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If you're interested in finding out how the mechanics of TTRPGs work, some RPGs have solo adventures (also called programmed adventures), where you create a character (or use a pregenerated character) and you read the first paragraph of the adventure (they're numbered), which presents you with choices, some of which are simple choose A, B, or C and each sends you to a different paragraph, but others have to be resolved using the rules of the RPG: a combat, a trap, a dangerous situation like crossing a decaying bridge, and depending on how things are resolved you go to different paragraphs. It's like gamebooks like Fighting Fantasy, but using the rules of a full-blown RPG.
It doesn't have the same social aspect that is a major component of tabletop RPGs, but it can show you how the mechanics work and give you some idea of how to do things in an RPG.
If you like fantasy, Tunnels and Trolls has a lot of solo adventures, most of which are available at DriveThruRPG.com these days from Flying Buffalo. There have been eight or so editions of T&T, and it was recently sold to a new publisher, but they really said what they are planning for it. If you are interested, one thing you could do is to get the Deluxe T&T rules (the most recent version), and then make sure that any of the solos you get are for Deluxe T&T; if they've got Deluxe in their name they probably are.
— Flying Buffalo at DriveThruRPG
— Deluxe Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls
Alternatively, you could get Monsters! Monsters! (which is the same rules as Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls, but in a much shorter book) from Trollgodfather Press (which is Ken St. Andre, the original author of Tunnels and Trolls and Monsters! Monsters!), and get one of the solo adventures there.
Actually, I just saw that the Deluxe Saving Fang Solo Adventure has the mini T&T rules in it, so you could just get that by itself to see if you like it.
Alternately, if you'd rather try science fiction, or try fantasy for free, Dark City Games makes solo adventures, and you can download the rules they use (which are very similar to The Fantasy Trip and all of two pages long), the genre supplement for the genre you are interested in, and one of their free fantasy or science fiction solos. If you like them they sell more solo adventures, in PDF or print. The free stuff is in the downloads section. The rules are the Adventure Starter; the genre supplements are the Character Catalogue: Ancient World and the Character Catalogue: Ancient World.
— Character Catalogue: Ancient World
— Character Catalogue: Ancient World
Jun 26 · 5 months ago
I have wanted to get into ttRPGs for a long time, but I don't have any friends that are into it. Ages ago I played Warhammer, but after high school I lost touch with that group. Looking into D&D I get overwhelmed. When I stumbled on The Fantasy Trip I snagged a copy when they did the Kickstarter. I posted around with it a bit, but have always been too busy to pursue it.
I've seen Tunnels and Trolls, and Dark City Games. One of these days I'll get around to playing.
My Tabletop Interest — I sometimes play DELVE, a solo map drawing tabletop game based on Dwarf Fortress, its a fun exercise in creativity I like it. I have never played a TTRPG but am interested in the lore of the World Of Darkness series thanks to a YouTube video series called hunter: the parenting that is set in WOD. very excellent series highly recommend. I also am somewhat familiar with Warhammer 40k thanks to the series 'what if the emperor had a Text To Speech device' and I also played...