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Hey all. So I recently purchased this PDF titled "The Solo Adventurer's Toolbox" which has a bunch of rules and random tables for generating adventures meant for 1-2 characters. I'm actually having a blast so far (except for the constant reminder that I have no friends.

So obviously, random tables aren't going to make up for an interesting story and plot twists, right? Well this book actually introduces a mechanic that makes up for that. It has a table of 499 verbs that you roll randomly for and sort of come up with your own story as to what's happening based off these verbs. You'll see some examples in the story where it says "Verbs" followed by 5 words. In addition, for simple yes/no questions, it has a table where the results are either yes, no, or maybe. You add modifiers to your based on your environment and situation. 2 for likely, 4 for very likely, -2 for unlikely, etc. If the answer is maybe, I usually end up rolling for verbs to see what happens. In the story, these will be notated as "Q/A".

Anyway, just thought I'd share what's happening so far, because I thought it was hilarious. This adventure is taking place in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting starting out at Candlekeep. Hope you enjoy! Ability scores were rolled with 4d6, just fyi.

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The extra gold is because I took the screenshot after a few things happened.

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Kythorn 20, 1489DR, Weather: Overcast

The world is ripe with opportunity. I tire of my work in Candlekeep as a scribe. My apprenticeship years there were not very fulfilling and I wish to fill what youth remains in me with excitement. I suppose I'll go to the next town to see what I can find there. It's a start at least.

Traveling to Beregost from Candlekeep: 15 hours of walking.

Kythorn 21, Weather: Overcast

The day passes without incident. When I decide to make camp, a curious NPC interrupts my rest. Who is it?

Verbs: Carve, betray, torture, arrest, dishonor

The NPC is a traveling bandit. He tries to get the jump on me, but I wake from my sleep after hearing a noise. A scuffle ensues. I lose and I am robbed of all my belongings. Luckily, I don't die from the encounter. I have no choice but to return to Candlekeep naked and shamed.

On the way back, I encounter two goats. We ignore each other.

Cassandra, a woman I grew close to is horrified to discover I have returned in such a state. She takes care of me personally for a day or two until I am back to normal. This does not deter me, however. When I am ready, I will try again.

Before leaving, Cassandra tells me that she wishes I would not go. I tell her that I must. My life here at Candlekeep is an unhappy one. Instead, I try to convince her to join me. Unfortunately, she does not see the point in going out on adventures and would much rather stay here. I will miss Cassandra. Perhaps in the future, we'll see each other again.

Flamerule 21, Weather: Overcast

It has been a month's time and I have worked to gain all my equipment back as well as some spending money. I leave Candlekeep once more to begin my journey.

The day passes by without incident, except this time I am not able to find a campsite. Again, I am disturbed by a curious NPC. Who is it?

Verbs: Inform, unload, help, customize, plunder

Thankfully, this time it is not a bandit, but an adventurer.

NPC generation: Sige Gilan, Human male, chaotic good Lv1 barbarian, poor and foolish/idiotic, mastiff animal companion

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Not sure why it says 2525 XP. I think because roll20 calculated 25 XP from Chomp being a CR 1/8 and added it to the 25 that I wrote in myself.

Sige offers a spot at his campsite which, thankfully, has a fire and is much better than my spot. Sige is has a large and imposing figure, but he is a good, if not foolish, person. He's fun to have around and very charismatic, but not very smart. He also has a very large mastiff that travels with him. He tells me that there is a dungeon he found not too far from here and he is looking for accompaniment. He promises me my fair share of any treasure found. I graciously accept and can barely sleep in my excitement for the following day.

Flamerule 22, Weather: Overcast

The next day, we set out for the Sige's dungeon. Is it far?

Q/A: Likely. No.

Rolled d4 for distance in days. Result: 4

Where is this dungeon?

Verbs: Frustrate, near, queue, raid, bargain

The dungeon is 4 days away at the foot of the Cloud Peaks. The terrain is rough and will require some skill in survival. Thankfully, Sige has plenty of that. We'll reach Beregost in 1 day and travel to Nashkel for a 3 1/2 day journey. From there, it'll take 1 more day to reach the dungeon and we should arrive by night fall.

We reach Beregost in half a day's time and decide to stay the night. While roaming the streets, I happen upon a curious discarded map. It shows a ruin and a sketch of an artifact. Magical? Perhaps a local sage could help me decode this. I decide to find a local sage and pay 2 gold for any help on this map.

Verbs: Attempt, promote, bellow, irritate, free

The mage laughs and decides not to charge me. The "map" is a torn fragment of a promotion at the market for some trade goods. What's more, this sale happened a month ago. I am annoyed and disappointed, but Sige can't help but find much humor in my plight. Eventually, I give in to the absurdity and laugh about it with him over drinks at a local tavern.

Sige and I find a place called The Leper and Sabre. It has 6 rooms of average quality and is run by a human female. The service is cordial. Upon mingling with the patrons, there are a few rumors (2) we come across.

Verbs: Argue, play, bow, explode, yield

There is a place in the next realm. (I figured I can't possibly visit another realm the way I am now, so I decide not to elaborate on the verbs. Plus, I just couldn't think of anything with words like that)

Verbs: Pry, reveal, dig, strike, enlighten

There is a giant rat in the town hall that has shown up in one of their record rooms. They're looking for someone to get rid of it. The reward is at 10 gold.

The first rumor is ridiculous. There's no way for us to prove it. But the second rumor sounds like it might be worth doing. Sige and I decide to investigate.

The attendant at the town hall graciously lets us in and points us to the storage room where the giant rat is. Thanks to Chomp, Sige's Mastiff, the giant rat is unable to catch us off guard as we enter the record room. I immediately see it and blast it with a magic missile spell, killing it in one fell swoop. Easiest 10 gold I've ever made.

5 silver for the room

16 copper for drinks

Flamerule 23, Weather: Rainy

I accidentally get very drunk that night. Sige can apparently hold his liquor way better than I can. In the morning, we set out.

2 encounters

Verbs: Fumble, vandalize, scare, flirt, infest

We encounter a goblin and its pet stirge. At first, we only see a tiny insect-like creature flying overhead. Sige quickly identifies it as a Stirge and to watch ourselves. That creature can drain your blood. We are attacked by the creature, but we are ready. Unfortunately, we aren't ready for the goblin waiting to surprise us in a nearby brush. The goblin jumped out at me, but thankfully fumbled both of his attacks. I quickly blasted him with a magic missile spell while Chomp and Sige easily squash the stirge. After rummaging through the goblin's belongings, it's clear it had nothing of value and we move on.

Verbs: Climb, aggravate, eat, break, badmouth

We encounter a hostile cultist riding on a horse. This cultist is clearly mad. This female dwarf is trying unsuccesfully to control her horse (probably because the horse is too big for her). When we encounter her, she starts screaming obscenities at us and blaming us for her horrid day, or something to that effect. Sige eventually calms her down by talking it out and she decides to leave. However, Sige changes his mind. He reasons with me that someone is going to get hurt by that cultist. At first, I didn't want to get involved. Sure, cultists are usually a recipe for trouble, but I guess I may have felt a bit of understanding for her? After all, I am a student of the magical arts. Who's to say this person may or may not solve an arcane secret or two? In any case, regardless of my morals or background, I tell Sige I don't want to get involved and he leaves it at that. We move on.

The rest of the day passes without incident and we make camp. But lo' and behold, we are bothered with another disturbance during our rest. A random mule of all things barges into our camp and starts kicking at our belongings. Where is this animal's handler?? Does it belong to anyone?

Q/A: Yes

Verbs: Baptize, customize, slaughter, confront, decieve

Suddenly, in the confusion, a man with a dagger runs into our camp and tries to subdue the mule. Sige immediately pulls out his greataxe, but the man backs up and claims he means no harm. He's just trying to grab his mule and leave. Eventually, Sige calms the mule down. The man explains that he was just trying to sacrifice the mule as an offering for some obscure ritual. I wasn't listening to the details, because of how drowsy I was. I'm going to have to sleep in a little longer and get some real rest if I want to be able to replenish my spells the next day. There sure are some weird people in these parts.

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That's all I was able to do so far. If you're interested in the PDF, here's a link!

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/252355/The-Solo-Adventurers-Toolbox

No, I am not being paid to endorse this.

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May 30, 2020, nine months later xD I decided to pick this up again. What comes after this is stuff I actually already had before I stopped, but I'm only posting it here now. Please enjoy!

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Flamerule 24, Weather: Clear, hot

3 encounters

2 non-hostile goats (again??)

2 guards and an eagle, all non-hostile

Prisoners being escorted in a heavily-armoured cart.

We make camp and are not disturbed during the night.

Flamerule 25

Weather: Very hot (exhaustion lv1 at the end of the day)

On the road, we are attacked by a blood hawk who I assume is just defending its territory. It swoops in and aims for Sige, but he seems ready and able to dodge or deflect the attack. Just before the hawk is able to make contact, a giant wolf spider attacks from behind! How it got there is anyone's guess, but it was able to sneak up and get a strike on Sige. Luckily, he was able to dodge the spider's deadly fangs, but ended up falling prey to the hawk's strikes instead! I quickly dispatch the hawk with my magic missiles and was able to strike the spider with one of my three missiles. Chomp unsuccessfully tries to fend off the spider as it takes another strike at Sige. This time, its fangs find their mark and I couldn't help but feel shivers down my spine at the thought of fangs puncturing skin to inject their poison. Sige is not able to withstand the abuse and falls unconscious, but I am able to fire off a fire bolt spell and dispatch the spider. I couldn't help but stare at its crumpled, burnt body for a second as it layed there, but there was no time to lose. I had to revive Sige! Chomp barks and whimpers worriedly as I take Sige off the trail and tend to his injuries. Luckily, I am able to remember my training at Candlekeep and I stabilize him. We'll have to rest here the rest of the day or find someone to bring us to shelter.

And as our luck would have it, a traveling merchant happens to pass by! Oddly though, the merchant seems to be in a hurry. His caravan is guarded by a couple of mercenaries and they stand between me and him as we talk. As it happens, he is also heading to Nashkel. Luckily, I am able to persuade him to transport us there.

The rest of the day passes pretty uneventfully. We make camp. This time, with all these people, I'm sure that even if something decides to bother us, we'll be safe.

Oh was I wrong. In the middle of the night, a giant owl attacks the horses. The mercenaries easily fend it off, but the owl was able to kill one of the horses, leaving the merchant's wagon stranded for the time being. Tomorrow, one of the mercenaries is going to walk to Nashkel to purchase a horse and bring it back to the wagon. Sige, Chomp and I decide to just follow the mercenary there as it's only 5 hours away.

And Sige was asleep during the entire ordeal! Well.. he needs his rest, I suppose.

Flamerule 26, Weather: Rainy

We encounter not even one soul until we reach Nashkel itself. The mercenary parts ways with us and we wish him and his employer luck. Since we still have half a day left to us, Sige and I decide to look for some adventuring work. Unfortunately there is no work to be found and we decide to head to an inn.

We find a place called "Eye of the Knave" (not sure what they were thinking when they wrote that name). It has 10 rooms of poor quality with a human male innkeep. The service is civil, but it doesn't look like there are any interesting patrons willing to share any interesting rumors with us. Since we have the gold, I decide to look for another inn.

We find a place called "The Sweaty Nonce." I have no idea what a nonce is. It has 8 rooms of atrocious quality and I decide to immediately leave. Sige is getting annoyed with me, so I decide to stay at the Knave in the end.

2 silver for two rooms

Maybe it was the room, or maybe it was the ale, but I had very strange dreams that night. In an unrecognizable town square, a funeral is being held. In the shadows watching the people are cultists each armed with dastardly looking daggers. On their robes is a symbol. A purple triangle pointed down with three drops of blood in the center. One by one, the cultists walk from the outside of the public event towards the center, striking down people as they pass. I am able to do nothing but bear witness. Eventually, everyone is dead save for the cleric at the front whose back is to me and the rest of the cultists. He turns around only to reveal that he is actually a she and is nothing but a rotting corpse dressed in filthy vestments. I awake suddenly to find myself in a cold sweat. Such a strange dream. Luckily, with my skills in the arcane, I'm able to piece together a few clues. There is a plague festering somewhere in or around this town. Evil forces at work plan to release this plague, but for the time being, haven't been able to do so. They prefer to work subtly and not bring attention to themselves. What should I do? I should at least warn someone who will listen. But who? These questions, I hope can wait until tomorrow.

(see goddess Talona for details)

Flamerule 27, Weather: Clear, hot

The next day, I tell Sige about my dream. He agrees it sounds very ominous. But Sige says he has dreams all the time, none of which have ever come to pass as anything serious. But it felt so real, so dangerous. I told him I cannot ignore this. Begrudgingly, he agrees to accompany me on my search for clues, but he reminds me that I did agree to help him delve into a dungeon that he found. I tell Sige that these past few days have been very enlightening by his side. I tell him that I consider him a friend and I promise him that we will see to this dungeon once my curiosity with this dream is satisfied. For now, it is time to look for rumors.

Quest generation: Magical chaos / Curse. Investigate / Lift curse / Destroy magic

Flamerule 28, Weather: Clear, hot

The next day, I go to the city's temple dedicated to Helm to ask someone if they've been experiencing any trouble lately.

Rolled 18 for persuasion. I start a dialogue with one of the priests or acolytes and ask if there have been any troubles lately, particularly with cultists or those devoted to gods of nefarious intent.

Q/A: Yes

Verbs: Hurry, defuse, disgrace, interrogate, abuse

NPC generation: Rutol yi Khanna (Human, female, LN)

The acolyte looks like she's suddenly reminded of a relative's wedding that's happening in just a few hours and she's no gown to wear. "Come with me. We mustn't speak of this in the open." Worried and now on our guard, Sige and I exchange looks before following her to a secluded room in the temple. I can't help but wonder if this temple has already been infiltrated.

Q/A: No, it hasn't.

Away from prying eyes, she begins to question us further. "Who are you two and what is it exactly that you know?"

I tell her of my vision the night before, the entire time, she is nodding. She seems to believe me, which is reassuring and troubling at the same time. Reassuring, because it means I'm not crazy. Troubling, because I am hesitant to get involved.

"Now that I've told you why I am here, maybe you can tell me what you know of the situation," I say, wondering if they know who or what they were dealing with before I even approached them.

Q/A: No

She nods. "This town is basically being held for ransom by an unknown group of terrorists. They claim that they have a weapon able to wipe out the entire town unless we give them what they demand."

Sige asks with a furrowed brow, "Do you know for sure they even have a weapon?"

She responds, "Yes... they.. tested it. Just the other night, a priest of this temple was struck down with a horrific plague. His skin was rotted, limbs and flesh just falling off of his body. It was terrible." Her speech quickly becoming stammered and distressed as she remembers the events of the night before.

Sige looks at me with surprising determination, "We can't just leave now. These people need our help. There has to be something we can do."

"But what?" I reply to him. "I am but a lowly wizard in training, you a traveler, albeit a seasoned one with reliable combat prowess." I reach out a hand to pet Chomp's head who is panting in the corner of the room from the summer heat. "Don't worry, Chomp, I didn't forget about you."

Sige knows I am right. His conflicted mind causes his expressions to flash between action and hesitation. His earnest is certainly endearing. And though I prefer not to meddle in the affairs of others, a whole town of a great number of people are being held under threat. If we don't oppose this evil, then who?

"We'll dig a little more, Sige. We'll see how far we can go, hopefully without getting ourselves killed and see if we can do anything to help."

Sige smiles and clasps me on the shoulder. Rutol smiles at us both. "Right, well.. let's have you talk to the head cleric here. You can tell him what you told me about your vision."

NPC information pulled from wiki: Nalin (gender neutral?)

NPC generation: Human, female, LN, cleric 5

We meet with the head cleric, a modest-looking person, but with a face of determination and devotion to a cause she believes in. I tell her of my vision.

"A triangle with three drops of blood. A walking corpse rotted away in cleric's vestments. If I were to guess, it sounds like followers of Talona, goddess of poison and disease. This is definitely most troublesome. The weapon they possess is most likely a magical plague of some sort."

"So what do we do?" Sige asks.

"We'll have to tell the mayor. He can have the town guard notified and on the lookout for anything that fits the description of Talonian cultists.

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Thanks for reading if you've gotten this far! I'll continue writing to see what happens. Let me know if you've caught me breaking any rules or if there are any questions in general. It might be a bit hard for me to answer anything though, because this was nine months ago after all.