🎲 How to play Echoes in the Deep solo missions, part 2

juillet 01, 2025 B.N. 0 Comments

Hello adventurers! Welcome back to the Free City!

In the first article, we explained how to play a barebones solo mission. Now, we’ll dive a little deeper into how to use the new tools unlocked through the Stretch Goals!


✍️ EXAMPLE: NEIGHBORHOOD EVENT TABLE


We’ve prepared several idea generators to help you improvise more easily during your solo missions.

Here’s a first example (work in progress): one of the 20 Neighborhood Event Tables. When you need a positive or negative circumstance for your character, simply roll a die on the table that matches the neighborhood you're currently in, and voilà—you get a situation along with a suggestion for Advantage or Disadvantage on one of your upcoming skill checks.

Let’s say I choose a mission set in the Old Necropolis, the same one as before, in which I follow a group of mysterious men descending into the crypts. The mission requires the following skill checks at each phase:

  • Planning: History, Insight, Investigation
  • Execution: Deception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth
  • Escape: Arcana, Religion, Perception

As a reminder, I only need one successful skill check per phase (I choose the one that makes the most sense), and I must succeed in all three phases to complete the mission.

Before starting, I roll a die on the table below to generate a circumstantial event, either beneficial or detrimental.

1d20 Old Necropolis Neighborhood / Possible Effect


1–2 Tunnel collapse / Athletics (Strength) checks, Disadvantage
3–4 A skeleton briefly grabs you / Medicine (Wisdom) checks, Disadvantage
5–6 A ghostly rider curses you / Animal Handling (Wisdom) checks, Disadvantage
7–8 You take the wrong passage and waste time / Survival (Wisdom) checks, Disadvantage
9–10 Glowing cyfand symbol on the wall / Arcana (Intelligence) checks, Advantage
11–12 Collapse of bones / Stealth (Dexterity) checks, Disadvantage
13–14 You find a stele about the Graey / History (Intelligence) check, Advantage
15–16 It suddenly gets very cold / Medicine (Wisdom) checks, Disadvantage
17–18 A group of kids dressed as ghosts helps you / Investigation (Intelligence) checks, Advantage
19–20 Earthquake! / Survival (Wisdom) checks, Disadvantage

👉 I roll: "You take the wrong passage and waste time / Survival (Wisdom), Disadvantage."

✍️ I then add the following to my mission log:

"As I follow them, I get lost for a while and fear I’ll never find them again. Then, at a random crossing, I suddenly hear their voices once more. Phew! I manage to find my way back, but I know I’ve lost time—they’ve already begun preparing their ritual."

Since Survival isn’t one of the skills listed for my mission, I consider there’s no mechanical impact. The character momentarily loses his way but ultimately recovers. Just a scare—no harm done!

Still, this adds an interesting twist to the story, enhancing immersion—each event table is written with location-specific flavor.

I’m free to decide during which phase the event occurs. Here, it makes sense for it to happen during Planning, since I’m unfamiliar with the Necropolis. In solo roleplaying, logic and common sense take precedence over strict rules or table outcomes—after all, you’re the only one in charge ;)

🎲 EXAMPLE: USING SKILLS IN SOLO MISSIONS


This is also a good opportunity to remind you that we’ve included examples of how each skill can be used during the three phases of a solo mission, to help you interpret your checks more easily.

Skill: Intelligence (History)


Planning

* I consult a scholar about a guild or the secret history of a neighborhood.
* I recall that an old tunnel runs beneath this district, built during the independence war.
* I research noble family trees to identify my targets.

Execution

* I quote an obscure law code to convince a guard.
* I recognize that a seemingly worthless item is actually a relic of great importance.
* I impersonate someone else and share stories about the target or location to make my cover convincing.

Escape

* I recite a local motto to be hidden by a resident.
* I sneak into an abandoned crypt built under an ancient temple few remember.
* I chose this date because it coincides with a local festival—blending into the crowd helps me get away.



🎲 EXAMPLES OF SCHEMES


Schemes are rewards you earn in addition to gold pieces when you successfully complete a solo mission. Their purpose is to give you ideas for what your character might gain to help with future missions.
For example, if I manage to rob the mysterious group of necromancers in the Old Necropolis, the listed rewards are: Rumors, Information, and Leverage.

👉 I have to choose two out of the three. Let’s say I choose Information and Rumors. But what do I actually gain? If I don’t have any ideas, I can roll on the new tables we’ve added to the book thanks to your support (work in progress):

1d20 Information


1–2 The identity and address of a hidden heir to a noble house
3–4 The schedule of the current city watch patrols
5–6 The name of a council member who is corruptible
7–8 The secret drop-off point for municipal taxes
9–10 The location of a long-lost magic item
11–12 Unsupervised access to the Steinbank vaults
13–14 The password to a guild or a cult
15–16 The location of a long-sought crypt
17–18 The name of the murderer of an ally
19–20 A distinguishing mark of a dragon disguised as a human

🎲 I roll the die and get: "The password to a guild or a cult."

✍️ I write in my logbook:

"Among the documents I stole from the group in the catacombs, I find a hastily scribbled password, along with an address. I’ll be able to use it in a future mission if I come across the organization mentioned..."

As a player, I’ll decide the name of the organization when it becomes narratively useful. I’m also the GM, so I make it work!


Next, I roll on this table:

1d20 Rumor


1–2 A convoy full of gold will pass through the street… on this day…
3–4 A new law is being drafted in the Assembly to ban all…
5–6 The countess descends into the Underdark every night to sleep with a drow!
7–8 The captain of the guard is being turned into a pig in the dungeon.
9–10 It was such-and-such thieves’ guild that assassinated the representative of another guild.
11–12 An invading force from the Khaan is advancing toward Free City—people are stockpiling supplies.
13–14 A catastrophic event will occur when these stars align.
15–16 This god is angry with their clergy. They’re going to wipe them out!
17–18 Beneath Free City, a powerful dragon lies asleep and will cause earthquakes as it begins to wake.
19–20 A very high ransom has been issued for this person, in a faraway land.

🎲 I roll: "An invading force from the Khaan is advancing toward Free City—people are stockpiling supplies."

✍️ I write in my logbook:

"According to my contacts in the Khaan, nothing of the sort is actually happening. But this stolen report is devilishly convincing. No doubt I can use it to throw some noble off balance in a future mission!"

I could also decide that the rumor is true. In that case, I’ll incorporate the panic and military preparations into my ongoing narrative...


We hope you will like all the other new tools we're preparing for you at this very moment.



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