What's Fun for Me

The title of the post is both a statement of intent for what I want to talk about but also a question, which I pose to myself; what is it that I enjoy about running and playing Tabletop Roleplaying Games?

This isn't my first time asking myself this. Nor is it the first time I've discussed the answers with all of you. Far from it. What makes this time special? Well...nothing really, other than the subject is on my mind. 

Oh, there's also the matter of a Solo RPG experiment I'd like to try...

Basically, I have two concepts for Solo RPG campaigns, both designed to explore and test out ideas I want to implement in my next long term, open world campaign. I don't believe I'll be able to run both games and so part of what I want to do here is determine which of these two options is the best choice.

Many of the features of the two campaigns will be alike as they share similar DNA: both are open world/universe games, both feature a great deal of player agency, and are going to be 'run' by me (in so far as Solo RPGs have a game facilitator).

Some things may work in one game but not in the other. Some may require tweaking or even need to be heavily reworked in order to fit in a given game. My hope is that the games can both accommodate all the wild antics I have in mind but we'll see. 

As noted above, I can probably only do one of these at a time given various time and obligation constraints, some I'd love to know which one you'd all like to see.

#1. Journal of a Mixed Elf Mercenary Hero

Likely set on my 'D&D-But-Not' world of Aerth, the campaign would follow a young Female Elf of mixed heritage (High Elf and Sylvan Elf) who travels from place to place slaying monsters, defeating brigands, and other such work in exchange for food, shelter, and [I'm thinking] information on the whereabouts of some fiend who decimated her village and killed her family. Yeah, kind of cliche' but it works for this kind of thing. 

The Solo PC would be a Female Elf from a village on the outskirts of Namredel, a nation of Elves of mixed lineages. She herself is descended from a line of High Elf Warriors and Sylvan Elf Mages (though not everyone in her family tree was either a fighter or a magic-user. I'm sure they had shopkeeps and blacksmiths). I see her having 'Nature Magic', spells related to plants, animals, the four elements, and weather. She might seem like a Druid but she comes at it from a very different angle. To me, Druids are Spiritual/Supernatural, while Wizards have a gift that requires study, practice, and skill to use effectively. 

I am curious to explore the character, her personality and interactions, see her in action, develop the world on a smaller more intimate level, and [with any luck] figure out how to create a Medieval Fantasy TRPG campaign that I actually enjoy. I tend to really like my Aerth games but that's largely because of the Winghorn Guard concept, which is actually more like Superheroes than D&D-like Fantasy. By not making her a Winghorn Guard member I am challenging myself to figure out, 'well then what do you do in this setting and how to you go about it'. 

One of the biggest difficulties (and one reason I'm much less into Fantasy) is the lack of dedicated lodging and easy travel. A single PC, or a small party for that matter, can't get from place to place as easily as say, a bunch of flying Superheroes or the crew of a Scout Starship. The whole 'murderhobo' dynamic, sans the murder of course, still leaves one a homeless wanderer. No base to speak of and you know how much I love bases. I could give her a boat or small ship. Hmm. Have to think on this. 

The primary inspirations for this campaign are my previous adventures on Aerth with and without The Winghorn Guard and various Anime/Manga Fantasy series like Delicious in Dungeon, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and others. 

#2. Diary of a Well Meaning Galactic Outlaw

Set in the Star Wars universe, this campaign follows a Smuggler during an unclear period post-Return of the Jedi/The Battle of Endor, roughly around the same time as the first two Seasons of The Mandalorian. Our 'hero' is a Female Togruta trying to get by in the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy, with [probably] a price on her head. I see her having done something positive and just while working for a space crime lord and it caused her to fail the job he gave her. No good deed unpunished kind of thing. 

Our PC is, as noted, a Female Togruta (same species as Ahsoka Tano) Smuggler with a decent Light Freighter starship, exceptional piloting skill, a pretty good fighter, and maybe a droid sidekick and/or a co-pilot friend. Not sure. I do want more characters to join her as the campaign goes on but I'm not certain how many allies she should start with. 

In classic Star Wars fashion, her ship is her conveyance, her home, her protector, and in some ways her best pal. It's a little old, kinda beat-up, but it has some kind of unique advantage. Like, for example, maybe it has improved Shields or great Sensors or even a secret Weapon but it's prone to malfunctions and isn't as fast or maneuverable as she'd prefer. Something like that. 

The main obstacle with this kind of campaign is keeping it fresh and exciting. At this point, we all know Star Wars (or at least most of us are) and it can feel like there's nothing new under the twin suns. At the same time, most people I've met tend to play Star Wars RPGs a little differently than I do. I like to mix the swashbuckling action and adventure of it with a cozy, 'slice of life' kind of feel. I love the idea of playing someone who just lives in that universe. They aren't a 'Hero of the Rebellion' or 'The Last of the Jedi'; they're just people doing what they do in this epic, Space Fantasy setting. I kind feel that way about the first campaign as well. That really is my preferred way of running these sort of open universe games. 

Inspirations here, aside from, ya'know...all the Star Wars, are some very specific influences such as recent [and upcoming] computer and video game releases like Star Wars Genesis, Galactic Racer, Zero Company, Outlaw, and of course the animation anthology Star Wars Visions. There's been come cool Star Wars Manga too such as Path of the Lightsaber and Tsukumo, though I don't intend for our Smuggler to be Force Sensitive. Maybe she'll meet a companion who is...

Anyway, those are my ideas. Which do you think I should go for? Which would you want to read about or play? Let me know in the comments. 

Later,

AD

Barking Alien