AD&D 2nd Edition

The Bridge between Old and New!

Coming after E. Gary Gygax had left TSR and spanning the transition period during which Wizards of the Coast acquired TSR, AD&D 2e connects old and new and therefore seems to form a bridge between many changes to the franchise. It's a bridge on a road which I didn't journey on until recently. I altogether skipped playing 2e when it was the current edition of the world's most popular role-playing game, but have recently developed an interest in this edition as a cleaned-up and more player friendly version of the older "advanced" style of play. 

My first 2e Players Handbook was acquired mid-to-late 1980s. I purchased this book new and stuck it in a milk crate (I suppose intending to get back to it). There it sat along with some other seldom used gaming materials until recently. Never one for easily abandoning anything that I really enjoy - I have continued to play my beloved white box edition (5th printing) consisting of the three original little brown books all these years, incorporating various aspects of Advanced and Basic/Expert as "additional material". Advanced was the most popular game once it came along and like most folks I gamed with, I grabbed onto the nice hardbacks of 1e as they were released. Advanced wasn't a complete game at first - there were no "to hit" tables until the DM Guide which was the last volume to be released. In the mean time, I mined the Advanced Monster Manuel and Players Handbook for content to add to my game based on the little brown books. Mixing and adding to my game was something I had grown accustomed to drawing on the official supplements and also from a lot of other sources - some aimed at D&D and some more "generic". It seems even to this day that I prefer borrowing and combining from various sources as "the way" to play any RPG. 

Red Box Basic came along a few years after the first Advanced edition and has probably had more influence on the way I run my personal games than any other with the exception of the original little brown books (plus maybe the Advanced hardbacks). I recall Red Box being my introduction to race as class (Tom Moldvay coined race-as-class in practice, but I didn't own his B/X until later). I think race-as-class makes sense in a human-centric milieu, but that is a story for another day. This post is about Advanced 2e, which is an edition that I am becoming rather fond of - now that it is 35+ years old!

I recently remarked to a gaming buddy that for this past year 2e has been my passion. The epiphany (that 2e is a really good game) started with the pandemic and suspension of my face-to-face games. Turning first to watching some online role-playing to see what that could be like, I became a follower of the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel where they are playing AD&D 2e using Roll20. (Roll20 is virtual tabletop software that offers a tactical display and additional features to support online play -m just in case there is anyone out there that doesn't already know this.) I didn't become convinced there was much for me personally in the virtual tabletop software, but the 2e system caught my attention as both familiar and new and improved when compared to what I recall of 1e. At the same time I started watching another YouTube channel, GROGTALK, which is devoted to the 1st edition of the Advanced game. Pulling out the old books and re-acquainting myself with 1e as well as taking a "first look" at 2e, I found that 2e is very similar to 1e in many ways, but seems better organized and some of the more ambiguously worded mechanical sub-systems including initiative and surprise are arguably "cleaned up".

The lead designer/editor of the 2nd edition is David "Zeb" Cook who previously had done excellent work on the Expert rules for the Basic D&D line (B/X). I find Mr. Cook's writing style is both concise and easy to read and I think he succeeds in giving the hobby a game that reflects how many, if not most, of us were using the Gary Gygax authored Advanced books. In other words by simplifying select sub-systems and leaving off others entirely - like the seldom used 1e "to hit" adjustments for armor class by weapon type. 

Advanced 2e is not without its "disappointments", however. Development of this edition occurred during the transition that would see Gary Gygax ousted and which ushers in new design philosophies that exclude some of the game's aspects that were being perceived as "troublesome" from a public relations standpoint. Half-orcs and the assassin class is removed. The art and illustrations become more "colorful" (literally with the introduction of color) and at the same time less controversial (no bare-chested females, although the chain-mail bikini persists). 

The transition to the 2nd edition "philosophy" also involves a shift in thinking about how the game should work at the table. Mr. Cook's Players Handbook includes the vast majority of game rules in that single volume making full knowledge of how the game works available to players and DMs alike. The Dungeon Masters Guide - which in its 1e version contains most of the necessary game rules other than character creation and spell descriptions - is now devoted to advice on strictly DM topics such as world creation and handling table dynamics. Personally I rather miss the approach of rules being the DM's prerogative and the unique "Gygaxian" prose style found in the 1e volumes and will continue to read those volumes for the pleasure of enjoying Mr. Gygax' voice if nothing else.

Up to this point I have been talking strictly about the TSR era 2nd edition game. In 1997 TSR is sold to Wizards of the Coast, who continues to publish the world's first role-playing game to the present day. The folks in Seattle redesigned the physical look of the Advanced game and introduced a number of changes through the addition of supplemental volumes - a practice first started in 1975 and continues through the current 5th edition. I have generally been less enthusiastic about material I have found in the various "supplements" (regardless of edition) and generally stick to the core materials (and my own "homebrew") when I am behind the referee screen.

As a referee I prefer to create my own setting for the games I run, but I read and borrow from a number of sources in doing so. Drawing from novels, history books and setting materials published for a variety of game systems, like many, I pick and choose ideas that appeal to me or seem to offer the greatest potential for use at my table. There are a number of settings that are designed for use with the 2e version of the game - some have been adapted for use with later editions and some have not. The variety and unique nature of the many 2e settings (Planescape, Dark Sun, Spelljammer, etc.) can be one reason to pay attention to this edition. 

The 1990's saw publication of a number of 2e supplemental rules tomes as the new owners sought to broaden the scope of the Advanced game and to experiment with new gaming ideas (skills and critical hits, prestige classes and more). Some of the new concepts found favor with consumers becoming permanent elements of the game starting with 3e and 2e can be seen as a bridge that spans the intellectual gulf between the older TSR era game philosophies and what has come about since and starting with late 2e and then 3e, etc. brings us to the present state of the hobby.

In addition to spending more viewing time online, the pandemic has afforded me more reading time which I have largely devoted to the hobby. With a nearly a half century of role-playing material available there has been no shortage of entertaining sources. In the past year I have been introduced to the very first published adventure "kit" - Palace of the Vampire Queen by Wee Warriors - as well as many other releases that I have missed out on until now - Night Below, the 2e mega-adventure by Carl Sargent, comes to mind. 

What is old is new if it is your first experience with it. The future looks bright, even when viewed from my spot on the couch by the reading lamp. One of my face-to-face groups has started With a little more (enforced) leisure time on our hands, many are discovering that there is a lot of old/new treasures just waiting to be (re)discovered!

You Awake...

...with Throbbing Pain in Your Head.

As you try to rise to a sitting position you inhale dust and smoke causing you to cough involuntarily. You notice that you are lying in a depression beside a broken pod and that the air above is cloudy with a red-orange haze. Head throbbing with pain, a wave of nausea overtakes you and you nearly pass out. 

Slowly you begin to clear your mind and assess your surroundings. You search your memory wondering at your strange situation. You find no immediate answer to explain your present condition. Pulling yourself to a standing position, you feel a pain in your leg. Looking down, you are surprised to see fresh blood and a tear in your jump suit just above the knee. 

At this moment your attention is quickly drawn to the red sky above...a familiar mechanical scream of an Imperial fighter streaks overhead, its H silhouette disappears into the dull haze of a giant red sun. As you ponder it all, wondering how you got here...searching your vacant memory for answers, a black orb starts to grow inside the middle of the sun sphere. The black disk grows in size until the entire sun takes on the semblance of a giant, angry red eye. 

As the ground rumbles and shakes beneath your feet you nearly lose your balance and dirt cascades down the sides of the shallow depression in which you stand. Fearing that you will soon be buried, you scramble up the side of what you now can see is a crater with a broken pod lying near its center. Clearing the rim, you take in what appears to be a vast deserted city of brown ruins that lies before you. Black rectangles, which must be the remains of windows and doors, pierce the red-brown facades. Roofs are either flat or missing entirely. The shaking vibrations continue and you are startled to see the building walls begin to crumble and fall. Blinding dust billows forth.

Turning to limp painfully, you make your way toward an open area away from the falling walls and the crumbling crater's edge. Suddenly the ground beneath you gives way and you fall several meters, landing on your back with a metallic clang as rocks and debris shower down from above. Rising to a crouching position, your stinging eyes focus in the dim light filtering down from the hole above revealing that you are now in a hallway or a long rectangular room. A growl of sorts causes you to turn quickly and reach for the mono-filament knife strapped to your thigh. Through the thick haze of dust you think you see movement several meters across the shadowed room. Your thumb presses the activation button on your knife - more a tool than a weapon.

A blinding light, followed by a loud bang that rings painfully in your ears and then total blackness...

You awake again to feel yourself being pulled along a smooth floor by your leg. You quickly roll to one side breaking the hold of whatever is dragging you. As you fumble for your knife, you recall having drawn it before...it must be gone now. Lifting your head from your position lying on a cold metal floor, you see two small humanoid shapes with hair akimbo- one brandishing a thin club or spear. Both are dressed in filthy rags and a pungent smell assaults your nostrils. They look like...human children, but that makes no sense? 

Or does it?

Like many folks my age the original Star Wars film (1977) left quite an impression on me. That summer of its release, I recall making a number of trips to the local cinema to view Star Wars multiple times - unlike some, I don't recall just how many times that I saw SW at the theater, but definitely more than a couple - each time, standing in long lines. The movie had an understandable appeal to this nerdy high school graduate. There was no immediate merchandizing that I can recall however, as that trend had not really taken hold on America yet. There wasn't even a SW role-playing game - I didn't discover the original white box D&D until I started college later that fall. So for me, Star Wars fever came and went. The subsequent movies failed to rekindle the excitement I experienced while viewing that first film and today I consider myself a very luke-warm fan of the franchise.

Many of my friends and fellow gamers however, are very keen on Star Wars and I have occasionally played games built around the famous space opera. It would be a full decade after the release of the first film before West End Games published their Star Wars RPG using the D6 mechanic which had been previously introduced to the RPG community with their Ghostbusters RPG. WEG's D6 dice pool system delivers a fun, cinematic game that fits well within a heroic action movie setting. On the infrequent occasion that I run a Star Wars themed game, D6 is my system of choice. Oh, I have played (and GMed) a few other SW game systems, but for me West End Games got SW right with the first game. I am happy to see that the original SW game is now back in print with a 30th Anniversary Edition (this time published by FFG) that comes in a nice slipcase containing the SW sourcebook as well as the core SW D6 rules book.

And if you are wondering about the opening vignette above, yeah, that is a sampling of how (as referee and otherwise) I tend to mash together ideas that are freely borrowed from a number of sources.

Required Reading

"Appendix N" and the Roots of the Game.

What you bring to the table in terms of background is important to how you play the game. Our understanding of everything is shaped by what we have been exposed to. Each new experience is interpreted in light of all our past experiences. The creators of the world's first role-playing game (1974) shared a common background in the books they read and in the hobby of tabletop miniatures and board wargames. As it turns out, I shared much the same background. The game they created is a good fit for me. Its assumptions and tropes make sense and are relatable and I have enjoyed the game they created for four decades and more.

Nothing remains static, however, and the hobby has evolved since those early days when the three little brown books were the only game available. This has been true since the beginning. It was barely a year after publication of the world's first role-playing game when Flying Buffalo, Inc. started selling Ken St. Andre's Tunnels & Trolls and the folks at TSR released Empire of the Petal Throne - an adaptation of the little brown books for M.A.R. Barker's Tekumel setting.

In 2014 the 5th edition of the world's most popular FRP game was released, and since that time it too has been evolving. Arguably more people are playing than ever before and doing so in ways probably not imagined by the game's original creators. Online play is now the norm as the world-wide pandemic has made sitting around a table playing face-to-face problematic. Virtual tabletop software makes electronic dice rolls, colorful shared mapping and tactical display all very common elements of the game. Video streaming has created a market for watching others role-play as entertainment. The hobby has changed and will continue to do so.

Over the years I have enjoyed many conversations among fellow gamers about "what we are reading". A shared enthusiasm for science fiction and fantasy literature is one of the things which brought many of us into the hobby and gave us some common ground beyond our interest in role-playing, or "adventure gaming" as it was originally termed. The rise in popularity of The Lord Of The Rings novels coincided with that of the world's first role-playing game and the popularity of one seemed to "feed" off the other as fans talked among themselves.

Appendix N - the sources of inspiration author E. Gary Gygax attributes to influencing his thinking in creating the Advanced game (and by backward extension the little brown books and Chainmail's Fantasy Supplement) includes way more than the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Having read a number of the sources listed prior to publication of Appendix N in the Dungeon Masters Guide (1979), I delved into Appendix N with a passion almost as soon as I was introduced and have continued to seek out and enjoy reading the authors listed in that document to this day. It goes almost without saying that this has influenced my approach to FRP gaming. Awareness of this has also made me acutely cognoscente that many others playing the game today do not share a background in reading Appendix N sources.

Our view of what the game can and should be is colored by our knowledge and experiences outside of the game. Put simply, people who have little to no grounding in the Appendix N sources bring a much different mind-set to FRP than those who do. The common ground is just not present. I think this explains much of what I am observing in our hobby today.

It is the nature of things to change, to evolve and to often reflect the preferences of those involved with shaping the future. This post is not arguing otherwise. My thoughts today are merely an effort to better understand and enjoy our shared hobby experience and to remind myself that there has never been "one right way to play the game". If you and others at your table are having fun, then that is the right way for you to play the game. I am becoming increasingly aware that playing with others who share a love for the Appendix N authors is how I most enjoy FRP gaming.

Play the right game for you and with those who enjoy playing as you do.

Looking Beyond to 2021

Hobby Observations and Predictions

At the end of the year it seems appropriate to give some thought to the year behind us and to that before us. (With all the sufferings and hurt going on in the world it may seem unimportant to speak of a hobby, but that hobby is the sole focus of this blog.) The past year necessitated drastic changes in the way I engage with this hobby. As a gamer who much prefers face-to-face play, I have had to make adjustments - as have others. I have learned to enjoy playing remotely via Discord and have experimented some with virtual tabletop software - although "theater of the mind" remains my preference over the use of a tactical display, virtual or physical.

In years past I have considered myself fortunate to reside in a location between the host cities of two of the largest gaming conventions in America, Origins in Columbus, Ohio and Gencon in Indianapolis, Indiana. For many years I have looked forward to attending these conventions as a way to reconnect with fellow gamers, learn about new products and to play a few of the games that I enjoy, but don't get to share with my regular group. Obviously, this past year saw the cancellation of both conventions along with virtually all other large gatherings.

Browsing and networking at the local game store has also fallen victim to the world-wide pandemic. Fortunately, there is the internet and I have noticed a marked increase in the number of online streamers and video channel producers posting quite interesting RPG content for those of us stuck at home without a group game. Solo RPG has experienced a renaissance of sorts based on what I have seen covered on the web channels as well.

It appears that FRP remains a quite popular hobby despite the logistical difficulties everyone is experiencing with face-to-face group play. D&D 5e seems to continue to lead the FRP pack with Pathfinder 2e (with its strong incentive for team combat) remaining a strong alternative. With the release of Paizo's new Pf 2e Beginner Box, I expect 2e to gain ground in the new year. The release this past fall of Tasha's Cauldron..., with its "bigger and better" character options has me wondering if D&D isn't about due for a new revision or edition. Perhaps 5.5 or 6e will be announced soon? It occurs to me that the Wizards are going to need to do something soon to bring their Players Handbook into line with all the supplemental material which has been released.

The real game-changer on the horizon seems to be Age of Sigmar: Soulbound. Released near the end of this year by Cubicle 7, Soulbound has the potential to radically redefine the FRP genre largely because of its "soulbinding" mechanic and connecting the game's meta currencies to player cooperation. Soulbound takes the idea of a diverse party group of specialist PCs working together to achieve common goals to a new level by introducing mechanics that depend on them cooperating, and imposing increasing levels of "doom" when they don't. Even though the individual party members may dislike (or even "hate") each other, they have plenty of reason in Soulbound to help each other.

The premise of the game is that the Mortal Realms are a battleground where a benevolent god, Sigmar, attempts to hold back the destructive forces of chaos. The players control larger than life characters whose life forces (their souls) have been intertwined or bound together. The Mortal Realms contain a number of kindreds who specialize in unique abilities, but who also compete with each other. These kindred factions and the constant threat of the chaos gods and their followers is the backdrop for the Age of Sigmar tabletop minatures battle game as well as the Soulbound FRP game. 

In Soulbound the characters may gain benefit by accessing Soulfire, effectively borrowing from the life essence of the companions with whom they share a binding. This can be approved use if the other players agree, or the player may use Soulfire without group consent and thereby increase "Doom" - a negative energy which adversely effects both the characters and the world's other inhabitants.

Soulbound heroes start gameplay feeling like "superheroes" and leveling up is less of a thing in Soulbound than in many games. This "flattening" of abilities helps avoid the high level woes often encountered in other systems. The Soulbound setting is epic in scale with active god-lead factions (good and evil), nine worlds connected to each other through Realmgates and with PCs that feel a lot like comic book superheroes tasked with saving the day. Downtime in Soulbound has real meaning, again thanks to some innovative mechanics curtesy of the design geniuses at Cubicle 7. 

I have often noted the increasing tendency in our hobby for games to focus on providing players with lots of character options and I would add that many such choices involve playing character types that have little reason to cooperate with each other. As a result of players building characters independently of each other, and then being thrown together and trying to operate as a group, I have witnessed friction and frustration among many groups, including my own. The "session zero" discussion is offered by some as a potential way to address what I see as a growing problem in the hobby, but that seems a band-aid approach when the popular game systems seem to encourage a "do your own thing" approach to building each character. Party harmony is essential to group enjoyment (at least in my experience) and many a game campaign has come to a pre-mature end because of inter-character strife. Friendships among the players can even be strained under such circumstances.

The appeal of Soulbound makes it a game that I personally look forward to bringing to a table - actual or virtual -  during the coming year. The Mortal Realms as a world setting is dark and magic in Soulbound is dangerous - two things that personally speak to my preferences. So I welcome AoS: Soulbound and offer a warm "thank you" to the folks at Cubicle 7 who seem to have recognized the issue of our "disconnected" PCs for what it is and have provided what I think may become a model solution. The Warhammer miniatures battle game which established the setting of Age of Sigmar is itself a revolutionary product in table-top wargaming (introducing mechanics that focus on making "story" a contextual part of the battle game), so it seems appropriate to me that its role-playing cousin should also forever alter the way a FRP game is played.

Happy gaming!

Can We Parley?

An Alternative to Combat

"Roll for initiative!" Perhaps too often is this the the first words spoken by a referee at the beginning of an encounter. If the game is viewed as a wargame, in which combat is the goal and purpose, then combat seems the most appropriate method for handling most encounters. A role-playing game may involve much more than combat, however, and this is indeed what sets it apart as a hobby separate from wargaming (and separate from CRPG).

Many characters in a typical FRP game are built for combat. Many players enjoy combat above all other aspects of the game and there is of course no wrong way to play the game. Computer and consul RPGs (CRPGs) excel at combat, but handle dialogue and social aspects of the game less well. The table-top RPG (TTRPG) is not limited to what the programmer thinks might happen and therefore codes into the CRPG options. If one takes the time to ask a few questions of the referee, there may emerge an entirely different way to enjoy playing any table-top scenario. Exploration, discovery, investigation - these are all aspects of even the simplest TTRPG dungeon crawl. Engaging the world through diplomacy, role-playing what your character says, is also a part of many games. 

Motivations play an enormous role in determining how creatures in the real world react and there is little reason for this to not be the case in our role-playing games. We should ask ourselves, "What is the motive of this person (or beast)?" Once we have the answer clear in our mind, there will usually be more than one way to achieve this motive. Even a creature that desires to eat you may respond favorably to being offered food without a fight. A bribe, or a lie can often get you past the guards and without the loss of hit points, or having  to use up some valuable magic. Sneaking about is the basis of many a covert mission where gaining access to or acquiring valuable intelligence is the motive. Thievery is just that and is quite distinct from murder. The question of motive can be a dark one in some cases - I suppose genocide as a motive is just that, and leaves little room for discussion, but aside from that, most creatures will not necessarily be fanatical.

Most referees enjoy sharing lore about their world. What better way to do this than to get their players talking to NPCs - even "monsters" about what's around the corner, over the next hill or some bit of ancient history that makes this place "special". Dialoguing with its inhabitants is a great way for you and your players to explore the shared fictional setting and to further enjoy the game. It has been my experience that the more the players know about the world, the more they seem to enjoy uncovering its hidden secrets.

One way to "shape" player behavior during a game is by making it clear just what the potential rewards are (and are not). Granting experience for the monsters slain will pretty well assure that killing the monster will be at the top of a player's to-do list. One of the advantages to giving experience for gold, or for just for showing up and playing for the session is that it encourages more than killing. It is important that players are aware of this fact prior to character generation, because a PC built for combat is likely to default to what they do best. Players will follow the rewards. Let your players know how they can be successful in your game without always going straight to combat and you may see a surprising level of creativity emerge!

One on One

System Matters

In my last post I talked about playing a FRP campaign with a single player controlling a single character. Typically a fantasy role-playing game is designed to accommodate more than one player at the table, often relying on a diverse group of characters each contributing their different specialized abilities toward the success of the mission. Such systems usually have mechanics which protect the niche area of expertise so that character strengths do not overlap. In this way each player is encouraged to cooperate with others to achieve their shared goal.

The game system that we use in our role-play game matters on many levels. Some systems allow each player to control more than one character, often calling these secondary characters by descriptive titles like "sidekick", "henchmen" or "hirelings". Some FRP game systems handle a single character better than others. In many old school games the designers assume that an adventuring party will include several characters and that each character will differ from others in possessing a group of abilities defined by character class.  In a system that uses class each character's unique set of abilities are combined with the abilities of other characters to make for a team of specialists who while working together will provide each character their unique time to shine as their abilities are needed to resolve various challenges. 

In contrast to the "team" approach, a game featuring a single character will necessitate that character to be rather self sufficient. A character that possesses a variety of skills and abilities, including the capacity for magic seems advisable. Some systems, usually those that do not use the class system and allow for a great deal of character customization including martial and magic skills, can handle this better than others. 

In thinking about The Last Dragon Lord campaign I considered a number of systems and settled on Tunnels & Trolls. It is a system that has been around for a number of years and has gone through several editions which are all closely compatible with each other. The folks at Flying Buffalo, Inc. who publish Tunnels & Trolls early on adopted solo play and the system works well with a single character. Other FRP games which I would quickly consider equally adaptable to solo play include GURPS and any of Chaosium's games based on the Basic Role-Playing system. Both GURPS and BRP are skill-based systems allowing for a degree of character customization which may include a broad range of abilities including an aptitude for magic. It takes a bit more planning and work, but I suppose most any system may be adapted for solo or one-on-one play using a single character.

In addition to having a variety of abilities, the single character needs to be resilient enough to survive a few "hits". Otherwise the game becomes rather chancy as any bad dice roll may end the game prematurely. Resources, including "hit points" need to be gradually reduced in order to facilitate the player making decisions regarding risk. In a game featuring several characters the disabling or even "death" of a single character will seldom bring on an end to play. 

If using a system such as the original edition of the world' most popular role-playing game (White Box) I suggest an elf for the single payer character. The White Box elf combines the class abilities of the fighting man and the magic user giving the character access to both "strengths". The elf uses the most advantageous saving throws, weapons and armor of the two classes. The system as it appears in the original three little brown books contains no skill mechanics as such and I interpret this to allow all character to try just about any action under the assumption that they are competent adventuring types. Hit points is my concern when using the rules as written here and I believe some adjustment is in order when playing with a single character. Perhaps allowing the elf to roll two "hit die", one each for their status as fighting man and magic user and adding the results together. This would at least make the first level elven character a little more robust. 

As The Last Dragon Lord, our character can be assumed to be a cut above normal folks, even as an apprentice. As such, it seems appropriate to set the game up to deliver a heroic feel to the character. They should prevail in most encounters and the referee should give careful thought to their odds of surviving any encounter. Therefore I would suggest tilting the game slightly in favor of the character - something I usually avoid on principle believing a good challenge is more rewarding for players than an easy romp through all obstacles.

The one on one game allows the referee to tailor the entire campaign to the preferences of a single player, therefore a bit more customization of the developing setting seems in order. Following the players lead whenever possible, the referee might want to use role-play with NPCs (and out of game discussion) to help plan the future direction of the campaign including adjusting encounters, magic items and conflicts so as to give the player more of what they want. I would also suggest that combat take a back seat to role-play as social encounters present the referee with more "control" than combat encounters during which the outcome can be very dice dependent. Of course setting the tone as such may require some discussion with the player if they are inclined to "shoot first and ask questions later". A role-play rich campaign allows the player to more fully engage with the world, to discover more about the world and engage with the world on a level seldom achieved in a "shoot and loot" type of campaign.

The one on one FRP game is something unique requiring an adjustment of expectations and methods of play. It can be rewarding and it definitely offers a way to engage the hobby under circumstances that prevent play in a larger group.

The Last Dragon Lord

A fantasy adventure set-up for a one-player campaign.

For thousands of years the Order of Dragons ruled The Land. Wizard-warriors and lords all, from their fortresses the Order commanded with absolute power. Dragon disciples, whom it is said were all descended from true dragons, trained at such fortresses from an early age in the use of both arms and armor and magic and upon reaching maturity, would become Elder Knights of the Order. Some of the most powerful Elders were even said to be able to assume the aspect of a huge winged dragon.

This has all now come to an end. Within hours every stronghold of Dragonkin has been destroyed, every dragon warrior-mage has been killed, their bodies burned beyond recovery. Every Dragon Lord except you that is. You are the last.

Like all those who have carried the dragon's blood, you were marked at an early age as exceptional and brought to the Order to train. As a senior apprentice nearing graduation, you were sent on a routine errand that took you away from your stronghold and so you were not present on the fateful day now remembered as the Dragonfall - the day when all who bore the mark of the dragon perished. 

The Order is gone, their fortresses reduced to crumbling ruins. The people seem mostly glad for their freedom and have adopted new rulers elevated from their own ranks. Homeless and without kindred, you now wander this land haunted by your fate... The Last Dragon Lord.

As I write this, the global pandemic which began approximately a year ago and largely defined the year 2020 shows no signs of abating. Table-top gaming has moved on-line for many of us. Those who are fortunate enough to live with another gamer or two are perhaps looking for ways to continue gaming face-to-face with a very small group. Traditional party based adventuring remains possible, and face-to-face games remain a goal of many and may hopefully resume in the coming year. In the meantime, I offer the above as inspiration. It is admittedly not an original idea. I have borrowed heavily from various sources for my inspiration. I write these words in hope that they will inspire others to borrow ideas, add your own, and create fun opportunities for a referee and one (maybe two) players to explore the fun that can be had adventuring in a fantastic setting.

Happy Holidays to all!