🎲 How to play Echoes in the Deep solo missions, part 1
Hello everyone!
We’ve received quite a few questions about how to play the Solo RPG part of our new Echoes in the Deep Kickstarter project. Here’s a short article that will hopefully shed some light on it for you.
During the Echoes from the Deep adventure, you play as Peridot the thief, who roams every corner of the Free City to prepare his revenge against one of the thieves’ guilds.
This is the main storyline, written in numbered paragraphs like traditional gamebooks. But he’ll need allies and resources, which is why, at five points in the story, you’ll be prompted to play these “solo missions” that change up the gameplay.
Once you’ve earned a minimum amount of reputation (the equivalent of 5 missions, though you can play many more if you wish), you can return to the choose-your-own-path narrative.
1) WHERE AM I?
Choose or randomly draw one of the iconic locations from the Free City, among the first five districts (each solo phase unlocks 4 new districts, which grant advantages if you recruit allies who live there).
The city map and stickers included in the box will help you track your conquests! The deck of cards lists all the items and locations featured in the book’s tables—you can draw from it or use it as inspiration without needing any dice.
Each solo phase grants access to 5 new missions, which you can replay as many times as you like afterward.
For example, I choose the Old Necropolis district. I read its description to get a feel for the mood and history of the place:
"The Old Necropolis, nestled against a cliffside, is an ancient burial site housing millennia-old catacombs and layers of historical ruins. It was once the religious center of the Cyfand culture, then of the empire that followed. Today, it is home to the Garden of Steles and brims with macabre legends and secret tunnels. You’ll also find the temple of the God of Death and a large castle belonging to the noble Graey family."
I don’t forget to choose my gear for the mission. I’m allowed a certain number of items (3 common items, 3 magical ones) that grant bonuses to my skill checks and magical effects. I could even call on an ally for an advantage on my rolls… if I had one, which I don’t—yet!
Oh, and I take out my lovely notebook to write down my adventure ;)
2) WHAT AM I DOING HERE?
In this district, 10 missions are available, with varying difficulty levels. I choose one of the first 5 missions, which have "average" difficulty (this determines the target score for skill checks and the number of rewards I can earn—here, 2).
To raise the stakes, each mission offers 3 types of rewards (out of about a dozen possible), along with gold coins that can be used to gain allies, build your reputation, and progress in the main storyline. I must choose two rewards before starting the mission.
The three rewards for this mission are "Information, Blackmail, or Rumor." Let’s go with “Rumor,” defined as "Spreading damning or misleading information to weaken or distract your enemies." I also choose “Information,” to obtain some juicy secrets (that I will myself improvise).
Here’s the mission "prompt" that tells me what I’m doing here:
"You catch sight of an acolyte of the God of Death meeting with a hooded figure as they begin their descent into the catacombs. Who is this mysterious person? What are they scheming?"
Since I chose “Rumor” and “Information” as my rewards, I already imagine that if I follow these two figures into the catacombs, I might gather enough to accuse my enemies of looting graves or prove that they’re desecrating ancestral tombs—perfect for a diversion!
In short, those are the questions I’ll need to answer using my imagination. Unlike the main story, there are no numbered paragraphs or pre-written choices guiding the consequences of my actions or the answers to those questions. It’s up to me to invent them based on the Dictionary of Eana or other book content, and to structure my story according to the three phases of a mission (which are always the same—we’ll get to that later).
If you feel overwhelmed by the richness of the lore, don’t worry—you won’t need a huge book by your side. The Dictionary of Eana Kickstarter Stretch Goal is just being added as an appendix, and if you’re both the GM and the player, no one’s going to scold you for deviating from official lore. After all, this is Peridot’s subjective tale—he might get things wrong or exaggerate!
The map of the Free City by the studio Hermanos Magia, based on the original version by Olivier Sanfilippo.
3) THE 3 STAGES OF MY MISSION
a) Preparation
How do I observe the scene and prepare my move? What tools or strategies do I use? To find out if I succeed, I can attempt up to 3 skill checks listed for each mission. For this one, the available skills checks are: History, Insight, Investigation.
I choose Investigation. Let's say I try to recall where I’ve seen the strange symbol carved into the figure’s hood (I made up this symbol—because in this game mode, I’m free to improvise or draw inspiration from details found in Echoes or other FATEFORGE books).
If I had chosen History, maybe I’d have known the entire story of the catacombs and all their secret hiding spots.
I roll the dice... oof, a decent roll but still a failure on Investigation! According to the rules, a failed check costs me some gold coins—representing lost gear or the need for medical care—but I can try again using another skill. If I fail all three, the mission ends in failure.
Time to write in my notebook: "I tried to remember where I had seen this moon-and-skull symbol before—engraved on the mysterious man’s hood. No luck."
Now I use my magic item enchanted bones, which lets me automatically succeed on an Insight check. Success! But I can only use this once, so I cross it off my gear list.
I write: "But watching how expertly they navigate the tunnels, I crush my baby dragon bones to dust to receive some wisdom from the dead... and suddenly, it hits me: these men come here regularly. The priest is their guide, and he’s clearly involved in some shady clergy corruption schemes."
I earn 10 gold pieces for each successful check—I can justify that however fits the mission: loot, bribes, lucky finds, etc.
The next two phases also offer 3 possible skills checks each. I must succeed at at least one check per phase to complete the mission and earn the rewards.
Remember: I lose gold for each failed check, so every roll is a risk—but that’s part of the fun!
b) Execution
How do I follow them? How do I spy on them and obtain the rumor I’m after?
Available skills: Deception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth. I pick Sleight of Hand. Roll… failure! Aargh. I lose 10 gold pieces and an item from my inventory (yep, a failed check in this phase costs both).
I write: "As the two figures perform a forbidden ritual in a tomb, I sneak closer and try to snatch a scroll from one of their pockets. But just then, a rat squeaks nearby. Startled, the figure shifts—and I miss the scroll. Worse still, I don’t realize it right away, but my magic ring is gone... stolen by that damned rat."
Next, I try Deception—success, and +10 gold! I write: "Time to bluff. In a deep, cavernous voice, I call out from the shadows, pretending to be a guardian spirit. I command them to drop their cursed scrolls and flee, or face a ghostly wrath! And these fools actually believe me—they run off, leaving their scrolls behind..."
c) Escape
Every mission ends with me fleeing. After all, I’m Peridot the thief—not exactly a frontline fighter. Best to get out fast and unseen.
Available skills: Arcana, Religion, Perception
I choose Arcana—it evokes the supernatural, not just spellcraft. We’re in the catacombs of an heroic fantasy city, after all...
Let’s say that after stealing the scroll and posing as a ghost, a real ghost appears, grateful that I scared off the intruders. It decides to help me escape—and I succeed the check!
"Suddenly, just as I tuck the scroll (and proof of their crimes) into my pocket, a ghost materializes before me. I freeze. But instead of punishing me, it silently gestures toward a tunnel with its skeletal, spectral hand. It’s guiding me out! I follow it through winding halls lined with statues of the God of Death. Finally, I emerge—alive and triumphant. In my hand, I still hold the scroll (the Rumor) and the name and title of the priest (the Information) whispered to me by the ghost."
🔥 MISSION COMPLETE!
Mission accomplished: I succeeded in at least one skill check in each of the three phases. I didn’t gain much gold overall and I lost an item... but the story was well worth it!
You’ll generally need to complete at least 5 missions to return to the main paragraph-based storyline—but you can do as many as you like. With 20 locations in the Free City and its undergrounds and 10 missions per location, that gives you 200 mission options!
And as you’ve probably realized, every mission is highly replayable—your choices of skills and your improvisation can completely change the story each time.
We hope it's clearer for all of you who didn't know how to play the Solo RPG part :) Don't hesitate to ask us more things in our Discord.
More info :
- Learn more about Echoes in the deep
- Kickstarter page
- Steam page
- Agate Discord, to tchat with our team
- Studio website
- Fateforge Facebook
- Kickstarter page
- Steam page
- Agate Discord, to tchat with our team
- Studio website
- Fateforge Facebook
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