Last week, I started a sort of solo adventure using the Mythic Game Mastery emulator, along with several other tools like a random encounter generator and a calendar and weather table. I'm also using random name generators and random fantasy language generators from a website called Chaotic Shiny.
I was also using published adventures that I had copies of, but hadn't read. That way there's a sort of ongoing story that not even I'm aware of.
I basically rolled the most realistic version of myself possible using "Modern human" as a race, which I found in one of those old D&D mags. I started out as a level-0 character with ability scores at or below 10, except for 11 Strength and 12 Constitution (because I'm a little physically active.)
This is a summary of everything that's happened to me in-game so far, for anyone that's interested. It's been a pretty fun project, and I'd highly recommend anyone who's without a group to give it a try if they want to solo-play some D&D!
Jayden Brown
>Woke up in a riverbed, uncertain of where I am >Eventually gained my bearings and got lost in a wood, but eventually found an overlook that helped me spot smoke in the distance >Wandered east for a couple days, basically hiding under logs and shit for shelter when I rest >(I lucked out because later I would come to find that there are bears and monsters and shit in these woods.) >Eventually come to the edge of town >I can't understand their language, it sounds sort've Scandanavian or something >But they are outright hostile towards me at first, holding up farming tools at me defensively >One of the village elders seems to tell the people not to harm me, but not to welcome me either. >I spend a couple of days begging for work. Most people can't even make out what I'm trying to say through simple gestures >Eventually, an old woman gives me a job working on her farm >I perform basic labor on her small, 3 acre farm. Milking chickens, getting cow eggs, that whole thing. >She pays me a couple copper pieces a day, and I manage to "borrow" a chicken egg on occassion, which is just enough to get by >Stay in the local tavern's stables for a copper a night. It's summer, so it's not unpleasant >Continue this for a couple of months, gradually learning a few key words of the language >Spend each of my off days with the old woman, learning pieces and parts of their culture >After every five days of work, I would roll to see if I could gain a point towards my physical ability scores, once I had enough points to surpass my current Strength, I could increase it by 1
Isaac Carter
>Then it happens, up until now the random events have been mundane or insignificant enough that they are dealt with by local guard before I even see them >One day, I am having dinner with the other farmhands, when a figure stumbles into town from the north >We race over to see it is a traveling merchant. He's been badly beaten and can hardly move >I can't understand what he's saying, but the others say he was attacked by brigands on the road >A small crowd is gathering around, seeing what all the fuss is about >I realize that this is my chance, I might be able to seize gold, fame, and renown for this "quest". >I immediately set out, all of the villagers basically call me an idiot.
>In my downtime, I didn't have time to scavenge gear, so when I get to the scene of the attack, I carefully scout the area and manage to piece together some equipment >I basically have a leather jack and a spear, and a bag slung over my shoulder. >I spend the next four days scouting out the area surrounding the town of Pimerden >My first kill is some sort of wolf-rat creature, I build a small fire and cook it that night, contemplating the situation I'm in >Eventually, I find a small ruin to the northeast that looks to be a likely hideout >there looks to be a watchman's fire, but when I sneak up, I realize that there's no one on guard >Sneak around for a bit to find that they weren't bandits that attacked the merchant's caravan, but some sort of mind-controlled thralls >Just as I'm about to leave, I find a room with a few caged slaves, I immediately let them free and try to convince them to follow me >Out of the dozen or so of them, only one wants to stay >A fat, elderly man named Edwin. He seems to have a neutral opinion of me, so it must be his curiosity that leads him to follow me >Armed with simple weapons, we go deeper into the ruins
Christian Thompson
>Carefully, we sneak around and dispatch the thralls, one by one. >One manages to stick me pretty good in the arm, but we wrestle him to the ground and tie him up, before putting him in the cage back on the first floor >Eventually, we come to the entrance of a large room, I get that "Boss battle coming up" feeling, so I tell Edwin to hold on >Together we set up a couple of primitive traps in the hallways, covering the floor in flamable oil, and a tripwire, using rope and tension to thrust a spear >Once we're ready, we enter the room >Inside is a big naga/lamia/medusa like monster named Sorag, she immediately attacks. She tries mind controlling Edwin, but he's already negated it once in the past 24 hours >She tries it on me as well, but I barely succeed the check. >She slashes and attacks as we run back for the hallway, where she sets off the tripwire and we light the fire. >After taking fucktons of damage, she back up and waits for the fire to subside >We charge back into the room, and start layin' it on her. She scratches both of us all up, but at last we manage to wrestle her to the ground >We tie her up and put her in the cage with the thrall and with the help of the escaped slaves manage to pull her back to town >The village elder sends aid from another town to send a priest, and I am compensated for my troubles >I make a few handfuls of silver, and Edwin trades some of the treasures we found in the ruins >I ask him if he wants to join me in becoming an adventurer. He basically says I'm stupid if I think he's not going to take his newfound gold and buy a cottage where he can live peacefully
Now I'm contemplating whether I should scout out more areas or just head directly to this town in the north, it's apparently a couple days travel by road, and the road was previously safe. But how safe can it really be if caravans are being ambushed by monsters and shit? Just taking a peek at the random encounter list, it could be a liesurely walk, or death.
Aaron Williams
Sounds boring as fuck honestly
Jaxson Gomez
Travel to the North. No need to wander aimlessly through the wilderness for free.
Liam Robinson
This it's pretty neat.
Maybe wait for g the next caravan to pass through and follow them?
Angel Lee
Take the risk and go to the northern town, you're an adventurer not a farmer
Gavin Campbell
Oh and don't go by yourself, wait for a caravan to pass by and ask to join them. Two days on foot in unknown territory is less dangerous if you're in company. In the meantime, work to increase your physical stats
Christian Fisher
I think I might do that. Either waiting for the next caravan or for someone to be heading north. Based on how the system works, I could start asking around to see if anyone is interested in heading out that way. There isn't any other route of town, and no other nearby settlements that I know of.
Setting out into a new territory is going to be strange because I have no idea what to expect. I'm going from "temperate forest" spawn lists to open plains and hills, plus whatever random encounter list is in the back of the adventures up there.
I think I might purchase some proper gear and train before embarking.
It's actually pretty fun, and a decent alternative, if you don't have a group to play with. It's fun to see the results of the dice, then interpret what they might mean for the story. You just have to have an imagination.
