See the pretty PDF version of this post here.
This post is for people who are brand new to solo roleplaying, or have been trying to get into this hobby for awhile, but struggle to actually start playing. I want to show you the simplest possible exercise that will eliminate all the complexity and overthinking, and help you start roleplaying immediately.
The goal of this exercise: play through your first, very short and simple scene. For the purposes of this exercise, we will play through a scene that takes place in a typical fantasy world (think "The Lord of The Rings" or "Shrek").
You will need two things:
Roll twice to select two options from the characters table, and pick the one you prefer.
I rolled "Eccentric Wizard" and "Arrogant Noble".
I'll go with "Eccentric Wizard".
Describe your character in one sentence (name, appearance, personality, occupation):
I'm Nimbus, an eccentric elderly wizard with a long beard and bushy eyebrows, obsessed with my reckless magical experiments.
Now, we will establish a scene for you to play. All we need is a location, and another character for you to talk to. Roll twice on the locations and characters tables, and pick the options you like.
I rolled "Bustling Tavern" and "Looming Tower" for a location, I'll pick "Looming Tower".
I rolled "Grumpy Dwarf" and "Daring Bandit" for the character. I'll pick "Daring Bandit".
Describe, as a narrator of the story, what you see in this scene.
Inside the laboratory at the top floor of his tower, Nimbus cackles maniacally while brewing a potion. A window behind him shatters, and he turns to see a bearded man climb in through the hole.
Try to keep it simple, be obvious, and use no more than a couple of sentences.
Now, we need to define something that you want in this scene or from this character (it can be information, item, some help, or an action on their part), and the action you take to achieve that.
What you want may be obvious based on the scene you have established, or you may roll on the "subjects" table to help you come up with an idea.
I rolled "Hidden Treasure" and "Secret Letter".
I'll pick "Hidden Treasure".
From your character's perspective, describe what you want in this scene.
I want to complete my experiment without any distractions, but this bandit broke into my tower to steal my treasure. I need to get rid of him.
Describe what you say or do to achieve your goal. You can use social skills (like persuasion, deception, or intimidation), take some physical action (like fighting, running, or sneaking), or use some special ability it would make sense for your character to have (like a skill you're good at, an item you have, a supernatural power).
For example, I'll try using intimidation:
Nimbus turns to the bandit and furrows his majestic eyebrows. "Oh my, what timing! You're just the test subject I've been waiting for! See this bubbling concoction? One drop turns ordinary bandits into talking toads in precisely 73 seconds. Now, would you prefer to leave through the window you broke, or shall we proceed with today's experiment?"
Make a roll to determine the outcome, and describe how the other character responds. If you roll 10 or higher, describe how you succeed and get what you want:
I roll 15, I succeed! The bandit gulps and stammers, scrambling back toward the broken window. "Um... I'm so sorry, there must've been a mistake, n-no need for experiments, sir wizard! I must have the wrong tower entirely."
If you fail, describe a complication it creates, or an obstacle you encounter.
The bandit smirks, casually drawing his dagger. "Nice try, old man. Hand over the key to your treasure vault, or we'll see how well wizards fly from tall towers."
Try playing through a single scene, and post the result in the comments.
I recommend the following format:
My character: One sentence describing your name, appearance, personality, and occupation.
Scene setup: One or two sentences describing where the scene takes place, and the character you meet there.
Action: Describe what you want from the other character, and the things you say or do to get it.
Resolution: Describe character's reaction and the outcome of the scene based on your roll.
For example:
My character: I'm Sir Gareth, an honorable knight with gleaming armor, sworn to uphold justice and protect the innocent at all costs.
Scene setup: Sir Gareth steps into the cobwebbed great hall of a haunted mansion, and finds Lord Blackwell, an arrogant noble, who lounges smugly on a velvet chair.
Action: I need information about the ancient curse afflicting the nearby village. "Lord Blackwell, people are suffering in your domain. I've traced the curse to this mansion. Speak of the curse at once, or I’ll drag the truth from this forsaken place myself."
Resolution: I rolled 14, success! Lord Blackwell's arrogance crumbles as he slumps into a dusty chair. "The curse began when my grandfather stole a sacred amulet from the old temple," he confesses, pointing to a hidden compartment behind the portrait. "Return it before the next full moon, and the suffering will end."
Also, share if you've struggled with anything, or if you have any questions.
That's it, you've just roleplayed! If you can do this exercise once, you can repeat it to continue playing the scenes as your character.
If you succeeded on your die roll, your next scene can take place in a different location, and be about your character wanting something else.
You could journey to the old temple and return the amulet to the spirits guarding it.
If you failed, in your next scene you can describe how your character deals with the complication.
I want to escape the haunted mansion as Lord Blackwell summons a ghost of his grandfather to stop me.
Once you're comfortable with this process, you can layer more interesting gameplay mechanics and story structure on top of it. I recommend trying a very simple game system, like The Wayfarer, or The Perfect Heist.
