Blade Runner RPG - An Actual Solo-Play Narrative
Episode 1 - Compendium
As some of you already know, I’ve been heavily vested into Free League Publishing’s The One Ring RPG, especially it’s Strider Mode, which suprisingly kickstarted my YouTube channel.
Now, after receiving the Blade Runner RPG - Starter Set as a Christmas gift, I’ve decided to learn the rules by playing it solo. Despite there being no specific solo rules for the game, I felt the game, system and genre lent well to playing solo, especially considering that the game can be played with only two players, the Game Runner and one player. Using my experience playing The One Ring solo, I’d do the same, incorporating, where needed, some of the oracle tables from Strider mode, and other systems, to generate responses generally left to the Game Runner, or where I want something to surprise me when playing.
Fortunately, I haven’t read too much of the Case File - Electric Dreams since receiving the box set, with full intention of creating the actual play. I’ve of course read the the shortened rules booklet, and looked at the main protagonist, Willem Novak’s character sheet. As for the Case File itself, I just stuck with the initial Prelude, Intro Scene and then Briefing scene. This I have felt so far has given me enough to know how to proceed, but to also keep things a mystery, even surprising myself at outcomes and how things have progressed!
This is my first time playing the Blade Runner RPG as well as the rules system and dice rolls. So far, really liking the simplicity of the engine, and so far haven’t seen any reason to adapt it or modify for solo-play, as in reducing numbers or the value of the dice to roll, etc.
Like my The One Ring Strider Mode Play, this substack will highlight some of my notes and play during each case, etc. Still working out how I want to present that, but the intent is to help those new to the game understand the rules and play, as well as highlight how I manage to keep things going for these videos.
On that note, as you watch, if there is something that I have done wrong, please let me know, I’m still learning the system, and having fun playing as I go! So I’m bound to make more mistakes than not!
Thanks for watching!
Ryan of the North
Disclaimer: I am not affliated with Free League Publishing, just happen to like their games and a huge fan of their products!
Images for the video are a combination of Heroforge screenshots of the characters, images from the Bladerunner RPG starter set materials, as well as some screen shots as seen in Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 films. Images were edited (crudely!) using a combination of Paint 3d and Word.
Video production and editing done using Clipchamp.
Music and audio: Tabletopaudio.com, YouTube and voice recording using windows native Voice Recording software.
