I'm looking for someone interested in attempting to solo an Adventure Path. I own all the PF1e APs, Zeitgeist, and Way of the Wicked and am rather flexible when it comes to which adventure to run. Either "Skull & Shackles" or "Way of the Wicked" would likely be easiest, though, as both have easy access to supporting NPCs and an overarching plot that makes sense for a single character. In addition, both of these campaigns have sections that are rather open-ended, so having a single decision-maker will help prevent stalling.
I run a heavily-modified version of Pathfinder that includes Elephant in the Room, variant Automatic Bonus Progression, Spheres of Might/Power, PF2e-esque character creation, optional subsystems, and adjustments to almost all of the classes. All told, it makes for a rather high-powered gaming experience. If this doesn't scare you away, I have a private website linked in my profile that contains all the info. Don't worry - you don't need to become an expert in this. I'm more than happy to answer questions and offer assistance as needed. We'll hash out the nitty-gritty bits during character creation.
Recruitment: I run my PbP recruitments in stages, so I'm not looking for character submissions at this time. Due to the idiosyncrasies of the PbP format, crunch is the least important thing. What matters now (especially for a solo game) is player investment, sustainability, and "being on the same page," so to speak. In other words, the first step is for us to get a feel for each other. I'll go first. XD
I've been playing Pathfinder since Ultimate Equipment came out and would consider myself extremely knowledgeable system-wise. As a player (and as a GM), I prefer a good balance of roleplay and rollplay. Interactions between PCs are a particular love of mine, and if PCs are roleplaying well, I have no problem delaying a plot update until the interaction is done. I like my combats interesting and will generally cut out or handwave encounters that the party would steamroll. Since PbP is so slow, it's important to keep things moving, and nothing bogs a game down like combat.
As a PbP GM, I've run quite a few high-powered solo campaigns and once had a RoW campaign that lasted almost six years. It survived a serious illness and two moves, so you can know that I'm not the kind of GM who will just vanish on you. My posting availability varies (especially when school is in session), but you can generally count on a post or two per day. For a solo game, this component isn't as important, as we'll generally be able to learn each other's posting habits and work around them, but it's still good to know my norms.
Other game-related stuff: I'm not particularly verbose, so if you're looking for thousand-word essays about crinkling grass and falling leaves, I'm not the GM for you. On the other hand, if your approach to NPC interactions is "I roll Diplomacy. 23", you won't be a good fit, either. As mentioned above, I'm quite knowledgeable about Pathfinder RAW, but I'm also a big fan of 'Rule of Cool.' If you want to do something that's not exactly in the rules, we can probably work something out. I have access to a massive library of 3pp material and am not afraid to pull things from it as needed. I've even ported over 5e material on occasion. Player agency and fun are huge things for me, so I'll do everything in my power to facilitate your cool ideas in a balanced fashion. That's about it for me right now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm looking forward to gaming with you. XD
Now it's your turn. XD Don't forget to tell me which AP is your preference. I'll keep this recruitment stage open until the end of the week.
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Nice, sounds interesting.
I agree Skulls&Shackles and WotW could work well for single-character story. I've played them both half-way in PBP, before the games running dry. "War for the Crown" and "Ruins of Azlant" are other AP's I'm interested in, but I have no idea if they would be a good match for solo play.
In any case, I'm quite interested on ideas how to play and run a solo game. I'm running an on-and-off 5e solo game for my kid, and it's sometimes difficult to keep the encounters exciting.
As for me, I've been gaming since early 90's (but also had long breaks of not playing any TTRPG's), with various systems. Got into PF when PFS season 5 started, and around that time got into PBP as well.
English is not my native language, and I live in UTC+2 timezone (so usually no back-and-forth posting during one day)
Hey YBD, it's been a while! Who wouldn't want to become the captain of their own ship in a “Skull and Shackles” solo game with Whack-a-Rogue?
I like both the Automatic Bonus Progression and the 'Elephant in the Room' sub rules, but avoided spere's of might/power for simplicity's sake. I've only played PF1 so I'm not sure about the comparison to PF2. I jumped over to your private website, it will take a little to digest, but so far I haven’t run into anything unintelligible.
So been on the boards since 2014. The first character I created was a goblin for your ROTRL-A Sandbox full of Goblins Game. Sadly, I got cold feet and dropped out of your recruitment. But shortly thereafter started playing in a few PFS games, and it just exploded from there. Before Pathfinder seven years ago? I played D&D back in college in the early 80’s. So yeah, old guy.
When I started playing on the boards I was working third shift at a treatment facility, needing something quiet to occupy my mind. When I left that job in 2018 I started working for a bank and stopped playing during that time. I left the bank in 2019 to stay at home and take care of my mom. Since I had time on my hands I started playing again. Now I do most of my posting from 8 AM EST to 5 PM EST and check the boards again before I head to bed around 10. That way I can spend the evenings with my wife.
So a little about me... happily married thirty nine years to a wonderful woman who let's me yammer on about the games I'm in. I stay at home taking care of the house and my 83 year old mother who has dementia. Both my kids live in the nearest 'Big City' Columbus Ohio. We're an hour's drive north east of them so now that Covid is over we get to see the grandkids a couple times a month again. The only other real social events are hanging out with folks from church.
Hobbies, Other than gaming? Well, I like to cook I'm trying to do low carb. Covid was hard on the waistline and I'm still learning how to deal with the stress of caregiving, I read a fair amount; mostly fantasy, a little historical fiction and the occasional christian self-help book. Favorite modern authors: Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson and Jim Butcher. Favorite sport, my wife and I follow football. She actually watches more football than I do, but we’re both big fans of the Browns and Packers. I know two NFL teams? Yeah she grew up a Browns fan, me a Packers fan. We just adopted each other's teams one AFC and one NFC, no problems unless they meet in the superbowl....
Playing style. I like to play talkative characters generally who are Good. If you selected me, I would love to play Skull and Shackles with a Chaotic good (Maybe neutral with good wishes) charismatic character, who's more about the adventure and freedom than the murder and the mayhem. I tend to play full BAB or Rogues, just because I prefer more 'physical' characters. . Game pace. I like RP as long as it pushes the story. Now, yes, character development is important to me, but that happens as the game moves along. I intentionally start characters young, so they can experience ‘the hero’s journey.’ I would be curious to see what NPC’s came to the front and how you played them.
Probably time to stop typing and start reading the info on the website. I look forward to your next phase in the recruitment.
@BelacRLJ: "Way of the Wicked" has its share of flaws but is probably the best 'evil AP' out there at the moment. I've stolen a few things from Dungeon World (mainly GM philosophies) but vastly prefer the structure and framework of more rules-heavy systems. Paizo is blocked on my work computer as well ... not that I have time to post during the school day. I'd be amenable to using Discord to supplement the campaign but prefer to keep anything plot-related on the forums for ease of access. Discord has certain limitations, after all.
@Karma: "Ruins of Azlant" has certain similarities to "Kingmaker," so turning it into a solo campaign would take some doing. "War for the Crown" is a possibility, but I'd need to familiarize myself with it, as political intrigue makes for complicated plotting. XD
@Robert Henry: Hello again! I'm a big fan of Sanderson and Butcher novels as well. Got the newest from each author as a Christmas present, so it's been good times. XD "Skull & Shackles" is fairly difficult for Good-aligned characters, but it's definitely possible in a 'Captain Jack Sparrow' sort of way.
@Robert Henry: Hello again! I'm a big fan of Sanderson and Butcher novels as well. Got the newest from each author as a Christmas present, so it's been good times. XD "Skull & Shackles" is fairly difficult for Good-aligned characters, but it's definitely possible in a 'Captain Jack Sparrow' sort of way.
Yeah, I got "Rhythm of War" (the fourth Stormlight book) for Christmas as well.
So How about a neutral character that became a pirate and saw it as his responsibility to keep the crew from doing too much damage. Sort of like Ben Wade in "Three ten to Yuma" and his crew? I just find that even playing neutral characters I'm wanting them to nominally 'do the right thing' so criminals, but not hurt the innocent; that sort of thing.
I've been reading the Home page Would those be the rules or are they more like guidelines for the character builds? I tend to pick a personality type then do crunch and fluff at the same time. So the devil is in the details.
@Robert Henry: It's a fairly sandboxy AP, so most any type of pirate will work fine as long as they're not too much of a goody-two-shoes stick-in-the-mud. XD The website is the rules unless there's something majorly objectionable. It's missing a few things (like animal companions) and includes flavor content from my homebrew world (like deities) that we won't be using but is probably 90-95% finished. Feel free to ask any questions as they come up, but there's no need to delve too deeply at this time. Unless you really want to, of course. XD
@BelacRLJ: Most definitely. Goal-oriented types are essential to any adventure - but especially in an "Evil with a capital 'E'" campaign.
Hey YBD, it's been a long time. I have to say I'm pretty intrigued at the idea of doing a solo AP. I'm a huge fan of your GM'ing as one of the participants in the aforementioned ROW campaign (Sigrun).
As far as sticking with it, I'm in one active game that's been going for 10+ years now, so that's definitely not an issue, and since I work online I can pretty much always get a few posts in on most days.
Skull and Shackles would be an interesting one to go solo with, rising to captain over the course of things. Serpent's Skull and Way of the Wicked are definitely appealing as well. (I'd love a Way of the Wicked campaign that made it past the first book)
@Robert Henry: It's a fairly sandboxy AP, so most any type of pirate will work fine as long as they're not too much of a goody-two-shoes stick-in-the-mud. XD The website is the rules unless there's something majorly objectionable. It's missing a few things (like animal companions) and includes flavor content from my homebrew world (like deities) that we won't be using but is probably 90-95% finished. Feel free to ask any questions as they come up, but there's no need to delve too deeply at this time. Unless you really want to, of course. XD
LOL, ok noted. "No Goody-two-shoes stick-in-the mud" :)
Since it's a 'Pirate game' where are you at on guns? I couldn't find them on the site. But I did note that the Armorist had and Archetype with a literal hand err arm canon.
Most intriguing...
I am absolutely Jonsing for S&S! I have finally gotten into one; but GM has gone silent for 3 weeks...
Thank you for running!
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This sounds very interesting. I have tried on multiple occasions to play evil mastermind characters, but they never seem to fit into the group very well. In a solo campaign of WotW, I can see such a character flourishing.
Hey there YBD! I've unfortunately never had an opportunity to play at one of your tables, but you seem to have a following. I've been playing tabletops for around 25 years and have played over a dozen different systems. Throughout all of that, I've come to believe that the mechanics of a system are meant to enhance a story, not get in the way. It is a perspective thing. I prefer playing a character over playing the tactical miniature battle game from which many systems have their foundation. That is not to say that I don't enjoy tactical combat. Merely, that the character's personality and story take priority.
Hmmm, very tempting. I've actually been playing a solo AP (Wrath of the Righteous) for a while now here on the boards, and it's been great fun. The GM has unfortunately grown more and more busy, though, so I'm kind of in the mood for another one.
I'll circle back later this evening and make a submission post!
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@Mark Thomas: Hello again! Serpent's Skull is an interesting option. First book would be difficult, but after that, it gets into Indiana Jones territory and might be alright with a solo PC.
@Robert Henry: I don't typically care for guns in my fantasy. In regards to Skull & Shackles, it's set on Golarion, so guns exist but are so rare as to be almost unheard-of. The megaman Armorist archetype is an exception. XD
@Dorian 'Grey': That's a lot of campaigns! Keeping active is definitely not a problem for you. XD
@Saashaa: I completely agree with your perspective. Rules provide the framework for the world, and that then facilitates how the story is told. If I just want a tactical miniature battle simulator, I'll play Frostgrave or Dragon Rampant. XD
@Almonihah: I've seen you around various recruitment threads in the past. The hydra head game is a notable standout. I'm looking forward to your official introduction. XD
All right, so, talking about myself. I've been hanging around on the forums getting into mischief... I mean campaigns since 2016, but I've been playing some form of tabletop RPG's for almost twenty years at this point, starting back with AD&D 2nd edition.
My tastes tend to run more towards the very unusual: for example, I ran a campaign where the 'party' consisted of different heads on a hydra, and I've enjoyed playing such beings as a raven sorcerer who was once a familiar and a catfolk semi-possessed by the spirits of four legendary monsters. Needless to say this means I'm very open to the use of homebrew and third-party material.
Schedule-wise I can usually post once every weekday and on Saturday, though sometimes Monday or Friday are too busy for a good post.
In terms of AP's I'd be interested in playing, I've found that I don't really enjoy playing evil characters, so Way of the Wicked is out. I'm not huge on the pirate theme, so Skull and Shackles would probably not be to my taste either, though I could see maybe coming around on it. The ones I haven't played yet that I think would be most interesting are Ironfang Invasion, Return of the Runelords, War for the Crown, or maybe Iron Gods if you'd be okay with me having GM'd that one before.
@Robert Henry: I don't typically care for guns in my fantasy. In regards to Skull & Shackles, it's set on Golarion, so guns exist but are so rare as to be almost unheard-of. The megaman Armorist archetype is an exception. XD
That's cool, just didn't know if you were injecting flintlocks in the pirate theme, I'm good without. I did find the 'blaster' curious. Be interesting to play a pirate with a hook that turns into a cannon. Again perusing your website to see what ideas would fit personality/characters I would like to play, (I've got a couple that would fit, just their styles would be very different) Last question (I promise) before the next stage in the recruitment, will you be using AP traits? That will help narrow down what personality/character might be the best option.
And I just noticed that you posted while I was writing my post, and that you've seen my hydra head game. :D I *can* play more normal characters, too, but the more bizarre a character is the more I tend to be engaged in the game.
I am enjoying the opportunity to play in those APs that I have not previously had games available F2F.
PbP certainly allows one to expand their creativity quite easily. One might suggest too easily; but, I have been only joining recent games that I have had on my personal list.
Skulls&Shackles is number 1....lol.
I also enjoy creating character concepts. I usually take the Round peg in Square hole approach; just to see if I can. If you have peeked at my Campaigns; most of the time, it works...lol.
I had an immediate concept jump into my head for this particular recruitment. I will place it on hold; as it is not available in your Website; although with a bit more study, I may still get it to work.
Question: Are you using a version of Point Buy; or ABCD? It could be a bit of both, I suspect....
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@Robert Henry: I do plan on using the AP traits, but for S&S, there are a few additional options I swiped from a 3pp pirate supplement.
@Almonihah: My meatspace players prefer the strange and bizarre as well. Check out the Stray Spell race on my website. It's probably right up your alley. XD
@Dorian 'Grey': Character creation is very similar to PF2e. Race/Class/Background give stat boosts, and then you get additional boosts that can be freely allocated. I find it helps facilitate roleplaying and allows all race/class combinations to be effective without minmaxing.
That *does* seem like the kind of thing I'd play. Reminds me of how I've been thinking it'd be interesting to play an unfettered eidolon...
I do think that PF2e Ability Boost system is fantastic. I agree; any Class can fill any role. Skills are more robust, easily gained and smoothly raised with fun Skill Feats to take.
I am a fan of PF2e; although I do also enjoy the building of PF1e characters too.
A blending of the 2 systems could be quite good...lol.
I shall be studying your rules today!
Your rules are definitely intuitive and well thought out.
Race=1, or more Ability Boost(s)
Background=only 1 Ability Boost?
Class=1 Ability Boost? Inferred, but not explicitly stated.
Free Boosts=assumed 4?
I may be missing something?
Attempting to match Class/Race/Background ideas...
Also, concerning Spheres of Power; I have attempted to research how they work mechanically by reading them on AoN and D20, but not really finding it?
Edit: Apologies; thank you...lol.
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@Dorian 'Grey': You're mostly right regarding the ability boosts. Race/Background also give 1 free boost. The Class boost goes to the class' casting/practicioner attribute. This makes it impossible to (for instance) build a Dwarf Sorcerer who can't cast spells. Spheres of Power/Might are a popular 3pp system that can be found HERE.
@Saashaa: I have not done a solo WotW game before but have run it with a traditional party several times. I've also fixed a lot of the mechanical issues (statblocks and such) in the various modules. The most difficult bit will be escaping the prison cell at the start of the game, but I have a workaround in the event of a non-Rogue-type PC.
@Mark Thomas: Thank you! I've been tinkering with them for several years now. They've also been playtested, so I know they're relatively balanced. XD
By George, I think I've got it!
Thank you for the Link!
@Saashaa: Could you elaborate? I don't quite understand what you're asking.
@Dorian 'Grey': Great! I think you'll find both systems very intuitive.
Just a quick reminder that I'll be closing recruitment tomorrow afternoon. Figure 18ish hours from now.
Hmmm... this might be the opportunity for me to complete my epic saga! I have been abducted by the dreadful denizens of the Wormwood on no fewer than two previous occasions. And though the names of my staunch allies have changed, both times we threw off the yoke of indentured servitude and started to chart our own course. Yet that, alas, is where my story foundered.
Here is the first chronicle of my adventures.
Hmmm, I was realizing I have *one* character idea that might be interesting to run through Skull & Shackles...
I should perhaps mention that I do have a fair amount of experience with Spheres of Power/Might at this point. I actually played through Tyrant's Grasp with an Incanter (who, of course, could turn into a Phoenix thanks to Improved Transformation).
Is the choosing a Magic Tradition refer to traditional magic versus Spheres?
Or is it as the PF2e sense?
I have been looking over Spheres? It will take me a few to fully grasp it; I think.
My head hurts...lol.
Hello Terex!
Yes, hello! :D
Spheres is *almost* an entirely new game system, so don't be surprised that it takes a while to grasp. While I feel like I have a good grip on the basics, there are still parts of it I haven't even touched (rituals).
@Dorian 'Grey': Think of Spheres as Skyrim-esque magic. There are 20ish base magical abilities that you then modify via Talents. For example, the Destruction sphere gives you a magical blast. The Fire Blast talent lets the attack deal fire damage. The Explosive Orb talent makes it a fireball. It's a very modular system. In regards to Magic Traditions, they determine how magic works by adding various restrictions. Examples are somatic components, a bonded item, or a Green Lantern-esque battery. There are a bunch of predefined Traditions, but players are also allowed to invent their own. In another game, one of my players casts via magic tattoos similar to X-Men's Ink.
Or; a Patryn....
I'm going to close recruitment now. By my count, there are eight people interested. Here's the breakdown; please correct me if I've missed anything.
Skull & Shackles
Almonihah
Artevious de Poisson
Dorian 'Grey'
Robert Henry
Way of the Wicked
BelacRLJ
Saashaa
No Preference
Karma
Mark Thomas 66
Time for the next stage! It shouldn't take very long as I really only need two things from you. First, confirm that you're still interested and which AP you'd prefer. This is especially important if you've only posted once or have no preference. Second, since this will be a solo game, you'll be the one making all the decisions and advancing the plot. I need to make sure things won't stall out when things get open-ended.
That's everything I need at the moment. If you have a character concept, feel free to share it, but I still don't need anything from a mechanical standpoint. I'll make my final decision once everyone's checked in - or by Tuesday at the latest.
1. Smuggling, singing, sautéeing savory seafood delicacies sounds the most fun!
2.Aye! A Pirates life for me!
My initial concept involved were-kin shark Brawler...
I'm definitely still interested!
If the choice is between those two AP's, then yes, I'm down for Skull & Shackles. As I mentioned, I've never played an evil campaign I've liked, so Way of the Wicked is out for me.
This isn't my first solo game, so I'm familiar with the need to push things forward.
As for character choices, the character I realized could work with Skull & Shackles is Mthandihle, aka Myth, a catfolk I built a while ago and then didn't really get to play. The idea with her is that she's been influenced/corrupted by a Protean that calls itself "The Eye-Spotted Leopard", who's... kind of odd even by Protean standards. So the one question I'd have with her is how much room you'd want to make for kind of a personal storyline to be interwoven with the AP?
Huzzah! Indeed, I am always ready for fantastic deeds of derring-do upon the tempestuous waters of the Shackles!
The opportunity to play a solo shot at Skull and Shackles with TBD is too tempting, even if I need to learn some new system stuff. So count me in.
The character I will submit will be Elek Kardforgató. I would not play that exact character, but I would keep certain elements. Namely, he is a charismatic swordsman who leads from the front. The last member of a proud Chelaxian noble family who fought against house Thrune and was outlawed. In that recruitment he was Lawful Neutral, In this iteration he will be true neutral.
He would like to live in a world where he could be lawful good, maybe even neutral good. But that is not the world that he lives in. He would like to lay the sword down, but it will never happen. He sleeps well at night and because of that he knows he is not good. Good men do not see the things he has seen and sleep well at night.
Class wise, since I would be playing Elek, I would go full BAB. I'm very interested in the Armorist (with blaster Archetype) If I can't figure that out I would go ranger.
Definitely still on board.
I would have to go with Way of the Wicked, the opportunity for an evil campaign that won't be ruined by a player thinking evil = screw the party over, is too good to pass up.
I'd most likely craft the character to best fit things once the preliminaries are hashed out.
Good stuff so far. I hadn't been sure how active people would be considering it's a weekend, but we're already 7/8 of the way there. XD
@Almonihah: I don't typically do a whole lot with PC backstories when running an AP. Managing all the moving parts in a prewritten adventure is a lot of work already, and in my experience, players are usually very protective of backstory material, so I don't like to mess with it. Depending on how work-intensive a backstory is for me, I may incorporate small elements, but there's no guarantee.
@Robert Henry: I've always liked the concept of a Broken Golarion game. XD
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@Saashaa: Not particularly. I'm pretty familiar with those type of tricks and can always adjust encounters if something's proving troublesome. This would also be a solo campaign, so challenges are already more difficult than normal. I'm also big on communication, so if encounter trivialization is becoming an issue (or if you're unhappy with something I'm doing), I'd hope we'd discuss it and reach a consensus. XD
@Robert Henry: I've always liked the concept of a Broken Golarion game. XD
It was a good game and I sort of got attached to Elek. Sadly, like many, it fell to the wayside.
Elek was fashioned a little after Lan Mandragoran; the last of his line, a bit of a brooder and very straightforward. I would keep that part of him. I'm a big fan of 'Black Sails' so I would work a little of 'Captain Vane' in as well.
I have a lot of questions about the Armorist and Blaster archetype along with tweaking one of the AP traits. But nothing that can't wait until after Tuesday.
Are you doing a third stage for the recruitment Tuesday or announcing you selection then?
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Normally I'd have a third stage, but since this is a solo game, it's not necessary. I'll be making my selection once everyone has finished the current stage - or Tuesday if the last person hasn't responded by then.
Normally I'd have a third stage, but since this is a solo game, it's not necessary. I'll be making my selection once everyone has finished the current stage - or Tuesday if the last person hasn't responded by then.
I thought I remembered you normally doing a third stage.
But, in that case, good luck everyone.
If I don't get a chance to say it later TBD, thanks for running the game, we players appreciate it!
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That communication word is very relieving to hear. I really like helping create interesting stories. I tend to view my character as only mostly mine. A certain amount of the rest of it belongs to the GM and other players. If my characters cannot be changed by anyone other than me, then they become stagnant or too rigid. I have a very 'yes and' or 'maybe not, but what about' approach to situations.
I suppose if you pick me I'd talk it over with you. :D A lot of it would be self-directed, so it wouldn't take a lot of work on your part.