Wizard Dad's Workshop: Starting a solo game beyond "first level": Flashbacks.

I have been a gamer, and up to two years ago primarily a GM, for about 32 years. I have an admission to make. I a tired of playing low level 18 year old characters with a gleam in their eye striking out for the first time into the local dungeon. In most class and leveled games (D&D being the most famous, but it is a common format) the first couple levels are essentially teaching levels with low complexity characters. I find nothing wrong with that structure if you are first learning to play, or if you are naturally a nose to the grind stone player who wants sudden death to add a little more spice to the game. That is just not me, at least at this point on my gaming career. 

The same goes for most point buy games (looking at you Story Teller System) that start off PCs, no matter the concept, as nearly powerless neophytes who have to gather 50 to 60 xp/build points in play before you can realize the character you had in mind from the beginning.

Well, as I am sure you are all yelling at the screen at this moment, why not just make a character at a higher level character. Well you can, but there is one glaring problem that in most RPGs makes this a stumbling process. Character back history.

If you skip to the point you want to play (be it just past the point you are squish kobold food, or jump to the point you are a local leader with all the rich and interesting problems that can come with that) there are vast swaths of questions that narratively demand an answer or you are left with what is essentially an unfinished character. 

Well Wizard Dad is here with the solution. Flashback Scenes. 

The first thing you will need is a basic character made according to what ever rule system you are making at the level (for a game like D&D or Numenera) or point cost that you wish to play (if you are using something like the Story Teller System or GURPS). Next, decide what setting you wish to place the character in, and in what social situation within that setting you want to play. Keep things basic at this point. 

If there is a point cost (in Experience Points, Money, or influence) to put your character in the position you want them go ahead and assume you have them, but you will make a note of these social advantages. These and a few more things to come are going to be the triggers for the flashbacks. 

Next, give your character a fair amount of Discretionary Points for lateral  advancement. Lateral advancement doesn't change your baseline power level. It is for extras, such as business, contacts, equipment, skills (that you have not yet purchased any level in).  In some games this will be experience points (such as in Cypher System) and in others it may cost money (such as the purchase of cybernetics in most cyberpunk games, or magic items in games in which they are sold), or perhaps a combination of both. 

Now, you should have a character at the level of advancement you wish to play, in a location you wish to start playing in, in the baseline social situation you wish to start the character (remember to note down if this is particularly prestigious or egregious), and lastly a wad of Discretionary Points of some sort (xp, gp, or credits).

Lastly, make a notation of any characters that must already exist to place your character in the situation you want them in. This could include contacts, minions, friends, and enemies. This is your world and your character, start them where you want them.

We are now ready to play. Start the game off like you would for any solo game you want to play. I usually use Mythic GM Emulator 2e, so I have a list of the people I created while I made my character, and I list any pre-existing problems that are just part of the setting that I may get sucked into. I roll inspiration for a first scene and start playing.

It won't take long before your social advantages or disadvantages rear their head. That is a good thing. Make a note when they do, but finish the current scene to a satisfactory point. Now, pick or randomly determine a point in the players life when they gained this social status. Pause your current game and play three short scenes. The first should present a problem your character is embroiled in. The second should cause the gain of the boon or hardship that currently experience in the characters present time. Lastly, you should wrap it up with the gain or loss of status that explains your social situation. Update your NPC lists, lingering effects (that go beyond social status), and write up a brief synopsis of the mini adventure. I suggest you recorded event on a simple character timeline.

As you continue to play make note of any special ability, special equipment, special people, or skill specialty the character has as a result of your current situation. For example if the character is married you will note their spouse. If they work for an organization, have a magic sword, or are sporting a sweet cyberware package, all of these are good flashback fodder.

Bookmark when you use or encounter them, and at some point in the near future run a quick three scene mini to explain the advantage. Add these to your growing character timeline as well. 

Lastly, as your character gets drawn into the action (be it physical, mental, or social) you will inevitably see gaps in the character that you have yet to close. This maybe skills they would logically have, equipment they would desperately need, or contacts they would have. Use the Discretionary Points you banked earlier to fill in the gaps. As you do note them, run flashbacks for them, and add them to the timeline. 

A couple of tips. When you do your flashback, don't use any powers the character couldn't have access to at that time, but don't worry about adjusting Hit Points, Health, Saves, or any such equivalencies. The point isn't more paperwork and extra character sheets, but to detail a single incident briefly in three acts (inception, crisis, and resolution), that will build the backstory for the character. 

Soon you will be out of points, but rich character background full of NPCs and incidents that help cement your character to their setting. 

The inspiration for this post come from the article "Solo Adventures In The Style Of Found Journals" found in Word Mill games Mythic Magazine issue 46, available on DriveThruRPG.com.

Mythic Magazine issue 46

W.D.