo emergent play? I imagine it'll be harder with D&D versus a TTRPG designed for it, but there are definitely lots of tables we can draw from to randomise play. More if you borrow from older editions as well.
I do not play solo, so this information is a bit second hand. My understanding from other forum threads and this Ginny Di video is that the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox (DMs Guild Link) and line of products are seen as the definitive guide and toolset for solo D&D play. This product is consistently ranked in the top 3 in popularity on DMs Guild, and I’ve seen it a few times ar the top slot.
I can out vouch for it myself as I have not read it, but, given its acclaim, probably a good place to start if one was interested in solo play.
You could always share your adventures in Story & Lore : Discuss the lore of the worlds of D&D and share your own stories or character backgrounds!
We're unlikely to ever make a forum specifically for solo play or tales from the table, but we do have space you can share them. You could also write a blog and share it.
Also I'm curious, has the community come up with solo rules on how to play? I don't think there are any official solo rules for D&D. But there are certainly tips and tricks people could share with each other or take from solo TTRPGs designed for such, or take inspiration from some of the much solo modules in D&D (Going all the way back to 1e). Not sure if there were any 'official' official ones, but certainly have been ones published in Dungeon Magazine. I know of a few official duet modules, designed for one player and one DM.
I think the closest recently to an 'official' solo play is D&D Beyond's Before the Storm a Guided D&D Adventure but it's more a Choose Your Own Adventure (which most of the Dungeon Modules were as well, with some extra dice rolling- there are also actual D&D Choose your own adventure books).
Do folk have tips for solo emergent play? I imagine it'll be harder with D&D versus a TTRPG designed for it, but there are definitely lots of tables we can draw from to randomise play. More if you borrow from older editions as well.
There's a few unofficial rule sets like DM Yourself
2. Use an oracle. An oracle is a DM simulation that outputs different prompts for setting a scene or different responses to questions by rolling dice. A good example is the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox (DM's Guild)
3. Use a combination of an oracle and a published adventure for a full party. For this you usually play more than one PC or a PC with a sidekick. A great example is using DM Yourself (DriveThruRPG) with Dragon of Icespire Peak
Option #1 is the easiest, but most restrictive. I like all three for different situations.
The average D&D player doesn't understand solo play. The best place I've found for discussions is reddit's solo roleplaying subreddit.
For my solo games I've combined what I like in Ironsworn, D&D, and Shadowdark.
I use Ironsworns moves and oracles to help me drive the story forward. I use the ability score modifiers as my stats, because that's all that really matters. I've mostly switched to Shadowdark for the actualy play, D&D has too much stuff to keep track of in solo. But sometimes if I want a more heroic adventure I'll use 5e.
I would suggest skip Gloomhaven and go for Five Leagues From the Borderlands. It's a great solo experience, and sometimes better than group play.
I don't see a forum section for solo play and I tried to search solo but it said there's nothing in the forum which I know isn't true. I've made a post about it. The forum could use a solo section. Anyhow, who's doing solo and are you using offial solo rules or winging it or what?
Leia.
Jokes aside, I'm not the fondest of 1 on 1.
I do make characters I never plan to use unless I'm in Tomb of Annihilation or another character mill module/have a very permissive DM/site devs fix a ton of spells, especially 3rd-party & 2024 ones, that I want to run for thematic reasons(Sorcerous Burst, 2024 Chromatic Orb, 2024 Chaos Bolt, Hellfire, Vengeful Blade, Claws of Darkness(Why does this one not scale with level?), etc.), though. So I guess that's a form of solo play.
2. Use an oracle. An oracle is a DM simulation that outputs different prompts for setting a scene or different responses to questions by rolling dice. A good example is the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox (DM's Guild)
3. Use a combination of an oracle and a published adventure for a full party. For this you usually play more than one PC or a PC with a sidekick. A great example is using DM Yourself (DriveThruRPG) with Dragon of Icespire Peak
Option #1 is the easiest, but most restrictive. I like all three for different situations.
I think they were just listing three basic ways, most commonly used, including one you mentioned as well. As we can see from other comments there seems to be other ways and suggestions too, but have less developed community tools.
I don't see a forum section for solo play and I tried to search solo but it said there's nothing in the forum which I know isn't true. I've made a post about it. The forum could use a solo section. Anyhow, who's doing solo and are you using offial solo rules or winging it or what?
The board game “Gloomhaven” is basically exactly what you’re looking for. Can be played alone or with friends.
It’s kinda pricy though at $110+ iirc. But it’s been on my list forever because of the rave reviews and apparently the strong replay value (lots of diff scenarios). Disclaimer, I haven’t played it. Just had it recommended to me many times. https://100001****/
The dndbeyond forum search is absolutely terrible (IMO), so don't expect much from it.
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Why does the forum need a section for solo play? Forums are explicitly for conversing with other people. If you want to solo play D&D, just open up a google doc and write down what happens?
Unless you mean one DM, one player (commonly called 'duet')? In which case I'm pretty sure that falls under Play by Post.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
There are people that give some adventures a run through solo to get a feel for them, but I'd say most of the people you'll find on the forums don't go for solo play. There ar communities, whether online or local, that have games cropping up all the time - some learning games, some for more experienced players.
If you're looking for lots of conversation around pure solo play it will be tough to find probably. However, if you're looking for a group to play with, I'd recommend checking out the section in the forums here for it (Looking for Groups); I'd also recommend checking out any local game stores in your area, after school clubs (if you're in school), or even official DnD Adventure's League information.
I'm not currently running any online games, but if that changes in the future and you're interested in playing with a group, shoot me a PM and I'll keep you in the loop of when I may start one up.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Just because folks want to play the game solo does not mean they do not want to talk with others about their solo games. The OP is not asking for a place to play solo games - they are asking for a place to discuss them. I presume that, just like any other method of playing D&D, users want to nerd out over what they have done (perhaps more so, since there is no one else at your table to share in the jubilations), ask questions, discuss how to run the game, etc. I have never played solo, but I expect the gameplay is different enough that folks might want a specialized forum where the primary readers and responders are knowledgeable on solo play. The fact that threads on solo play pop up every so often clearly shows there is some desire to discuss this type of game--D&D Beyond's current forums do not really promote that discussion with the present categories.
That said, while I do not think we should be outright dismissing the idea of solo play users wanting to talk with one another, I do think this comes down to a cost benefit analysis of whether such a forum section would provide sufficient utility to D&D Beyond. Even though there is clearly some popularity to solo play (the Solo Adventurer's Toolkit is consistently in the top 3 most popular books in DMs Guild), I am not sure we have seen enough activity on the site to justify it. Solo play threads appear every couple of months, but they are not so ubiquitous to believe there would be a large number of folks using a solo play forum (even counting in that the creation of such a forum would spur additional discussion).
I was very obviously replying under the assumption they were talking about a forum for playing solo games, not discussing them........
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
So, i have done some solo-play, but it was before 5E, so i wasn't using official rules or anything.
It was during 4E, and i was testing out encounters and map hazard stuff i made. I was pretty much winging it, managing 4 characters and the monsters. Was a lot of work, but it was good i did, because i way over tuned the encounter and my players would have hated it without adjustment.
The only other Adjacent thing i did, was roll up a character, then play through a small combat, taking notes then turning it into a story. Thought the dice would give me something more real and thrilling to write then my imagination alone, but that was not the case. I was rolling so hot that i burned the foes down in no time.
I ended up just keeping the character for an NPC next time i DMed. Solo play has always been a mixed bag for me. Either lots of effort, or it was so dissapointing in other respects. Might try it again to see how builds work in hypothetical combat if i start joining some of the tougher tables again.
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World
How would that even work? Solo is alone, you don't need a forum for playing it. That makes as much as sense as a grasshopper in the artic.
Yes, I know, hence my perplexed response to your question:
But I'm assuming based on your response you mean a section dedicated to discussing solo play, which seems like a niche topic for an entire forum section.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
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ModeratorYou could always share your adventures in Story & Lore : Discuss the lore of the worlds of D&D and share your own stories or character backgrounds!
We're unlikely to ever make a forum specifically for solo play or tales from the table, but we do have space you can share them. You could also write a blog and share it.
Also I'm curious, has the community come up with solo rules on how to play? I don't think there are any official solo rules for D&D. But there are certainly tips and tricks people could share with each other or take from solo TTRPGs designed for such, or take inspiration from some of the much solo modules in D&D (Going all the way back to 1e). Not sure if there were any 'official' official ones, but certainly have been ones published in Dungeon Magazine. I know of a few official duet modules, designed for one player and one DM.
I think the closest recently to an 'official' solo play is D&D Beyond's Before the Storm a Guided D&D Adventure but it's more a Choose Your Own Adventure (which most of the Dungeon Modules were as well, with some extra dice rolling- there are also actual D&D Choose your own adventure books).
Do folk have tips for solo emergent play? I imagine it'll be harder with D&D versus a TTRPG designed for it, but there are definitely lots of tables we can draw from to randomise play. More if you borrow from older editions as well.
D&D Beyond ToS || D&D Beyond Support
Back in 1e, I did what would be called solo play today, I guess.
used the random tables to generate a dungeon on the fly, and then navigate your characters through it. they were used by several of the folks I knew back then for just playing to play.
Then, shortly after the CYOA books were released by TSR, there was a whole CYOA type set up in Dragon Magazine, as well.
so there are some elements around it from older editions, but I don’t recall anything from 2e, 4e, or 5e that I have seen with any depth.
might put that on my side burner once things calm down for me.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
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ModeratorI was actually thinking of some of the 1e tables, as they had quite a few more tables for generating encounters along a map and respawn rates and such, even down to character generation.
A rogue like dungeon could be quite easy to emulate via random tables including room generation tables (In fact I think the early Rogue game that inspired the whole 'roguelike' genre was itself inspired partially by AD&D and was called Rogue as it was a solo PC, not the party). A lot of the techniques you can use for a sandbox game you could used for an emergent solo game. I once considered trying to make some automated randomisers through excel, but as I was not playing a sandbox game anytime soon, and here were premade generators that worked for what I wanted, I decided against doing so. (There's also something not quite as fun when clicking a button to get instant results instead of rolling through the tables and slowly building up what happens).
D&D's a bit more complex than most solo TTRPGs, but I could see that working, if you like telling stories from randomised events (Similar concept to playing games like Dwarf Fortress, or actual solo TTRPGs).
D&D Beyond ToS || D&D Beyond Support
I do not play solo, so this information is a bit second hand. My understanding from other forum threads and this Ginny Di video is that the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox (DMs Guild Link) and line of products are seen as the definitive guide and toolset for solo D&D play. This product is consistently ranked in the top 3 in popularity on DMs Guild, and I’ve seen it a few times ar the top slot.
I can out vouch for it myself as I have not read it, but, given its acclaim, probably a good place to start if one was interested in solo play.
There's a few unofficial rule sets like DM Yourself
There's three basic ways of doing solo D&D:
1. Use a module written for solo play. These are sometimes called gamebooks. Some examples: The Saint's Tomb (itch.io) or Death Knight's Squire (DM's Guild).
2. Use an oracle. An oracle is a DM simulation that outputs different prompts for setting a scene or different responses to questions by rolling dice. A good example is the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox (DM's Guild)
3. Use a combination of an oracle and a published adventure for a full party. For this you usually play more than one PC or a PC with a sidekick. A great example is using DM Yourself (DriveThruRPG) with Dragon of Icespire Peak
Option #1 is the easiest, but most restrictive. I like all three for different situations.
https://sayeth.itch.io/
The average D&D player doesn't understand solo play. The best place I've found for discussions is reddit's solo roleplaying subreddit.
For my solo games I've combined what I like in Ironsworn, D&D, and Shadowdark.
I use Ironsworns moves and oracles to help me drive the story forward. I use the ability score modifiers as my stats, because that's all that really matters. I've mostly switched to Shadowdark for the actualy play, D&D has too much stuff to keep track of in solo. But sometimes if I want a more heroic adventure I'll use 5e.
I would suggest skip Gloomhaven and go for Five Leagues From the Borderlands. It's a great solo experience, and sometimes better than group play.
Leia.
Jokes aside, I'm not the fondest of 1 on 1.
I do make characters I never plan to use unless I'm in Tomb of Annihilation or another character mill module/have a very permissive DM/site devs fix a ton of spells, especially 3rd-party & 2024 ones, that I want to run for thematic reasons(Sorcerous Burst, 2024 Chromatic Orb, 2024 Chaos Bolt, Hellfire, Vengeful Blade, Claws of Darkness(Why does this one not scale with level?), etc.), though. So I guess that's a form of solo play.
There's more than 3 ways
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ModeratorI think they were just listing three basic ways, most commonly used, including one you mentioned as well. As we can see from other comments there seems to be other ways and suggestions too, but have less developed community tools.
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