Unfortunately, I don't get to play with other people that often. There aren't any rpg clubs in my area and my social circle isn't particularly interested in roleplaying so I've looked into solo gaming. It's a bit different from playing with a group but it does have some unique advantages such as being able to play whenever you want.
As I've mentioned before, my preferred system is Basic/Expert and it's actually really easy to convert into a solo system with just a few additional resources.
Dungeon Generation
For dungeon generation, I like to use either the Strategic Review procedural dungeon generation rules or the Appendix A tables in the 1e DMG. They are almost identical but I usually lean towards the Strategic Review version. I also like to use the dungeon generator from Donjon. I'll generate one, print it out, put it in a plastic sleeve, and use wet erase markers to track my party's movement. This is definitely a faster way to play and when I just want to get into an adventure right away I usually go this route but using the Strategic Review tables is really nice too since you get to make the dungeon on the fly without knowing the layout beforehand. There's a lot of other methods for generating dungeons but I haven't tried the others out.
Dungeon Stocking
I leave dungeon stocking up to the tables from B/X although the tables from Strategic Review and AD&D both have treasure tables that can be rolled on.
Oracles
In the past, I have looked into Mythic but I never really liked it that much. Instead, I simply use 2 different d6's to determine an outcome. Sometimes I'll add in a 3rd die to sway the decision if I feel a particular outcome is more likely. This system is very simple and doesn't require a table or any additional rules so I like it quite a bit.
Changes to B/X
Since the rules were not intended for solo players, some changes have to be made to be able to play without a DM or group. The first change is that, in the beginning, you will likely control an entire party's worth of characters. This can make roleplaying a bit difficult and I'm guilty of using my characters as simple pawns. I'm hoping that after my characters gain a few levels and can stockpile some decent treasure, that I'll be able to control 1 or 2 characters and fill out the remainder of the party with retainers so that I can get into the individual characters' goals, motives, and personalities more thoroughly.
Another thing I had to work out was traps. Initially, I just didn't include them and would re roll any trap result since I couldn't telegraph anything to myself. I didn't really like this though since I felt like I was missing an integral part of a dungeon adventure. My current rules for traps are that when a room trap is generated, the party will be given a chance to both find and disarm the trap (1-in-6 for room traps). If the party has a dwarf, then a 2-in-6 chance is given and if a treasure trap is generated then it's up to the thief to use their skills. This is pretty simple and although it will inevitably lead to a significantly higher level of lethality, feels fair to me. In my previous post about solo play, I forgot to see whether or not the trap would actually spring and instead just had the traps go off automatically. According to the rules, they should go off about a third of the time (2-in-6) which should definitely help in decreasing the mortality rate amongst my adventurers.
Other than that, there isn't much to change in the rules which is one reason why I like to use B/X for solo games. Its straightforward but procedural-heavy rules lends itself to be easily used for solo play. I'm also hoping that as I get better at solo play, I will also be better at running the game in general so that when I do have an opportunity to play with others the sessions will go much more smoothly. If you run solo games or have different methods for generating dungeons, running the game, etc I'm interested in hearing about them. I'm always trying to research other people's ideas for how I can improve my game so any advice is welcome!
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