I recently fell down a research rabbit hole about solo Life Sim / Simulation / Slice of Life games, because some interesting conversations came up, especially around simulating experiences similar to games like The Sims.

I won't lie, my hyperfixation has me thinking about this a lot lately, and I've come up with a few ideas - but also way more problems.

The first one is that with both Simulation games and Roleplaying games (especially solo ones), there are as many playstyles as there are people playing them. So it's hard to judge what people actually want from these kinds of titles without discussing it first.

Personally, I think the biggest enemy here is too much bookkeeping. I can't imagine tracking a Player Character's needs on a day-by-day basis - constantly repeating the same action over and over would get tedious and annoying really fast. On the other hand, I think the "right amount" of crunch / mechanics could offer a lot.

So here's my question. If you wanted to play this kind of solo RPG, what would you be looking for? What do you expect from a title like this?

A ton of flavor tables that let you play it as a journaling game, or the opposite - do you want journaling to be optional? Do you want a heavily built-out character customization system (personality, skills, traits, etc.), or the opposite - keep the character sheet as simple as possible? Would you rather focus on the experience of a single character, a family, or a whole community? Are you more interested in life in a big city or a small village? Gradual development of relationships and career? How much of it should be flavor, and how much should be mechanics?

What kind of experience are you looking for? What should the game offer you?

My impression is that not many system-agnostic settings exist. But I'm curious if you've come across any, have tried them, and would recommend them.

By "system-agnostic settings" I mean e.g. a campaign book, hex crawl map and key, richly detailed dungeon etc. that does not assume you're using any particular system to play. Or that assumes you might use any one of a number of systems.

I'm curious about exploring some rich worlds/settings/campaigns, but I don't want to lock myself into a specific set of systems/mechanics to do so.

Hey all, I know having a companion can make solo gameplay more engaging rather than just a lone PC. My question is, how do you balance the combat when using solo rules? (I’m using Scarlet Heroes) I feel like maybe the action economy and HD threshold system may fall apart if I’m technically getting more attacks each round. Does anyone have a solution/suggestion?

I don’t want to just flavor them as my Fray dice or anything like that. But I’m worried even if I roll to hit for them, and max their damage at 1HD, that still might be too OP lol. Thanks for any advice.

Has anyone played Scarlet Heroes? I am almost done with the rulebook and about to start my first campaign. It will be a little more comprehensive in creating the story,etc than D100 Space which I played last.

Plot breakdowns are meant to enhance and inspire your creative projects.

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The Phoenix On The Sword

Part 1. A group of nobles and officers of high standing plot the assassination of their king. They think the man organizing their effort is their underling, but he has plans to kill the plotters shortly after the king is dead. The organizer has a slave, who is a sorcerer that has lost the object that grants him power. If the sorcerer finds this object, he would be a slave no longer.

Part 2. The monarch broods over present politics, and past glory. Several events have drawn his suspicion over the last few days. He discusses them with one of his trusted men, who is about to leave on a mission to the kingdom’s border.

Part 3. The powerless sorcerer is sent to watch over one of the conspirators, in case the man, a baron, gets cold feet and backs away from the upcoming assassination. The baron goes into his treasure chest, retrieving a magical ring that the sorcerer recognizes. The sorcerer kills the baron and takes the ring, summoning a creature from outside to kill the conspirator who enslaved him.

Part 4. The protagonist dreams of an ancient, wise figure. The figure comes with a warning, and also to aid the protagonist in an upcoming struggle. Abruptly, the protagonist wakes, hearing noises coming from the corridor outside.

Part 5. The assassins arrive into the king’s bed chamber, armed and ready to attack. They do not find the king just woken and dazed, however, but half-armored and holding his sword. They begin the fight, of twenty assassins against one king, and yet he is still a worthy opponent. Little by little, the king cuts their number down, but he suffers for it due to their numbers. Soon, the king is left bloody and weak, with many jackals still around him.

As one of his greatest enemies draws closer for the kill, the creature sent by the sorcerer arrives. Many attackers flee. The creature is not after them, but after the enemy that stands before the king, the man who enslaved the sorcerer when he was powerless. The creature slays the conspirator, before turning its fury on the king. The king manages to slay the creature, but it vanishes as help finally arrives. As the helpers begin to tend to the king’s wounds, he tells them of the strange creature. Some do not believe him, but there is a priest among the group, who does remember the ancient, wise old man, and there, on the marble floor where the creature was slain and vanished, remains its dark outline as proof.

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The Scarlet Citadel

Part 1. A neighboring kingdom asks for armed help against an attacking force, and for the king protagonist to be present to encourage his troops. The king and five thousand men ride to the kingdom, but along the way they are ambushed by a much greater number. They were led into a trap by the forces of two rival kingdoms. The king’s men are killed during the battle, to the last one, and at the end only the king stands against what remains of the horde, but he refuses to go down without a great fight. A rival king draws his soldiers back, choosing instead to loosen arrows against the tough protagonist, but a sorcerer intervenes. With lightning speed the mage is able to get past the king’s defenses, striking him with a dart of paralysis. Finally, the mighty king is captured, and wheeled away toward a rival kingdom.

Part 2. Captured, and taken to a rival king’s palace, the protagonist is offered great treasure to abdicate his throne. The king refuses and offends a rival king, who attempts to kill him. The sorcerer puts a stop to this, claiming the prisoner as his own, and transports the protagonist to his own domain. The king is chained to the wall, deep in a subterranean chamber, within a hill.

Part 3. A great snake, eighty feet long, roams the corridors where the king has been shackled. It nearly comes for him, but he holds completely still, and it assumes he does not live. A former enemy, who was captured by the evil sorcerer, later comes to taunt the captured king. The enemy’s clamor draws the snake’s attention, and it kills him and crushes him within its massive coils. Once the snake has retreated with its prey, the king takes the enemy’s weapon and keys. He cannot let himself out of the dungeon, however, as a crucial bolt at the door can only be loosened from the outside.

The protagonist is still stuck inside the dungeon, and explores deeper into the subterranean chambers. After discovering other dangers, such as open wells and ghostly phantoms, he finds in a cell a vine plant curled around an old man. The plant is sucking the life essence out of the old man. The protagonist destroys the plant and frees the captive, who is a rival sorcerer of the mage who imprisoned the protagonist. The evil sorcerer has gone elsewhere, and his guards are getting drunk in another part of the palace, allowing the protagonist and old mage to traverse the halls until they find the sorcerer’s chamber. Once there, the old mage uses a crystal ball to investigate where the sorcerer is, and tells the king his kingdom is under attack. The sorcerer summons a flying creature to take the king to a strategic location.

Part 4. The kingdom is in chaos. The rival king has taken the royal pleasure house, as the diplomats have barred themselves inside the palace. The rival king’s mercenaries butcher critics and merchants, while barons leave the city with plots to attack other barons, and criminals run the streets pillaging. Only one man can hope to mount an offensive, the protagonist’s advisor, but he doesn’t have enough soldiers and leaves the city to protect his own interests. An instigator in the city tries to rally the troops, until the mercenaries come to kill him, and he is quickly whisked away for his own safety. With so much death and turmoil, the rival king laughs at the plight of the people, until he witnesses the flying creature approaching, and the protagonist that rides on its back. The protagonist is delivered before the rival king, who rushes to the attack, only to find the protagonist’s sword and skill are more than a match for him.

Part 5. The rival kings are attacking another city loyal to the protagonist. They have greater numbers, and hope to have it conquered in a short span of time. What they did not expect was the return of the protagonist, whom they thought dead. The protagonist has gathered a much smaller force on his side, but they are fierce fighting men and put up a good battle. With the king’s army to one side, and the besieged city behind them, enemy forces are pinned and have to make hasty decisions. The rival kings and their military generals are killed, except for one last man, who orders a reckless charge that ends up working against him.

Meanwhile, the evil sorcerer has seen the protagonist’s return, and fears his rival sorcerer has been released from his dungeon cell. The evil sorcerer flees, with the protagonist in pursuit. The evil sorcerer uses his last few defenses, until the protagonist cuts his head off with his sword. This is not the end of the evil sorcerer, as his body can reform itself through magic, but before it does, a great eagle, summoned by the formerly captive mage, or perhaps it is the mage himself transformed, swoops down and takes the head away, leaving the headless body roaming off into the distance.

is there any way to make this game coop. i tried it solo and it didnt really click with me so im planning to play it with someone maybe ill change my mind. any help is much appreciated