This is an actual play of Quick Quest - a Solo RPG designed to make it as easy as possible to get started with roleplaying and complete your first adventure.
To generate prompts, I will use Story Source - a deck of endless storytelling prompts.
In the notes blocks like this one I describe the steps of the game and my thinking process.
These blocks show the mechanics, like the results of the rolls and the random prompts I'm getting when I roll on random tables.
The plain text describes what happens in the actual story as a result of me interpreting the rules and the prompts.
Location prompt: Occult River
So it's probably a river that people worship, maybe has holy water with some special properties? Or maybe the river is just considered sacred...
A red river winds its way through a desolate canyon. The legends say it originates from the dark depths of the underworld, and finishes its journey by falling into the bottomless abyss, back to the world of the dead.
Many generations of orcs have sent their dead down the stream, and drank its water to nourish their unmatched strength with the spirits of their ancestors.
Character prompt: Untrustworthy Ghost
First thing that comes to mind is Zagreus (the protagonist of the game Hades). Somebody charming and witty who rebelled against the underworld and used the river to escape. Maybe son of a devil? I'll keep his past vague and mysterious for now, and define it later.
A coffin floats down the river. Its lid explodes into splinters, punched off its hinges, revealing Nox - a pale young man in an elegant suit, laying in the coffin. His hair is messy, his eyes are red, his face looks beaten up, his suit is torn. He grins triumphantly, picks up a wooden board left from the lid, and begins paddling to the shore.
What sort of powers would a devil have? I'll say he's supernaturally charming, can magically disguise himself as any humanoid creature, and can create illusions.
Objective prompts: "Inspect Shelter", "Plant Decay".
I drew a couple prompts that I like, I think I will use both:
- Short-term objective for this scene: Inspect Shelter. He's on the verge of dying, and needs to find shelter to recover.
- Quest objective: Plant Decay. He needs to find some innocent soul and seduce them to his service.
The coffin bumps into the rocky shore. Nox clumsily gets out, and immediately falls to his knees - this journey took a lot out of him. He lays on his back to rest, but as soon as he does, a couple of vultures begin circling over him. One lands nearby, and tries to peck at his face.
"Aggrrh! Shoo! Shoo!" Nox waves his arms, "Not a good place to rest. Got it."
He gets up, and looks for shelter. The endless red desert stretches to the horizon, interrupted only by the occasional dead trees, enormous dunes, and crumbling stone pillars. Further down the shore, Nox notices leather domes of an orcish settlement, surrounded by wooden walls, decorated by bones of some enormous beasts.
Nox sighs at the desolate wasteland around him, and begins walking.
I'll use a target prompt to introduce an obstacle.
Hated energy
I know! Something from the underworld is still pursuing him.
As he walks down the shore, he notices subtle movement across the ground. A large shadow darkens the sand, moving swiftly towards Nox. As it approaches, it rises from the ground, taking shape of a huge dog that appears to be made out of black smoke. Looking through the dog's figure reveals the moonlit, night-time version of the world behind him.
"A shadow hound! I should've known they would be sent to patrol the shores, waiting for me at the exit."
I want this scene to have a non-combat resoluion. I'm thinking Nox actually knew this shadow hound in the underworld as a puppy, and recognizes him.
Too injured and exhausted to fight, Nox braces himself for a quick death, but then...
"Hold on... Jinx? Jinx! Jinx, buddy, this is me, Nox!"
But will the shadow hound recognize him back? I'll say I need to roll over 10, but I roll with advantage because my character is likable and has good social skills.
🎲 19, 6 - Success!
The massive shadow figure smashes into Nox, toppling him onto the ground. Enormous jaws snap inches away from his face, he closes his eyes, ready to return to the underworld. Then, the hound pants excitedly and licks his face.
"Oh, buddy! I knew you'd recognize me! You can smell me even in my current form, can't you! Who's a good boy? Who has the best nose in all the thirteen night-realms? You are, yes you are! Why would they send you to hunt me, you big softie? I knew I won't regret feeding you all those extra cookies!"
When the hound calms down a bit and stops horsing around, Nox leans on him to stand up, climbs on his back, and they ride towards the orc settlement.
It's always a good idea to end a scene on a cliffhanger...
"Hmmm..." Nox murmurs thoughtfully, "Maybe meeting Jinx here isn't a coincidence? Is someone from the underworld helping me out?"
The second scene will continue where the previous one left off.
The scorching sun relentlessly beats down on the desert, as Nox and Jinx approach the orcish settlement.
In the previous scene I have found where the shelter is, but haven't reached it yet. The obvious next task is to reach and enter the orc settlement.
They stop and hide behind one of the large stone pillars, observing the orcs from the distance.
"Okay, Jinx. Rule number one of infiltrating a mortal town - look like you belong."
Air shimmers around Nox, and, instead of a well-dressed human, there stands a mighty orc. Still well-dressed in an elegant suit - hey, Nox has standards.
"That's better. Now let's see if we can avail ourselves of some of that famous orcish hospitality. It was orcs who were famous for their hospitality, right? Or was it halflings? My information about the mortal world may be a few millennia out of date. Well, let's find out!"
They set out towards the entry gate.
Two gigantic red-skinned orcs stand at the sides of the gate, holding huge battle axes. Their eyes widen as they see an orc dressed in a formal suit approach the gate riding atop a shadow hound.
"Hey! Who goes there?" growls the larger orc.
"Top of the morning to you, dear fellow!" waves Nox. "Good to see a friendly face! I am Noxor, an orc, much like yourself." Nox gestures at his orcish form. "I would very much like to enter your lovely town, to find shelter and rest after a long journey."
Gotta roll over 15. No advantage from social skills, because Nox has no idea how orcs normally act.
🎲 2 - Failure.
The guards scowl at him "The stranger talks like one of them fancy elven folk. I don't like the cut of your jib, pal. Now scram!"
Nox realizes that he may have misplaced the vibe. Oh well, that's what happens when all you know about the mortal world comes from the third-hand rumors and legends. As a prince of darkness, Nox was meant to rule the other devils, not meddle in the affairs of mortals.
Gotta try another approach. I'll roll the dice to help me decide what I'll do next.
1. Stealth - sneak past them?
2. Social - trick them?
3. Ability - disguise as one of them?
🎲 1 - Stealth.
"That's dreadfully disappointing indeed! Oh well, your loss, I am delightful to be around." Nox turns around, and leaves to hide behind a nearby rock until the nightfall.
The sun sets, it gets dark and cold very quickly. Orcs at the gate light up their torches.
The air around Nox shimmers again, dispersing his illusory orcish appearance, and now he looks like a lanky man, fully covered in a pitch black ninja suit.
They sneak along the wall towards the gate. He looks at Jinx. "Ready, pal? We'll just need a distraction."
Nox points at a shadow, and it takes form, becoming dense and three-dimensional, coalescing into a shape of a vulture. "Off you go," whispers Nox, and the vulture flies towards the gate. There, it lands in front of the guards, and begins to menacingly advance toward them.
"What... what the hell is this?" the bigger guard looks at the other one, confused. "Is that vulture... challenging me?"
I think this idea is awesome, and Nox is literally the prince of darkness, so I'll say it's very likely to succeed. I need to roll over 5, and I do so with advantage because I'm using my abilities.
🎲 12, 19 - success!
The vulture puffs his feathers to make himself look big, and emits a threatening screech.
The guardian orc roars in fury. "I will not be disrespected like that by a bird!" He rips off his vest, grabs his battle axe, and assumes a battle stance. He and the vulture slowly circle each other, eyes locked. The other guard watches with rapt attention, cheering from the sidelines, fully immersed in the drama. "You show him, Big Gnor! Show that bird who wears big pants around here!"
Nox and Jinx slink through the gate behind the guards, and find themselves on the main street of an orcish settlement. They hide in a dark alley, to plan their next steps.
Okay, now just to end on a cliffhanger... some new problem or the next goal...
A drumbeat shakes the walls of a large hall, the sounds of loud laughter and arguing come from the inside - it must be a local tavern. A scrawny orc, smashed through the window, flies out of the building and lands on the ground with a thud. With an excited scream, he runs back inside to avenge the offense.
"So this is our shelter, huh?" Nox shrugs, "I've seen worse places to rest, but not many."
They get ready to deal with whatever awaits them in the orcish tavern.
This is the end of my first two scenes!
If you liked this post, you should try playing this game yourself!
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