Why WFRP Works Alone
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is already a game about small people in a big, uncaring world. You are not saving the Empire; you are trying to get paid, stay healthy and keep your soul. Stories like that work beautifully with one or two characters: a rat catcher following a trail of dead rats into the sewers, a boatwoman who finds something terrible in her cargo, a scribe who reads one letter too many.
The d100 system helps too. Everything is a percentage you can read off the sheet, so you always know how risky a choice is before you make it. That makes the game easy to referee for yourself: you decide what is at stake, you set the Difficulty, and the dice tell you how it went.
The Old World Is Your GM
In solo play you do two jobs. You play your character, choosing what they do and say. And whenever you would normally ask the GM something ("Is the door locked?", "Does the innkeeper recognise me?"), you ask an oracle instead: a quick roll that answers yes or no, with a twist now and then. This part gives you an oracle built from WFRP's own d100 roll, plus scene checks, sparks for inspiration, and NPC attitudes.
What You'll Find in This Part
- What you need to play, and how many characters to bring
- How to roll for the opposition honestly
- The d100 oracle, with exact odds
- Scene checks, sparks and NPC attitudes, with a dice tool you can use right here
- How to keep a lone character alive, a first-session walkthrough and an example of play
Your Solo Kit
- The WFRP 4th edition Rulebook for careers, talents, spells, creatures and the Critical Wounds tables. (The Starter Set also works for a first taste.)
- Two ten-sided dice for d100 (tens and units), or the Dice Roller & Toolkit.
- A character sheet, rolled up as in Character Creation.
- A journal: a notebook or a text file where you write what happens. In solo play the journal is the table talk.
- The tools on this page for the oracle, scene checks, sparks and NPC attitudes.
A Party of One (or Two)
WFRP is deadly, and a single character has nobody to drag them out of the mud. You have three good options:
- Play two or three characters (recommended). A small party shares the danger and gives you people to talk to. Give them a reason to stick together: kin, a shared debt, the same employer.
- One character and a companion. Play one hero and run a companion NPC with the oracle. The Rat Catcher's small but vicious dog is the classic.
- One character, a little extra luck. If you want to go truly alone, a common house rule is to start with one extra Fate point. It is not in the Rulebook; it just evens the odds for a party of one.
Whatever you choose, remember the safety nets the rules already give you. Fortune refreshes every session and buys rerolls. Fate can be burned to cheat death. Resilience can be burned to avoid a mutation. In solo play you are both the player and the referee, so spend them when the story calls for it, not only in emergencies.
Rolling the Opposition
When enemies act, you roll for them, and you roll honestly. Two habits keep it fair:
- Decide the stakes before you roll. Say (or write) what happens on a success and on a failure, and set the Difficulty, before the dice hit the table.
- Let the enemies play smart. Ask yourself what they want. Bandits want money and will run if it goes badly; cultists want witnesses dead; beasts want to eat.
WFRP has no formula for balancing encounters, so use judgement. A rule of thumb that works well alone: one foe of similar skill per character is a real fight, and anything more is a reason to run, hide or talk. Being outnumbered is dangerous in this system, because every opposed test you lose strips away all your Advantage. See Combat and Advanced Combat.
The d100 Oracle
Ask a yes-or-no question, decide how likely a "yes" is, and roll d100 against the matching target, just like a test. Roll equal to or under the target for a yes.
| How likely is "yes"? | Target |
|---|---|
| Very likely | 80 |
| Likely | 65 |
| Toss-up | 50 |
| Unlikely | 35 |
| Very unlikely | 20 |
Then read the roll, checking these in order:
- Doubles (11, 22 … 99, 00) add a twist, just as they mean a critical or a fumble in combat: a double under the target is "Yes, and…"; a double over it is "No, and…"
- A near miss adds a cost or a consolation: a yes that came within 5 of the target (for example 46–50 on a toss-up) is "Yes, but…"; a no that missed by 5 or less (51–55) is "No, but…"
- Anything else is a plain "Yes" or "No".
As with every test, 01–05 always counts as under the target and 96–00 always counts as over it.
The Odds
Every roll from 01 to 00 counted for each likelihood:
| Likelihood (target) | Yes, and | Yes | Yes, but | No, but | No | No, and | Any yes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very likely (80) | 7% | 69% | 4% | 5% | 12% | 3% | 80% |
| Likely (65) | 5% | 55% | 5% | 4% | 26% | 5% | 65% |
| Toss-up (50) | 4% | 41% | 5% | 4% | 40% | 6% | 50% |
| Unlikely (35) | 3% | 28% | 4% | 5% | 53% | 7% | 35% |
| Very unlikely (20) | 1% | 14% | 5% | 4% | 67% | 9% | 20% |
Tip: when your character could find the answer themselves, make a test instead of asking the oracle. "Is anyone following me?" is a Perception test; "Do I know this symbol?" is a Lore test. Save the oracle for things your character can't control.
Running Scenes Solo
Play in scenes: a fight, a conversation, a search, a journey. Before each one, say what you expect to happen, then make a scene check to see whether the Old World plays along.
The Scene Check
Roll a d10 at the start of each scene (this guide's house rule):
| d10 | The scene is… | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interrupted: something else entirely happens. Roll a spark. | 10% |
| 2–3 | Altered: it goes roughly as expected, but with a change (a locked door, an extra guard, rain). | 20% |
| 4–10 | As expected: play it out. | 70% |
Sparks
When you need an idea (an interrupted scene, a "Yes, and…", a strange noise), roll two d10s and read an action and a subject. Interpret them for the situation you're in.
| d10 | Action | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Betray | a cult |
| 2 | Hide | a noble |
| 3 | Infect | the Watch |
| 4 | Hunt | a witch hunter |
| 5 | Bargain | a sickness |
| 6 | Burn | a debt |
| 7 | Steal | a mutant |
| 8 | Accuse | a priest |
| 9 | Summon | a smuggler |
| 10 | Flee | the river |
NPCs and Attitudes
When you meet someone new, roll a d10 for how they feel about you at first (this guide's house rule). After that, your character's Charm, Gossip, Intimidate or Haggle tests can move them, and Status matters as it always does in the Empire (see Social Intrigue).
| d10 | First attitude | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Hostile: wants you gone, or worse | 20% |
| 3–6 | Wary: answers questions, trusts nothing | 40% |
| 7–9 | Friendly: will help if it costs them little | 30% |
| 10 | Helpful: has a reason to want you to succeed | 10% |
Ask the oracle the rest: "Does she know where the cart went?" (Likely, she's a carter) or "Is he lying?" (Toss-up).
🎲 Try the Solo Tools
Session Log
- Your rolls will appear here.
Surviving Alone
- Run away early. With no party to cover you, retreat is a tactic, not a failure. Fleeing has its costs (see Combat), so decide before the fight goes bad.
- Talk first. Most problems in the Old World can be bribed, flattered or frightened away. Social tests rarely end in Critical Wounds.
- Track Corruption honestly. Your limit is Toughness Bonus + Willpower Bonus; past it, mutation threatens. Solo games drift toward dark magic and forbidden books, because nobody is there to say "maybe don't". See Corruption & Madness.
- Use downtime. Between adventures, Endeavours let you heal, train, earn money and pursue leads. They are also a natural place to pause a solo campaign.
- Let death mean something. If your character dies, write how, then roll up their cousin who comes looking for answers. The Old World is full of unfinished business.
🛠️ How To: Your First Solo Session
- Make a character (or two) and write one sentence about why they are in trouble.
- Pick a simple hook: a missing person, a job that pays too well, a debt coming due. Or roll a spark and build from it.
- Frame the first scene: where are you, and what do you expect to happen? Make a scene check.
- Play it out: act as your character, make tests for what they try, and ask the oracle what you can't decide.
- Write as you go: a few lines per scene in your journal, including the rolls that mattered.
- Stop on a question: end the session when something is unresolved, so you want to come back.
Example of Play
Gottfried the Rat Catcher (from Character Creation: WS 31, S 34, T 34, 11 Wounds) has been paid to find out why the rats under Ubersreik's tannery have gone quiet.
Scene check: d10 rolls 3, so the scene is altered. The tunnel is flooded to the knee.
Oracle: "Is the grate at the end unlocked?" It's a tannery, so Unlikely (35). The roll is 38: a no, but only 3 over the target, so "No, but…". It's locked, but the hinges are rusted through. Gottfried can force it, noisily.
Oracle: "Is something alive down here?" Very likely (80). The roll is 77: doubles under the target, "Yes, and…". A giant rat, and Gottfried can hear more of them further in.
Combat: the rat uses this guide's quick stats from Threats & Bestiary (WS 35, 6 Wounds); you decide it has Toughness Bonus 2 and no armour. Gottfried attacks with his dagger, an opposed test. He rolls 24 against his WS of 31: a success with +1 SL (3 − 2). The rat rolls 47 against 35: a failure with −1 SL (3 − 4). Gottfried wins by 2 SL and gains 1 Advantage. His dagger does +SB+2, so 3 + 2 + 2 SL = 7 damage, minus the rat's TB 2: 5 Wounds. The rat has 1 Wound left.
The rat bites back: it rolls 33 against 35, success with +0 SL. Gottfried defends at 41 (WS 31 plus 10 for his Advantage) and rolls 66: a failure with −2 SL. The rat wins by 2 SL. You give its bite a Damage of 4 for these quick stats, so 4 + 2 = 6, minus Gottfried's TB 3: he loses 3 Wounds (down to 8) and all his Advantage.
Oracle: "Does the wounded rat flee?" Likely (65). The roll is 44: a plain "Yes". It scurries off toward the other sounds. Gottfried now has a choice: follow it into the dark, or report back with what he knows. That's a good place to stop the session.
Common Questions
Isn't it boring to know what the "GM" knows?
You only know what you've asked. The oracle, scene checks and sparks keep surprising you, and WFRP's dice are swingy enough that your plans rarely survive contact with them.
Should I use the published adventures?
You can. Read only the part you need for the next scene, and use the oracle when the text assumes a GM's judgement. Mysteries are harder solo, because you already know the answer once you've read it; open-ended jobs and sandbox travel work best.
How do I handle a "Yes, and…" or "No, and…" I can't interpret?
Roll a spark and read it as the extra. If it still doesn't fit, take the first idea that makes the situation more interesting, and move on.
What about Fortune and Fate when nobody can see me cheat?
Play them straight. Fortune refreshes each session, so use it; Fate is the one thing between your character and the grave, and burning it should be a moment you write down.
Key Takeaways
- Bring two or three characters, a companion, or (as a house rule) one extra Fate point.
- Set the stakes and the Difficulty before you roll, for you and for your enemies.
- The oracle is a d100 test: under the target is yes, doubles add "and", a near miss adds "but".
- Scene checks and sparks keep the Old World unpredictable; the journal keeps the story.
- Run, talk and spend Fortune. Alone, survival is the adventure.
📓 Journal Prompts
- What does your character want badly enough to go into the sewers for it?
- Which oracle answer surprised you most this session, and what did it change?
- What is your character afraid of, and how close did they come to it?
Where to Go Next
Use the Dice Roller & Toolkit for tests, attacks and opposed rolls with exact odds. For hooks and villains, revisit Scenario & Adventure Design and NPCs & Villains; for places to wander, Travel & Exploration and The Empire & Its Provinces.
"Nobody is coming to save you. Good. Then nobody will see you run."- Gottfried, rat catcher, still alive