LONER

ANOTHER SOLO RPG

CORE RULES
2nd Edition
LONER
ANOTHER SOLO RPG

CORE RULES
2nd Edition

ZOTIQUEST GAMES
 what is loner?.........................................................................3
what is a role playing game (rpg)? .................................5
what is a solo rpg?................................................................5
safety tools.............................................................................5
minimum requirements ........................................................5
choose a genre or setting.................................................6
make your protagonist .......................................................6
everything is a character!................................................7
descriptive tags .....................................................................7
before the adventure..........................................................8
start your game .....................................................................8
keep the action in motion ............................................... 10
identify your expectations .............................................12
consulting the oracle ......................................................14
advantage and disadvantage......................................... 16
interpreting the oracle.................................................. 16
sibylline responses ........................................................... 16
twist counter.......................................................................17
determine the twist ...........................................................17
conflicts ................................................................................ 18
harm & luck............................................................................19
determine the mood of the next scene..................... 20
open-ended question or get inspired........................ 20
when the story ends......................................................... 24
loner together.................................................................... 24
the adventure maker........................................................ 26
credits..................................................................................... 33
frequently asked questions.......................................... 34
Loner v.2.3

(CC) 2023 Roberto Bisceglie

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribu-

tion-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of
this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/
4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866,
Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

2 loner
what is loner?

Loner is a minimalist Solo Role Playing Game designed to

be played with only one character (the Protagonist). You'll
guide them through the story that will unravel during the
game, asking closed questions to an Oracle which will help
you overturn your expectations. Every now and then you
will be surprised with an unexpected twist!

Loner follows the following design principles:

1. Portable: to play you will need a few common (six-
sided) dice and writing materials. Anything else is op-
tional and not essential.
2. Rules-Light: the game relies on a few rules and only
one solving mechanic, easy to learn and eventually to
memorize.
3. Tag-based: characters and situations are defined only
by qualitative descriptors and no quantitative charac-
teristics.
4. Generic: you can play anything, yet the game is not
universal. It is designed for quick resolutions, without
tactical depth or simulationist ambitions.

core rules 3
4 loner
what is a role playing game (rpg)?
A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which play-
ers assume the roles of fictional characters and act out their
actions and decisions within a narrative or imaginary set-
ting. The outcome of these actions and decisions is often
determined by a set of rules and game mechanics, such as
dice rolls or statistical attributes of the characters. Players
may also collaborate to create a shared story or narrative
through their characters' actions and interactions.

what is a solo rpg?

In a solo RPG a single player takes on the roles of one or
more characters, while also simultaneously managing some
elements of the game world. These games typically involve
the use of a rule system and game mechanics to determine
the outcome of actions taken by the player-controlled char-
acters. Unlike a gamebook (such as the Fighting Fantasy,
Lone Wolf, and Tunnels & Trolls series) a solo RPG is not a
form of interactive, forked narrative in which outcomes are
pre-determined and limited by the author's choices.

Through the interaction of player, oracle, tools, and

prompts, the character's actions will build an emergent
narrative within whose boundaries anything can be at-
tempted, without predetermined limits.

safety tools
You will play alone, but be sure to play in an environment
that is comfortable for you, without overexerting yourself,
and reserve the option to stop as soon as you feel uncom-
fortable for any reason, physical or emotional. Don't be
afraid to tackle new themes, but do so in full awareness of
your boundaries.

minimum requirements
To play Loner you will need:

● 4 six sided dice (also known as d6s): two pairs of differ-

ent colors
● Paper and writing tools: at least a sheet of scrap paper
and and pencil, but index cards or sticky notes are a
fine addition
● Character sheet: you may use the provided sheet at
the back or a simple index card.
● Notebook: Loner is not a solo journaling game, you can
easily play it in the "theater of mind". But you can keep
track of you game if you feel the need!
core rules 5
 choose a genre or setting
A Loner adventure takes place in a well-defined imagery
that you will have to choose from: your favorite TV series, a
book saga you are reading, an RPG setting you like, a genre
you are familiar with or instead want to start exploring.

You can also consult lists of tropes (google them) to gener-

ate randomly and then choose!

Or you can use the Adventure Packs found in the second

part of the volume.

You can also generate the character first, based on ran-

domly chosen tropes, and once it is defined, you can follow
the genre that emerged at this stage.

make your protagonist

Once the setting is established, now is the time to create
your Protagonist.

Your Protagonist is described by some fixed traits:

● Name: the name should be iconic and consistent with

the tone and setting of the story
● Concept: A concise description of the character's pro-
fession, background, and abilities. The best are adjec-
tive-name pairings, like "Venturous Smuggler" or "Child
Prodigy".
● Skills (x2): abilities not necessarily character-specific
but not characteristics common to all. "Smart" is not a
skill, "Engine Whisperer" is.
● Frailty: something that could potentially get in the way
of the character, either physically, mentally, or socially.
● Gear (x2): particular equipment supplied to the charac-
ter in coherence with the setting. Everyday items are
taken for granted and do not fall under this trait.
● Goal: the long-term objective.
● Motive: what drives the pursuit of the goal.
● Nemesis: a person or organization that hinders the pro-
tagonist. It can emerge during the first game sessions,
it may or may or not be the direct antagonist of the
story, ready to appear to make life even more difficult
● Luck: The measure of a character's ability to avoid ill
fortune or an inauspicious outcome. It applies only in
Conflicts and automatically recharges when they end.
Luck starts and caps at 6.

6 loner
example
Zahra Nakajima Witty Street Cat. Streetwise, Nimble,
Merciful.
Knife, Low O2 Supplement.
She wants to obtain unknown technology to save
her planet from atmosphere collapse.
Nemesis: The Naturalist Order
Luck: 6

everything is a character!
In Loner Non-Playing Characters (NPCs), Foes, Organiza-
tions, Monsters, and even relevant objects like vehicles are
characters too!

● Living Character follow the same rules of generation

as the Protagonist.
● Non-Living Characters, instead, do not have a goal, a
motive, nor a nemesis.

example
The Century Skylark Spacecraft in bad shape.
Hyperjump Drive, Camouflage Circuits, Midlife
Courier.
Shields, Turrets.
Luck: 6.

descriptive tags
Tags are descriptive words or phrases that could be identify
anything in the game world. They fall roughly into the fol-
lowing categories:

● Character Traits: as seen above, they describe a char-

acter's skills and flaws, their goal and motive.
● Details: features of an environment or scene that
might change as a result of an action.
● Conditions: are physical, mental or social effects that
impact the way a character behaves or attempts ac-
tions.
Tags determine if there are sufficient prerequisites in the
scene for Advantage or Disadvantage. They are qualitative
representations. They are not quantitative measures.

core rules 7
 before the adventure
You can start directly to play your adventure, but it may be
worthwhile to make an extra effort.

By defining your Protagonist's Nemesis you have already

identified an NPC! Write down their sheet and keep it aside.

Think about whether your Protagonist has allies or friends

and throw down their sheets as well.

Jot down these NPCs in a list, which you will consult when
they need to be recalled as a result of a Twist.

Also, it might be useful to jot down interesting Locations

that serve as settings for your Protagonist and keep a list of
major Events that happen during the game.

start your game

To begin an adventure in Loner you will need to determine
the initial scene:

1. You might think of a dramatic situation and start the

game in the middle of an action scene. This will push
events forward, allowing you to build the story as you
go.
2. Otherwise, if you prefer to define a framework for the
adventure you can answer the classic questions, Who?
What, Why? Where? How? Add also an Obstacle to
overcome.
If you find it difficult to answer any or all of the questions,
the following table provides prompts on which to build your
adventure.

example
Who? Mentor
What? Exploit
Why? Help
Where? McGuffin
How? Rumors
Obstacle? Time

Tobias Wethern took Zahra under his wing when her

parents died. That's why she can't say no to him now.
Tobias wants Zahra to steal a datapad from the
Leton Corporation's subsidiary. He doesn't know pre-
cisely where it is stored, but that in 24 hours it will be
taken from the company's security corps to be trans-
ferred to another location.

8 loner
 Who? What? Why?
D6 The proposer The mission The incentive

1 Authority Rescue Help

2 Organization Protection Fortune

Ally (friend, rel-

3 ative) Exploit Coercion

4 Mentor Explore Impulse

5 Help-seeker Escape Ambition

6 Blackmailer Pursuit Revenge

Obstacle?
Where? How?
D6 The complica-
The target The seed
tion

Casual en-
1 Person
counter
Opposition

Old acquain-
2 Group
tance
Deception

3 Treasure Rumors Environment

4 Location Capture Disguise

5 McGuffin Mishap Time

Object (map,
6 Confession
journal, letter)
Space

core rules 9
 keep the action in motion
A game in Loner is a succession of scenes. A scene is a unit
of time in which a certain action takes place in pursuit of a
certain short-term goal.

In Loner at each scene:

1. Identify what you expect from the scene. Compared

to traits, goal, and motivation determine the Protago-
nist's action. What might be the reaction of the game
world?
2. Test your expectations. When you are uncertain (or
overconfident) about the reaction to your actions, ask
the Oracle a closed question (answer is Yes or No), con-
sidering the tags involved to determine if there is an
Advantage or Disadvantage.
3. Interpret the result. Is the Oracle's answer in line with
your expectations? If not, in the context in which the
scene takes place, how should an answer that subverts
them be considered?
This sequence will come to you naturally after some prac-
tice. Use it as a guideline the first few times.

10 loner
core rules 11
 identify your expectations
The Protagonist's traits characterize their behavior within
the fictional world and suggest the possible actions they
takes in the situational context of the scene.

Based on this, you can expect the world to react in the most
logical way, and you will formulate a question that tests this
expectation.

An expectation does not necessarily automatically lead to a

question, which you need to ask only when there are con-
crete risks or you want to be amazed. In other cases, simply
let events happen.

example
Zahra sneaks into the Leton Corporation subsidiary.
The expectation is that the place will be well
guarded during the day and less so at night. To es-
cape an inevitable head-on collision, Zahra decides
to act at night and enter through the ventilation
ductsYou don't expect there to be an alarm but
maybe it's worth asking the question!

12 loner
 2

core rules 13
 consulting the oracle
When you need to test your expectations you'll ask the Ora-
cle a closed question.

You’ll need 2d6 in one color (Chance Dice), and 2d6 in an-
other (Risk Dice).

To resolve a closed question, roll one Chance Die and one

Risk Die:

● If the Chance Die is highest, the answer is Yes.

● If the Risk Die is highest, the answer is No.
● If both are low (3 or less), add a but....
● If both are high (4 or more), add an and....
● If both are equal, the answer is Yes, and.... Add a point
to the Twist Counter.

Chance Die > Risk Die >

Dice Value
Risk Die Chance Die

Both < 4 Yes, but... No, but...

Both > 3 Yes, and... No, and...

Mismatched Yes No

Equal Yes, and… Add 1 to the Twist Counter

example
You ask, “Does Zahra manage to force the hatch?”
You roll one Chance Die and one Risk Die and get 5
4. The answer is Yes, because the Chance Die is
higher. You also add And, because both rolls are 4 or
higher. If the Risk Die had come up as 3, it would
have been a plain Yes instead.

14 loner
core rules 15
 advantage and disadvantage
If circumstances or positive tags grant an advantage, add a
Chance Die to the roll. Otherwise, when hindrances or neg-
ative tag cause a disadvantage, add a Risk Die. In both
cases keep only the higher die of the added type when you
check the roll.

Consider tags intuitively and not quantitatively, using the

context of the situation at play. It is important to keep the
flow of play fast and not accounting for advantages and dis-
advantages numerically!

example
You ask, "Does Zahra hack the datapad?" You roll one
Chance Die and two Risk Die, as Zahra does not have
any advantage in hacking and the datapad is the
mission goal, compromising it would cause the mis-
sion to fail. You get 5 3 4. You discard the lower Risk
Die 3 and keep 5 and 4. You obtain a Yes and add a
And since they are both 4 or higher.

interpreting the oracle

Always interpret the Oracle's answer in relation to the con-
text of the game situation:

● Answers without modifiers are straightforward an-

swers without uncertainty. They are also the least inter-
esting to continue the story.
● Answers with modifiers (but.../and...), on the other
hand, require you to make the effort to identify what
new situation triggered the consultation.

example
The datapad is hacked and... the information con-
tained is not just about illicit activities of the Leton
Corporation... There is more!

sibylline responses
The Oracle might sometimes give answers that don't make
sense in the context of the scene. Don't be tempted to de-
tail the answer with too many questions in sequence. Three
questions should be sufficient. If you're still stuck, try using
an open-ended question to unlock yourself or interpret the
answer as "Yes, But..." and move the story forward.

16 loner
twist counter
The Twist Counter is a measure of the rising tension in the
narrative. At the beginning is set to 0. Every time a double
throw (dice are equal) happens, add 1 to the Counter. If the
Counter is below three, consider the answer as "Yes, but...".
Otherwise a Twist happens and resets the Counter.

example
You ask if the datapad contains sensitive data about
Wethern's illicit activities. You roll 4 4. The answers
is "Yes, but...". Zahra finds a note about a scapegoat
to frame for the theft. Could it be her? You also add 1
to the Twist Counter. But the counter was already at
2, so also a twist happens! The counter resets to 0.

determine the twist

Roll 2d6 and consult the following Twist Table to determine
what kind of twist happens.

D6 Subject Action

1 A third party Appears

2 The hero Alters the location

3 An encounter Helps the hero

4 A physical event Hinders the hero

5 An emotional event Changes the goal

6 An object Ends the scene

Interpret the two-word sentence in the context of the cur-

rent scene. Twists will keep the plot and events going in un-
expected ways.

example
Now Zahra knows the content of the datapad, but
you roll 1 and 5 on the Twist Table "A third party",
"Changes the goal". An agent of the Leton Corpora-
tion appears before Zahra with a proposal....

core rules 17
 conflicts
A Conflict is any situation in which opponents clash, attack-
ing, defending, or wearing each other down in order to win.
This applies both in a practical and metaphorical sense.

So, a Conflict is not only limited to combat (or fighting) in

the strict sense but also to competitive situations (such as
contests, duels, verbal confrontations, etc.) in which two or
more characters (including vehicles, of course!) compete.

Conflicts can be resolved in different ways depending on

preferences and context:

1. Ask a single closed question. The Oracle's answer de-

termines the outcome of the conflict.
2. Ask a series of closed questions to resolve current sin-
gle actions.
3. Use the rules of Harm & Luck below.

Note that the Twist Counter does not apply to Harm & Luck.
Instead, it is used regularly if the Conflict is handled with
closed questions.

18 loner
harm & luck
If the conflict is resolved by applying damage to the Luck
trait, roll the dice to determine whether the protagonist
causes damage to the opponent or suffers damage due to
counterattack or failed defense. The rolls are player facing
only.

The damage reduces the Luck of the target, whether pro-

tagonist or NPC. When the Luck runs out, the character has
lost the conflict.

The final outcome depends on the context. Do you get

caught? Are you seriously injured? You may even die if that
fits the narrative.

Answer Do you get what you want? Harm

Yes, You get what you want, and Cause 3

and... something else.

Yes... You get what you want. Cause 2

Yes, You get what you want, but at a Cause 1

but... cost.
No, You don’t get what you want, Take 1
but... but it’s not a total loss.
You don’t get what you were af-
No... Take 2
ter.
No, You don’t get what you want, Take 3
and... and things get worse.

example
Zahra confronts a thug in an alley. He is "Martial
Artist", "Hand-to-Hand Combat", "Feline" and "Short".
Zahra tries to hit him with the knife, you throw 5 6 4
("Yes, And...", causing a Luck loss of 3 to the thug).
The thug throws a roundhouse kick at Zahra
(roll 3 2 2, "Yes, but...", causing a Luck loss of 1 to
Zahra). Who will win?

core rules 19
 determine the mood of the next scene
At the end of the current scene sometimes you will be clear
about the direction to take, other times you may need to
determine the general mood of the next one. In this case
roll 1d6 and consult the following table.

● A dramatic scene does

not break the tension of D6 Next Scene
the previous scene but
carries it further forward, 1 - 3 Dramatic scene
introducing further obsta- 4 - 5 Quiet Scene
cles or difficulties.
● During a quiet scene 6 Meanwhile…
there is time to take a
breath, to heal, to make plans for the next steps and to
deepen relationships.
● A meanwhile scene takes place somewhere else, other
than where the hero is. It cuts to villains or other plot-
important characters.

example
Zahra accepts the proposal, you now roll for the next
scene: 6, Meanwhile scene. In the following scene,
Tobias Wethern hires a hit man to kill Zahra...

open-ended question or get inspired

To answer an Open-Ended question, roll 1d6 once on each of
the following tables (roll at least a verb and a noun, adjec-
tives are optional).

example
You ask: "Does Zahra have friends to ask for help
against the hit man?". You roll 24 and 32: multiply
motion. Zahra needs to move quickly to reach Melina
Reade, a hacker with contacts in the underworld
who might be able to help her!

20 loner
verbs
1 2 3

1 inject pass own

2 continue learn ask

3 develop behave replace

4 share hand play

5 face expand found

6 trip want miss

4 5 6

1 divide bury borrow

2 multiply receive imagine

3 damage collect turn

4 explain improve cough

5 gather prefer belong

6 dry employ destroy

core rules 21
 nouns
1 2 3

1 cause stage change

2 front event home

3 prose motion trade

4 instrument friend talk

5 word morning edge

6 key income use

4 5 6

1 verse thrill spot

2 bag measure birth

3 memory chance drop

4 liquid fact price

5 room system camp

6 humor statement argument

22 loner
adjectives
1 2 3

1 frequent faulty obscene

2 ethereal sophisticated rightful

3 descriptive insidious poor

4 silky worthless fixed

5 quiet stormy spooky

6 magnificent arrogant unhealthy

4 5 6

1 scarce rigid long-term

knowledge-
2 able astonishing ordinary

3 proud reflective amusing

4 loose willing cold

5 delirious innate late

6 enormous truculent charming

core rules 23
 when the story ends
At the end of the adventure you may add another trait to
the character. It is better that this is related to how the story
just ended and can be either a Skill, Gear, a new Frailty, or
even a new Nemesis! You can also modify an existing trait to
better represent an enhanced expertise.

Also update the list of NPCs, Locations, and Events that

may show up again in future adventures.

example
Zahra secures the datapad in the hands of the au-
thorities, framing both Wethern and the Leton Cor-
poration. Wethern is arrested, but she has gained a
powerful enemy working against the Corporation.
She gains "Wannabe Hacker" to her skills. Maybe
Melina can mentor her!

loner together
Loner's rules are designed for a single player controlling one
character. However being derivative of a multiplayer game
(Freeform Universal) no one prevents you from using them
for group play as well, if you insist on doing so.

It is then possible to play in the following modes:

1. without a game master: you play as in solo mode, each

person controls their own character and asks questions
to the Oracle in solo play. The Oracle's answers and the
game world's reactions are interpreted by the player
who asks the current question. Facilitator functions
(moderating the flow of play and possibly settling dis-
putes between players, as well as reminding players of
the rules) can be taken on by a single player at the ta-
ble, or they can be rotated. Questions pertaining to the
entire group of character can be concerted.
2. with a game master: they always pull only the players
questioning the Oracle as in the solitary, no-master
mode. The master takes charge of interpreting the an-
swer and presenting the reactions of the game world.
He also assumes the functions of a facilitator.
Keep in mind that as much as Loner can be played in
groups, I strongly recommend that you use Freeform Uni-
versal for this need.

24 loner
core rules 25
 the adventure maker
Sometimes you may lack the inspiration to think of a game
setting, or you want to experiment with one you have never
thought of. The tables below are designed to instantly gen-
erate an unpredictable setting for you to explore with a
game.
To generate a setting:
1. Roll on the Settings table
2. Roll on the Tones table
3. Roll two times on one Things table of your choice
To generate a premise of adventure:
1. Roll on the Opposition table
2. Roll two times on Actions table and on a Things tables
Note that the adventure premise is not the initial scene
prompt, only the framework within which it takes place.

table 1: tones

1-2 3-4 5-6

Dark and Lighthearted Gritty and
1 brooding and humorous realistic

Epic and Suspenseful Mysterious and

2 grandiose and thrilling enigmatic

Action-packed
Romantic and Horror-filled
3 and
adventurous
whimsical and terrifying

Technologically
Grungy and Gothic and
4 advanced and
sleek
dirty ominous

Surreal and Futuristic and Nostalgic and

5 dreamlike dystopian timeless

Eerie and Martial and Gracious and

6 paranormal disciplined elegant

26 loner
table 2: settings
1 2 3
Post-Apocalyp- High Fantasy Medieval War
1 tic Wasteland Kingdom and Intrigue

Alternate His- Pirate-Filled Wild West

2 tory Seas Frontier

Space Opera Samurai-Era

3 Adventure Japan
Zombie Survival

Magic School
Horror-Filled Epic Fantasy
4 for Young
Mages
Asylum Quest

Urban Fantasy Abandoned Colonial

5 Underworld Space Station America

Underwater
Jungle-Covered Steampunk
6 Adventure and Planet Victorian Era
Exploration

4 5 6
Cyberpunk
Futuristic Supernatural
1 Megacorpora-
tion
Space Colony Noir City

Dark Fantasy Futuristic Ancient Greek

2 Realm Dystopian City Mythology

Superhero Cold War Modern Crime

3 Metropolis Espionage Syndicate

Cybernetic Sword and

Lovecraftian
4 Organisms and Cosmic Horrors
Sorcery
Androids Adventure
Mythical Crea-
Martial Arts Horror-Stricken
5 tures and
Action Carnival
Legends
Intergalactic
Time Travel Starfighter Survival in a
6 Paradoxes Savage Land
Battles

core rules 27
 table 3: things
1 2 3
1 Magic Monsters Ancient relics

Forbidden
2 Ancient ruins
knowledge
Secret society

Hidden Mystical
3 treasure
Dark magic
creatures

Suspicious Dangerous
4 characters
War-torn land
wilderness

5 Dark secrets Forbidden love Intense conflict

Unpredictable Dynamic Different

6 twists characters factions

4 5 6
Futuristic
1 Medieval castle
technology
Spaceship

Dangerous Band of
2 quest adventurers
Unseen forces

Supernatural
3 powers
Epic battle Intriguing plot

Political World Suspenseful

4 intrigue domination journey

Death-defying Powerful
5 stunts artifacts
Epic journeys

Legendary
6 Vast empires Epic heroes
creatures

28 loner
 1 2 3
Decaying
1 Lost civilization
metropolis
Gothic horror

Political Artificial Mercenaries

2 uprising lifeforms and assassins

Underwater
3 adventure
Epic siege Magical abilities

Intriguing Mutant Cybernetic

4 conspiracy insurgency enhancements

Extensive Unstoppable Enchanted

5 world-building monster kingdom

End of the era Futuristic

6 scenarios
Psionic abilities
battlefields

4 5 6
Wild west Futuristic Space
1 frontier cyberwarfare exploration

Time-traveling Espionage
2 adventures mission
Alien invasion

Alternate Virtual reality

3 Time anomalies
timeline nightmare

Futuristic Historical Cyberpunk

4 utopia reimagining rebellion

The final Robotic Secrets of the

5 frontier revolution ancients

Interdimen- Superpowered
6 sional portals
Technomancy
diplomacy

core rules 29
 1 2 3
Post-
Steampunk Dragon-
1 apocalyptic
wasteland
cityscape infested skies

Artificial
2 Lost city of gold
intelligence
Pirate's cove

Underwater Superheroic
3 kingdom
Epic sea voyage
powers

Intriguing Mutant Advanced

4 mystery uprising biotechnology

Unstoppable Enchanted
5 Extensive lore
virus forest

End of the Telekinetic Futuristic

6 world scenarios abilities weapons

4 5 6
Haunted Futuristic Intergalactic
1 mansion metropolis trade routes

Time-travel Extraterrestrial
2 paradox
Espionage
beings

Alternate Virtual reality

3 Time loops
realities simulation

Futuristic Alternate Cyberpunk

4 society history dystopia

The unknown Advanced Secrets of the

5 frontiers robotics universe

Dimension Superpowered
6 hopping
Techno-sorcery
conflict

30 loner
table 4: actions
1 2 3
1 Cast Battle Free

2 Decipher Seek Infiltrate

3 Find Master Tame

4 Interrogate Navigate Survive

5 Guess Pursue Resolve

6 Anticipate Develop Ally

4 5 6
1 Explore Upgrade Pilot

2 Complete Join Uncover

3 Harness Win Unravel

4 Influence Overthrow Endure

5 Perform Acquire Embark

6 Expand Become Slay

core rules 31
 table 5: oppositions
1 2 3
Malevolent
1 Dark wizards Savage beasts
spirits

Corrupt Sinister
2 Undead armies
politicians organizations

Powerful Merciless Dangerous

3 artifacts assassins creatures

Ruthless
4 mercenaries
Dark forces Terrible secrets

Ancient Irresistible
5 Lethal poison
prophecies temptations

Sinister
6 Terrible curses Devious traps
conspiracies

4 5 6
Arrogant Dangerous Ruthless
1 noblemen traps bandits

Vicious Treacherous
2 monsters terrain
Despotic rulers

Complex
3 Ancient curses
puzzles
Powerful spells

Vicious Unforgiving
4 Insidious plots
predators elements

Powerful Ruthless Unseen

5 enchantment warlords dangers

Dangerous Malevolent Ruthless

6 illusions entities factions

32 loner
credits
● Recluse Engine (CC BY 4.0) by Graven Utterance and
Tiny Solitary Soldier Oracle for the main resolution and
scene mechanics.
● Freeform Universal Roleplaying Game (CC BY 4.0) by
Nathan Russell as an inspiration of the whole game
and the character traits.
● Harm mechanics are from 6Q System (CC BY 4.0) by
Marcus Burggraf.
● Tana Pigeon for Mythic and clarifying for me the mech-
anisms of expectation and testing.
● S. John Ross for Risus and to have taught me the
beauty of clichés and that not all conflicts are combat.
● The Adventure Maker setup is inspired from The In-
stant Game by Animalball Partners (2007). None of its
content is used here.
With deepest thanks to :

● Shane Conner for proof reading and revision of the text

of the First Edition.
● the Italian solo player community for their constant
support and drive to improve the game.

core rules 33
 frequently asked questions
does luck represent the character's hit
points?
No, Luck represents a character's ability to escape adverse
fate; it does not measure the physical ability to avoid or ab-
sorb damage.

This is why all characters in the game have exactly six Luck
points: in the face of fate they are all equal!

By using Luck in a conflict you introduce a finite degree of

uncertainty: when either side's points are exhausted the
conflict is definitely ended against it.

This is just one way to introduce a turn-based conflict into a

game based entirely on the Oracle, but always remember
that there are two other modes of resolution: single-ques-
tion sequence conflict and single-action resolution using
the Oracle.

what is meant by "ask a closed question to

solve each action" as an alternative to
"harm & luck" rules?
It is an intermediate mode between using a single question
question to resolve the entire conflict and using the more
"playful" mechanics of classic point combat.

Literally every action is resolved by questioning the oracle.

For example, your protagonist engages in a firefight in an
abandoned chemical factory by asking the following se-
quence of questions:

● "Can I take cover behind the wall?" Yes, but. your line of
fire is not clean, you have disadvantage
● "I aim at the opponent, I can get the first shot in" No,
but... you disrupt his line of fire giving you advantage
on the next shot
● "I shoot the slag container over the opponent, do I get
in?" Yes, and... slag hits him full on knocking him out
● It is a more free-form mode, but also more unpre-
dictable in outcomes.

34 loner
is it possible to tune a conflict by
adjusting luck points?
There is nothing in the game mechanics that prevents you
from using less or more Luck points to define a character. If
you want to calibrate an encounter in this way, you certainly
can.

Just keep in mind that you are in fact deciding that charac-
ter is unlucky or particularly lucky; you are not assigning
him or her any physical prowess or increased stamina!

I suggest you embrace Luck for what it is and approach the

conflict with sportsmanship!

how does conflict take place against

multiple opponents?
It depends primarily on the context of the situation at hand,
but one possible technique is to treat a roster of opponents
as a single "character," taking into account their characteris-
tics such as Concept and Skill. Also keep in mind that a pos-
sible Fragility of such a character may be precisely their
"numbers": the more members of a roster, the more difficult
it is to coordinate actions!

is it possible to roll three or more chance

or risk dice on the roll?
No, Loner is limited to a maximum of two Chance Dice or
two Risk Dice per roll if an Advantage or Disadvantage
comes into play.

If multiple positive or negative tags (including those derived

from character traits and situational ones, as well as equip-
ment) incur in a situation, these do not result in additional
dice.

Similarly, the co-presence of one positive and one negative

tag in the scene cancels each other out.

In summary:

● One or more positive tags net of negative ones: you roll

with Advantage, two Chance Dice and one Risk Dice.
● One or more negative tags net of positive ones: you roll
with Disadvantage, two Risk Dice and one Chance
Dice.
● Positive and negative tags counterbalance (cancel)
each other: you roll one Chance Die and one Risk Die.

core rules 35
 what is the difference between starting
with a dramatic scene and setting up an
"adventure frame"?
Think of the "frame" as a randomly generated mission using
the classic 5 W Rule modified so that the "When" is re-
placed by a "How" and adding the Obstacle. This method
provides a circumstantial premise that can trigger your
imagination by already having mission objectives and prin-
cipals in mind.

Beginning with a dramatic scene is an old trick borrowed

from fiction and film and often used by solo role-playing: it
is easier to take your lead from a dynamic situation than
from a static one.

Think of the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark: Indi-

ana Jones ventures into the temple of the golden idol and
must overcome traps and puzzles. The mystery and tension
are palpable and the character's every move is a risk. How
equally effective would it have been to see Indiana Jones
sitting in his living room consulting a book?

A quiet opening scene is not in itself inadvisable, but it pro-

vides far fewer cues on which to hook one's expectation,
that is, fewer elements on which to question the oracle and
keep the action moving forward.

Premise (or "frame") and "dramatic opening scene" are obvi-

ously not mutually exclusive, but they can also be used al-
ternatively to kick-start the adventure.

36 loner
 NAME: LONER
CONCEPT:
SKILLS/FRAILTY: GEAR:

GOAL:
MOTIVE:
NEMESIS:
LUCK
NOTES:

NAME: LONER
CONCEPT:
SKILLS/FRAILTY: GEAR:

GOAL:
MOTIVE:
NEMESIS:
LUCK
NOTES:

core rules 37