Simple Solo System

SimpleSoloSystemisagamesystemintendedforuseininteractivefiction,otherwiseknownas Quests.ItisdesignedaroundasingleStarencounteringobstaclesduringthecourseoftheir adventure,beitfantasticormundane.TheStarisguidedbytheAuthor,whocreatesthe oppositionandcreatesthestorysworldandpremise.

How to Play
SimpleSoloSystemusesfourStatisticsandpercentiledicetodetermineoutcomes.Percentile dicecanberepresentedasasingle100sideddieortwo10sideddice.Thesedicearerolled andcomparedtotherelevantStatisticorTargetNumber.Iftheresultisequaltoorlesserthan theStatisticorTargetNumber,theactionsucceeds.Ifitisnot,theactionfails.

100 and 1
Arollof100isalwaysafailure.Arollof1isalwaysasuccess.Notethatneithera100nora1 canmakeimpossibleeventshappen.

DifficultiesandTargetNumbers
Mostofthetime,youwillberollingagainstyourStatisticwithnofurtherchanges.Inothercases, circumstancesinthegamemaymakeataskeasierormoredifficult.Thisissimplyknownas theDifficulty.WhenyourStatisticismodifiedbyaDifficulty,itisknownasaTargetNumber.If multiplefactorswouldapplyabonusorpenalty,onlytakethehighestapplicablemodifierfrom eachcategory.SubtractanypenaltiesfromanyapplicablebonusesfromDifficultyorother circumstancesbeforeapplyingthemtotheStatistic.AchartlistingtheDifficultiesandtheir associatedpenaltiesorbonusesisprovidedbelow.

Difficulty Modifier Chart

Difficulty Effortless VeryEasy Easy Simple Routine Ordinary Challenging Tricky Taxing Demanding Hard VeryHard Improbable

Modifier +60 +50 +40 +30 +20 +10 +0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Degrees of Success and Failure

Mostofthetime,youonlyneedtoknowifyousucceededorfailed.However,sometask resolutions,suchascombat,requireyoutoknowhowwellorhowpoorlyyoudid.Justfor succeeding,yougain1DegreeofSuccess.Foreverymultipleof5yourollunderyourStatistic orTargetNumber,yougainanadditionalDegreesofSuccess.Failurealwaysproduces1 DegreeofFailure.Foreverymultipleof5yourolloveryourStatisticorTargetNumber,you sufferanadditionalDegreeofFailure.

Statistics
SimpleSoloSystemabstractstheStarsvarioustalentsdownintofourStatistics,each concerningdifferentareasofcompetence.

Sinew
SinewrepresentstheStarsphysicalityandtoughness.SinewistestedanytimetheStarneeds torun,jump,liftormoveobjects,andgiveortakeblowsinclosecombat.Bydefault,yourSinew alsoservesasthebasisofyourStrikeLimit.

Sleight
SleightrepresentstheStarsfinedexterityandadroitness.SleightistestedanytimetheStar needstomanipulatesmallobjectswithprecision,balanceonnarrowsurfaces,operateavehicle skillfully,andaimrangedweaponsincombat.

Smarts
SmartsrepresentstheStarsmentalacuityanddepthofknowledge.Smartsistestedanytime theStarneedstorecallobscurepiecesofinformationnotpreviouslyrevealedtothem,notice finedetails,operatecomplexmachinery,orcreateadeviceofsomesort.Incertainsettings, SmartsalsoservesastheStatisticwhichgovernsarcanemagic.

Sass
SassrepresentstheStarssocialacumenandstrengthofcharacter.Sassistestedanytime theStarmustconvincesomeonetodosomethingtheynormallywouldnt,seethrough deception,resistcoercion,andotherwisemanipulateothers.Incertainsettings,Sassalso servesastheStatisticwhichgovernsholymagic.

Creating a Star
Inmanycases,theAuthorwillcreatetheStarforsomeoneelsetouse,butsometimesthe AuthorwillallowtheStartobecreatedbytheplayers.Ineitherevent,therulesformakingaStar arethesame.

Step 1: Concept
First,sketchoutwhatyouthinktheStarshouldbelike.Whatistheirhistory,whataretheir talents?Istheresomethingspecialoruniqueaboutthem?Dontgettoodetailedhere,some basicnotesarefine.

Step 2: Assign Statistics

StarsbeginwithallStatisticsat0,andyoumustraisethemwithStatisticPoints.Spendinga StatisticPointonanygivenStatisticwillraiseitsvalueby1.Youhave220StatisticPointsto distributebetweenthe4Statisticsasyouseefit,butthereareafewcaveats.Nostatisticcanbe ratedatunder30andnostatisticcanbegreaterthan80.Forthemostpart,thenumberofyour StatisticPointswilltakecareofthis.

Step 3: Any Specials

SomeAuthorsmayhaveadditionalmechanicsforyoutouse,suchasspellsorspecialskills. Thisisthepointwhereyouwouldapplythem.

Step 4: Strikes and any Derived Values

CalculateyourStrikeLimit.Bydefault,yourStrikeLimitisequaltoyourSinewdividedby20,and roundedup.SomeAuthorsmayuseadifferentStatisticorsimplyassigntheirownStrikeLimit basedonexternalfactors.AnyotherderivedvaluesthatyourAuthorhasimposedalsocome intoplayatthispoint.

Scenes and Skirmishes

What are Scenes?
ScenesaretheperiodsoftimewhenwereactuallypayingattentiontowhattheStarisdoing.A Scenelastsanindeterminateamountoftime,butitcanbethoughtofasalloftheeventsrelated toaccomplishinganimmediategoal.AlmosteverythingtheStaraccomplishesisduringa Scene.TheonlytimeaStarisnotinasceneiswhenmundaneactivitiesorunimportantdetails arebeingtakencareofoffscreen.Forexample,iftheStarisattemptingtogatherinformation ataseedypub,thatisaScene.However,ifnothingimportantisgoingtohappenbetweenthe Starleavingthepubandheadingtohisapartment,thenthatentiretripisnotaScene.

What is a Skirmish?
ASkirmishisaspecialkindofsceneinwhichtheStarisindangerofimmediate,grave consequences.ThemostcommontypeofSkirmishisaFightScene.Unlikefightsinother games,onlytheStaractsinaSkirmish,withenemiesprovidingpassiveresistance.ASkirmish isdifferentfromaregularSceneinafewkeyareas:StrikesandSpine.

Strikes
StrikesrepresenttheStarsdwindlingchancesofescapingaSkirmishintact.Theycan representwounds,blunders,FateconspiringagainsttheStar,oranyothernumberofthings.A Starcantolerateupto3Strikes.IfaStarhas3StrikesandsuffersanotherStrike,theyreout andareSidelined.

Gaining and Resisting Strikes

WheneveryoufailatestwithinaSkirmish,thereisachanceyoucangainaStrike.Countthe DegreesofFailurewhenyoufailatestinaSkirmishandcompareittoyourStrikeLimit.Ifthe DegreesofFailurearegreaterthanyourStrikeLimit,yougainaStrike.IftheDegreesofFailure arelessthanyourStrikeLimit,nothinghappens.NomatterhowmanyDegreesofFailureyou accrue,youcannevergainmorethan1Strikefromasingletest.

Recovering from Strikes

AttheendofaSkirmish,winorlose,youclearawayanyStrikesyoumayhavegained.

Being Sidelined
Ifyougainmorethan3Strikes,youareSidelined.WhentheStarisSidelined,theydonot necessarilydie,especiallyiftheSkirmishinquestionwasnotactuallyaphysicalfight.Many times,theStarissimplyknockedout,castaside,escortedout,orotherwiserenderedincapable offurtheraffectingaScene.

What is Spine?
Sometimes,especiallywhenfightsareconcerned,obstaclesinSkirmisheswontgoawaywith justasimplesuccess.Instead,theyrequireanexceptionalsuccessoraseriesofmoderate successes.ThisisrepresentedbySpine.Simplyput,SpineistheDegreesofSuccessthe StarneedstoaccruetofavorablyendaSkirmish.

How to use Spine

CounttheDegreesofSuccesstheStaraccruesfromanysuccessfultestandsubtractitfrom theobstaclesSpine.WhentheobstaclesSpinereaches0,theStarhasovercomeit,eitherby findingawayaroundthisroadblockorbeatingitintoabloodypulp.Mostobstacleshave between3and10Spine,andshouldneverhavemorethan20Spine.

Sessions, Star Points, Steps, and Specials

What is a Session?
ASessionishoweverlongyouplay,fromstarttofinish.Usuallybetween4to6realworldhours. Sessionsareimportantbecausethatswhenyouplayandtheydeterminehowoftenyourecover StarPoints

What are Star Points?

TheStarofastoryisspecial.Theworldbendsaroundtheirnarrativeimportance,evenifbythey arecompletelyaveragebythestandardsofthesetting.StarPointsrepresentthecenterstage natureoftheStar,andgivethemthepowertosucceedwhentheyshouldhavefailed.Atthe beginningofeverySession,theStarlosesanypreviousStarPointsandgains3StarPoints back.1StarPointcanbespenttodoanyofthefollowing. RemoveaStrike ImproveaStatisticby20foroneroll.YoumustspendtheStarPointbeforeyouroll. IftheStarisunsatisfiedwitharoll,theymayspendaStarPointtorerollit,takingthe betterresult. Addaminor,usefuldetailtoaScene

What are Steps?

Bydefault,StarsinSimpleSoloSystemdonotimproveovertime.Theyenterthestorywitha goodamountofskillandstayrelativelystatic.Forthosewholiketomodelgrowthovertime, thereareSteps.AStepworksjustliketheStatisticPointsyouusedwhenyoumadethethe Star.YoucanspendthemtoimproveanyStatisticby1.NomatterhowmanyStepsyouspend, youcannotraiseaStatisticabove95.YoucanspendStepsatanytimeduringplay,butonce spent,thoseimprovementsarepermanent.IfanauthorwishestouseSteps,theyshould considerreducingtheamountofStatisticPointsusedwhenmakingtheStar.

What are Specials?

SpecialsarelittleexceptionsthatallowtheStartobreaksomeoftherulesofthegame.They canbeanythingfromarmsandarmortomagictospecialsecretmoves.Specialsshouldnever allowyoutoautomaticallysucceedandshouldnevermaketheStarinvincible.Beyondthat,the AuthorhasalotoffreedomindesigningSpecials.AfewexampleSpecialshavebeencreated below. ExtraHeroic:AtthebeginningofaScene,iftheStarhasnoStarPointsremaining,the Starrecovers1StarPoint. WeaponsandArmor:Weaponsareratedonascaleof1to5andArmoronascaleof1 to4.WeaponsaddtotheDegreesofSuccesswhentheyareusedtoattackanobstacle andArmoraddtoyourStrikeLimitwhenyoufailarollinaSkirmish. Magic:TheStarcantesttherelevantStatistictoactivateaMagicalSpelltheyknow. ProtectionfromEvil:TheStarincreasestheirStrikeLimitby2againstEvil Creatures. MagicMissile:TheStarcanusetheirSmartstoattack,insteadofSinewor Sleight.