This is an actual play of The Wayfarer, a Solo RPG about exploration and worldbuilding.
In the blocks like this one I describe my thinking process.
These blocks show the mechanics, like the character sheets, results of the rolls, and the random prompts I'm getting when I roll on random tables.
The plain text summarizes what happens in the actual story as the result of me interpreting the rules and the prompts.
I want to play in the most stereotypical fantasy setting ever, to have fun playing with (and sometimes subverting) classic fantasy tropes.
In the magical, faraway land of Clichea, in the Tropetopian Kingdom, magic and adventure are commonplace. Villages dot the countryside, with monsters, dungeons, and quests waiting around every corner for aspiring adventurers.
I decided to create a character who defies some of the classic wizard tropes - instead of a young apprentice setting out, mine is an elderly wizard who's spent his whole life studying but never adventuring.
Wizzo the Wizard
Description: An 80-year-old wizard who has spent his entire life studying magic in his tower. Despite his age, he's enthusiastic and naive about adventuring, having only experienced it through books. He wears his favorite robe and comfortable slippers, carrying his spellbook and staff wherever he goes. His familiar, a small black owl named Hoot, accompanies him.
Abilities: Minor Illusion - Can create convincing illusions that last for a short time.
For my first location, I decided on a classic starting point for adventures - the local tavern.
Location: Tavern Basement
I need to establish why my character would visit a tavern basement. The classic "clear the rats" quest seems perfect for a first-time adventurer.
Wizzo approaches a bustling tavern, filled with smoke, cheerful music, and drunken visitors. He spots a grumpy-looking bartender and decides this might be his chance for an adventure.
"Hey there, fella! What got you down? Anything an aspiring adventurer could help you with?" Wizzo asks cheerfully.
The bartender grimly polishes a glass and glares at him. "I got rats in me basement. Big ones. Can't get rid of them on me own. I'll give ya three silver if you can make them go away."
Wizzo's face lights up with enthusiasm. "Oh, you bet I can! These rats are as good as gone. What species are we talking about, your regular ratticus ordinarius, or anything more exciting, ratonus gigantorus?"
The bartender throws him a key. "I don't know ya fancy words, go see for yourself."
For my event, I needed to create an interesting twist on the standard "rats in the basement" quest. I decided these weren't ordinary rats.
Event: Encounter unusual creatures posing a social challenge.
Now I need to establish both the objective (what Wizzo wants in the scene), and what makes it difficult to achieve.
Wizzo carefully creeps down the stairs into a dimly lit basement. In the middle of the room, four human-sized anthropomorphic rats sit around a poker table, smoking cigars and playing cards.
A scrawny ginger rat giggles excitedly, reaches for a pile of poker chips in the middle of the table, and squeaks in a high-pitched voice, "Looks like I won this round. Sorry, boss!"
The biggest rat, with shaggy black fur and an eyepatch over his eye, finishes off his bottle of whiskey, and smashes it over the side of the table. He points the broken bottleneck at the ginger rat, and growls, "Oh, did you now?"
The ginger rat recoils, and starts pushing his pile of poker chips towards the leader. "My mistake, boss, you won this round for sure. Great game, boss, sorry, boss!"
Now I need to decide how Wizzo would approach this situation. I want to stay true to his character - naive but knowledgeable about magic.
Wizzo approaches the pack. "Hello, furry friends! Having a little game of cards, do you? That's fun! Why don't you move it outside, play in fresh air?"
The rats turn to hiss at him, stand up from the table, and pull out their daggers. "This is our basement, old man! Now scram, if ya know what's good for ya!"
Time for action! I need to decide how Wizzo will use his abilities to solve this problem.
Wizzo holds up his hands and takes a few steps back. As he moves, he murmurs a spell, and a small rune etched into his staff begins to glow. "Hey, friends, I don't want any trouble! I just figured you wouldn't want to share a basement with a feline."
"Feline? What the hell is feline?"
Behind the rats, a small black kitten appears out of thin air. Wizzo points at it and smiles.
I need to roll to see if this is successful.
I'll set the difficulty to 10, as it's a moderately challenging task.
I roll with advantage because I'm using my "Minor Illusion" ability.
🎲 1, 11. I succeed!
Now I need to describe the outcome.
The rats turn, then scream. "Aaah! How the hell did that... thing get in here?" The rat leader turns to Wizzo. "The basement is yours, old man, just, just get rid of it, please!"
Wizzo calmly walks up to the illusory kitten and picks it up. The rats stare at him, trembling in fear. Wizzo takes a small step towards them. "Off you go!"
The rats sprint out of the door, through the tavern, and leap through the windows to escape.
Since Wizzo successfully completed his first quest, he should get some kind of reward or find something interesting.
Wizzo smiles peacefully. "Now that's better. Oh, looks like they forgot their things."
He looks through the bag left by the rat leader. He finds some old cheese, a slingshot, and a map titled "Rat King's Domain".
He walks out of the basement, seeing people still screaming and hyperventilating after watching a pack of huge rats run through the tavern.
The bartender smiles cheerfully at him, "Thank you, friend! I can use my basement again! Free meals and drinks for you, for the rest of the... week!"
The bartender hands him a few small silver coins. Wizzo accepts them gratefully, and makes a tiny, old man's jump into the air, cheering. "Yes! My first quest completed! I'm a real adventurer now!"
This completes Wizzo's first milestone, so he should gain a new ability and unlock a new location.
Milestone 1: Wizzo has cleared the rats from the tavern basement and received his first payment as an adventurer.
New ability: Telekinesis - Wizzo can now move small objects with his mind.
I need to establish a hook for Wizzo's next adventure.
New location: The Rat King's Domain - According to the map found in the rat leader's bag, there's an entire kingdom of anthropomorphic rats living in a complex warren beneath the town. The Rat King is apparently planning something big...
Wizzo orders some delicious crabberry stew, and as he looks around the tavern, he sees a bulletin board hanging near the exit, titled "Quest Board." Among the various postings, one catches his eye: "Strange noises coming from the sewers at night. Reward offered for investigation."
Wizzo smiles in eager anticipation of his upcoming adventures, patting the Rat King's map in his pocket.
From here, I could continue Wizzo's adventures as he explores the Rat King's Domain, or I could create a new character to explore this world from a different perspective.
If you liked this post, you should try playing this game yourself!
If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it! What do you like to see in published actual plays (podcasts and blog posts), what kind of format do you prefer? Is there anything obvious that I could improve about an actual-play like this? Send me a message on our discord, or leave a comment on reddit.