Chaos Solo Engine - Events

Evets of Chaos table and explanation for the Chaos Solo Engine. Table for Events Table and Event Explanations.

[Image by Jack Holliday]

Chaos Solo Engine - Fantasy Basic

Chaos Solo Engine aims to act as a companion to the player(s) when playing solo. Answering questions, helping with ideas, structuring scenes, and guiding ongoing play.

Events of Chaos provide an interruption to your game, representing the ploys of a game master or other factors outside of the actions of your Characters.

Events of Chaos

Events insert the unexpected in a game, via a surprise or interruption. Much like a Gamemaster in an RPG..

These are triggered by the Yes/No Oracle or Test the Scene. If you trigger another Event while resolving an Event, ignore the second one.

Each result has a default Event and an alternate one. Some alternate events (such as Cutaway or Montage) are harder to use, but make a big impact when chosen.

There is a pdf of these tables and the full solo emulator on Drive Thru RPG as Chaos Solo Engine - Fantasy Basic.

chaos solo engine - overview | yes/no oracle | test scene | events | action & theme | character | desc & focus | npcs & locs | setting | starting

Events Table

Boons and Banes can be applied here. Lower-number Events are worse, higher better and middle ones vary.

Event Explanations

Companion Joins / Companion Leaves

A companion leaves or a new one joins. This might be permanent or temporary. If the character(s) have no companions then one joins, or offers to.

Cutaway

A part of the story occurs away from the Character(s), for a moment or a whole Scene. It could involve one or more Extras, a Thread, a Character backstory or a new Extra.

Danger Increases

Whatever danger is present, becomes more acute, more plentiful or greater in scale. Danger could be foes, a hazard, social conflict or any other threat to the group.

Extra Leaves the Story

An Extra leaves the story, permanently or temporarily. Remove them from the Extras list.

To keep them linked to the Character(s), consider adding a Thread linked to them.

Extra Takes Action

The Extra (maybe a Foe or Ally) might be appropriate to the scene, chosen at random or new.

The Action can occur in Scene, Characters hear of it in the future, or it's already happened and becomes evident now. Inspiration Tables can give details.

Foreshadow Trouble

A Thread will soon come crashing in or a threat grows. This is a warning of trouble, and a chance to prepare.

Group Negative / Group Positive (or Both)

A Negative Event harms the group, hinders the current situation or brings in a danger.

A Positive Event goes in their favour, gives an opportunity, brings aid or provides a solution or tool.

Important Find

There is an important clue or piece of information that helps the character(s) in some way.

Link Revealed

A connection is revealed between two Extras, between two Threads or between a Thread and an Extra.

Montage

The current scene or encounter comes to an end in a montage of moments. The final part might be a Cutaway, Foreshadow Trouble or Thread Progress.

Negative for an Extra / Positive for an Extra

Something happens that is Negative or Positive for an Extra. Either in the Scene or off-screen.

Thread Becomes Harder

An obstacle or twist makes a Thread harder to resolve.

Thread Closed

A Thread comes to an end. Either it is resolved, something happens to make it irrelevant. Or it no longer make sense.

Thread Progress

Progress is made in resolving a Thread. If a Thread is near to resolving, this could be enough to close it.

Unexpected Encounter

A surprise encounter with foes, an NPC, something local or an Extra. Probably unwelcome, but not always.

Unwelcome Truth Revealed

Something hidden comes to the forefront. A revelation, a secret they were unaware of, a truth they've been denying is revealed by misfortune, malice or deduction.

Solo Tables

There is a pdf of these tables and the full solo emulator on Drive Thru RPG as Chaos Solo Engine - Fantasy Basic.

If you liked these there are Generators at Chaos Gen and a monthly random tools Newsletter. Or find us on the Rand Roll Discord or an instagram of Random Tables.