Morning, choombas!
We’re not far from the release of Single Player Mode, our solo play guide and Gamemaster Emulator for Cyberpunk RED. To celebrate, today we’re taking you on a tour through the book. What’s inside?
As always, the book begins with credits. Single Player Mode was written by Peter Norton and J Gray, with additional development by James Hutt. The cover is by Richard Bagnall, and the interior artists are Alexander Dudar, Anselm Zielonka, Angelina Stroganova (huntang), Bad Moon Art Studio, Eddie Mendoza, Edvard Munch, Jin Wang 望瑾, Leonardo da Vinci, Maria Trigueros, Neil Branquinho, Pedram Mohammadi, Richard Bagnall, Saga MacKenzie, Sebastian Szmyd, Stanislav Sherbakov, Storn A. Cook, and Torben Weit.
After the table of contents is an introduction by author Peter Norton of HollowPonds Solo Sagas. The next chapter, Going it Alone, introduces the concepts of solo play. What it is, different ways to use Single Player Mode (from single player solo play to GMless play to using the book as an assistant GM), and a detailed example of how solo play works.
The next chapter, Solo Play Core Tools, does what it says on the tin: it provides gamers with the tools they needed to solo play Cyberpunk RED. It begins with Oracles, both open and closed. The Closed Oracle provides satisfying answers to yes/no questions using random number generation and likelihood. The Open Question Oracle helps provide answers to more complex questions through the use of lists and tables.
Moving on, the book guides you through playing out different types of scenes as a solo player. Investigations first, then social challenges, and finally combat. This isn’t just advice, either. Each section offers concrete systems for generating satisfying scenes and results without a GM to bounce off of. Single Player Mode also provides Quick and Dirty rules for swift combat and Netrunning that relies on “montage moments” instead of a full playthrough. We don’t recommend using the Quick and Dirty rules for important, dramatic scenes, but for small, ancillary encounters, the systems add flavor to your game without taking up too much of your precious time. There’s also a Morale system for determining when enemies flee, surrender, and keep fighting.
Finally, in the Core Tools, we introduce the concept of Solo Play Clocks. Solo Play Clocks create a randomized countdown to heighten the tension. The basic idea is simple: you set a pool of d6s, and when certain events occur during play, you roll and remove based on the results. When the pool is empty, something happens.
Following Solo Play Core Tools is the Missions and Campaigns chapter, where we guide you through building missions using the tables in the book and the Beat Chart system. We also offer advice on how to expand a single solo play session into a longer campaign.
The back half of the book is divided into two chapters. First, a collection of roughly one hundred Lists and Tables. Second, and helpful collection of thirteen Blank Forms to help you track your play.
We’ll dive further into the lists, tables, and forms during the second preview.
Until then, stay safe on The Street.
J Gray
Cyberpunk RED Line Manager