Tabletop Roleplaying Games, or TTRPGs, are meant by and large to be social affairs. A group generally consisting of a Game-Master and at least a few players, gather in person or online to play this style of game. That’s the way these games were designed to be played.
That said, this is not the only way to play TTRPGs.
For example, games like “Lovecraftesque” do not have a single Game-Master. The players each take turns playing the sole character shared by the group, while the rest of the players share the duties of a Game-Master. Other games like “Ironsworn” are designed to be played by yourself, or can be played as a group with no Game-Master, or it can even be played with a Game-Master and any number of players.
The point being, there is no one way to play a TTRPG.
Until recently, I ran a solo Actual-Play Podcast (The Worst Actual-Play Podcast Ever!), where I endeavored to disprove the notion that most TTRPGs are meant to be played in a group. In my experience, any TTRPG can be played solo, or GM-less, or really in any sort of configuration you prefer, based upon your needs. I’m a huge fan of solo oracles, such as the “GameMaster’s Apprentice” line of oracle decks, which do an excellent job of ‘sitting in’ for the Game-Master, when you don’t want or need someone to fit that role.
Now I know there are many people who feel the exact opposite regarding oracles, and say that there is no way to truly replace the Human factor, when it comes to Game-Mastering. I happen to agree with this, actually. Where we differ is in how Oracles are employed.
You see, people who insist on using human GMs look at most oracles and just see something that randomly answers simple “Yes/No” questions. There are some simple oracles that work this way, but even they can do a good job at replacing a dedicated GM, when used properly. The problem is, most people don’t use solo roleplaying tools like oracles properly.
What does that mean? Oracles are tools to trigger the imagination of the user(s), not to replace it. So if you’re playing a TTRPG like “Dungeons & Dragons” solo, for example, an oracle helps the player make decisions that the GM normally would. Where a lot of people see oracles as basic “Yes/No” binary tools, the idea is to use them instead as context tools. If I ask the oracle “Will I face danger behind this dungeon door?”, if it answers “Yes”, I then have to fill in the context of that answer. Is it a trapped door? Are there monsters beyond the door? Perhaps the door itself is the danger (a Mimic or the like)? This is why I prefer the GameMaster’s Apprentice, which includes a variety of context clues one can use to help determine the answer to many different questions. It takes a good portion of the guesswork out of the process. But even so, if a player is using even a more basic Oracle, with only a few questions and a bit of imagination, they can figure out what they need to know fairly quickly.
The important thing here is Imagination. As long as the player(s) have imagination and a sense for what might be appropriate in the game they are playing, any Oracle will do to replace the GM. Well, all but for roleplaying as NPCs or monsters, but the Player(s) can fill that role themselves. I did that on my old Actual-Play Podcast for the last few years, until my voice gave out (COVID sucks, but Long COVID sucks even more, children!).
So go out there and play those TTRPGs, even if you don’t have a GM, or you don’t feel you have enough players, or even if you are alone. A simple Google search will find you all manner of roleplaying oracles to use. Some are free, others must be purchased, but they all tend to be fairly inexpensive. Try out a few and see where your imagination takes you.
