First of all I want to thank 1d10+5 for providing us with a copy of Sölitary Defilement – Expanded Edition in order to be able to write this review. In case you want the product, know that it can be purchased in digital format on DriveThruRPG for € 12.00; physical copies are also sometimes available on Etsy for € 36.65, but availability is limited and for this reason we recommend you to check from time to time.
Sölitary Defilement is, as we will see in detail in this review, an unofficial supplement for playing Mörk Borg solo. For this reason it is necessary to have the core rulebook. The ideal would be to also have Feretory, an amazing official supplement, available; otherwise, however, many of its contents can be downloaded for free from the Mörk Borg official website.
The Engine of Change: Fiction and Moves
We would like to point out that 1d10+5 was inspired by (and thanked on the first page of the manual) Ironsworn, another solo RPG. From this product he took his two base mechanics: Fiction and Moves.
Fiction is primarily the recommended approach to the gaming experience. The player is in fact invited to narrate the events and the reactions of the characters as if she were also playing the role of narrator. It may seem like an unimportant detail, but in my opinion it significantly affects the gaming experience; immersion will benefit.
Moves are the interactions of the characters with the narrative. To make the experience fulfilling and make up for the lack of an external narrator, success and failure are not the only outcomes. Each test (except the combat) has the usual threshold to overcome, but 2d20 are required; this can lead to three different situations.
Two are classic; if both dice exceed the challenge rating, there is a Strong Hit (ie a full success in the action that has been undertaken), while if both d20s do not reach the threshold there is a Fail. The real novelty occurs when a single die exceeds the difficulty threshold; in this case there is a Weak Hit, or a partial success that also includes unexpected events capable of feeding the story with unexpected results. It is certainly not an absolute novelty in role-playing games, but here it is very functional and satisfying. 1d10+5 spares us the calculations: on average this eventuality will cover 48% of cases and this confirms its importance. The unexpected remains in the hands of the test taker, but this is obvious in a solo game.
Review of the Other Mechanics of Sölitary Defilement – Expanded Edition
In addition to this macro-rule, we can find a large number of small adaptations that change the Mörk Borg‘s experience in order to playing solo; keep in mind that in this review I’m going to give you just an idea of these changes made by Sölitary Defilement. In any case, most of them start from the foundations laid by the Moves.
When you rest, sleep is not guaranteed, you risk being ambushed before you have been able to recover resources. Looking for useful items in an environment can bring great wealth, but also great misfortune. You can escape fighting, but the risk of getting hit when you turn your back is high.
The generation of eventual elements of success and various misfortunes is helped by Oracles; this term indicates the many random tables present in the manual and able to give shape, color and emotion to the otherwise schematic architecture of the system. So we find tables of creatures to face and treasures to conquer; goods to buy, but also misfortunes to suffer. Some tables also contain building blocks of encounters, but we’ll talk about this shortly.
How to Structure an Adventure with Sölitary Defilement – Expanded Edition
At the moment this review has introduced you to the contents, but in practice, how do you play Sölitary Defilement? The necessary premises have been made, so now I’m going to show you the necessary steps.
- You choose the number of milestones, the key points you want to achieve; in other words, this choice outlines the duration of the adventure.
- The adventure takes shape through a mix of Moves and Oracles. On the map you check how many days of travel are needed and each of them is defined by the climate, the choice to move or resupply, the encounters, the management of the camp and the roll for the fulfillment of the prophecies that will lead to the end of the world. Keep in mind that Sölitary Defilement focuses on dungeons, while the additional supplement Alone in the Crowd (also included in the bundle) shifts the spotlight on towns. The combined use of these two volumes gives an excellent variety.
- When you reach a milestone you can “level up”, although we remind you that Get Better is not always positive.
- Concluded all the milestones it is time for another Move, which can represent the epilogue of this narrative arc or the onset of complications that lengthen it.
Explaining this isn’t as simple as trying it out, so don’t worry that after a couple of rolls of the dice it’ll all be smooth. Indeed, I also really appreciated the presence of an example of a game in the manual; following it step by step will remove any doubt.
The Premade Adventures
So far in this review I have told you about how to build an adventure, but as it comes naturally to expect (and hope), Sölitary Defilement – Expanded Edition also contains pre-made adventures. Three are separate booklets, while the fourth is included in Alone in the Crowd. As usual I will not make any spoiler, but I will try to give you an idea of their contents.
- Shadowclink: you have been secluded (unfairly, but nobody cares) in the dungeon beneath the Shadow King’s palace. The guards have stripped you of all possessions and thrown into the Hall of Sorrows. Here there are two passages and you have to try to get out of this prison.
- Aqua Mortis: you find yourself in the Shadow King’s sewers, that extend from beneath his palace to remote places, such as the catacombs of Graven-Tosk. The tunnels are illuminated by eerie blue lights and contain filthy creatures that you can’t wait to escape from.
- Park Pale: a greedy man and his assistant have taken possession of a mansion in the middle of a park, which has now become their hunting ground. The two have found a scroll seems to be able to summon an army of demons capable of dominating this ruined world.
- Chalice of Ruin: as the end of time approaches, various heretical cults flourish; one in particular worries the church of the Two-Headed Basilisks. A high priest orders you to retrieve an ancient cursed chalice and to have the leader of that cult, who otherwise appears immortal, drink in it.
Obviously after a few plays you will need to create something of your own, but at least you won’t be unprepared. On the contrary, I felt accompanied in learning, and then the strong desire to try to create my own adventure from scratch.
Conclusions of the Review of Sölitary Defilement – Expanded Edition
As you may have noticed, this review lacks an analysis of the artistic side of Sölitary Defilement. This choice is not accidental, since it is probably the most anonymous aspect of the product. The particular fonts and bright colors (especially yellow and fuchsia) typical of Mörk Borg‘s basic manual remain, but the rest is laid out in a very classic way; white background, simple and black font dominate in almost all parts of the manuals. The illustrations are very few, although always very themed; I personally found the maps particularly pleasant. It is not an artistic masterpiece, but it fulfills his task perfectly, that is a regulatory adaptation.
In fact, I recommend it to anyone who wants to try the experience of Mörk Borg even alone. Obviously, these are different sensations than the base game, but certainly not unpleasant. The deadly old school doom metal-themed flavor remains; played with the right background music, perhaps during a rainy day and in front of a lit fireplace (ready to host the deceased characters), can really give you a lot of satisfaction.
