I just ran a solo One Ring Moria session and spent WAY too long trying to get certain places at the "correct" spot on the map of Moria. When I finally said "who cares!" and just went imagining them somewhere in the depths of Moria - things started to run much more smoothly. Overthinking really gets in the way sometimes!
That’s a really important concept you bring up… it’s a game! It’s fun using your imagination and overcomplicating things is counter intuitive lol obviously easier said than done sometimes. Im happy to hear you’re traipsing around Moria 🙌🏻 is TOR 2e a blast? I have every book that’s been released and haven’t touched them yet…
Another thing to remember is that you are playing for you! Don't worry about the "correct" way to play, so long as you are having fun, that is all that matters,
Overthinking and overplanning have killed so many of my attempts to solo game, you are not alone! My method for overcoming this is to slow down. Ask a question, get an answer, then ponder on the result before immediately jumping to the next question. Give your brain a moment to breathe, to let your creativity a moment to fire off ideas.
Fully agree and the next time I play there won’t be a phone recording. I think I had the reader/viewer in mind and the level of entertainment I might provide rather than focusing on how I am experiencing the session. Thank you for the advice for real! It helps to hear about other players’ hurdles.
I really resonated with your experience. It sounds so familiar! I had a similar stumbling start with Ironsworn. I got bogged down in analysis paralysis, overthinking every little thing, and relying too heavily on the oracles to the point where a simple scene took forever. It sounds like you might have hit a similar wall with the questioning process.
Have you considered a more structured approach to Cairn? I know you mentioned having a binder of generation tables, but something like the Escape the City supplement might be worth a look. It uses playing cards to generate encounters and locations, giving you a bit more direction. It's set in a city, which is a different vibe than your woodland setting, but the structured approach could help get things moving. I recently wrote up my own playthrough with it on my substack, if you're curious.
I also found that my initial solo journaling was super fragmented and slow. Solo play can be really contemplative, and sometimes that first session is more about finding your rhythm than creating a masterpiece of narrative. Don't get discouraged! It sounds like the passion is definitely there, and that's the most important ingredient.
I really appreciate you taking the time to write this! Escape the City sounds like the perfect place to start. Truth be told, I've been moderately afraid to try again after this session. The feeling of floundering was agonizing, as I see myself as someone who can, almost always, spin a narrative conversationally (I've been in the service industry far too long lol). Having only myself as the singular participant in this "conversation" with the oracle was unsettling. I'm determined to get back on the horse, but perhaps something more structured might supply the confidence I need! I will absolutely be reading through your playthrough by the way 🤘🏻
It's totally understandable to feel a bit intimidated after a rough start. That feeling of floundering is the absolute worst, especially when you're used to spinning stories in conversation. It's a completely different kettle of fish when you're the sole participant, trying to build that "conversation" with the oracle. Don't be afraid to take the lead in those conversations if it feels right and fits the setting and narrative. Don't beat yourself up about it – solo RPGing is a skill, and like any skill, it takes practice.
I find the biggest hurdle is finding a way to feel like you're in the action. I find visualising the scene is key! Sometimes I sketch it out, other times I just try to hold it in my mind's eye, or write a detailed description in my journal – whatever takes me inside the scene so I can interact with it better. I do the same for visualising encounters, focusing on the tone of the scene so the dice rolls remain a mystery until the moment of action.
For me, music is a massive help too. I've found loads of great OSR soundtracks on YouTube that fit the Cairn vibe perfectly. It really helps with immersion. I've also heard of people using AI chatbots like Gemini or ChatGPT for NPC interactions, which can add a whole other layer of dynamism. It's an interesting option, although I totally get the appeal of keeping it fully analogue too. Whatever works best for you is the right way to do it! I'm really looking forward to hearing how your next session goes. Seriously, don't hesitate to share your experience – the stumbles and the triumphs – it helps all of us learn and grow in this hobby. I hope you enjoy reading about my first Cairn playthrough too, by the way.
The only thing I can advise from my brief venture into solo play is to take the “no's” as opportunities. So, if you already have a premise and you get a “no” as an answer, you can expand that “no” + the “premise” to something that is interesting to you.
For example, if you have your premise of “I found a trap I set up in a different location“, in this premise there is a lot, something has to have moved it, and by asking something like “are there footmarks...or do I hear something? “ and you get a “no” if you want to get something from your premise to play with then you could come up with something like this “something definitely moved the trap, but something that couldn't have left foot marks and doesn't make a sound, maybe a ghost?” and then you could use the “no” to introduce a paranormal creature or dig into your character's supertitions.
Alternatively, to avoid getting stuck with the “ no's” (and feeling overwhelmed by them) you could take your premise and add it to Mythic's “Thread List”, so you then have a mystery that could get linked to things you encounter later in the game.
I hope these little “ideas” help you enjoy your next game :)
I really appreciate you taking the time to hit me with some tips! The examples you used would have benefited me greatly, though I think it’ll take practice before I can spin those connections on the fly. My goal is to slow down, not record a thing and focus on how to create narrative flow. Suggestions and advice, like your own, are why I’ve become enamored with this community! It’s so open and helpful!
What I always try to remember is the part on the Mythic GME where is refers to sticking with logical reasoning: I try to minimize the times I ask the oracle so that I am not lost on it by asking permanent questions. instead I try to stick with a „plain logical“ story which gets its flavors from random events and occasional oracle questions that provide unexpected answers.
Everyone who commented has really good advice and tips. My tip is to remember you are playing for you. Your fun and enjoyment. There is no wrong or right way so go with the flow. Let the oracles and tables guide you but if the dice rolls don’t feel right, move on. All rules can be tweaked, or not used at all. I’m glad you aren’t giving up! I’ve had so much fun playing solo RPGs. You got this! 😊😊😊
I’ve since had two sessions and both were a blast! I think the key was using Mythic GME when the emergent narrative started to lose a little steam. I’d imagined it would be used for everything when I made this first attempt. You are dead on about our fun and enjoyment being priority numero uno 🙌🏻 thank you for your encouragement! It means a lot!
Awesome. Can’t wait to read your write ups. I like the one page Mythic GME. I use it a lot and some of the games that I play also have their own oracles and tables that I use.
I just ran a solo One Ring Moria session and spent WAY too long trying to get certain places at the "correct" spot on the map of Moria. When I finally said "who cares!" and just went imagining them somewhere in the depths of Moria - things started to run much more smoothly. Overthinking really gets in the way sometimes!
That’s a really important concept you bring up… it’s a game! It’s fun using your imagination and overcomplicating things is counter intuitive lol obviously easier said than done sometimes. Im happy to hear you’re traipsing around Moria 🙌🏻 is TOR 2e a blast? I have every book that’s been released and haven’t touched them yet…
Another thing to remember is that you are playing for you! Don't worry about the "correct" way to play, so long as you are having fun, that is all that matters,
Overthinking and overplanning have killed so many of my attempts to solo game, you are not alone! My method for overcoming this is to slow down. Ask a question, get an answer, then ponder on the result before immediately jumping to the next question. Give your brain a moment to breathe, to let your creativity a moment to fire off ideas.
Fully agree and the next time I play there won’t be a phone recording. I think I had the reader/viewer in mind and the level of entertainment I might provide rather than focusing on how I am experiencing the session. Thank you for the advice for real! It helps to hear about other players’ hurdles.
I find myself in an inner battle as I struggle to decide if I want to make recording a video or my own enjoyment.
I really resonated with your experience. It sounds so familiar! I had a similar stumbling start with Ironsworn. I got bogged down in analysis paralysis, overthinking every little thing, and relying too heavily on the oracles to the point where a simple scene took forever. It sounds like you might have hit a similar wall with the questioning process.
Have you considered a more structured approach to Cairn? I know you mentioned having a binder of generation tables, but something like the Escape the City supplement might be worth a look. It uses playing cards to generate encounters and locations, giving you a bit more direction. It's set in a city, which is a different vibe than your woodland setting, but the structured approach could help get things moving. I recently wrote up my own playthrough with it on my substack, if you're curious.
I also found that my initial solo journaling was super fragmented and slow. Solo play can be really contemplative, and sometimes that first session is more about finding your rhythm than creating a masterpiece of narrative. Don't get discouraged! It sounds like the passion is definitely there, and that's the most important ingredient.
Good luck with your next session!
I really appreciate you taking the time to write this! Escape the City sounds like the perfect place to start. Truth be told, I've been moderately afraid to try again after this session. The feeling of floundering was agonizing, as I see myself as someone who can, almost always, spin a narrative conversationally (I've been in the service industry far too long lol). Having only myself as the singular participant in this "conversation" with the oracle was unsettling. I'm determined to get back on the horse, but perhaps something more structured might supply the confidence I need! I will absolutely be reading through your playthrough by the way 🤘🏻
It's totally understandable to feel a bit intimidated after a rough start. That feeling of floundering is the absolute worst, especially when you're used to spinning stories in conversation. It's a completely different kettle of fish when you're the sole participant, trying to build that "conversation" with the oracle. Don't be afraid to take the lead in those conversations if it feels right and fits the setting and narrative. Don't beat yourself up about it – solo RPGing is a skill, and like any skill, it takes practice.
I find the biggest hurdle is finding a way to feel like you're in the action. I find visualising the scene is key! Sometimes I sketch it out, other times I just try to hold it in my mind's eye, or write a detailed description in my journal – whatever takes me inside the scene so I can interact with it better. I do the same for visualising encounters, focusing on the tone of the scene so the dice rolls remain a mystery until the moment of action.
For me, music is a massive help too. I've found loads of great OSR soundtracks on YouTube that fit the Cairn vibe perfectly. It really helps with immersion. I've also heard of people using AI chatbots like Gemini or ChatGPT for NPC interactions, which can add a whole other layer of dynamism. It's an interesting option, although I totally get the appeal of keeping it fully analogue too. Whatever works best for you is the right way to do it! I'm really looking forward to hearing how your next session goes. Seriously, don't hesitate to share your experience – the stumbles and the triumphs – it helps all of us learn and grow in this hobby. I hope you enjoy reading about my first Cairn playthrough too, by the way.
Overthinking is a difficult monster to tame.
The only thing I can advise from my brief venture into solo play is to take the “no's” as opportunities. So, if you already have a premise and you get a “no” as an answer, you can expand that “no” + the “premise” to something that is interesting to you.
For example, if you have your premise of “I found a trap I set up in a different location“, in this premise there is a lot, something has to have moved it, and by asking something like “are there footmarks...or do I hear something? “ and you get a “no” if you want to get something from your premise to play with then you could come up with something like this “something definitely moved the trap, but something that couldn't have left foot marks and doesn't make a sound, maybe a ghost?” and then you could use the “no” to introduce a paranormal creature or dig into your character's supertitions.
Alternatively, to avoid getting stuck with the “ no's” (and feeling overwhelmed by them) you could take your premise and add it to Mythic's “Thread List”, so you then have a mystery that could get linked to things you encounter later in the game.
I hope these little “ideas” help you enjoy your next game :)
I'd love to hear how it goes!
I really appreciate you taking the time to hit me with some tips! The examples you used would have benefited me greatly, though I think it’ll take practice before I can spin those connections on the fly. My goal is to slow down, not record a thing and focus on how to create narrative flow. Suggestions and advice, like your own, are why I’ve become enamored with this community! It’s so open and helpful!
What I always try to remember is the part on the Mythic GME where is refers to sticking with logical reasoning: I try to minimize the times I ask the oracle so that I am not lost on it by asking permanent questions. instead I try to stick with a „plain logical“ story which gets its flavors from random events and occasional oracle questions that provide unexpected answers.
Everyone who commented has really good advice and tips. My tip is to remember you are playing for you. Your fun and enjoyment. There is no wrong or right way so go with the flow. Let the oracles and tables guide you but if the dice rolls don’t feel right, move on. All rules can be tweaked, or not used at all. I’m glad you aren’t giving up! I’ve had so much fun playing solo RPGs. You got this! 😊😊😊
I’ve since had two sessions and both were a blast! I think the key was using Mythic GME when the emergent narrative started to lose a little steam. I’d imagined it would be used for everything when I made this first attempt. You are dead on about our fun and enjoyment being priority numero uno 🙌🏻 thank you for your encouragement! It means a lot!
Awesome. Can’t wait to read your write ups. I like the one page Mythic GME. I use it a lot and some of the games that I play also have their own oracles and tables that I use.
This is great advice! I've since used it to test scenes and for questions that might yield interesting results in lulls.