This stand-alone adventure is designed for a single player with no GM and basic rules. All you need to play is some dice (d6, d8, and 20), a pencil, some paper, and this book.
The rules are explained as you play. Begin at paragraph 1 and proceed from there, taking notes as you go. As the dwarf hero Kalgor Bloodhammer, you'll use all your might and cunning to protect your home from an invasion of hungry undead.
Kalgor Bloodhammer and the Ghouls Through the Breach includes both a 1st level and 3rd level character sheet for Kalgor, fully compatible for use with any beginning party to continue your Pathfinder RPG adventures!
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I played this game for the first time today. I made it to three different endings although they weren't always climactic. I bought this to learn more about playing with Pathfinder rules, having purchased the Beginner Box, and getting familiar with the system before I bug family to play. But there really wasn't much that I learned besides basic attack and skill checks that are already somewhat explained in the BB solo adventure.
On a side note I played the DnD red box solo adventure with the Witchlight Fens follow up solo game. If there's a Pathfinder solo adventure that can add more from the core rules like Witchlight did for DnD, it would really help.
I agree that Kalgor is a bit one-dimensional. If you can print gray scale, you can easily distinguish the red text from the others.
In the end, I can't complain too much; I had fun! I would recommend using this after the BB solo adventure because its a good follow up, just wish there was a solo game that gradually adding in more rules, etc.
This pdf is 14 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page SRD, leaving 12 pages of content. So. What exactly is this Party of 1 about?
Remember those "Choose your own story books"? This is essentially an adventure that can be run without a GM and with just a couple of dice - 73 different sections, most of which provide more than one outcome, guide you through the adventure. You run all combats, play both the opposition and your character as well as allies and the basics are the PFRPG-rules - essentially, we get 2 sheets for the main character, the dwarf Kalgor (one at 1st level and one at 3rd), with the latter being assumed to be the default.
Over the course of the adventure, Kalgor not only has to brave an initiation ceremony, but also deal with deadly undead, rescue and fight along allies and might even uncover a conspiracy of sorts! As no DMs are required, any additional information I could give would act as spoilers, so I'm breaking my usual format and jump straight to the
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are very good, though not top-notch. The beginning fails to e.g. mention that you should also have a d12 ready. Layout adheres to a 2-column standard with a parchment-style background. Rules-information is printed in read and I didn't notice a "dead link" among the numbers. The pdf comes with neither bookmarks, nor a printer-friendly version, which is a bit of a pity. The amount of different outcomes crammed into the adventure is rather interesting, as several factors (secrets) decide on different story-branches and, much like a good computer-rpg, provide for some rather neat replay value. On the other hand, some of the links and how the secrets work that open up new options can be a bit confusing - making having holy water for example a deciding factor for a new number felt a bit strange to me, while the basic street-level-entry can feel a bit confusing.
The text also always assumes the 3rd-level default - alternative mentioning of the 1st level stats would have been nice. However, the story, while simple, is actually adequately complex for the short length.
Add to that the fact that this is an easy way to learn PFRPG-rules and we have a nice little pdf that is definitely worth the low asking price. Next time you're on the train or some other location where you don't have a GM at hand, this will definitely come in handy to satisfy your gaming needs. That being said, the lack of a printer-friendly version is a bit annoying, as in printed out b/w you can't make out the difference between the red and black sections of the text. Also, the motivation for the instigator remain, at least slightly clichéd and Kalgor, as a character, is rather hard to relate to and pale. This alongside the minor glitches remain my only problems with the adventure and thus I'll settle for a final verdict of 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 - a good and fun past-time with some minor blemishes and an exciting finale.
Reminded me of the old "Choose Your Own Adventure" Books from TSR. Played it 3 times so far, with 3 different results. Well Done. Great complement to the Beginner's Box Set, and a good way for a Newbs to learn Pathfinder Mechanics. I am printing out copies for my nephews to play as well.
The concept of the GMless adventure seems to be coming back, an ideal way to while away a few moments when there's no time to round up some fellow players but you fancy some adventure... just the thing if you are waiting for an flight, or stuck with a long train ride!
In this, the first of a series from Open Design, you take on the role of the dwarf hero (or at least, would-be hero) Kalgor, son of Kongar, son of Kalal, of the Bloodhammer Clan. The time has come for you to try out for the Iron Shields, the elite guard of your dwarf city...
The test is one of combat, and as you move as directed from paragraph to paragraph you get directions in what to do in respect of game mechanics - indeed the GM is replaced, not just in terms of being led through the plot but in the wider sense of being helped to play... ideal if you are unfamiliar with the ruleset, or just don't happen to have the rulebooks to hand. These explanatory notes are printed in red, and provide sufficient detail that a complete newcomer to role-playing ought to be able to follow them.
Although the ostensible entry test to the Iron Shields is a straightforward head-to-head combat with another candidate, there is a lot more to this adventure that brawling... even if you manage to lose the first bout (and so miss out on that coveted slot in the Iron Shields) the adventure goes on with other things to discover, and a few more fights as well. It may be a bit simplistic, but it's fun and, for the newcomer to role-playing, gives a good idea of what it's all about, some of the scope of things that you will be able to do in a role-playing game.
The layout is the conventional numbered paragraphs of solo gaming, each paragraph ending with a choice or challenge, based on which you are told which paragraph to read next. It is all clear and easy to follow, although it would have been improved by making use of the hyperlinking capability of PDF design. For that matter, it might have been a good idea to put the character sheets - you may play at 1st level or 3rd level - at the front so you do not have to scroll through the entire adventure to find them!
That said, it is an exciting little adventure in its own right, with plenty that could be developed... indeed, it's something that could be readily converted into a regular adventure for one or two characters by an eager GM. If you are 'home alone' and want to exercise your battle axe (or at least your dice) you could do worse than give this a run-through.
This would be great as an app. Have the dice roller included and you have one stop shopping. I loved the old Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid. Would love to see this make a major comeback.
Deadshot, I'd love to do these as an app, but I lack the skills required to make that happen. Most folks who do have the chops would pretty much have to take it on as a labor of love.
Nice review End and pretty much how I feel. They are neat little solo play adventures but could use a little more polish. Though it would be nice if they get bigger and better and better at these.
Deadshot, I'd love to do these as an app, but I lack the skills required to make that happen. Most folks who do have the chops would pretty much have to take it on as a labor of love.
(Late to the party, as usual).
Maybe the kind of thing that would be contracted to a third-party developer? It would make for an interesting afternoon's play.
(based on 4 ratings)
