Q?: Is there a "cyoa" style solo mission for BFRPG?

[TimTam]

Although I already understand and have played several sessions of a ttrpg, I ask this question out of curiosity.
"Cyoa" stands for "Choose your own adventure". I am curious if anyone has written a solo mission for a beginner character (level 1) that teaches new players the basics of the "Basic fantasy role playing game"? Not a pure choice variation in how CYOA accomplishes story telling but a more dice driven game along the lines of "Fighting fantasy". If it does not exist then what ideas would you suggest for future authors of such a project?

[Wing_department]

I made a solitaire adventure for beginning characters. But it assumes the player knows what an ability roll is, for example. But I playtested it and the difficulty is alright, I think.

You may check it out here.

I've also made another CYOA scenario ("That One Stupid Halfling") but it's for levels 3-4. It's more straightforward than the one above, though, so maybe better for beginning characters?

[TimTam]

Although It can't handle the game bits there is a program called "Twine" that helps with layout of CYOA style books. This can help greatly with laying down a narrative and path choices depending on how you handle the game.

Then you have elements of the game outside of the dice rolling system.

World travel is a big one and my main two examples at the opposite ends of the spectrum would be "The Fabled Lands" where all travel is within the narrative or the "Destiny Quest" series where its portrayed as a simple map with numbered icons.

Combat is another aspect. I don't believe that a back and forth death match would do well as is often found in the "Fighting Fantasy" books. "The Way of the Tiger" series has scripted combat where each passage can add to the narrative and even change aspects of the fight. Even "Destiny Quest" has qualifiers to combat such as "After inflicting 3 wounds to the foe turn to X". When you turn to X the narrative changes and so can the monster stats indicating that it got weaker, stronger, died, or swapped out with a stronger foe.

-ideas past this point-
As for starting the adventure I think that offering the option of one of 4 pre-made characters would be best. They would be the classic party of a Fighter dwarf, a Cleric human, a Thief halfling and a Magic user Elf. The starting chapter of the book would introduce them as your fellow adventurers and they all get separated from one another. When your pc awakens it appears that death was the implied fate for the others. However if your PC survives to the ending of the adventure you'll discover them all alive and well. That once separated that they each had their own unique solo adventures that they will tell you about in the future. Hinting or indicating another published adventure for later.

As for a second adventure I imagine one concentrating on training a new GM. It assumes you have played the last adventure with all four character classes to the successful ending and have the Core Rules available. Much like those starter modules published in the early 80s it has plenty of "fill in" sections but in the end it would feel more like "mad libs" than a dice driven CYOA. The game is much more narrative driven and is metagaming focused with as many classic role playing game tropes as possible. Many of the choices made in the start of the adventure give instructions or codes that are later used in the narrative. These fill in "empty rooms" describe what "monsters" are chosen and even how various dice rolls land. Although you do not play the game you construct with a simple re-reading you could potentially recreate the game as an actual tiny adventure. As the to narrative I suspect it would be something like this. In the mid 1980's the holiday party is going great, for the adults that is. You have been banished to the basement of boredom. You must convince, teach and walk your cousins through a game of "the BASIC fantasy role playing game". It's either that or end up watching weird aunt Nancy's box full of BetaMax tapes of The Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Monchichi's.

[Wing_department]

From my experience, Twine is tricky. On one hand, it does show you which passages you haven't written yet, and it's nice to see all your work as a great branching tree of text... but then when it comes to turning it into a document, it becomes a painfully dull experience during which there's a chance you'll omit something.

My current preference is to write it all down in order, randomize the new passage numbers and then cut+paste everything. It's just as valid but overall, takes less time, in my opinion.

[Demetrius]

but then when it comes to turning it into a document, it becomes a painfully dull experience during which there's a chance you'll omit something.

Twine has Export as Twee button (in the Build section) which allows to export the text in the text-based Twee3 format. I think it's quite readable and not hard to work with.

The exported story looks like this:

Code: Select all

:: StoryTitle
Test story

:: StoryData
{
  "ifid": "7F3A01AB-F113-4CF8-B254-3063B6226ED8",
  "format": "Harlowe",
  "format-version": "3.3.9",
  "start": "@INTRO",
  "zoom": 1
}

:: @CANNOT_READ {"position":"700,450","size":"100,100"}
You don't know the language these runes are written in.

If you want to enter the temple, go to [[@ENTER_TEMPLE]]. If you want to leave, go to [[@LEAVE]].


:: @CAN_READ {"position":"575,450","size":"100,100"}
The texts of the runes make you mad. The end.


:: @ENTER_TEMPLE {"position":"450,325","size":"100,100"}
You trigger a trap and die. The end.


:: @INTRO {"position":"575,200","size":"100,100"}
The Temple of Qwertyuiop stands before you, covered with ancient runes.

If you want to try reading the runes, go to [[@READ_RUNES]]. If you want to enter the temple, go to [[@ENTER_TEMPLE]]. If you want to leave, go to [[@LEAVE]].


:: @LEAVE {"position":"700,325","size":"100,100"}
You leave the temple and decide to go on a different adventure. The end.

:: @READ_RUNES {"position":"575,325","size":"100,100"}
If your INT bonus is more +1 or more, then go to [[@CAN_READ]]. If not, go to [[@CANNOT_READ]].

It's not that hard to process programmatically, either, to replace passage names with numbers or to re-order them according to positions (or randomize them).