A Solo Game: Session Zero

I have a hankerin’ to do some solo gaming, but I’m also gearing up for a few weeks of teaching along with directing the play and then eventually the musical, so odds are good that I won’t be able to work on much gaming stuff. We’ll see.

I have flipped through all three of my current games - Army Ants, Hack’D & Slash’D, and Stalwart ‘85, and couldn’t decide which one to play. I started a pros and cons list to see which system to go with, but ultimately decided that I should let the dice determine everything, starting with which game I’m going to play. This is the most consequential D6 roll of the entire thing: 1-2 = Army Ants, 3-4 = Hack’D, 5-6 = Stalwart ‘85. 4. Hack’D it is. Well, I can put all my dice away except for a D12 or two. Makes things simple.

There are 11 pregens in the core rules. I will use one of those. A 12 will mean that I use likelihood dice rules to determine my character… I roll D12 and get 7. I will be playing a jovial dwarf myrmidon. I decide to keep his stats, but to swap out the axe for a hammer. It’s a cosmetic change, but I already think of him as a little Thor (maybe give him a name like ‘Toren’ or ‘Tohr’ to hit the nail right on the head). He is a ‘jovial’ dwarf, so I cannot give him the classic ‘angry last dwarf of a fallen clan background’, since ‘jovial’ does not imply drunken or traumatized - it implies cheerful, friendly, and of good humor. I will use likelihoods to determine why he is adventuring to begin with… 

Searching for a lost relic? Possible. 8. Nope.

Came upon a map? Possible. 7. Nope. Hmmm. Those were my big two.

Looking for a lost family member? 3. Yep. 

Okay. I roll those same two likelihoods, and get a 2: the map. So, his uncle had a map to a hidden treasure, and went off in search of it, never returning. 

I look up some Norwegian names and like Torvin. That’s not bad. It’s a little close to Thorin from the Hobbit, so maybe I’ll look in another direction. I’ve used the names Hewn and Cairn before for dwarves. I like Cairn the most, so I stick with that. I also change around his gear a little bit, setting him up to be a little more defensive. Between his shield and his higher than normal Hits, he should be pretty durable for solo play...

Cairn Torvinson of Clan Thunderforge, Jovial Dwarf Myrmidon 1

Armor 2; Hits 12; Move 60’; Hammer (3) and Shield (2)

Might 4; Mind 1; Reflex 1

Brawler; Fortitude; Two Weapons; Warrior

Leather Armor 1; Shield; Hammer 2

He attacks at +2 with melee weapons, and deals +1 damage. He attacks with both hammer and shield each round.

I’ve decided to set him in Daggerford (the town I have used as the launching point into the Halls of Moridis), and I’ve finally decided where Daggerford goes on the official map: it’s in hex O6, on the southern bank of the river. That puts it about 10 miles south of the Ruins of Trasik, and puts the Halls of Moridis just into the Blight Mountains to the west. I think that I’ll have Cairn explore the Ruins of Trasik, looking for clues of his uncle’s whereabouts, and seeking treasures he can find. I’ve never even written up a short description of the Ruins of Trasik, so I’ll be interested to see what’s there!

Setup

He last knew that his uncle Toren (younger brother to Torvin) had set off in search of treasures. He had a map to a hidden vault in the Ruins of Trasik, near the village of Daggerford. The adventure opens as he arrives in Daggerford with 3 gp in his pocket, his payment for serving as a guard on the caravan’s journey from Fort Mistledawn.