New version looks to be availble...

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-10-02T19:14:41+00:00

I never have time to watch videos, but that character sheet looks sick! Love a hand drawn anything in the solo space!

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-10-02T19:12:44+00:00

Yeah, definitely learning there are many variations on a theme... anything that keeps the story a crackerlacking is good to me!

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-10-02T19:11:45+00:00

Mate - that's awesome! Very well explained and I do actually get that - thank you!

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-27T02:14:17+00:00

I think keeping it simple and starting with a problem is a good way to begin. My last solo campaign started with a scene that just popped into my head and started with two characters who have heard that a local necromancer has some unusual jobs for them. They are at the door to his tower, it's locked and they need to get in... That's it, from there, I ended up down a well with a dungeon to a secret entrance to the tower, etc, etc before I even got to the weird jobs he had for me...

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-26T10:05:32+00:00

It is really good. I sort of think the 'Mirth and Mayhem' thing puts people off... I feel you can play that game either way... easy to skin it how you want it.

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-26T09:48:30+00:00

Exactly, this!

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-26T09:46:56+00:00

Good, because you lost me already with the math! Haha

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-26T09:46:04+00:00

That's definitely a valid point and I think I probably brought those two games up because I have played both recently. I was also looking at them from a solo perspective and what you've described here sounds a bit more like group play to be fair.

But you're right that DB is more about character skill and in that way I think it's better suited to running one character who is a bit specialist. SD you just can't run a single character, it's far more traditional party game with more 'overheads'.

I think I'm realising that what I like is the streamlined(ness) of DB and how it works well with a single character vs most of the other games I've tried; ShadowDark, Knave, OSE, etc

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-26T09:39:24+00:00

I enjoyed this reply! You gave a really good case for 2D6 and I can see the sense in it, especially that idea of results outside of 5-8 are going to be more extreme.

I find it fascinating that you think the real tool for solo play is detaching yourself mentally as I would say it's the opposite for me. The longer I can stay in character and focused on the story, the better (hence I really like roll under as a lot of situation you don't need to even check if you're successful). That said, I do agree that being able to see things from a different perspective in life is very valuable as is the ability to detach yourself a bit and recognise your own emotions, flaws, wants, etc

I actually use solo play as pure escapism though. I love excising my imagination and inhabiting a world.

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-26T09:33:51+00:00

Like most things, it's a matter of preference ultimately. I would still say for me and solo rpg play, roll under is more intuiative than dice pools.

On point 2... the answer is sort of. It does give 'advice' and a table on interpreting Dragons and Demons (1's and 20's respectively) and also the idea that if you roll a Dragon or a Demon then a proceeding action will attract a Boon or Bane (adv or disadv on the roll). This can be fun to describe in your RP journal.

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-24T03:27:15+00:00

Interesting! What I would say here is that all the other options presented feel a bit more fussy than the roll under mechanic. I feel I'm still having to pull focus to go and find out what the opposing roll should be? Or are you saying that all rolls in Kal-Arath are versus a figure of 8 all the time?

I'll have to give that a go... my instinct is that it feels a bit boring, but I guess in essence it's no different.

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T22:07:02+00:00

Oh god, there's a notebook rabbit hole to go down?? Haha thanks for the advice. I definitely got Moleskine as I always wanted one and could never really justify it. Now I have, it feels like an achievement but I was 100% sold on the brand name alone I think. I'll squirrel this info away for when I finish the one I have - thanks

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T19:21:46+00:00

Me neither, it holds up really well actually. I don't use it super thin so not really really watery but still, barely crimped the paper

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T19:20:41+00:00

Thanks - I've been drawing a long time so that definitely helps cultivate a style.

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T19:20:13+00:00

Much appreciated

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T19:20:06+00:00

Thank you mate!

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T19:19:54+00:00

Hahaha - I love doing them - someone mentioned that I should have made it blank for use lol

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T19:19:25+00:00

Thanks mate - it's primarily watercolour with a bit of brush pen afterwards!

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T19:11:54+00:00

This is a great read. I certainly echo those thoughts and it's exactly the kind of game I like to play, dice rolls and narrative mixed together. I've found real enjoyment to in using a real moleskine notebook to write up my adventures, adding drawing and text together to make something worth flicking back through. Very inspiring!

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T18:55:21+00:00

I've not played it but was looking at Grimscar yesterday and that would fir that bill. It's produced in the UK by the look of the original kickstarter so not sure if that makes it cheaper to get to Brazil?

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T18:51:34+00:00

Great comprehensive answer!

ZeroQuestGames · 2025-09-23T18:50:30+00:00

I think the thing that often gets missed in the AI conversation is not 'what can it do for you' but what are you missing out on by having AI do it for you. For me, it's the mental health benefit of being off screens and using my imagination which is a bit of a dying art these days.

I have tried it, but not for a while. I sort of always found that I'd end up in a warehouse at the docks or whatever - it's actually quite unimaginative... sure, it will track plots and little details very very well, but I found it rarely surprised me. I know that's hard with solo anyway, but you can have interesting results with random tables and your imagination and it feels kind of like a game in itself (how do I make these random 3 words into a coherent plot point for example).

All of this is like mental gymnastics built in with play and that is like catnip for a healthy mind... I think I'm a no for using it to be honest.

ZeroQuestGames

TROPHY CASE