Solo Anime

Adventures

Written by
Peter Rudin-Burgess
artwork by
ryo taka
Willian Yuki Fujii Memmo
Kevin Phillips
BESM fourth edition created and written by
Mark MacKinnon
BESM fourth edition published by
Dyskami Publishing Company with Japanime Games

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are trademarks of White Wolf Entertainment AB
Tri-Stat System text © 20XX White Wolf Entertainment AB
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All rights reserved under international law. No part of this book
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except for brief quotes for use in reviews.
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 Chapter 1

Introduction
 ANIME ADVENTURES
Introduction
Solo role play has been part of our hobby since before the first role playing games were published Solo rules
were a part of table top war games from the very start. Role playing came from the same root but somehow the
solo element fell out of fashion.
Solo play gives you so many options that are extremely difficult to play out with a traditional group. It is also
a very selfish version of the game, your solo games are all about you, what your character wants and how you
want to play. It is uncompromising and yet, incredibly satisfying.
Welcome to the world of Solo Role Play!

There are two types of question; the first is the

S0L0 GAMING closed question. These are yes-no questions.
Solo play maybe a bit of a misnomer. These rules Open questions are less structured. What is in
can be used for any game that does not have a Game the box? What does the diary say?
Master. You could also have questions about how do people
That could be one player on their own, or it react to you. All of these things can be handled with
could be a group of players in a collaborative game. a simple dice roll.
These rules simply replace the decision making You could, of course, just roll a dice or flip a coin
and preparations normally carried out by the Game and get much the same effect. What these rules have
Master. In solo gaming that is called Game Master done is to make those choices feel more like a built-in
Emulation or GME. part of BESM.
The way these rules work is to try and match up
with the game-play style of BESM. In doing this,
they make flipping between your game and these add- Close Questions
on rules as seamless and natural as possible. PAGE
There are four ingredients to a closed question. 3
I have done as much as I can to keep the rules
and the number of rolls to a minimum. BESM is »» 1. The actual question. It should be phrased in a
not a game of constant dice rolling. Rolls and table yes-no format, with the answer that moves your
referencing slow a game down and detract from the adventures forward as the Yes.
flow of the story. Anime, in my opinion, is a style that »» 2. Likelihood. Not everything is a toss of a coin
moves quickly from action to action. or 50/50 chance. Some answers are just much
Almost everything you read in this rule book will more likely to be a yes than a no.
be familiar to you if you have played BESM already. »» 3. The adventure so far. There are times when
If you have bought the game but want to use these a plot twist will completely shake up your game,
rules to help learn the rules before playing it with but for the most part facts you have already
your group (another great use of solo rules), you will established will remain true, and this will colour
find that many of the dice mechanics have been re- the nature of answers going forward.
purposed to avoid adding greater complexity to an »» 4. The type of adventure you want. If you want
otherwise elegant and rules-light game. a mystical game exploring your character’s place
in the universe, that idea should colour all your
answers. If you want titanic battles for powerful
ASKING QUESTIONS artefacts, that is a different style of game.
Asking questions is both the central concept in LIKELIHOOD
solo play and the point where the rules come into If you have no preconceptions about how likely
play. something is to be a yes or a no, you are going to
In a GM and Player game, there will always be roll 2d6. Below is a simple table of yes-no style
points where you, as a player, will ask the GM for answers.
clarifications about the situation your character is in, For this section, I want you to imagine you are
or whether something is even possible. Without a GM breaking into the corporate headquarters of an evil
who do you ask? industrial empire. The executives tend to surround
The answer is a very simple table and dice roll. themselves with security thugs in black suits, dark
 BESM Solo
glasses and comms ear-pieces. You want to force No
open a fire-escape door This is a simple no. There were no cameras or no,
Asking the question, ‘Is the fire-escape covered the door wasn’t left open.
by a camera?’ is more likely to be a yes than a no.
Yes
Asking the question ‘Has the fire-escape been left A Simple Yes. Yes there are cameras or yes the
open?’ is much more likely to be a no than a yes. door is open.
The likelihood is handled using Edges and
Obstacles. If a question is more likely to be a yes and...
than a no, you will roll 3d6 and keep the highest two This is the most extreme form of the answer. It
dice. For a question that is almost certain to be a yes – means and more than. Yes there are cameras and...
but there is always a chance of a no – you would roll the door is filled with a sophisticated lock. Yes the
4d6 and keep the two highest. door is open and someone has wedged it with a fire
The same works for unlikely questions. These are extinguisher.
treated as Minor and Major Obstacles, rolling 3d6 but...
or 4d6 and keeping the lowest two results in each This is a toned down version of the answer. It isn’t
case. quite so good or bad. Yes there are cameras but... they
are facing up the other end of the service alley. Is the
01 Closed Question door open, yes but there is a kitchen worker stood
outside it talking on their phone.

Roll Answer Because...

This answer tries to combine a negative answer
2 No, and... with a reason and ideally you will have a way to turn
3-4 No
the no into a yes. Is the door open, no because the
PAGE building has one of those pull down escape ladders
5-6 No because...
4 on this side.
7 Complication
8-9 Yes but... Complications
10-11 Yes Complications are really important to your
12 Yes and... game. A complication should throw up a plot twist
or change that makes you immediately reconsider
what you were about to do. It could be a new NPC,
or an old returning NPC entering the scene. It could
be something as simple as your phone ringing just as
 ANIME ADVENTURES

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5

you try and do something stealthy.

A Complication should balance the need to shake NPCs
up your game, with the style of the adventure so far,
and the style of adventure you want to have. NPCs and all the people you meet on your
adventures are probably the most important part of
any role playing game. Doubly so for solo games.
Open questions Without other people in the world there is little or no
role playing to be done.
Open questions are answered using improvisation
Creating NPCs
prompts. Words or word pairs that can suggest what
your character is seeing, hearing or what is happening. I do not recommend creating every NPC you meet
as a full character.
The best way to deal with open questions is to be
forearmed with prompts. At the start of each scene What works more effectively is using the built in
you can roll 1d6 for each ‘sense’ on tables 02-07. templates to build up just enough of the NPCs skills
Note these senses in your game notes and as you use for you to play out any challenges. Much of what
them just cross them off. you need will be obvious the first time you imagine
the character. In any one adventures many of the
I have listed six senses, (1) vision, (2) hearing, (3) templates will be the same for an entire social group,
touch, (4) smell, (5) taste and (6) feelings. location or setting.
When you encounter a question such as ‘What Unused points can be carried over for when the
does the diary say for yesterday?’ you would consider NPC is called upon to do something that you feel they
what senses apply. It could be that you are looking should or would be able to do.
(sight) at someone’s inner thoughts (feeling). In this
case you would take your two prompts for those Even this abbreviated creation process if often
senses and try and combine them and see what they unnecessary. If the NPC is likely to be a chance
suggest. encounter or one off meeting, A name and single line
of description is enough.
 BESM Solo
02 Vision 05 Smell
Roll Answer Roll Answer
Light, Brilliant, Shining, Glowing, Blaze,
1 1 Putrid, Decay, Rot, Rancid, Mould, Fetid
Luminous
Dark, Black, Inky, Unlit, Dim, Dingy,
2 2 Fresh, Clean, Clear, Airy, Floral, Citrus
Darkness
Coloured, Vibrant, Pigment, Stained, Stale, Damp, Stuffy, Airless, Damp,
3 3
Painted, Flushed Fusty
Seen, Spot, Notice, Spy, Identify, Fragrent, Musky, Piquant, Bitter, Pungent,
4 4
Appreciate Noisome
Hidden, Concealed, Covered, Perfumed, Scented, Balmy, Redolent,
5 5
Disguised, Shrouded, Secret Attractive, Heady

Glare, Flare, Shimmer, Radiate, Beam, Savory, Salty, Spicy, Tangy, Pleasant,
6 6
Ray Herbal

03 Hearing 06 Taste
Roll Answer Roll Answer
Loud, Noisy, Blarings, Roaring, Blasting, Sweet, Sugary, Delightful, Honeyed,
1 1
Thundering Sickly, Cloying,

PAGE Quiet, Silent, Hushed, Muted, Bitter, Acidic, Astringent, Sharp,

2 2
6 Speechless, Soft Vinegary, Biting
Hiss, Fizzle, Whistle, Buzz, Wheeze, Salt, Brackish, Zesty, Spicy, Punchy,
3 3
Vibrate Dry

4 Screech, Shriek, Squawk, Shout, Yell, Call 4 Sour, Tart, Bile, Burning, Choking, Gagging

5 Wail, Howl, Bawl, Cry, Sob, Moan Hot Metal, Burning, Smoke, Metalic,
5
Artificial, Tinny

6 Bang, Crack, Boom, Clang, Pop, Clash 6 Bite, Suck, Slurp, Sip, Lick, Teeth

04 Touch 07 Feeling
Roll Answer Roll Answer
Caress, Stroke, Brush, Hug, Embrace, Admire, Adore, Appreciate, Amuse,
1 1
Kiss Anger, Angst
Calm, Confused, Craving, Distust,
2 Hit, Strike, Slap, Cuff, Punch, Thump 2
Excited, Joyous
Soft, Mushy, Smooth, Warm, Pliable, Horrified, Fearful, Relieved, Sad,
3 3
Silky Loving, Surprised

4 Hard, Firm, Rigid, Stiff, Solid, Compact Desire, Romantic, Engaging, Suffering,
4
Grief, Dispair
Sharp, Serrated, Pointed, Angular, Sulky, Bad Tempered, Pride, Guilt,
5 5
Cutting, Razor-Edged Affirming, Negating
Textured, Bumpy, Rugged, Lumps, Envyous, Indignant, Pitying, Kindly,
6 6
Scored, Scales Cruel, Remorse
 ANIME ADVENTURES
Reactions of these imagination prompts, just roll replacements
Sometimes, how an NPC reacts to you is going for the ones you have used, this cuts down the amount
to be obvious. If you just insulted their honour they of rolls you need to make!
are unlikely to be overly friendly. If you have just You can then play out the scene asking closed
saved them from a city devouring monsters then your questions as needed and using the sensory prompts to
popularity is going to be on the up. suggest answers to the more open questions.
For situations in between these extremes there In your game notes you should note any
is help at hand. At each meeting where the reaction complications and major plot twists.
is not obvious, ask the question that fits the tone of At the end of the scene you should rule across
the encounter. Do they like me? Do they trust me? to make the ending and consider any character
Am I welcome here? Asking the right question and progression.
setting the likelihood then lets you roll the reaction as
a closed question. Surprise results are always possible
and those may add a lot of flavour to your adventure.
Tracking Events
You can end up with a lot to keep track of during
Creating A Scene a solo game.
Solo games work best when played as scenes. A A regular GM would know of countless events
scene starts and ends when a block of time is skipped happening ‘off camera’ that are happening behind the
over. Imagine a movie director shouting ‘Action!’ scenes.
playing the scene through until the director shouts To emulate this I suggest using progress clocks.
‘Cut!’. A clock is a simple circle divided into segments.
At the ‘top’ of a scene, before you start play, roll If you were sneaking around the EvilCorp™’s Head
once each for the six sense. If you only used up a few Quarters using your Military skills to move cautiously
PAGE
7
 BESM Solo
and stealthily along corridors and through offices you standout from other forms of role playing. One of
could make many opposed tests to see if the security these is that there is only one player who you have to
goons notice you. That would be a lot of rolls. please, and that is you.
What you could do is decide that four failures, Where it may be fun to have an epic individual
not just skill fails but things you just cannot hide like combat against you arch-nemesis, in a regular
broken locks or knocked out cameras, are sufficient game the other players would soon get bored if they
to make the Securi-goons suspicious, enough to were merely observers to your battle. Solo play is the
raise the alarm. You then sketch your circle, divide it perfect place for those epic battles.
in four, one for each ‘fail’ and label it Securi-Goons You can also play with time in ways that you may
or some thing equally insightful. find difficult under normal circumstances.
You now play out your incursion into the offices. One way of doing that is ‘What if...’ sessions.
With each event that you think could be noticed you Looking at your previous scenes, you may spot a
tick down the clock marking off segments. point where an unusual answer either changed the
Once the clock is full, it has run down and the course of the story, or an answer you came up with
event takes place. In this case the alarm is raised, as a complication you would now do differently if you
someone has realised they have a break in. could.
Many Clocks Try and identify the point in your scene where you
would change things and start your game session from
You can have as many clocks running as you need.
that point on.
Some will run for several sessions. You could have a
clock tick down with every day of the game if you It is even more fun if you can identify the entry
only have seven days to save the world. You could point to a later scene and rejoin your original thread
play a lot of scenes in that time. If you are successful, but now with two alternative histories.
that clock will never run down. Other clocks will me You can also play flashback scenes. In solo games
short lived. If you get in and out of the offices without the entire universe is being created as you play. You
PAGE
set off the alarms you can discard the clock. may suddenly discover you had an ancient mentor, but
8 only when they show up in your story. At that point
Using Events to Drive Clocks you may want to jump back in time and play a few
You may have decided that there is a plot going on scenes between you and your mentor to get to know
in your world. Maybe you used a complication that them better. Once you have exhausted that well, you
brought an evil corporation into the game. In the jump back and carry on where you left off.
next scene you have an evil scientist trying to recreate
dinosaurs. You could decide that all these are related.
The evil corporation is funding the scientist. Once Scope
you have an identified plot, it makes complications
and unexpected answers easier to rationalise. If you You can play games with a truly breathtaking scope.
can work these into that existing plot line a lot of the In my game I started by investigating a corporation
context is done for you. that was trying to get one of the high school teachers
With an identified plot, you can give it a progress fired. That lead to discovering their secret lab where
clock of its own. Every time you tick down the clock, scientists were, I thought, trying to regenerate
either as a consequence of a scene you have played dinosaurs from fossilised DNA, but it turned out
or a new complication brings up another aspect of the that they wanted to splice the DNA into humans to
story that plot is advanced. Once the clock runs down create super-soldiers. They had succeeded once with
the evil plan comes to a head, or the trap is sprung or an early experiment and that super-soldier discovered
the monster is unleashed. You are limited only by my attempt to gather evidence and pursued me across
your imagination. Tokyo in a motorcycle chase. When I was cornered
I remember what my mentor had told me about
Before you settle down to play a solo session, it is
surrendering before evil is to die twice, the first when
worthwhile checking what clocks are running. Some
the soul dies inside you and the second is when the
you can discard and others will be important for the
body dies. I was not going to surrender so turning the
story going forward.
tables on the Special-Op-asaurus, I lead the fight to a
fish storage facility where the ice slowed the reptilian
blood allowing me to win out.
Solo Playing
In my next session I will attempt to dismantle the
There are some things that make solo play truly EvilCorp™’s dark science department.
ANIME ADVENTURES

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9
 BESM Solo
awkward. Stick at it and it will start to flow much
Solo Role Playing Tips more easily.
»» If you find having just six different options for
Here are a few tips to help you out. each sense. Try using the the “I spy...” method.
»» Being a lone hero is hard. Give yourself 10-20 Look at your desk, or out the window and find
more points than the general level of the game. something with a one word name, then choose
»» Related to the first tip, don’t spend those extra a sensory word that it inspires. I have a mug of
points until you discover a need after the game hot chocolate on my desk, it is Hot, Sweet, Bitter,
has started. A living GM would have given you Brown, Dark, Wet. I can also see a stapler, it is Red,
some guidance as to what skills they will think and red leads me to Anger, it is Metal, Cold, Hard.
will be important. It smells slightly of oil or some kind of lubricant
(please be careful what you start sniffing!).
»» Don’t ask too many questions. If you cannot
imagine the scene or the answer to your question »» A solo game can be any length. You may have
after three questions, ignore what you rolled and a brilliant idea for a game and you play it and
just go with your gut instinct. resolve it in a single session or just a couple of
scenes. Another game may take months to play
»» Ask the questions that are best for the game, not
out. I have a character that I revisit frequently for
what is in your characters best interest.
one off adventures.
»» If you died, your mission a failure, the planet
»» Your game, your rules, play what you want to
succumbs to the evil forces, but despite that you
play.
still love your character. Pick a moment in their
game and play a What if... and see if you can do »» If you want to use these rules for co-op play, pass
better next time. the rules from person to person, one question
at a time. Don’t negate what another player has
»» Is that cheating? Hell no! What you have never
created, take it and build upon it.
saved a game before a big fight in a video game,
PAGE
just incase you died?
10 »» Separate out your list of scene, and your story. That is it. Over to you. Make a character, explore
Make the story a journal with the questions, rolls the world of BESM and make it your own. Above all
and answers. The scene list becomes a storyboard else. Have Fun.
with locations, NPCs.
»» Make the best use of progress clocks. They can
make a campaign really feel alive.
»» Don’t make too many NPCs. Do you really need
a different cop on the front desk every time? A
different monk? Reusing NPCs gives you more
chance to develop their personalities.
»» Less NPCs is less work.
»» Create some stock NPCs. One fully developed
NPC of each type you expect to encounter given
the setting and genre of your game.
»» Your journal yours, and no one else’s. I know solo
players who can roll a few question/answers and
then write a scene like a chapter of a book. My
journal looks like scrappy bullet points. It is never
intended to be seen by anyone else. Write as much
or as little as you are comfortable with.
»» There are whole communities of solo role players
online. They call themselves Lone Wolves. They
are great resources if you need help getting started.
»» Talking of getting started, Solo play is a skill. It is
not too dissimilar to role playing with an entirely
new group who all know each other and you are
the new seat at the table. It can feel slow and