The Adventures of Thanamos – Introduction

Inspired in part by another post and the work I’ve done on my own solo campaign, Sentinels Watching, I decided to run a little free style solo campaign and share it with you to inspire your own adventures. I’ll walk you through the process and share some insights along the way so that you can play out your own campaign.

 

Choosing A System

The system you choose should reflect the type of game and genre you want to play. It’s no use starting out with the Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game if you want to play something set in the future, but it is a great system if that future involves mice who fight with swords and shields to save themselves from snakes and foxes. A great tip that also makes a load of sense is “play what you know.” It’s no fun if you get bogged down trying to find rules the whole time. That said, solo play is a great method for learning a game, which is one reason why I’m going with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, particularly the rules from the Beginner Box. I recently bought the set and I love that it’s a lighter version of the game but still works with the Core Book. I don’t have a load of time and so the games need to be quick and action packed. Also, I love fantasy so Pathfinder fills all of my requirements.

Settings

There are a bunch of great settings available for Pathfinder, such as Paizo’s expansive Golarion setting. I’m going to use my own Avernos setting, partly because I want to show you just how great this world is and because there are some parts of the land I want to flesh out. My character will be heading into the Desert of Scales, a land known to be home of the mysterious serpent folk.

 

Equipment

Apart from the box set I’ll use a few extra miniatures, particularly the Wulfgar figure from the D&D Miniatures: Legend of Drizzt Scenario Pack. Why leave your best miniatures on the shelf if you can get some play from them, right? That old white dragon might even see some action. I’ll also use the Pathfinder Barbarian Rules and the Desert of Athas – Dungeon Tiles, which coincidently have plenty of sea printed on them. Read  here for a review on this map pack.

 

Get A Dose of Character

Now you need your character concept and to fill in that character sheet. Thanamos, my character, is a barbarian prince, much like Conan the Barbarian, except that he has been exiled from his village in the Free Lands and driven into the desert with nothing but his trusty hammer, Glory’s Fist. Knowing that he needs an army to reclaim his lands, Thanamos decides to make his way to Cowards Cove in the hope of recruiting followers to his banner.

Thanamos is tough and pig headed, with a strong arm but little wisdom, a trait that has led to a fair bit of trouble for him. If he’s going to recruit his army he’ll have to do it through a show of strength and determination, not wit. However, Thanamos realizes that the right allies could make up for his own failings and will do his best to make friends out of even the toughest foes.

 

Thanamos

Human Male Barbarian
Alignment: Chaotic Good
STR: 17
DEX: 13
CON: 14
INT: 10
WIS: 12
CHA: 13

Skills: Acrobatics +5, Bluff +1, Climb +7, Diplomacy +1, Heal +1, Knowledge Nature +4, Perception +5, Ride +5, Sense Motive +1, Stealth +1, Swim +3.
Feats: Power Attack and Weapon Focus (Warhammer)
Equipment: Warhammer (Glory’s Fist), Hide Armour, 4x Throwing Axe, 2x Dagger, Backpack, Bedroll, Belt pouch, sack, clothes, 10x torches, 5x trail rations and a water skin.

Thanamos has no money to his name, he’ll have to earn his way onwards.

 

Into The Fray

Well, Thanamos is ready for action. Why not set up your own little campaign and let me know what you have planned.