Sitting down tonight, I ran a solo game, using and testing out my solo tools. I created a procedure for hex crawling in a post apocalyptic world, a journal software and even a random mutant generator.

So the session, Its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with my custom character Vark, a Wolverine Ninja. Vark sets out from his village with a clear objective. Find the Human Empire’s robotic armor facility. Track down the scientist known as the Librarian. Gather intel and get out. Maybe cause a little chaos if possible.

That plan lasts about one hex, lol.

What follows is a push through uncertain ground. An abandoned farming settlement that still feels watched. Patrols moving through in walking armor. Signs of destruction with no bodies left behind. A Toxic Wasteland that forces a hard retreat before it kills him. Every step adds pressure. Every move raises the question, “should he even be here?”

Then the tone shifts.

Vark spots a river, thinking he has no where to go, but he spots some scavengers nearby. A camp that looks empty but isn’t safe. Vark takes the risk anyway. He slips in, grabs what he can, and leaves. It feels like a win. Quiet. Clean. No one saw him.

That assumption doesn’t hold.

What you get at the end of this session is not a planned encounter. It’s fallout. A single goat scavenger tracks him down, and now Vark has to deal with it fast. No backup. No reset. Just a short, sharp fight where one mistake could end the run early.

This video shows the system working in real time. The hex crawl. The control checks. The encounter triggers. The oracle decisions. The journal. The tools are not there to make things easier. They are there to remove control and force honest outcomes.

A few things to watch for as you go through it:

• How quickly a “simple move” turns into layered risk
• How patrols and faction presence change the feel of a location
• How retreat becomes the right call, not failure
• How small decisions create consequences a few steps later
• How fast combat resolves when there’s no padding around it

Vark is not a hero with plot armor. He is one character moving through a space that does not care if he survives. That’s the point of this kind of play.

If you’re working on your own solo procedures, or thinking about running TMNT & Other Strangeness this way, this session shows what happens when you let the system breathe and stop protecting the outcome.

Watch the video, Subscribe to the channel and comment away!

So last time we left Kargan and this mystery woman, they were heading back to help the Merchant.

Part 1 - Part 2

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Kargan pulls the girl to her feet. She looks at him with a little bit of fear and shakes her head yes and follows him.

He keeps his axe ready.

He pushes her through the dark trees toward the road.

Tracking check: roll Wits 1 + Survive 1 = 2d8 to find the cart fast.

Results: 6 and 2.

No success.

He stumbles through thick brush, walking in circles. The girl whimpers. The night feels too quiet.

Random Encounter Check: Roll the oracle to see if something approaches.

Result: 7.

No, and things get worse.

Suddenly in the distance, a deep howl is heard through out the forest. Kargan is not sure what it is. He can only tell its not a wolf. Too deep.

The girl freezes, in fear after the howl.

Kargan grabs her arm and drags her.

Roll Agility 2 + Survive 1 = 3d8 to move fast without falling.

Results: 8, 7, 4.

Solid success.

Kargan takes a lucky turn and they break from the trees onto the road. The overturned cart is ahead, wheels half-buried in mud. The figure of the merchant is still there. The girl seems to quicken her pace.

The merchant still breathes, shallow and ragged. His eyes open when he sees the girl.

She runs to him. He grips her sleeve.

Kargan checks the tree line.

Oracle Check: Does he see anything or do the howls get closer?

Result: 1.

Yes, and it is worse.

In the distance up the road, Kargan can see two animal like shapes stalk onto the road. Lean, black-furred things with too many joints. They sniff the air as if trying to locate their prey. They spot Kargan instantly.

Kargan plants himself between the creatures and the cart. He roars and lifts his axe.

Intimidation Roll: Heart 0 + Intimidate 1 = 1d8.

Result: 7.

Weak success.

The weird creatures hesitate, look at one another briefly, the first one lunges at our “hero”.

Roll Might 2 + Fight 1 + Heavy 1 = 4d8 to meet the attack.

Results: 8, 8, 5, 3.

Two solid successes. Exploding 8s: 6, 7.

He splits the first creature’s skull. It falls twitching on the ground, as its blood splatters on the ground and on its companion. The creature looks at his dead friend with horror.

The second creature decided to leap back into the trees, vanishing into the dark.

The girl sobs over her father. Kargan scans the shadows, waiting for another howl.

None comes.

He kneels by the merchant to check him.

Can he move the Merchant without killing him?

Roll Wits 1 + Survive 1 = 2d8 to check move him.

Results: 7 and 2.

Weak success.

That’ll do.

He can move him, but it will hurt and slow them down.

Kargan lifts the man onto his back and signals the girl to follow.

They leave the bloody camp and the corpses behind, heading west toward the nearest village.

For now the creature is gone and hopefully wont return anytime soon, but who knows?

---

Paperwork Section

Current NPCs Met:
Dying merchant (alive, stabilized but weak, carried by Kargan.
The merchant’s daughter (rescued, shaken but unharmed)

Possible Threads:
Return the daughter and her father to safety in the nearest village.
The merchant’s fate (will he survive?)
Kargan’s mounting stress (2/3) and his dislike of helping others
The unnatural creatures on the road at night (what are they?)
The unnatural silence and emptiness of the road (something drove others away)

Oracle

d8 oracle:

1 yes, and it is worse
2 yes
3 yes, but it costs you
4 unclear
5 no, but there is an opening
6 no
7 no, and things get worse
8 something unexpected happens

Character:

Name: Kargan Blacktusk
Concept: Brutal wandering sell-sword
Edge: killing faster than fear
Trouble: anger never cools
Drive: get paid and keep moving

Stats
Might 2
Agility 2
Wits 1
Heart 0

Skills
Fight
Intimidate
Track
Survive

Gear tags
Heavy
Armored

Special
Once per scene, re-roll one die

Hits: 8
Stress: 2/3

Continuing along with the adventures of Kargan. I had about half an hour during lunch today to sit down and play out the solo adventure. Hey we squeeze in the time we can, right? Well here is my play report of what our “hero” did.

Kargan heads east. The wind cuts over the hills. He moves fast, following hoof ruts and a few drops of blood.

Roll Wits 1 + Track 1 = 2d8.
Results: 8 and 4.
Solid success.

The trail is clear. Fresh. Three horses, heavy riders. One smaller horse or pony. Likely the girl.

He keeps moving. Light fades. I ask the oracle if he sees a campfire ahead.

Roll: 2.
Yes.

A thin orange glow flickers behind a line of black pines. He approaches low. I roll

Agility 2 + Survive 1 = 3d8.
Results: 7, 5, 2.
One weak success. Complication.

He creeps close, but a sentry shifts in the dark and spots movement. A voice calls out. Steel scrapes.

Roll Agility 2 + Fight 1 + Armored 1 = 4d8 to react and strike first.
Results: 7, 6, 2, 1.
One weak success.

He surges from the shadows and buries his axe in the sentry’s chest, but the man screams as he falls.

The camp erupts. Two men grab weapons. One drags the girl toward a horse.

Kargan charges the nearest attacker.

Might 2 + Fight 1 + Heavy 1 = 4d8.
Results: 8, 8, 3, 2.
Two solid successes. Exploding 8s give 2 more rolls: 6, 5.

No extra 8s, but he cleaves the man down.

The last man spurs the horse to flee with the girl.

Kargan can try to leap and drag him down. Risky.

Agility 2 + Fight 1 = 3d8.
I push for +1d8, taking 1 Stress. Stress now 2/3.
Roll 4d8: 8, 7, 6, 1.
Solid success.

He grabs the rider’s leg and yanks him to the ground. The horse bolts. The girl tumbles into the dirt, screaming.

Kargan plants a knee on the bandit’s chest and ends him with the axe.

The camp is silent again except for the girl’s sobs and the crackle of fire.

I ask the oracle if the girl is hurt.

Roll: 5.
No, but there is an opening.

She is shaken but alive. She stares at him in terror, but she does not run.

The merchant might live if Kargan brings her back fast.

He wipes his axe and looks back toward the road.

Kargan sighs as he knows he can’t just leave this girl alone.

End.

Paperwork Section

Current NPCs Met:

• Dying merchant (alive but severely injured, pinned under cart)

• The merchant’s daughter (rescued, shaken but unharmed)

Possible Threads:

• Return the daughter to the dying merchant before he succumbs

• The merchant’s fate (will he survive?)

• Kargan’s mounting stress (2/3) and his dislike of helping others

• The unnatural silence and emptiness of the road (something drove others away)

Oracle
d8 oracle:
1 yes, and it is worse
2 yes
3 yes, but it costs you
4 unclear
5 no, but there is an opening
6 no
7 no, and things get worse
8 something unexpected happens

Character

Name: Kargan Blacktusk
Concept: Brutal wandering sell-sword
Edge: killing faster than fear
Trouble: anger never cools
Drive: get paid and keep moving
Stats
- Might 2
- Agility 2
- Wits 1
- Heart 0
Skills
- Fight
- Intimidate
- Track
- Survive
Gear tags
- Heavy
- Armored
Special
- Once per scene, re-roll one die
Hits: 8
Stress: 2/3

Today I am testing out my own system, called D8 anywhere, it’s a very simple system that uses d8 dice. That’s it. I wanted something simple. So here is some solo play.

I wanted a lone warrior. No prophecy. No chosen one. Just a man who survives because he refuses to stop. This is the start of a solo game, written as it happened at the table. Dice out. Notes rough.

His name is Kargan Blacktusk.

Kargan is a killer. He drinks too much. He fights first. He takes what he wants and leaves when the ground is slick enough to remember him. He does not apologize. He does not reflect. He survives by breaking things before they break him. People call him cruel. He calls it honest.

He wears a scarred mail shirt taken from a dead mercenary captain. It stinks of rust and old sweat. He carries a notched axe that has split shields and skulls. No name carved into it. He has a broad knife at his belt for work up close. He keeps a wineskin and a pouch of dried meat. He trusts steel more than people.

Here is Kargan built for play.

Name: Kargan Blacktusk
Concept: Brutal wandering sell-sword
Edge: killing faster than fear
Trouble: anger never cools
Drive: get paid and keep moving
Stats
Might 2
Agility 2
Wits 1
Heart 0
Skills
Fight
Intimidate
Track
Survive
Gear tags
Heavy
Armored
Special
Once per scene, re-roll one die
Hits: 8
Stress: 3

Before play, I set a simple d8 oracle. I roll when I do not know the answer.

1 yes, and it is worse

2 yes

3 yes, but it costs you

4 unclear

5 no, but there is an opening

6 no

7 no, and things get worse

8 something unexpected happens

The game opens on a road at dusk.

Kargan walks alone through low hills. The sky is red. The road is old and cracked. I ask the oracle if there is trouble ahead.

I roll a d8. It comes up a 7.

No, and things get worse.

There is no obvious threat. No ambush. No bandits stepping out of the rocks. That is the problem. The silence is wrong. The road is empty. A cart lies overturned ahead. One wheel still spinning.

Kargan does not slow down. He grips the axe and steps closer. I decide this is risky. Something could still be alive.

I roll using Might plus Fight, plus Heavy gear. That is 2d8 for Might, 1d8 for Fight, 1d8 for gear. Four dice.

The roll gives me one 7 and nothing else.

Weak success with a complication.

Kargan kicks the cart aside and finds a dying merchant pinned beneath. The man grabs Kargan’s leg and begs. Bandits took his daughter. Rode east. Not far.

The complication is stress. Kargan marks 1 Stress. He hates this part. Begging always sticks to him.

I ask the oracle if Kargan helps.

I roll. A 3.

Yes, but it costs you.

Kargan frees the man and takes the direction. He does not promise anything. He does not ask about reward. Helping means blood tonight. He feels it already.

This is where we pause. The direction is set. The cost is coming.

Paperwork Section

Current NPCs Met:

• Dying merchant (alive but severely injured, pinned under cart)

• The merchant’s daughter (captured, taken east by bandits)

Possible Threads:

• Bandits who attacked the merchant and took his daughter captive (rode east, not far)

• Rescue mission for the merchant’s daughter

• The merchant’s fate (will he survive?)

• Kargan’s mounting stress and internal conflict about helping others

• The unnatural silence and emptiness of the road (something drove others away)

• What lies to the east where the bandits went

Oracle

d8 oracle. I roll when I do not know the answer.
1 yes, and it is worse
2 yes
3 yes, but it costs you
4 unclear
5 no, but there is an opening
6 no
7 no, and things get worse
8 something unexpected happens

Character:

Name: Kargan Blacktusk
Concept: Brutal wandering sell-sword
Edge: killing faster than fear
Trouble: anger never cools
Drive: get paid and keep moving
Stats
Might 2
Agility 2
Wits 1
Heart 0
Skills
Fight
Intimidate
Track
Survive
Gear tags
Heavy
Armored
Special
Once per scene, re-roll one die
Hits: 8
Stress: 3

Season two starts here as we pick up where we left off in season 1. Frank wakes up in an abandoned warehouse, with some wounds, and has to escape! The heat is on as Frank runs for his life across Gotham trying to get away from the Police!

This is it.. the final showdown, everything that drove Shin forward, finally happens. He finally meets up with the man that ruined his family and scarred him for life.

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Does Shin have what it takes to defeat this man or does Shin die at the hands of this man. What does the final table give Shin as his fate for life?

Tune in and find out!

Bringing Back RONIN, Finishing What I Started

I’m bringing back my solo series, Ronin. Months ago I paused the story. Life got loud, projects stacked up, and the samurai’s trail went cold. That changes now. I’m picking up where I left off, same character, same stakes, same table energy.

Check out today’s video for a new epic part:

I’m keeping the format clean. Solo actual play, clear scene framing, fast moves, honest rolls. No drama, no clickbait, just gaming. You’ll hear my thinking as I make choices, then you’ll see those choices hit the table. I’ll keep timestamps for key beats, like scene starts, combat, recovery, and hard decisions, so you can jump right to what you want.

The rules are tight and deadly, which fits the tone. If you want to follow along with the same system, grab Ronin here:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/308587/ronin?src=hottest_filtered&affiliate_id=421647

What to expect next:
• A quick recap in the opening minute so you’re caught up.
• A short gear and condition check, then straight into the mission.
• Clear goals per scene, no filler.
• Consequences that stick. If I push, I risk it.
• A real endpoint. The story will close, one way or another.

I’m excited to finish this arc. Thanks for sticking with me. Grab a drink, set your d6 within reach, and let’s walk the road again.

Legacy Bridge and the narrowing path

This one moves fast. No slow build, no long setup. Wake up, realize the house is not safe, and then answer the invitation you never wanted. I let the dice set each step, then I pushed the scene forward before it could cool off. That pace felt right after the quiet of the teahouse.

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Mechanically, I kept the checks clear and simple. Is the ally okay. Is there a sign to follow. Is the approach trapped. Can you get a clean look before you commit. Each answer tightened the room around Frank a little more. By the time he hits the catwalk, the space is already doing the work. You feel how little margin he has.

I liked the contrast here. A formal warning delivered with a smile, then immediate violence the second pride gets involved. That is Gotham to me. Polite on the surface, knives underneath. Ending on a hard cut felt honest. When you box yourself in, the city makes you pay for it.

Next steps are obvious, but I am going to sit with it a day and let the options breathe. That keeps the next roll honest.

This session carried the weight from the teahouse. I wanted tension without speeches, so I let the camera sit on the rooftop line and waited to see who moved first. The dice decided it. That works for this kind of story. You get a clean read on intent, then you let the scene run.

Mechanically, I kept it simple. A few fate checks to set weather and activity, then a short exchange that punished misses and rewarded decisive shots. The smoke and light were a nice surprise. That came straight from interpreting the roll, not from a plan. I like those moments because they feel honest. You take the hit the dice give you and you build the fiction around it.

The chase was all about pressure. I let the numbers pace it. One success keeps you alive. A miss forces a bad turn. The van kit check was fun. I kept it fair with a 50/50 and lived with the result. If you run solo like this, do not overstuff the table with rules. Two or three sharp questions and a skill roll can carry a whole sequence.

The note lands harder than a body count. That is the point. Someone wants order. Frank is chaos. Those two ideas will keep colliding until one bends. Next time, I will either rest, rework the van, and draw a cleaner bead on the watcher, or I will push my luck and stay on the club. I have not decided. Let the next roll tell me.

Episode 6 felt different on purpose. Slower heartbeat. Fewer words. More listening. I wanted to see what Gotham would give me if I stopped pushing and just let the room talk. So instead of a brawl or a chase, we got a boarded-up teahouse with dust rings, a dead warmer, and that faint clove and machine oil smell that sticks to your coat. Little things say plenty if you let them.

Mechanically, this one was simple. A handful of Mythic questions to shape the space, then I followed the answers wherever they pointed. Is anyone still here. Are there watchers outside. Each roll nudged the camera a few inches and the scene built itself. It’s a good reminder for solo play. You do not need ten tables to make tension. Two or three sharp questions will carry a whole episode if you let them.

I liked playing with silence. No music in the room. No chatter. Just rain and floorboard creaks. It let the warning land without fireworks. A polite message feels worse than a shouted threat, at least to me. The coin helped too. A simple prop you can hang meaning on later. Calling card. Marker. Test. Pick one, keep it in your pocket, and let it bother you for a few sessions.

I also started quietly tracking Heat in the background. Nothing fancy. Just a tick for lingering where ghosts do business and a tick for taking souvenirs you probably should not. If you use a Heat meter, do it softly. Let it color how scenes open. A shadow where there was none last time. A patrol that turns the corner thirty seconds too soon. Small, steady pressure.

If there was a lesson here, it’s that an empty room can tell a better story than a crowded one. You do not need a monologue to sell a threat. You need a single line on a card and the sense that someone is close enough to hear you breathe. That’s more Gotham than any gunfight.

Next time, I’ll either return the coin and see who blinks first, or I will follow that clove and oil trail out the back into the rain. I have not decided yet. I like sitting in the maybe for a night. It keeps the next roll honest.

Until then, keep it original and keep it old school.

I swapped gears for this session. Instead of sticking with DC Heroes, I pulled in Tiny Supers with the street-level base rules. I wanted something easier at the table. Fewer charts, quicker rolls, straight into the action. Roll a handful of d6s, count fives and sixes, and move on. Clean, fast, and it keeps me focused on story instead of math.

This change made the game flow better than I expected. I didn’t feel bogged down by modifiers or page flips. Every roll had weight, but none of them slowed me down. Tiny Supers gave me that “pick up and play” feeling. I could run the session in a more natural rhythm, keep my attention on what Frank was doing in Gotham, and not get distracted by crunch.

It also reminded me of why I enjoy experimenting with systems. Sometimes the right mechanics unlock more fun at the table. Tiny Supers hit that sweet spot for this story. It’s simple enough to let me improvise, but still gives structure so outcomes feel fair and earned.

I’m having a blast running this arc. It feels like I can get to the good stuff faster, which for me is watching the story unfold and reacting in the moment. If you’re curious about rules-light superhero gaming, give Tiny Supers a look. It might surprise you how well it works for gritty, street-level play.

I’ve been looking for a fun rules system to just mindlessly play a solo adventure, and Fudge happened to be on my shelf. I’ve always enjoyed the concept of an easy system, but never realized how easy Fudge was until I finally cracked it open and decided to start creating things for my favorite cartoon as a kid, GI Joe! Well here is session 1 below:

The first mission for Rook in the G.I. Joe cartoon universe kicked off with a tense infiltration. Using the Fudge rules, we put him up against Cobra’s patrols, spotlights, and the ever-scheming Dr. Mindbender.

We kick things off with my character making his way to a Cobra airstrip in the middle of the jungle. There has been reports of Cobra activity there and Rook has been dispatched to do some Recon work and report back.

At the jungle airstrip, Rook paused to observe the guards. A Perception roll came up +2 (Great), which was enough to read the pattern of patrols and spot a gap. With that knowledge, he rolled to slip between them. A Stealth test hit +1 (Good) and carried him safely to the first set of crates. That’s where he saw the label: Project Serpentor – Classified.

When suspicion started to stir, Rook chose to go bold. He lashed himself beneath a Cobra transport. An Athletics check soared at +3 (Superb), which meant he held fast as the convoy rumbled off through the jungle. By the time they arrived at the hidden compound, he was still in place and still unnoticed.

Inside the base, a careful Stealth roll of +3 (Superb) got him loose from the truck and into the shadows. He made his way to the lab building, where he peeked through a window and overheard Mindbender raging at a terrified scientist. Rook then risked slipping into the lab itself, clearing the entry with another precise Stealth check at +3 (Superb).

The big prize came at the datapad table. With rolls on fire, Rook hit +5 (Legendary) to snatch the datapad without anyone noticing. The device contained genetic data, growth logs, and even an override protocol that could open a prisoner’s cage. He didn’t press his luck further. Another smooth Stealth roll carried him back out the window, across the yard, and into the jungle. Cobra never knew he was there.

Mission Results: Rook confirmed Project Serpentor is underway, secured critical Cobra intel, and escaped alive. One prisoner remains inside the lab, but that’s a story for another night.

Some nights, you roll the dice and the city rolls them right back at you. This session was one of those nights.

The setup looked simple enough on paper. Show up, wait for the meeting, get the information, and get out. Easy. But if Gotham has a favorite game, it’s turning straight lines into knots.

This was a tense one to run. It wasn’t about walking in with guns blazing, it was about the slow, creeping feeling that something’s wrong before you even put your hand on the door. I let the dice dictate the mood, and they landed in a way that made the place feel… off. Like the whole scene was holding its breath.

From there, it was just a matter of letting the tension pull itself tight. Watching things build up is one of my favorite parts of solo play. You don’t script it, you don’t plan it, you just lean into the feeling and see if the dice agree with you. In this case, they did. Big time.

The episode became less about the meeting and more about survival, control, and making sure you walk away from the table on your own terms. Gotham doesn’t give you clean endings, and I didn’t expect one. But I like where it left things…doors open, questions hanging, and enough pressure to keep the next session sharp.

I’m Going Solo in Traveller (and Book 0 Says That’s Just Fine)

So here’s the thing.

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I’ve played Traveller before. Not a ton. A few games back in the '90s. Mostly as a player. It was always somebody else's universe. Somebody else's subsector. I remember dying during character creation once and laughing about it for way too long. Never forgot that. But I never really dug in. You know? I didn’t run it. I didn’t build anything.

Now I want to.

Not with a group. Not some grand campaign with sessions every other Thursday. I want to run it solo. Just me, my dice, and a notebook. Working through 1 to 3, and see what happens.

And the weird part is, Traveller seems completely fine with that.

Book 0, if you sit down and really read it, wants you to take initiative. It keeps saying “start small” and “use what you need” and “don’t overdo it.” It tells the referee not to drown in worldbuilding. Tells the player not to panic if they don’t know every rule. It’s advice from people who’ve actually been there. And even though this came out in the early '80s, the tone feels modern. Honest. Kind of gruff, but in a helpful way.

That’s what caught me.

I don’t want to create a perfect universe. I want to build some star systems. Maybe one character. Maybe a small crew if I get ambitious. I’ll probably use an oracle or two. Mythic GME or GMA Cards. Some yes/no rolls. But it doesn’t have to be pretty. I want to wander through my own little pocket of the galaxy and see what happens.

The more I think about it, the more I realize Book 0 is kind of like a quiet mentor. It’s not flashy. It’s not trying to sell me something. It just says, “Here’s how it works. Start where you are. Do what you can.” And honestly? That’s exactly the kind of solo game I want.

Traveller isn’t soft. It doesn’t coddle you. If you want to play a game where your character climbs a career ladder just to die from a random encounter on a low-tech backwater, congratulations. You found the right system. But somehow, that’s the appeal. It’s dangerous. Sparse. And wide open.

You don’t need a GM. You don’t need a fancy PDF. You don’t even need a name generator if you don’t want one. Just roll some dice. Let the results get weird. Ask questions. Pretend a little.

That’s what I’m going to do.

Starting soon, I’ll be rolling up a character using Book 1. Then I’ll build a subsector. Map some planets. Maybe start with a trade route and let things spiral out from there. Not sure yet.

All I know is this.

Book 0 gave me permission.

Now I’m going to space.

Welcome back, folks.

This episode of Evil Dungeon Master Solo Quest took a different turn. No bullets fired, no fists flying. Instead, we pulled out the GameMaster’s Apprentice cards and cracked open the streets of Gotham to ask a few big questions. No, the big questions.

Where is everyone?

See, when you're doing a solo RPG, especially one like my Punisher in Gotham arc, you’ve got to build the world around your character. And when that world is Gotham but without the Bat, things get real weird real fast.

So this wasn’t an actual play session. This was groundwork. The scaffolding. The bloody fingerprints on the walls. The kind of stuff that makes the next episode hit harder because now we know who’s lurking in the shadows... or who isn’t.

What's the Setup?

I asked questions. A lot of them. Stuff like:

• Is Bruce Wayne even alive?

• Did certain villains still rise to power without Batman there to push them?

• Is anyone filling the vacuum?

You’d be surprised at the answers. Or maybe not, depending on how much you believe Gotham shapes its monsters or whether Batman creates them. I leaned on the GMA cards for this one, treating them as my dice, my GM, my random spark. Let the cards decide, right?

No Spoilers, But...

Some names came up. Big ones. Some are out there, sharpening knives and whispering threats. Others? Missing, irrelevant, or just never became who you expected them to be. That’s the fun part.

When Batman’s off the board, everything changes. The mob doesn’t fear the dark anymore. The freaks either take over or stay buried. Frank Castle is walking into a powder keg that never had a Bat to defuse it.

A Living Gotham

This wasn’t just about checking a list of villains. It’s about creating threads. Leads. Mystery. Now when Frank stumbles across a body in the sewers or hears rumors about a string of botanical deaths, we know there’s something behind it. Doesn’t mean he knows, but we do.

That’s the joy of solo play. You're GM and player at once, reacting in real-time to the story you're building with whatever tools you’ve got. This time, the cards led. Next time, Frank takes over.

What’s Next?

Next episode, we’re back in Monk’s Diner. Frank meets Poppy. She’s got answers about the body he found, but she’s also got her own secrets. And now that we’ve peeked behind Gotham’s curtain, we know some of those secrets might trace back to people you thought you’d never see again.

Or maybe they're just ghosts.

Either way, this world’s coming alive.

Keep it original. Keep it old school.
—Vince

So Episode 2 is in the bag, and I wanted to take a moment to talk about how it went, not in terms of the story beats themselves, but the feel of the session, the pacing, and how the mechanics played out in actual use.

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This one felt a little slower than Episode 1, but that was by design. I wasn’t going in guns blazing. This session was about stepping into hostile territory, observing, collecting details, and seeing what Gotham gave back. When you’re playing someone like Frank Castle in a solo game, the challenge is balancing his direct, violent instincts with strategic patience. That’s what I was trying to play with here.

Mechanically, this was the first time I really leaned on the Mythic One-Page Emulator alongside Batman: The Role-Playing Game. The interaction between the two flowed surprisingly well. Mythic gave me just enough chaos to make Club eXXXstacy feel unpredictable.

One of my favorite moments wasn’t even a major reveal. It was a simple observational roll where I tried to figure out how people were getting into the club. That little moment, that pause to observe, ended up shaping how the entire scene unfolded. I love when a single question changes the rhythm of a session. It reminds you that solo play doesn’t have to be all forward momentum. You can sit in the moment. Let the character breathe. Let them watch.

I will admit, the dice were kind to me this time. Not too kind, but enough to keep things moving without feeling forced. I didn’t have to fudge anything. What you heard is what the system gave me, and I just ran with it. It felt honest. And for a solo game, that’s everything.

Now, if you’ve been following along, you’ll know this episode ends with a potential lead. That wasn’t planned. It just fell out of the random event mechanics and a well timed roll. Those are the moments that keep me coming back to solo play. I’m not pushing a story forward. I’m reacting to the way it unfolds. Just like a player would.

Anyway, I’ve got threads to follow now. Places to be. People to interrogate. Possibly trust. Possibly shoot. Gotham doesn’t wait around.

Welcome to The Evil Dungeon Master's Solo Quests, where I roll solo, no prep, and let the dice write the script. In this series, I take classic RPGs and run them solo using tools like Mythic, GameMaster's Apprentice, and whatever else fits the vibe. The goal? Show you that you don’t need a group to have a killer roleplaying experience.

For this first outing, I cracked open The Batman Roleplaying Game from Mayfair Games. But there’s no Batman here. Instead, Gotham’s got a new problem-solver: Frank Castle.

Yeah. That Frank.

I built Frank’s stats ahead of time, he’s exactly what you’d expect: tactical, brutal, and mission-focused. Microchip? Not in play… yet. I used One-Page Mythic to keep things simple and fast. Works great for this kind of gritty, on-the-fly storytelling.

The session kicks off in the Narrows. Rain. Darkness. Trouble. Frank stumbles across a body in a canal. No blood. No wounds. Just an ID and a set of keys. Then a suited goon shows up to tell him to walk away.

Bad idea.

What follows is a quick fight, a clue involving a golden card from a Russian club, and a van ride into the unknown. There’s more beneath the surface here—connections, questions, and probably a few bodies to come.

If you like crime stories, dark alleys, and one-man justice in a corrupt city, this one’s for you.

Want to hear how it all plays out? Hit play on the episode.
Want to ask questions or talk shop? Email me: askthedm@theevildm.com
Or check out my channel: TheEvilDM on YouTube.

See you in the next one. Gotham’s not getting any cleaner.

Start up of a solo campaign here on my channel, decided to do it live on Rumble.com/theEvilDM - which I decided isn't a great platform for TTRPG live -- in the future episodes will be here on YT first, Rumble second.

Today in the video, I start filling out a small portion of the Hex map, to kick things off using the Appendix in the back of the AD&D 1e DMG.

Note: I don't play AD&D RAW.. the book is a guideline, you the player/dungeon master decide what works best for you. Even Gary himself did not play AD&D RAW and did not care for things written in the rules. IF you play AD&D RAW that's great, we all play how we like.

Keep up with me:

https://solo.to/theevildm

Hey folks today I was little bored, and I decided to crack out the dice, using the Masterbook EZ System (its free!) and do an action pulp Indiana Jones Style adventure today. I’ll give you the character sheet, and then you can see the Journals I wrote up, with rolls for you.

Journal of Dr. Allen Stark

March 2, 1938 – Afternoon
A letter arrived today, postmarked two weeks ago from Istanbul. It was from Dr. Everett Langston, my old mentor and one of the few men I trust in this field. But something was off. The letter was hurried—his handwriting uneven, as if written in a rush or under duress. He mentioned 'the Key of Aegis', 'hidden maps in the Sultan’s archives', and worst of all, 'shadows watching my every move.'

I haven't heard from him since.

The envelope bore the stamp of the Grand Pera Post Office, a major hub in the European district of the city. But the return address? Not Cairo, where Langston had been stationed studying Ptolemaic artifacts. No, he listed a hotel instead—The Pera Palas, Beyoğlu.

That raised an immediate alarm. The Pera Palas is no ordinary hotel. It has long been a meeting place for spies, diplomats, and travelers with secrets. If Langston had sent this letter from there, he wasn’t just passing through. He was hiding.

And if he was hiding, that meant someone was after him.

I spent the afternoon gathering what I needed for the journey—my notebook, my pistol, and what little research I could pull together on Alexander the Great’s lost relics. If Langston was right, this Aegis Key was tied to something greater. Something worth chasing him down for.

I leave for Istanbul tomorrow.

March 5, 1938 – Evening
The humid air of Istanbul clings to my skin as I step out of the taxi, the warm glow of lanterns casting flickering shadows along the streets. I arrived at the Pera Palas Hotel in search of Langston, my old mentor, but something is wrong. The concierge, a man named Mehmet, hesitated when I showed him Langston’s picture. He claimed guest privacy, but I could tell he recognized him.

I attempted to charm him into talking—

Dice Roll: 2d10 = 15
Dice Chart Result: 4
Attribute (No Skill): 8
Final Total: 12 (Success)

With a bit of charm, I managed to pry the truth from him. Langston was staying in Room 303—until he vanished three nights ago. His belongings were cleared out yesterday. The police inquired, but they didn’t seem too concerned. Then Mehmet slid a brass key, numbered 112, across the counter. He didn’t say much, but his nervous glance told me everything I needed to know.

A vault key.

March 5, 1938 – Night
I went to Langston’s room and it was unlocked. Either someone left it that way on purpose, or someone else has already been here. I searched for signs of foul play, but the only clues I found were a jacket in the wardrobe, a desk with partially opened drawers, and something that glinted beneath the bed. But what really caught my eye was the window—unlatched.

I checked the window first for signs of forced entry or escape—

Q: Signs of forced entry (50/50): No

The ledge outside is just wide enough for someone nimble to use as a walkway. Scuff marks on the stone suggest someone climbed up or down recently. Above, Room 403’s window is also ajar. If Langston wasn’t alone in this, he may have had company—or an intruder.

Next, I checked the jacket for anything useful—

Dice Roll: 2d10 = 9
Dice Chart Result: 0
Attribute (No Skill): 8
Final Total: 8 (Fail)

Nothing. Just dust and the faint scent of pipe tobacco. Frustrating. But then, when I searched again more carefully—

Dice Roll: 2d10 = 11
Dice Chart Result: 1
Attribute (No Skill): 10
Final Total: 11 (Success)

I found a note from Langston tucked in the inner lining:

“They know. I hear them outside the door at night. If I disappear, find the vault. The key is only half the puzzle. Trust no one. The Eye watches.”

The Eye. Whoever they are, they were hunting Langston. I needed more answers.

I reached under the bed and retrieved the object—a brass hotel key labeled 403.

If Langston had access to that room, then maybe there was more to find upstairs.

March 5, 1938 – Late Night
Room 403 was locked, but with the key in hand, I let myself in. Unlike Langston’s room, this one looked untouched, almost abandoned. But someone had been here. The bed was unmade, the window unlatched, and on the desk sat a leather case. Inside, I found ancient documents written in Greek and Ottoman Turkish. One phrase stood out:

“The Aegis Key.”

Langston was after something valuable. And he wasn’t the only one. Tucked into the case was a small, ominous note:

“The vault is compromised. The Eye has it now. Find H.”

Then, under the pillow, I found a playing card—the King of Diamonds—marked with a drawn eye over the king’s face. A warning? A calling card? Either way, Langston wasn’t safe here, and neither was I.

March 6, 1938 – Early Morning - 1 am
The vault at the Pera Palas was my next stop. The Master Key was in the manager’s office, locked behind a door.

Q: Was anyone in the hotel lobby? (unlikely) - Result: No

I tried to pick the lock—

Dice Roll: 2d10 = 9
Dice Chart Result: 0
Attribute (No Skill): 8
Final Total: 8 (Fail)

The lock held firm. Frustrating, but I wasn’t giving up. I spent a Life Point and tried again.

Re-roll: 2d10 = 14
Dice Chart Result: 3
Attribute (No Skill): 8
Final Total: 11 (Success)

Success. I slipped inside, grabbed the Vault Master Key, and made it out just as someone entered behind me, but I wasn’t sticking around to see who, I needed to get to the vault room.

Q: Is the Vault Room Door Locked? (Very Likely) Extreme No! -- Not only was it not locked, it was slightly ajar. What luck?

I quietly slipped into the room, with both keys in hand, I opened Box 112 inside the hotel vault. Inside, I found:

• A rolled parchment covered in Greek script and symbols.

• A small golden medallion with an engraved eye at its center.

• A letter from Langston.

His letter confirmed my worst fears:

“Allen—If you are reading this, then I have failed. The Aegis Key is real. The medallion in this box is only part of it. The rest is hidden beneath the Sultan’s Archives in Topkapi Palace. The Eye is watching me—watching all of us. They took the vault before I could retrieve this. Now they hunt for the rest. Find the remaining half. Do not trust anyone. The fate of this relic cannot fall into their hands.”

I carefully unrolled the parchment and studied it under the dim vault light.

Linguistics Check
Dice Roll: 2d10 = 10
Dice Chart Result: 0
Attribute (Linguistics): 10(8)
Final Total: 18 (Success)

The parchment confirmed Langston’s claim. The Aegis Key was divided into two parts—one piece was hidden beneath Topkapi Palace, while the other was entrusted to "The Order of the Eye." When combined, the key would reveal the location of a war chest tied to Alexander the Great.

I don’t know what’s in that war chest, but I do know one thing—someone doesn’t want me to find it.

For now, I need a safe place to work. I’m heading to an old friend’s bookshop, away from prying eyes. If I’m going to figure out the truth behind this medallion and The Eye, I’ll need all the knowledge I can find.

End.

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