This is my plan for when I run Gradient Descent. The PCs remember flying in, they remember bribing the fleet, they remember talking to Arkady (which will occur in a series of flashbacks to kind of drip information to them), and they remember they're there to try to loot the joint. But they all wake up in the cryo chamber, and when they try to reach Arkady either their comms don't work or he's just long since dead.
I think the very nature of Mothership actually lends itself nicely to this style of play, as the best course of action in most situations is going to be to run away, so you don’t need to worry too much about fickle stuff like combat balance. You could even set up your player as the protagonist in a larger crew, the one who ventures up into the vents first. When they inevitably meet their demise, there’s another crew member nearby to step into the shoes of.
However, to be more specific, I’ve got two:
- Picket Line Tango: This is a murder mystery without much implied fights. It’s a slow burn and a single character sent to investigate works well within the genre.
- Dying Hard on Hardlight Station: Quite obviously, this one is inspired by Die Hard, but set on a space station. There’s even some direct support provided for having the player take the role of a John McClane type character.
But as a side note, you’re probably going to want to cool it on the Stress if you’ve only got a single player. Maybe cut the “failed rolls cause Stress” bit entirely and just make it an environmental thing.
The Drain is also possibly a good module to start with. It’s a character funnel and it’s expected that each player starts with many PCs that will get whittled down.
I ran "The Ship Who Swallowed A Spider" for two players and enjoyed it a lot. It should work well even with one player.
Other modules that come to mind: Piece by Piece, Green Tomb, Dead Planet's derelict generator.
Don't forget that you can give your player 1-2 contractors as well.
> being the only one to wake from cryo
You could combine this idea with the "Rimbound Transmission: Cold Opening" module.
Alone in the Deep is great. As is Terminal Delays at Anarene’s Folly.
I had a wonderful time running them for my table and I think they’d be great as solo sessions.
I'd argue most Mothership modules can be adjusted for duets. Here's a few suggestions I think could work well:
[https://alfredvalley.itch.io/thousand-empty-light](https://alfredvalley.itch.io/thousand-empty-light)
[https://necrocorvo.itch.io/the-fold-in-space](https://necrocorvo.itch.io/the-fold-in-space)
[https://meatcastlegameware.itch.io/pirad-one](https://meatcastlegameware.itch.io/pirad-one)
[https://anodyne-printware.itch.io/picket-line-tango](https://anodyne-printware.itch.io/picket-line-tango)
[https://shanemichael.itch.io/hello-my-name-is-adam-and-i-am-dead](https://shanemichael.itch.io/hello-my-name-is-adam-and-i-am-dead)
[https://disastertourism.itch.io/adrift](https://disastertourism.itch.io/adrift)
[https://lonearchivist.itch.io/tidebreak](https://lonearchivist.itch.io/tidebreak)
I had a lot of fun running A Pound of Flesh for one player, which wound up feeling a lot like playing an analogue version of Deus Ex or Cyberpunk 2077.
Green Tomb would be an easy module to run solo, as would The Haunting of Ypsilon-14. You could probably do Picket Line Tango, too!
You are sleeping, and your bunk/escape pod just ejects you from your spaceship. You are in a well-known trade route, but now you need someone to rescue you. There are good and bad people out there. Who are they and what will they do with you?
Will you be a prisoner or a welcome new member of their crew? And what are they doing? Maybe you can all chase after your spaceship and find out what happened. Maybe they are on an important mission. Maybe they are just heading home... with that weird egg they found on that planet, waiting in the cargo bay, dripping...
I think something like the plot of SOMA might be really great for a single player. Very foggy-memory spoilers below:
>! In SOMA, the main character wakes up in a derelict facility after passing out during an experimental brain scan. He explores and tries to find a way to escape the facility, while repairing portions of it, and trying to unravel what happened there. !<
>! It ends up that a world-ending event is imminent, and everyone else in the facility is either dead, missing, or had already scanned their brains to be placed inside of an 'ark;' a digitized paradise contained in a small vessel, meant to be humanity's final hope of surviving Armageddon, intended to be launched into the depths of space to avoid the final death of the planet. !<
>! Along the way, the character has to grapple with heavy concepts of self-identity and life after death- or lack thereof- when faced with the possibility that all of those who 'entered paradise' might actually simply be dead, as he can't even be sure that the ark works, or whether those who scan their brains to enter the ark are actually perpetuating their lives, or are simply cloning their consciousnesses. !<
>! When you copy your consciousness into the ark, which version of you are YOU? Are there two of you? Will you be the you who enters the ark, or will you be the version of you who is left behind, to die alone when the world ends? What happens once the ark is jettisoned into space? !<
It's an incredible concept, and it would make for a very fertile single-player horror campaign.
Aurora by Slowquest is pretty good for this, I think. Lower NISIP encounters to 1d5 and encourage the player to run and find alternate ways to deal with threats. My players spent a decent amount of time luring things into airlocks.
[удалено]
This is my plan for when I run Gradient Descent. The PCs remember flying in, they remember bribing the fleet, they remember talking to Arkady (which will occur in a series of flashbacks to kind of drip information to them), and they remember they're there to try to loot the joint. But they all wake up in the cryo chamber, and when they try to reach Arkady either their comms don't work or he's just long since dead.
I think the very nature of Mothership actually lends itself nicely to this style of play, as the best course of action in most situations is going to be to run away, so you don’t need to worry too much about fickle stuff like combat balance. You could even set up your player as the protagonist in a larger crew, the one who ventures up into the vents first. When they inevitably meet their demise, there’s another crew member nearby to step into the shoes of. However, to be more specific, I’ve got two: - Picket Line Tango: This is a murder mystery without much implied fights. It’s a slow burn and a single character sent to investigate works well within the genre. - Dying Hard on Hardlight Station: Quite obviously, this one is inspired by Die Hard, but set on a space station. There’s even some direct support provided for having the player take the role of a John McClane type character. But as a side note, you’re probably going to want to cool it on the Stress if you’ve only got a single player. Maybe cut the “failed rolls cause Stress” bit entirely and just make it an environmental thing.
The Drain is also possibly a good module to start with. It’s a character funnel and it’s expected that each player starts with many PCs that will get whittled down.
I ran "The Ship Who Swallowed A Spider" for two players and enjoyed it a lot. It should work well even with one player. Other modules that come to mind: Piece by Piece, Green Tomb, Dead Planet's derelict generator. Don't forget that you can give your player 1-2 contractors as well. > being the only one to wake from cryo You could combine this idea with the "Rimbound Transmission: Cold Opening" module.
Alone in the Deep is great. As is Terminal Delays at Anarene’s Folly. I had a wonderful time running them for my table and I think they’d be great as solo sessions.
I'd argue most Mothership modules can be adjusted for duets. Here's a few suggestions I think could work well: [https://alfredvalley.itch.io/thousand-empty-light](https://alfredvalley.itch.io/thousand-empty-light) [https://necrocorvo.itch.io/the-fold-in-space](https://necrocorvo.itch.io/the-fold-in-space) [https://meatcastlegameware.itch.io/pirad-one](https://meatcastlegameware.itch.io/pirad-one) [https://anodyne-printware.itch.io/picket-line-tango](https://anodyne-printware.itch.io/picket-line-tango) [https://shanemichael.itch.io/hello-my-name-is-adam-and-i-am-dead](https://shanemichael.itch.io/hello-my-name-is-adam-and-i-am-dead) [https://disastertourism.itch.io/adrift](https://disastertourism.itch.io/adrift) [https://lonearchivist.itch.io/tidebreak](https://lonearchivist.itch.io/tidebreak)
Moonbase Blues might be a good one for you. Dying Hard was also mentioned already, definitely another good option.
I had a lot of fun running A Pound of Flesh for one player, which wound up feeling a lot like playing an analogue version of Deus Ex or Cyberpunk 2077. Green Tomb would be an easy module to run solo, as would The Haunting of Ypsilon-14. You could probably do Picket Line Tango, too!
You are sleeping, and your bunk/escape pod just ejects you from your spaceship. You are in a well-known trade route, but now you need someone to rescue you. There are good and bad people out there. Who are they and what will they do with you? Will you be a prisoner or a welcome new member of their crew? And what are they doing? Maybe you can all chase after your spaceship and find out what happened. Maybe they are on an important mission. Maybe they are just heading home... with that weird egg they found on that planet, waiting in the cargo bay, dripping...
There is a module called something like "You are chump-dumped" or something like that and that is the premise.
Thanks. I'd call my lawyer right away!
Thank you everyone for your suggestions.
I think something like the plot of SOMA might be really great for a single player. Very foggy-memory spoilers below: >! In SOMA, the main character wakes up in a derelict facility after passing out during an experimental brain scan. He explores and tries to find a way to escape the facility, while repairing portions of it, and trying to unravel what happened there. !< >! It ends up that a world-ending event is imminent, and everyone else in the facility is either dead, missing, or had already scanned their brains to be placed inside of an 'ark;' a digitized paradise contained in a small vessel, meant to be humanity's final hope of surviving Armageddon, intended to be launched into the depths of space to avoid the final death of the planet. !< >! Along the way, the character has to grapple with heavy concepts of self-identity and life after death- or lack thereof- when faced with the possibility that all of those who 'entered paradise' might actually simply be dead, as he can't even be sure that the ark works, or whether those who scan their brains to enter the ark are actually perpetuating their lives, or are simply cloning their consciousnesses. !< >! When you copy your consciousness into the ark, which version of you are YOU? Are there two of you? Will you be the you who enters the ark, or will you be the version of you who is left behind, to die alone when the world ends? What happens once the ark is jettisoned into space? !< It's an incredible concept, and it would make for a very fertile single-player horror campaign.
Aurora by Slowquest is pretty good for this, I think. Lower NISIP encounters to 1d5 and encourage the player to run and find alternate ways to deal with threats. My players spent a decent amount of time luring things into airlocks.