An Introduction to Combat for Solo RPG Players

Combat is one of the most common ways to resolve conflicts in RPGs, but solo players have unique opportunities to adjust combat to their preferences—whether through tactical encounters or quick resolutions. In this guide, I’ll show you a step-by-step breakdown of a solo encounter using the Basic Fantasy RPG system, followed by some quick combat options for streamlining play.

It took me a while to find the right balance, or which rule adjustments I wanted to incorporate. I found that following every rule (like carry capacity) can significantly slow down gameplay. I also discovered to be very careful about making changes, especially adding rules or elements from other systems (more on this in another post).

Combat: Theater of the Mind

This is when you use dialogue to describe the turn-based encounter; text and sound, use imagination to visualize.

Basically old school and similar to reading a book; "Swing the sword at the Troll." (Zork The Great Underground Empire 1980).

I prefer using the Theater of Mind system as it works well for most common encounters and can be a time saver.

Step 1: Set Up the Encounter

The sun is going down as you pass a marketplace while exploring this small town. You are the Player Character (PC) wearing leather armor and carrying a long sword and shield.

You are momentarily distracted by the smell of delicious food that reminds you that it is indeed dinner time; you head down an alleyway where your alerted as you spot a bandit standing approximately 30 feet away. (Its appears as if he’s hiding something under his cloak, suspicious).

Character	AC	HP	Weapon	Damage	Level (XP)
Player	14	8/8	Longsword	1d8 (melee)	Level 1
Bandit	13	3/3	Crossbow	1d6 (ranged)	Level 1 (10 XP)

Step 2: Initiative Explained

In Basic Fantasy RPG, you roll a 1d6 for the PC and the bandit where the highest roll gets to have their turn first. In the case of a tie (both roll 3s), for my solo system; I made the decision that the PC automatically wins and gets to go first in order to save time.

Bandit: Rolls (1d6) = 6 (The Bandit Acts First)

PC Rolls (1d6) = 1

Step 3: Taking Actions (Bandit Turn vs Player's Turn)

The bandit has several options:

Move and Attack: Gets closer to the PC and fires the crossbow.

Ranged Attack: Fires crossbow at PC from a distance.

Alternate Actions: Flee/Run Away, Engage in Dialogue, Use Body Language (wave hands) to Communicate

In Basic Fantasy RPG monsters and characters have an armor class or AC and the higher the number, means more protection. A normal human wearing clothes would have an AC of 11.

This turns out to be the bandit’s plan as he was hiding a light crossbow under his cloak. The bandit was smart enough to already have his crossbow readied and loaded with a bolt, as this was his plan all along; to rob travelers or passerby.

Bandit's Ranged Attack (Round 1)

The bandit takes aim and fires his crossbow.
Attack Roll (1d20) = 2 (Needed 14+) so the bandit’s bolt misses.

PC Counter Attacks (Round 1)

Now it’s the PC’s turn to attack with the longsword.
Attack Roll (1d20) = 11 (Needed 13) so a swing and a miss.

End of Round 1 (20 Seconds)

Every New Round: Both parties roll a new initiative (1d6)

Round 2 Begins

Both Parties Roll (1d6) for Initiative
PC Rolls (1d6) = 3
Bandit Rolls (1d6) = 5

Bandit's Turn (Round 2)

The bandit rolled a 5 over 3 and decides to attack considering he is uninjured.
He has to decide to re-load his crossbow or to drop it and draw his dagger.
The bandit drops the crossbow and quickly draw his dagger (This ends his round or turn).

PC Attacks Again (Round 2)

PC’s Attack Roll (1d20) = an 18, which is higher than the bandit’s AC 13, so it is a successful hit with the longsword.
The PC swings the longsword at the bandit…and hits!
The next roll is to determine damage from the longsword
PC Damage Roll: (1d8) = 4 damage total; slaying the bandit.

Character	AC	HP	Weapon	Damage	Level (XP)
Player	14	8/8	Longsword	1d8 (melee)	Level 1
Bandit	13	-3/3 (Dead)	Dagger	1d4 (melee)	Level 1 (10 XP)

Negative Hit Points = Death

Once a creature, NPC or Player Character reaches negative hp, they are dead. There are various methods to resurrect a dead character by a high level cleric (for a price).

The Encounter Ends

+ 10 XP
Level 2 = 2,000 XP (Fighter Class)

Loot Options

Searching a body may lead to finding gold or valuable items
You could get caught in the act by a wandering NPC (since your in a city)

Yes or No Oracle (Quick and Simple Version)

Roll a 1d6:

1-3 = Yes

4-6 = No

Note: You could also use even and odd numbers on dice or flip a coin.

Key Takeaways

Combat in solo RPGs is flexible allowing for tactical play or quick resolutions.
Theater of the Mind is a great option (my option) for common encounters.
Initiative determines the turn order with the highest roll going first. I will cover additional options moving forward.
Looting and Consequences adds more options for oracles or simple dice rolls.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve seen a simple one-on-one combat encounter using Basic Fantasy RPG rules, here are a few ways you can expand your solo combat experience:

Try more encounters with multiple enemies and perhaps environmental hazards in the combat map. Experimenting with tactical positioning can be done with physical objects or a digital tool like Owlbear Rodeo.

Explore Story-Driven Combat

Use combat as a form of communication, showcasing your character’s goals and quest lines.
Consider how NPC’s reactions and environmental factors impact decision making.

Quick Combat

As a Solo Player, you may also choose Quick Combat: Use this option to resolve combat in a single roll when dealing with minor or low-threat encounters to avoid unnecessary complexity.

Quick Combat Example: You are Level 10 vs 1 kobold (1 hp)
- Roll 1d6:
- 1-2 = You take 1d4 damage and defeat the kobold.
- 3-6 = You take no damage and defeat the kobold. ("Perfect" or "Flawless Victory")
- Quick Combat can be useful when facing large numbers of enemies.
- There could be situations where you want to speed up the combat, especially when facing a large number of enemies. (I will cover using Group Rolls in a future post)

Final Thoughts

Solo RPG combat doesn’t have to be complex to be enjoyable. Discovering which rules work best for your gameplay can take a few tweaks; testing and re-testing. After experimenting with a number of rules from other systems, I’ve come to the conclusion that using the Basic Fantasy RPG ruleset with some small changes works for me.

I hope this guide helps you understand the basics of turn-based combat in solo RPGs. Stay tuned for future posts where I’ll cover advanced movement, spellcasting, and tips for managing multiple enemies in combat.

Now that we've covered a basic encounter, in my next post, I'll dive deeper into the four key steps of combat in Basic Fantasy RPG—Surprise, Monster Reactions, Initiative, and Combat—to give you even more tools to master solo play.