Solo adventures?

[J-Star]

I really think the Conan RPG should have a bunch of solo adventures published. The old GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System) Conan had four solo adventures published, each one based on a different Conan story.

The best one was based on "Queen of the Black Coast" and it's a lot of fun to play. The only problem is that although it is possible to loot the ruined city and take off without Belit dying, the adventure doesn't get very interesting unless things start going really wrong, and the winged ape thing doesn't even show up unless Belit does die. I've tried to unravel the whole flowchart of the printed adventure but there are SO many sequences you'd have to sit down for about a week to figure it all out. But I have figured out that you don't get to fight the winged age, or really fight much of anything, unless Belit dies. And I personally think that sucks. A good adventure should have the potential for challenge, excitement, and a happy ending all at the same time... even if the story its based on doesn't end up that way.

(To a little off topic, I'm dying to get my hands on Robert E. Howard's Conan stories - I think I'm gonna get them from Amazon.co.uk - because I need to find out what happens in the actual story "Queen of the Black Coast". So far, I've only read the work of the later Conan authors, beginning with Robert Jordan :roll: )

Anyway, I love solo adventures, especially because I don't have a group to game with. Also, solo adventures are ideal for a Conan RPG. After all, creating your own Hyborean characters is all well and good and I look forward to it, but it pales in comparison with chance to play Conan himself. But in a group game, only one player can be Conan, and who is anyone else gonna be? Belit? Valeria? Juma the Kushite? (Was he even one of Robert E. Howard's characters?) Subotai? Akiro the wizard? (A player would have to make up stats for the last 2, because they're from the movies and not REH's stories.)

I think I've made my point. I'd just really love to see solo adventures published for the Conan RPG... especially one based on "Queen of the Black Coast" where you can loot the city, kill the winged age, fight other monsters, and still escape with Belit alive.

 

[Rhianni]

This would certainly fit in with a lot of the stories. 1 man vs something. However in a group oriented activity like an RPG it would be difficult. Also it would require mechanics to be altered.

 

[blacksagelobo]

Juma the Kushite? (Was he even one of Robert E. Howard's characters?)

No. As much as I dislike de Camp, Juma is a great character.

 

[J-Star]

Juma is definitely a great character. I think I first read about him in de Camp's summary of the Conan saga. One of the more recent Conan novels I read - which I will admit was by one of the crappiest Conan writers - also featured Juma, which was pretty cool. I wonder if de Camp was trying to make the saga more PC by introducing Juma...

Anyway, I've GOT to get my hands on REH's stories. I've read Kull and Cormac Mac Art, and they're both awesome. I can only imagine how good the original Conan stories must be, especially The Queen Of The Black Coast. I'm currently reading Conan the Rebel by Poul Anderson which is set sometime in the middle of that story. I wish there were even more stories about Conan and Belit. What a loss. But that's REH for ya, I guess. S*** happens, deal with it. That seems to be the nature of his stories.

But, back on track, solo adventures don't really change the mechanics of an RPG. I can't really describe how they work in a few words... you'd have to read or play through the GURPS "Conan and the Queen of the Black Coast" or one of the other GURPS Conan solo adventures to get what I'm talking about. The game works the same, and the adventure is written as a flowchart. You start a paragraph 1, and if you make decision A you turn to 47, or decision B you turn to 129, or something like that. Once at 47 (or 129) you might roll the dice for a Spot check or something like that. If you succeed you turn to 5, if you fail you turn to 229. And if you run into combat you make the moves and the rolls for both sides - you and your companions (if any) against the monster(s). It's a really fun way to play, IMHO, especially if you don't have a group to game with, like me The player can always cheat of course, but who does that hurt, aside from depriving the player of the excitement of the adventure.

Conan is the ideal setting for solo adventures. I'm sure lots of players are excited about created their own characters to explore the Hyborian Age... I'm one of them. But still, this is not the Hyborian Age RPG, this is the CONAN RPG. Who wouldn't want a chance to play as Conan? And how the heck does that work in a group game? MAYBE if there was only one other player, playing as Belit or Valeria. Or maybe I'm leaving out other characters. I can't wait to get my hands on this RPG.

Speaking of playing as Conan... does ANYONE have any idea what's up with the Conan video game (www.conangame.com)? They said it was supposed to be out in the 4th quarter of 2003, but it doesn't look like it will be released any time soon. :x

 

[Lobogris]

Hi,

The idea of the solo adventures is interesting J-Star. I like your points. I remember I had some fun playing solo adventures long time ago. But I much prefer create my own campaign/adventures and play it with my friends.

If you haven't read Conan by REH yet... what are you waiting! Hehe... After read Conan by Howard you won't look back!
I bought The Conan Chronicles Vol. 1 and 2 published by Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks. Really good.

Regards,

Lobogris

 

[Neo]

Personally I think solo adventures would be a good thing for any game, not every group can gather as often as some would like, or a game gets cancelled because only one or two can turn up, in these situations a solo adventure to give someone to play through or to play through yourself for fun would be great.

Pendragon from Chaosium used to have some great solo features you could do during thier games winter phase as I recall, but something a bit more organised and story filled would be great.

 

[J-Star]

I've been thinking about getting the Gollancz series, but I'm not sure I want to pay the high shipping costs it would take to get them from Amazon.co.uk to here in the USA. I'm waiting instead for "The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian" to be published.

Solo adventures are great, and like I keep saying, ideal for the Conan RPG. Really the only way you can play as Conan.

Unless of course that darn video game ever gets released.

 

[redlaco]

Conan RPG would indeed be an excellent setting for solo adventures. I am also having trouble getting large groups of players...

As a model for one/one roleplaying, I recommend the excellent Ghost Dog RPG, using the Tri-Star system. You can get a review and more infos at http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_3756.html and http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_4948.html
In the introduction, they state that a new reality of the market is that gamers are getting older, with more responsabilities and less time to play. So it makes sense to design games that can be played by only two people. There's no way it can stop you from playing the game with a large group, of course.

 

[J-Star]

I would just like to point out that a solo adventure and a one-on-one adventure are two different things. A solo adventure provides the entire flowchart and all instructions on die rolls and results so that a single player can read through and play all by himself/herself. The best example I know of is the aforementioned GURPS Conan and the Queen of the Black Coast solo adventure. A one-on-one adventure, such as the old AD&D Fighter's Challenge, is designed for a gamemaster/dungeon master and a single player. I personally prefer solo adventures because, to be honest, I really don't have ANYONE to game with.

 

[blacksagelobo]

Where do you live J Star?

Can you check local colleges, gaming or comic stores.

 

[J-Star]

I live outside of Boston. I suppose I could find a gaming group if I really looked hard enough, though I don't know where to start looking. Plus I just don't have the time to look for a gaming group. That's one reason why I like solo adventures... but the real reason for this topic is that solo the adventures are the only way I can think of that a player could play the role of Conan himself.