Solo game needs ideas

[Guest Celebrin]

Hey there, folks. As my wife is interested in trying out gaming in an attempt to see if she will enjoy something that I do, I am considering starting out with a solo game for her using Champions.

 

I'm going to be using my Sentra City setting, so that much I have in mind. My rogues gallery is somewhat designed for a group, though, so I know that will need a little bit of adding to (which I'm looking forward to, but I'm trying to decide what kind of super-powers, etc to give her character that will make it reasonably well-balanced for someone who will be adventuring on their own.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Darren

[Sketchpad]

I recommend reading some stuff like Spider-Man, Captain America, Superman and Green Lantern These titles give some good examples of solo-hero action IMHO.

As far as her character, ask her what her favorite characters from SFX movies & cartoons are ... this should help you gage what to do. I would also recommend showing her something like a DC Secret Files or one of the Marvel Encyclopedias and get her opinion on some of the characters.

Solo games are REAL fun ... but remember to keep most of her rogue's gallery close to her point value, with the mastermind characters being more powerful as needed

[RPMiller]

I would suggest starting off with a couple "normals" as opponents. Try some bank robberies, hostage situations, detective work, that sort of thing.

 

Then segway to a lesser point "super", and continue moving toward her point value. This will do a couple things:

 

1) She will win, and this will boost her enjoyment level and confidence.

2) She won't get bogged down by any long combats.

3) She will be learning the ropes in small fun increments.

4) It will help suspend some of the initial disbelief if she has any.

 

As for her character choice, that is a tough one. One the one hand I would suggest just giving her a pregenerated character and explaining what she can do. However, allowing her to create a character would give her more of an attachment to it. The suggestion of asking her what she likes from movies and tv is definitely a good one if you go the create a character from scratch route.

 

Anyway, that is just my 2 sense. Just remember the most important thing... No matter what have fun!

[Redmenace]

Based solely on my experience gaming for my own wife, work close with her on the character's disads. My personal experience is that the roleplaying aspect is more immediately attractive than the combative parts.

 

Look at the books and movies she likes and maybe direct choices about her character's methodology, goals and passions in line with that.

 

When I started introducing my then girlfriend I ollowed the above advice.

 

1.) We looked at her tastes and quickly realised that she had a deep romantic streak, not so much in the relationship sense as in the rebel fighting against an unjust criminal conviction. That gave me some ideas for disads but I was careful to talk them over with her.

 

Some I thought she'd love she hated and vice versa. In the end she was happy.

 

2.) I showed her some comics and looked at what caught her eye, Gambit of the X-men, and Catwoman. That was clear enough, she liked thieves with romantic fixations on untouchable individuals.

 

3.) from their it was easy to make a love interest npc-a Detective in charge of catching her, a hunted or two- rival thieves and the NYPD, The psych lim of in love with detective Ryan, Dardevil thrillseeker etc write themselves.

 

4.) For a plot i simply raided a Spiderman story where a love interest/proffesional rival, the black cat, and he had to work together to stop a bigger threat. Simple with clear obstacles and a achievable end goal to make sure she didn't get too frustrated on her first session.

 

It worked, she's a reguler now and we consider it our mutual hobby. You should see our X-mas/Chanukka gift list, it's like a inventory at the Gameskeeper.

 

Good Luck and I hope she comes to share your hobby.

[Guest Celebrin]

Thanks for the advice, folks. I've been thinking a little this afternoon about solo comicbook heroes (had thought of spidey and the green lantern, etc) and was trying to wrack my brain about other good choices.

 

She loves Spiderman, but I don't want to create Spiderman...though I'm thinking about keeping it fairly close to that style of game to be sure, with a similar character (fast, fairly strong, good in a fight, etc) with a fair amount of RP thrown in as that is what I think she'll enjoy in the game.

 

I was also thinking along the lines of starting with some mooks and the typical bank robbery - though it would be the plotline of that starts off the campaign I'm planning on running where Viper agents steal a Betham Device from the University lab (the device can cause mutations to occur - description at my Sentra City web page).

 

I guess I was wanting to make sure that's the route that I wanted to take...it's been about 14 years since I've run a solo game so it's going to take a little bit of thought before I get into it the way I want...and it's a little different trying to introduce the game to someone who's never played before this way. I guess I'll just have to see how things go.

 

Thanks again, folks!

 

Darren

[Fur Face]

Plenty of Preparation!

 

Hey Darren,

 

One major difference with solo games is that they require a lot more preparation, because you are focusing on only one character. There is more time for angst if a teenager, romance if an adult, and mysteries for the inquisitive. So you'll be going through some things faster (whatever is least interesting to the player) while other interests will require more attention and thought.

 

New players are sometimes are new computer users, they know what they want but aren't sure how to describe it, so be as detailed as you can about things like charater history & such.

 

Good Luck and have fun!

[Redmenace]

Re: Solo game needs ideas

 

Here is a link to a site that sends out a free newsletter on GMing. This and last weeks topic is on solo gaming. Its got some good advice.

 

SUBSCRIBE TO "ROLEPLAYING TIPS WEEKLY"

RolePlayingTipsWeekly-On@lists.webvalence.com

 

 

Originally posted by Celebrin

Hey there, folks. As my wife is interested in trying out gaming in an attempt to see if she will enjoy something that I do, I am considering starting out with a solo game for her using Champions.

 

I'm going to be using my Sentra City setting, so that much I have in mind. My rogues gallery is somewhat designed for a group, though, so I know that will need a little bit of adding to (which I'm looking forward to, but I'm trying to decide what kind of super-powers, etc to give her character that will make it reasonably well-balanced for someone who will be adventuring on their own.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Darren

[KA.]

Just to throw in some advice about gaming with family, especially when they are newbies.

 

1) Let them read some comics and pick a "tone".

Make sure they understand what the tone will mean as far as their interaction with the game world.

ex. Four Color vs. Dark.

They need to have a clear understanding about what level of violence is expected from them, and is likely to happen to them.

You don't want someone breaking the neck of a guard when they were supposed to just thump them on the back of the head.

You also don't want them fighting to the death when the plot calls for them being captured.

Make sure they know if things are supposed to be lethal, or non-lethal.

Let them know that if you are playing four color, that the proper response to a death trap is to figure a way out, or wait for their DNPC to blunder in to save them, not to detonate the pocket nuke that they built into their VPP.

That way you won't have to fudge things too much.

 

2) Fudge things.

This is a game. It is supposed to be fun. It is supposed to be a pleasant pass-time that requires a certain amount of creativity and thought.

Even though a GM is supposed to be a "referee", it is not the same as being the one who makes the deciding call in the Super Bowl. It is more like being the referee in a kids' pick-up game. You want to enforce the majority of the rules, but not destroy everyone's fun with nitpicking.

That does not mean that you have to make things too easy, or let the players get away with anything, but if they come up with something creative, let it work. If the "thief" character wants to hotwire a car, even if they don't have the appropriate skill, let them do it, and then tell them later that they need to spend an experience point for Familiarity. Also explain that if they want to be able to hotwire a tank someday, that they will need to buy the appropriate skills.

 

3) Down, Boy, Down!

Yes, I know that some people have been spoiling to GM for a while since their group moved away, but now is not the time to launch the "Deep, Rich, Finely Crafted, Uber-Plot of all time!"

You learn to cook by chopping things and cooking eggs, you do not do three layer souffles with twelve different dipping sauces!

Give the new player time to get used to game mechanics, and their character, before you start springing Clones of their DNPC, Altered Reality, and Dimension Hopping, all in the same session.

You may be a very experienced GM, but your players are new.

If they think that things are always this complicated, they will feel stupid and just give up.

Give them a chance to settle in.

 

4) Choking Hazard.

Now is not the time to "cut the heroes down to size" now is the time to build them up.

That means that you do NOT want them to "choke" on their first adventure.

Give them something EASY and CLEAR to do.

Not "easy" compared to the usual machiavellian plots that you used to torture an entire group of seasoned veterans with, actually EASY.

Some people have the kind of insane competitiveness that slapping them down makes them come back stronger, but most people just go back to doing something they actually like. Give the new player the chance to like playing Champions, "test their mettle" later on.

 

5) Don't Give Them Sharp Things to Play With.

DO NOT put a new player in a scenario with any villains with "Casual Killer", "Homicidal Maniac", "Berzerk when Attacked" etc.

 

New players make tactical mistakes!

 

Do not set up a situation where the newbie is faced with a known killer, because they are one CON stun away from being dead, or from you having to do a major backpedal.

 

I see posts on here, from time to time, where GM's are "frustrated" with their players because they didn't react "correctly" to a situation.

 

A situation like . . .

 

VengeBot 3000 is a cyber assassin with an urge to destroy all life. During a robbery at a high-tech warehouse, it takes a guard hostage, clamping its razor sharp claw around the guard's neck.

If you try to stop it, it will kill the guard now.

If you don't try to stop it, it will kill the guard the nanosecond it escapes.

It is powerful enough to KO you with one shot, and has very high defenses and no known weaknesses.

 

When the "stupid" player tries to take VengeBot down, they are stunned, and they and the helpless guard are in VengeBot's power.

 

You have now created a situation where the only thing that makes sense is for the player character and guard to both die instantly.

 

Yes, the GM had it all figured out that the players would realize that VengeBot has a built in shutdown command that could be accessed by rewiring the guard's walkie talkie to transmit at exactly 302.1 MhZ, and using binary to represent the name of the ancient Norse god of Mushroom Farmers.

 

But that didn't happen.

 

So now everybody is dead!

 

Woo Hoo, way to kill your campaign!

 

Even in a darker campaign, don't set up new players in situations where the slightest mistake logically leads either them, or innocent bystanders, to certain death.

 

That is like trying to get someone to start drinking wine by giving them vinegar.

 

6) Explain Genre Conventions!

Especially with spouses and children!

 

Let them know that it is the hero's lot to be wounded, beaten up, left for dead, blindsided and ambushed.

Let them read a few more comics with this concept in mind.

There is nothing worse than facing an offended spouse or crying child because: "You beat up my character! I don't ever want to play this again!"

 

While this may sound rather childish, imagine that you have never heard of boxing before.

 

Your friend takes you into the ring, helps you put on the gloves, tells you where to stand, and then PUNCHES YOU IN THE FACE.

Even if he spends the entire trip to the emergency room explaining how boxing works, wouldn't it have been better to tell you BEFORE he punched you!

 

New players, or those from other systems, often equate defeat with dishonor or death, but in the Super Hero genre, it is just par for the course.

Part of the genre is beating up the hero, that is just how it works. They should not take offense, and you should not take vicious joy in doing it, it is just genre.

 

7) Make sure that you are having fun!

Don't over do your preparation.

Have an open ended plot that can go where the player wants.

Take it easy and save the heavy stuff for later. If the player has fun you will have plenty of time later, if they don't you will get little satisfaction out of playing one session of your 12 session masterwork with someone who doesn't have any idea of what is going on.

 

KA

[Fedifensor]

Re: Re: Solo game needs ideas

 

Originally posted by Redmenace

Here is a link to a site that sends out a free newsletter on GMing. This and last weeks topic is on solo gaming. Its got some good advice.

If you don't want to subscribe to an email newsletter, you can get the same info at the Roleplaying Tips website (http://www.roleplayingtips.com).

[Guest Celebrin]

Thanks again for the added advice, folks.

 

Redmenace/Fedifensor - I actually have that website bookmarked and had looked at it the day before you posted, but it's definitely something to look at now and again as it has a lot of other articles which are equally useful to any GM.

 

KA - thanks for the detailed response, some of those things hadn't occurred to me, and some I know I tend to be guilty of so it helps to have them brought to my attention. It's been a while since I've gamed with someone completely new to the hobby, let alone the genre...I rarely run superhero games any more. I had planned on keeping things light and open-ended, but it still helps to see it written down as a reminder as well.

 

Luckily, it looks like the wife will be joining my regular group when we start up Sentra City in the next month or so - which will help a little as I'm not used to running solo games. Everyone in the group is new to Champions as well, so when it comes to the rules everyone will be in the same boat so she won't feel quite so much like a fish out of water.

 

I'm planning on working up a Player Primer for everyone to have access to so they have an idea of how things work before getting into the game mechanics too heavily. I'm also planning on handling a good amount of mechanics (including character generation) myself based on the descriptions they've given me of the characters they wish to play (who will get their powers over the course of the first session, so they won't necessarily know exactly what they can do until they experiment a little).

 

Anywho, thanks again, folks - I appreciate the advice and pointers.

 

Darren