I completed this adventure way back in October of 2019. This was my first time playing a solo rpg, and my first time using Zozer Games' SOLO system. I started with the Classic Traveller system, but switched to Cepheus Engine shortly after the first game play of the Dean Team Campaign.
The characters used for this adventure were from “Supplement 13 – Veterans” from GDW. I decided to use pre-generated CT characters in order to get right into game play. This turned out to be bad decision on my part. The characters really did not have the proper skills for an espionage style mission. It would have helped to incorporate at least two agent characters such as those that can be generated on the Agent Career Character Generation Chart in Cepheus Engine. I gave some thought of modifying my Dean Team characters, but decided to see how things would go with the original stats.
I utilized the campaign style “Campaign: Travellers” from the SOLO RPG Campaigns Book (p. 53). I used the checklist outlined on p. 53 to conduct my campaign. I slightly modified this checklist as I played the campaign, but for the most part, I followed the SOLO checklist.
The heart of the SOLO system is “The Plan.” I followed this system throughout my Dean Team Campaign. “The Plan” is a mechanic to resolve a scene. Each plan has a difficulty and danger level. Here is a sample from my play of the Dean Team:
The Plan: The group will attempt to make contact with the Secret Base.
Difficulty: Shaky [required roll = 10+]
Danger Level: Dangerous [“There is chance of physical injury, even death, if things go wrong]
Roll 2d6 to resolve the plan: If the modified roll is less than 10, there is a bad consequence. If the modified roll is = or > than 10, there is a good consequence.
The idea is to take the results of the plan resolution and role play what happened. This can sometimes feel confusing, but after a few times of using “The Plan,” I found it easier to role play the results. In the above example of my Dean Team's last plan, the group failed their success roll. No physical injury resulted , and the bad consequence was “part of the mission was failed or incriminating evidence left behind.” I decided to make the failed plan result a mission failure due to the group's failure to make contact by the time deadline. I role played the group searching the area and making inquiries of the locals. I used the “Tell Me, D6” mechanic outlined on p. 37 of SOLO to assist the role play of the characters interacting with the locals around the area of the secret base. Since the group did not roll the required 10+ and failed the mission, I conducted the role play of the scene with the possibility of the group encountering the secret police. Fortunately for the Dean Team, they did not encounter an undercover government agent which would have certainly resulted in the arrest and/or termination of the group as spies.
Overall, I find Zozer's SOLO to be a useful tool to play Travelller/Cepheus Engine solo. SOLO is not a book full of random charts and endless dice rolling. I find it to be a set of tools to assist with fleshing out the story of your solo rpg campaign.
SOLO has enabled me to move beyond the simple dice rolling resolution mechanic and to get into creating a story. A journal notebook to write out the story narrative is paramount when using SOLO. For some, it will feel like a writing assignment that lacks the interaction and experience of role playing with other people. For many, it will expand your imagination as you play and write out your solo gaming experience. It has been an enriching experience for me and I look forward to my next SOLO campaign.
My next SOLO campaign has already started. I am using Cepheus Light from Stellagama Publishing for my character generation and play of this new campaign. I am not sure if I will post an account of this campaign on COTI, but you never know.
I wish to thank all of you who have followed my posts of the Dean Team Campaign.
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