Maff
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Strider Mode query

Tue 07 Jun 2022, 22:58

Greetings, this may be an obvious or stupid question but with Strider, is the idea to roll around Eriador rolling to see what happens or is it a tool to make the published adventures more solo friendly?

I suspect the former as it looks to me as if, say Balin asks you to find this ancient axe, you may decide to trek across to the area by Moria, hoping to meet a few dwarves on the Road or in Bree…..once near Moria you search for clues etc etc?

From what i’ve seen of the adventures in the starter set, battered Dunedain need not apply there!

Thank you!
 
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BytomMan
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Re: Strider Mode query

Wed 08 Jun 2022, 04:35

I suppose it’s a bit of both.
 
Terminus Est
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Re: Strider Mode query

Thu 09 Jun 2022, 13:14

One of the hurdles for solo play, in respect to published adventures, is the investigative element that often defines those adventures. From my own perspective, and in this context, ‘playing’ a solo TTRPG is effectively facilitating and interpreting: one is neither a player nor a Lore Master and the dice make ALL the decisions that the players/LM would’ve made in a conventional setting.
The cooperative story telling experience is replaced by the process of observing a narrative arise, organically, from an interaction of the RAW, the solo mechanics, the pre-written adventure and the dice rolls. Interpretation of the dice rolls, not player/LM based decision making, is the name of the game. Attempting to navigate the investigative element within this process isn’t straightforward. How does the character pick up the necessary clues? What does the character make of those clues, and how does he/she tie them together to arrive at the desired conclusion?

Currently I’m soloing through a 1e adventure from the Bree supplement that involves solving the murder of a Ranger, appropriately enough. In order for the character to ‘discover’ who the culprits are, I’ve designed a basic system of ‘clue points’ of which the character has to be aware of a sufficient amount in order to reach the right conclusions. The ‘clue points’ subsequently have to be ‘validated’ by successful Insight rolls which, on an Eye of Sauron result, could send the character after the wrong individual; and from there it starts to get more complicated . . .
In other words, if you wish to play the published adventures, then be prepared to supplement the fairly bare bones Strider Mode mechanics with plenty more of your own - tailor made for that particular adventure - to make them work.
Having said that, elements of the Strider Mode rules, such as the Telling Table might suffice in these circumstances, but from my experience - and for my personal taste - the tighter and more comprehensive the solo mechanics, the better for soloing. Too much latitude undermines the necessarily ‘neutral’ status of the solo player.
Or one could just avoid adventures containing a strong investigative element . . .
 
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Ptimot
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Re: Strider Mode query

Thu 09 Jun 2022, 15:06

Wait, this is exactly the part I don't get in Solo playing. You play a murder mystery based on a written adventure. Do you as the player know up front who the murderer is and pretend your player-hero doesn't? This seems to really diminish the fun of a mystery. And otherwise, how can the dice - using the telling table and the lore tables possibly go the way the adventure was written, singling out the murderer or including intended story twists etc? Do you read the adventure book/ adventure site information up front? Or only parts of it? How do you know what to read and what not to read to not give information away? Any insight would be great. I'm really struggling with the solo concept but also really want to play solo. Thanks Maff, Terminus Est et al for bringing all this up!
 
Maff
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Re: Strider Mode query

Thu 09 Jun 2022, 17:40

I won’t deny it - solo RPG is difficult for all the reasons set out already. I’ve been told it is easier to run if you have a linear adventure rather than a sandbox and you have to be prepared to do it true solo, hard routine, one PC - in which case you can expect a tough hard road, or you give yourself a sidekick, a few bonuses and try to smooth it out a bit. Strider mode is a good shot at an effective solo, I think.

I played the first two adventures in the Starter with just Rory Brandybuck. I wasn’t aware of the “dice issue” but frankly i didn’t notice any wild swings of good luck…..the lad did well with w few shocking rolls and some good ones.

Solo CAN become an exercise in dice rolling and a test of self will that you do not bend the game to suit your whim; it is a balance between letting the dice tell you what happens, setting a plan and then seeing if the skill rolls work.

If I were creating a game from scratch, I’d have a list of possible villains and plots. As you fight one or resolve a “thing” you remove one villain from the list - they aren’t driven out but they aren’t the major foe. At some point a picture emerges and you can have a decisive encounter vs the Big Bad…..
 
Maff
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Re: Strider Mode query

Thu 09 Jun 2022, 18:19

And re mystery - the murder in the locked room in the Forsaken Inn. I’m not sure you can play it using the random tables. If it’s go to A, do B, talk to C, travel to D etc then yes, doable. If it’s a total free form where you can try to awe the barman into a confession as soon as you arrive - but you know” already it was a Nazgul what killed Mr Overhill, not so easy. You have to work out a plan, roll for success and keep trying.

Two points.

1 i’m thinking of statting up a dunedain for strider mode. have an intelligent bird (not talking) to help with travel and sentry duty and wander around eriador a bit. but i think Ruins of Lost Realm will be vital for this

2 for solo play to work you need a huge list of random events / encounters or a means to generate them so as to beat the knowledge you hold. this means one journey to rivendell will be similar but different each time.

Finally, I think the ideal is that your patron tells you that “the dark is rising, doom is closing” so you have to find out WHO is the doom and WHAT they are doing. Your actions reduce the field of suspects or plots each successful game until you “know” it’s Trolls running swords to the Dunlendings…..
 
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Ptimot
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Re: Strider Mode query

Fri 10 Jun 2022, 18:05

I still don't understand. Do you read the Bree supplement before playing? Do you know all the information and pretend the player-hero doesn't? Is that the idea?

For instance, I'd like to play the "Ruins of the Lost Realm" solo and have the pdf but wouldn't know how far to read. Or even how and where to start? What if I wanted to discover Tharbad? Do I read the Tharbad content? But then I know everything...

Thanks again!
 
Maff
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Re: Strider Mode query

Fri 10 Jun 2022, 19:48

That’s the trick mate; find the answer to that and you’ll be rich.

Bree? I would read the intro. then work out why i’m there - a beer and a meal at Thr Pony. OK, roll on say heart for interaction and wits to see if you pick up a rumour. If you are there for a specific thing, find that bit, decide a strategy and roll the dice.

this is a waffle of an answer but there’s no hard guide to it. i know i don’t want to read everything so it’s about scanning the text for the key bit or using the index.

this is why it’s easier to solo a linear adventure.

As an aside, what are the rules for mentioning other games?
 
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Ptimot
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Re: Strider Mode query

Fri 10 Jun 2022, 21:49

Thanks Maff, at least I know there is no one good way. I was thinking, could the supplements not be written in a way that there is general information clearly indicated and then in further boxes special information. For instance you meet an informant, there is a text box that describes the person. Then you roll for riddle, persuasion or similar and there is a special text box for success, and others for additional sixes? Just a thought. Thanks again
 
Maff
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Re: Strider Mode query

Fri 10 Jun 2022, 21:57

Exactly. It’s down to structure. I know of 3 solo friendly fantasy skirmish games. One has a preset campaign mission by mission. Another has a huge number of dice rolls to establish everything while the third has a number of villages each with 2-3 specific threats, each successful mission vs a threat reduces that threat by one level. so in a TOR context, Bree is menaced by footpads, barrow wights and troll bandits……you get the picture.

I think that this is a hugely interesting part of RPG; LOTR has a significant appeal to go solo because of the almost solo nature of a Dunedain in the Wild or of a Dwarf in say Moria. It’s really worth exploring

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