Play Basic D&D Solo!!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ย. 2018
- Join me as I demonstrate how you can send a party through Mike Carr's Dungeon Module B1 "In Search of the Unknown" (1979) ... no DM required!
(Spoiler: we only get through one room in this vid.)
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I want to start play D&D but none of my friend's play it and since we are 30+ they have ''better thing's to do'' so i will try learn play alone because i love pc D&D basic games and want to try real D&D. Thank you for this video, you have nice voice to listen
It's weird that nobody has "better things to do" when it comes to hobbies like gardening, sports, watching movies, shopping .... etc
Research roll 20 and discord.
Roll 20 is a online dungeons and dragons tabletop simulator that you can play with other people and discord is kind of like Skype but with servers and stuff and text channels it’s kind of a social media you can play with tons of people if you find the right discord server for dungeons and dragons.
The more I watch your videos the more I think about buying a crochet hook as a gaming accessory.
I'm thinking the same thing.
@@johnmc703 i have a broken antenna from an old radio that serves the same function
Note; it is a magic item, hook of pointing and waving +1.
This fellow, Gary Gygax. That is the best thing I’ve heard in a while. I was wanting to get into role playing, so I checked into this game, Dungeons and Dragons, which I understand to be a popular entry in the field. 😀
I can’t find a group to play D & D with, so solo is an option. Great video! Thanks!!
So glad I found this and your channel. Been wanting to play DND for years but no one I know plays. I have been reading and trying to figure out how to solo and you channel is a godsend! I’ve spent 3 hrs watching your videos tonight!!!
Wow! I’m so glad you found the channel as well. I have tons of content on solo RPG as you have noticed. If there is something specific you have questions about feel free to ask & if I can answer in this format I will certainly try to do so. Enjoy!
I have not been to TH-cam for some time and I'm amazed by your channel! It's really a special place for me. Each video is a delightful discovery! Thank you Geek Gamers
Miguel Salgueiro What a lovely compliment! Thank you so very much. It is gratifying to know people appreciate my rather eclectic content.
it only took me 40yrs to find this. Thanks for the inspiration and ideas for trying solo ;)
:)
Seeing those character sheets brought back 36 year old memories.
You have one of the best voices on TH-cam.
I've started learning D&D and was about to give up as the community here is sparse at best. But I love your technique of using dice to determine what you encounter! You've inspired me to continue learning!! I'd love to come back to more of your video's when I know more about the game
Greg Dowell Thanks so much for your comment. If you are new to D&D and it’s a lot to learn there are other systems (such as Basic Fantasy, for example) that are a bit less overwhelming with stats. I’ve got vids on them and also some other vids on d&d NPCs.
This is really nice. I've played Solo a lot, but with bespoke solo modules or things like Mythic GM emulator. I've learnt alot here in terms of transforming all my old D&D modules into solo adventures... I will try this during the lockdown.
Glad to hear that and thanks for watching and commenting.
These are so inspiring. I hope to eventually get playing despite being in a very different situation than I was 30 years ago when I forced my friends into Castle Amber.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video! And great timing, with the holidays upon us.
Love your vids! Lots of great info to be found on your channel!
Dunno if you've ever checked it out, but if you want a minimalist yet revised version of B/X basic D&D rules, along with a extra monster manuals, some big adventures, etc, then you can just download the PDFs from their site (basicfantasy.org). It fixes a few problems early D&D, making it even easier. No THAC0 calcs, for example. I also appreciate they kept it all true to the old red box stuff, down to the font.
You can also order them super cheap, in print-on-demand, at cost from Amazon if you want. As in 3 to 4 dollars per book. Or just stick with the freebie PDFs and print yourself.
NefariousKoel Thanks for the note. I downloaded Basic Fantasy years ago-think I have the second edition-but never did anything with it. I should get it out again and give it a look.
@@GeekGamers01 It notably cleaned up some of the glaring issues of the basic d&d series. Such as demi-human character levels stopping early, around level 12 IIRC, and other minor messiness.
NefariousKoel Thanks for mentioning it. I will definitely dig through my game stuff and pull it out.
Basic Fantasy is pretty okay. The author of BF moved on to create Iron Falcon, which is better for too many reasons to mention here. However, the clearest, truest, representation of the rules is Delving Deeper, which can be downloaded for free.
I really enjoy the content that you have created .🙂
Thank you so much! If this is your first time around the channel, you might check out my playlists (tons of solo RPG if that’s what you’re into). And I love suggestions for material to cover as well.
Holmes basic was my intro into the hobby great to see that rulebook in your video !
I take my printouts of the monster listings and tape them to 5x7 index cards. Almost all monster descriptions fit -- ALMOST all, I'm looking at you Companion set undead -- and it's very handy for reference during the game!
I'm loving your videos! Didn't started yet in solo RPG gaming, but we do have a nice Facebook group for Brazilian gamers. Your videos are very useful, thanks!
Wonderful Thanks for commenting. I'm not on Facebook at all but I know there's a lot of activity there in the gaming world. Glad you are enjoying my content.
The Goodman Games OAR of B1 and B2 has the Wandering Monster roll every two turns on the Lower Level of the dungeon. It's based on the brown cover 1979/1981 version of the module. The copy of the older yellow cover 1979 version has every three turns. So it would seem they revised it to every two turns on the lower level to make it slight more difficult
this is a delight and you have inspired me to try my own solo adventure
lowe505 I love to hear that, wonderful!
I just ran my first solo Basic D&D adventure (with 4 characters, using the Zenopus “module” at the back of the Holmes book). I relied on the Rules Cyclopedia quite heavily (adjusted with a few house rules to streamline the experience a bit), together with a simple oracle table (I used the Scarlet Heroes one, which - to me - is the most straightforward table available on the market). And I also used the OwlBear Rodeo engine (free and easy to use: they provide token and you can upload any map you want; it makes it easier to manage turns and positions when you play on your own and don’t have minifigs). I enjoyed it tremendously and would like to thank you for your videos: they showed me that solo RPG is not only entertaining, but also a wonderful way to use your imagination to immerse yourself in a story.
Great stuff & thanks for sharing it. Cheers!
"This fellow Gary Gygax."
Oh, you sweet summer child.
Was thinking exactly the same thing :D
Watching this made my day! I wish we were neighbors 😊
I've tried to use B1 solo before but couldn't figure out how to do it. I just felt a bit lost after the entrance tunnel with the magical warning voices and the crossroads with the dead adventurers. I will definitely try using it again after seeing your video. 🙂
Paul Carden Truth he told I filmed a good 10 minutes with those adventurers and edited that out. It was sooooo boring!😏
I just got my pdf's printed so excited!
Thanks for making this video!
Thanks for watching this video! ;)
It's a tricky one because you know what's coming up and how the problems are solvable in the modules. I remember that Module B1 from a lifetime ago. They used to sell them in WH Smiths even in the UK.
Dave Dogge Yes true there isn’t any fog of war but it can still be a fun journey.
That’s incredible to think they used to be sold in such a mainstream way!
I played that module over and over again when i was in high school. I remember on one occasion we went straight to the pool room (we pretty much had the map memorized) That boxed set was my first experience with dnd. Thanks so much for the play through.
I like the idea of the dominoes. I'm always amazed at your use of outside game pieces.
NPCs are a good way to generate story plots. There are really only about 36 different plots that are the basic root for all stories. Look up George Polti. It seems that those could be come a random table. There are also a couple of event generators in the mythic book. That dandy tome of yours seems like it would work well also.
Also the cards you used in your last video could give the characters a purpose. For example take 20 miscellaneous cards and draw one. This is the item you are looking for. Put it back into the deck and draw them one at a time as loot for the critters you fight. I guess you could do the same with the trinket table but it would be my luck that I wouldn't get the right trinket until the 100th monster. This solution is neat but could probably be done better in a board game.
This is the type of video I love from your channel. Thank you so much.
Rob Harris Thanks, Rob. What great memories to have of playing this in high school! I really wanted to play d&d when I was a kid but at that time it was really, really tough for a girl to find a welcoming group.
I wish I had shown the domino concept more but the vid got long quickly.
You are definitely right about NPCs and plot and your suggestion about cards/item is a good one. That’s why I tend to give my characters trinkets-you can build a lot into a little. Glad you enjoyed the vid.
"Trinket Table" added to my custom random tables used for solo play, thanks!
Excellent! :)
The old ways are best. With all the roll charts and blank areas, solo is much easier here (cf Red Box). It is also better for groups in that the same area or adventure changes with each attempt, even party revisits makes for a 'Living ...' world. / '... beings of low intelligence that appear to be human-like hyenas.' Yes, these things bread like rabbit and they are everywhere these days, esp here in the Al Gore Nexus. (It was Gnome transmutingeninators working in cahoots with stone troll witches that first made the Gnolls from hyenas and goblinmen, mixing their blood together in laboratories of arcane madness to produce these and other monsters: this is the truth).
The domino time passage healing technique is brilliant!
Mark V Maloney Thanks! Was sorry I didn’t show more of it but another time perhaps...
Hello Deborah, thanks for all the great content you produce! Always waiting for your next videos. And actually, I am coming more from the boardgame side (Dungeon Degenerates, Dark Venture) but now get more curious about RPGs and similar. And for this, I need your guidance. My wife would once love to try D&D or what people image being D&D (Dungeon master, adventurer, rolling dice, character evolution, etc.). Now, it will only be her and me (and I am a level 0 danger master). what would be a first game we could test the waters to see if we like it? something with simple set up, short playing time and very easy on the DM? Would you have a few tips for us? Thanks, Deborah!!!
Glad you enjoy the content. Perhaps Scarlet Heroes… it’s useful in that it has stats for a lone adventurer as well as story ideas for a GM. The downside is that it isn’t typical d&d fantasy…. You will find some familiar monsters but also some Asian-themed ones…. I have a few vids on the system. Write back if you can’t find them! Good luck
I'm running a solo game based in Keep on the Borderlands - the oracle keeps pulling me out of the dungeon and a lot of the stuff it comes up with is often better than what's actually in the module. Given what module it is, that's high praise. For instance, it added and then destroyed an entire halfling village and turned the halflings undead.
Tunnels and Trolls is another “old school” D+D alternative with many lauded solitaire adventures, available on drivethrurpg.
T+T has a very similar feel to D+D, but it’s simple system is supposed to be well suited to solitaire play.
Thanks again for another great video. You have covered a lot of books on various videos that you use for RPG designs, D&D designs, and designing/playing solo. Do you have a list of these books in one place? Perhaps on BGG? Thanks again, please keep them coming. :)
Ray Barron I don’t have such a list, no, but I have been considering doing a video that briefly discusses my most often used resources.
@@GeekGamers01 That would be great! Thanks.
Ray Barron stay tuned. I’m thinking of a list already... will be easy to do
34:45 Wizard *dies of 1d4 Gnoll damage
Thanks for beautiful content! Have you seen warhammer quest games? There a lot of monster behavior ideas and this games design for out of GM mode.
Dmitriy Glad you enjoyed and thanks for commenting. I have done a video on the original Warhammer Quest Role Play (not using game pieces) and yes am aware of-but don’t own-the more recently released board games. They look great indeed but I don’t want to assemble the minis so I hade stayed away...
I’ve filmed a segment on the old board game but it’s an incomplete vid that got interrupted by life so will remain in the can.
I liked this; I'm just kind of discovering D&D so I'm going through all these backlogs trying to understand things in my own peculiar way. This video is an invaluable resource for me so thank you for making it.
NotTheWheel Glad you enjoyed and thanks for the comment!
That old "precision" d10 you have looks very much like the big ones which used to come in old Game Designers Workshop (GDW) games. I think they had a little single "G" letter on one of the faces (zero or one side?), which I now know is likely Gamescience's maker mark.
I recall having a few, of differing colors, from various GDW titles from the late '80s. A light green one from Twilight:2000. Gray from 2300AD. Probably more from others. Nostalgic! I don't recognize the black, but they may have been randomized to some extent.
NefariousKoel My black one actually comes from a slightly later game: James Bond Assault! (from 1986).
@@GeekGamers01 I'm always curious about the origin of old distinct game dice.
Interesting - I never new VG/AH to include such fancy dice in their games. Must've been the odd one out.
38:04 Adjustments to morale roll on the gnoll might have been good. +1 or +2 for the hp wounds perhaps.
OMG, "...This fellow Gary Gygax." That was great. He would have LOVED that. His whole philosophy of gaming was to allow the DM to create their own world. About time, if you have not seen it, you should check out Dungeon Crafts chanel, he is kinda brutal about moving things along.
Thank you so much; this is tremendously helpful!! I am about to try this module myself, having now absorbed the basic rules. A bit of a stupid query if I may: when you have a 60% chance to find gold pieces on a dead monster, you need to roll at least 40 with a D100 right? Just want to make sure 😅
So glad you enjoyed it. To answer your question... if you have a 60% chance of finding something, any roll between 1-60 on a d100 will be a 'success'--so you would find that gold if you rolled anything up to 60 on a d100 (not up to 40). Sometimes I've seen rules written where you would need to roll between 1-59.... when I play I would use 1-60.
Thank you very much, it's super clear now (my inability to absorb basic maths is now legendary...!!) :)
Interesting
Really interesting actually
I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I would definitely recommend the book Old School Essentials, if you are interested in B/X D&D at all. It preserves all of the original rules like they were in 1981, but it formats it so that all relevant information to each topic is spread out on 2 pages, so you can lay the book flat and have all the info right in front of you. No more flipping around to find all the little combat rulings. It's purely a formatting upgrade, but for me it speeds up play significantly.
Yes those are wonderful products and I do have them but unfortunately only the electronic editions. I'm afraid some of them are no longer available in print form at all, which is a shame.
@@GeekGamers01 You can get the newer edition in print from the author's website, although printing is currently delayed due to the current events. I'm still waiting to get my "rules tome" edition, which compiles the rules into one big book.
I got the solo D&D TSR 3.0 solo compedium book that they did with a few good official solo adventures. I recommend that. Isn't the mini adventure you got in the D&D red box set fom the 1980s where the female NPC cleric solo also ? It was a lifetme ago since I played it.
I didn't know there was a compendium book but I will look for it. I do have a few of the solo adventures they released... had considered doing a short vid playing a few paragraphs but never have gotten around to it.
@@GeekGamers01 maybe just the first few tsr modules not necessarily solo ones
Thanks you very much for this video! I'd find module b1, load pdf after see that. For a long time I could not find the exact name of the module before.
Glad it was helpful!
Nice!
interesting solo one thing I noticed was that you gave the 3rd level cleric three spells when they only get two first level spells- clerics dont get spells ad first level.
that poor gnoll staggering under the weight of his 5,000gp no wonder he struggled to fight ;)
How would the bats have effected combat with the gnoll?
What printer are you using? The scans look great!
Hmm. Hard to say. Just some random laser printer I'm sure. Using extra white paper is impt.
Is there a way to copy the original blue Holmes basic book
I can't imagine B1 being a great option for solo play. It says "Minimal preparation" for the DM. Not true. It's a design your own adventure learning module with tons of empty spaces for the DM to fill in.
There are several online random generators might give you some flexibility, although doing the work yourself is more rewarding perhaps.
usapatriot4163 Yes I do find that doing the work myself is part of the enjoyment but you are correct: there is TONS of content online to give you a random almost anything!
I can't find the place that makes the copy of the original blue basic book of the Holmes rules for dungeons and dragons. Can you send me the information on how you got that copied? This was from play basic D&D solo a year ago.
I'm sorry I just don't recall where I got this, or even when. I've had it for a while.
My Cleric got the brass ring haha first roll.
Why did your cleric start at level 3? I like this basic module for my first foray into D&D so I am about to try it.
Just because... :) I often start my characters at level 2 or 3 so that they can have more stuff. It's more enjoyable to me that way.
That’s lair treasure with that roll
What is 77 ,I would like to get the Holmes copy
I have only ever played the one solo adventure given to us in the red box set aka the B in BECMI. Watching this does not ring any bells. I guess you have homebrewed this solo system? You're right the gist of it is hard to grasp if only because the one solo adventure I know didn't have anything close to these rules. And the idea that parties can't stop to heal when they want/need to is strange to me. The thing so far (as I have yet to finish this) that surprises me most is the idea that being third level makes the character old? That's three hit dice of hp he has far more than your first level characters making him the most sturdy of the bunch. So will ninth or "name" level make him ancient? Maybe I need to start at the begining of you channels videos to get this?
The solo play on this channel is not worth premise adventures. You might start with my video “easy ways to be your own GM” as that explains some of the foundational ideas of this type of solo play.
Never saw dnd solo before
You rolled a 12, Giant Bat, but read the entry for 11, right?
I don't think so... 11/12 are sort of the same entry for bat (11) and giant bat (12).
Hi again, this question just struck me like a lightning bolt... Have you ever considered publishing on Drivethru A solo tool kit with all the tables, guides, and oracles that you felt a soloist would need, system agnostic ? I would be a guaranteed sale ! If you have already done this please point me to your product , thank you in advance.
I am working on a book. Details will be available on my channel when the time comes.
@@GeekGamers01 Awesome ! thank you !
have you ever used tarot cards or something similar for inspiration?
Great question-- I think tarot cards could be wonderful but I don't have any nor do I know anything about them, really. I suspect they would work better for someone with at least a passing familiarity with them and some context.
Wow, that's an awesome idea, that could create some great scenarios!
I've noticed that you always have pdfs printed. Do you have a trick for making them look good or do you just pay big $ for pro printing?
Alas, I pay for printing… it does add up but my personal printer is not great quality and I don’t like using digital materials when playing so…
This is cool. Your healing thing with dominoes is interesting and I'm encouraging you to do whatever you find fun, but just FYI, healing in the Holmes rules you are using (Blue Book), is only through magic (like a healing potion) or time - 1 point per day of rest. Also "time" is measured by movement or action. So you search and it takes 1 turn, or you move your move rate distance and that takes up 1 turn, etc. So keeping time in original and basic D&D is pretty straightforward and easy, as long as you don't forget to mark it off. Some people use boxes or hash marks or set up 5 dominoes - something like that.
Daniel Boggs As you see from the vid: this is house ruled.
@@GeekGamers01 Oh sure, I get that - I just got the impression you weren't sure of those particular rules and so made something up. My bad if I misunderstood.
Hi Geek Gamers! How are you? I hope you and you family are ok! I recently find a tool to run solo published adventures (that's a subject that I'm very interested), I don't know if this subject is of your interested. Nevertheless, the product is "Elminster's Guide to Solo Adventuring" (dmsguild), do you know it? Thank you in advanced.
@Miguel Salgueiro I have heard of that but don't own it. Best wishes to you as well
For me Solo means not just one player but one charcter .
It depends a whole lot on what system you're running and the nature of the adventures you want to run. For adventures where a lone character is going about, I recommend Scarlet Heroes. It is a rules system that has been revised in such a way that a single character is more powerful than your standard adventurer and gets to make multiple actions during a single round against weaker foes.
However, I'd like to point out that all old-school games had a different ideology regarding party size and a lone adventurer would never make it very far. At the very least you would have to make use of hirelings and cohorts. Whose gonna watch all your shit while you're down in the dungeon?!
5000 GP on 1 Gnoll? Nahhh. That's like 500 lbs. 5 GP would be more like it.
So, Dungeons and Dragon Quest
Wtf is gary gygax and why does have such a cool last name?
Please tell me you're joking with that question. :) (But in case not, here's a bit more about him: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gygax - tldr: co-founder of D&D and a major influence in tabletop rpgs since.)
If you're importing 3.5 or later rules for healing you miss the entire point of basic D&D along those lines.
You are running combat incorrectly. Each round every character and NPC gets an action before any characters or npcs get a subsequent action. So after the gnoll killed the wizard the thief figher and cleric would all have gotten actions before the gnoll could have attacked the cleric. It doesn't matter that you are playing solo every character is entitled to an action every round.
Dean M Yes they do. I’d have to go back and re-watch. Probably an editing error of some sort. It gets confusing to keep track of everything whilst also filming. That’s how I forgot about the bats! Thanks for pointing it out.
@@GeekGamers01 It's been a while since I played that version of the game but I also remember weapon speed was a factor. I think in that version small weapons like daggers got a second attack each round and larger weapons like Two handed Swords only got to attack every other round. In at least one of the early versions you would roll initiative each round and add the weapon speed to your roll and the lowest result would go first.
This is all a bit too silly for me. Dominoes? C'mon.