Tabula Rasa

Looking for an solo RPG you can play anywhere?

Tabula Rasa - Pocket RPG is a rules-light, generic, story-first solo RPG, designed to fit in your wallet and enable you to create and enjoy your own tales and myths on the go.

You can have a character ready and be on your way to an adventure in 5 minutes. But be careful, for the Disadvantage system can be brutal and the Combat is deadly, so rest and heal whenever you can!

This game has many inspirations, such as Miso RPG, Ironsworn, Risus, Wander: A Business Card RPG and Dungeon Crawl Classics, but tends to keep ideas simple. In fact, it's so simple, you don't even need dice to play. You can use only the card itself, something to write with, and something to write on.

Are you prepared to venture forth into the unknown and fulfill your goals—no matter who or what stands in your way?

Rules Included

• Character Creation organized by Traits which encourages wide customization
• Goals system that allow you to determine the course of your adventures
• Instant adaptability to a broad variety of Settings
• Simple Oracle for solo gaming
• Mechanics for facing Tests and Enemies, which include situational Advantages and Disadvantages
• Mechanics for healing and repairing Items
• Mechanics for earning Experience and progressing your character Traits
• Easy and concise end-game situations

Target Audience

Because the rules are very barebones, this game is recommended for more experienced solo players, however, don't let lack of experience stop you from playing! At any rate, you can always use sourcebooks, books of random tables and other media in general in order to generate ideas for your gaming sessions.

If you need help playing solo, I plan to publish some tips in a complete PDF version in the near future, but there are a lot of PDFs and videos online on the subject. 
I'd suggest starting with Trevor Devall's channel YouTube "Me, Myself and Die", especially his Ironsworn season, so you can learn from the best. 

In any case, always remember: use and trust the Oracle whenever you're unsure, but never let any rule (or lack of one) get in the way of your fun!

Traits

Besides the Name, the most important part of the Character Creation process involves the designation of brief Traits.

Traits are shorthand descriptions of a group of characteristics or skills which will allow Characters to face Tests and Enemies while working towards their Goals.

Examples of Traits:

• Trade: Cop, Astronaut, Poet, Assassin
• Skill: Hacking, Investigation, Martial Arts, Piloting
• Hobby: Chess, Studying, Birdwatching, Cleaning
• Passion: Outdoor Sports, Playing Mind Games with Unsuspecting Victims, Dancing, Knife Collecting
• Life Experience: Alien Hidden on Earth, Fugitive, Super-Hero with Scorpion Powers, Vampire

Levels

After you create three initial Traits, it's time to choose a different Level for each one.

Levels:

• C: The Character is very unexperienced with this Trait.
• B: The Character is able, but unexperienced with this Trait.
• A: The Character is very experienced with this Trait.

Goals

After creating the Traits, it's important to create a Main Goal for your Character to fulfill.

This is the Character's central objective, and the element which will guide the journey you'll undertake. Therefore, choose something specific, and try your best for it to be meaningful—or not, it's your journey, after all!

Examples of Main Goals:

• Avenge my clan and family
• Stop the evil that threatens my home planet
• Find out who is behind the killings of the 7th street
• Get revenge on Janice (how dare she call me childish?)

During the course of the game, other Secondary Goals may arise which might or not be connected to your Main Goal—they could even be the sub-steps needed to achieve it! Simply take note of them and choose whether or not you'd like to pursue them.

Examples of Secondary Goals:

• Find the magic sword
• Get the intergalactic governor to believe that a threat exists
• Get information on the people who live near 7th street
• Put pepper in Janice's pie

Setting

You can either choose an existing Setting to play or create one by asking questions to the Oracle.

The procedure for Setting creation with the Oracle should be as follows:

1. Create two options, one for each side of the card. Example: Fantasy Setting (Hit) or Sci-Fi Setting (Miss)?
2. Toss the card up, trying to flip it as best as you can.
3. After the card lands, read the result. Example: In this case, the card landed with the Hit side up.
4. Interpret the result. Example: It's a Fantasy Setting!
5. Ask the next question. Example: Medieval Fantasy (Hit) or Dark Urban Fantasy (Miss)?
6. Repeat until you have a basic understanding of the Setting at hand. About 3 or 4 questions should be enough.
7. Start the game. The rest of the details are to be discovered during gameplay. Whenever you're in doubt about anything during the course of the game, create two options for the Oracle and let it decide.

Tests

Tests can occur whenever your Character tries to accomplish something risky. Traits play a large part here, because they are the elements which enable (or disable) the attempt.

The procedure for Tests should be as follows:

1. Evaluate if a Test is needed for the occasion. Example: If your Character needs to climb a steep cliff, a Test is in order. However, if your Character has extensive climbing experience, and has the correct equipment during the right weather, it's possible to just assume that the climb went well and get on with the narrative.
2. If so, select a Trait which is fitting to deal with the Test at hand. Example: The Trait "Mountain climber" was chosen. The Level of the Trait is C, which will require a Test.
3. Check the Trait Level to define how the Test will be conducted. Each Trait Level requires a number of card tosses and a number Hits (meaning that the card has to land with the Hit side up). Example: A C Level Trait requires 2 Hits made in 2 tosses. 
4. Evaluate if there is a situational Advantage or Disadvantage which may help or hinder the Character. If you have one of each, they will probably cancel each other out. If there is an Advantage, the Trait will be, solely for the Test at hand, treated as if it were 1 Level above what it currently is. If there is a Disadvantage, the opposite occurs. Example: In this case, the Character has some very good climbing equipment, so an Advantage is in order. However, there is an evil mountain spirit pestering trying to make the climb more dangerous than what it already is, so there is also a Disadvantage. Therefore, they will cancel each other out.
5. Make the Test, trying to get the necessary number of Hits according to the Trait selected. Example: The Character manages to get 1 Hit in 2 Tosses.
6. Interpret the result. Example: The Character has failed the Test. If there were 2 Hits, it would have been a Success.
7. Choose or ask the Oracle for the mechanical and/or fictional consequences. Mechanical consequences are consequences to Health, Items, and loss or gain of Advantage and Disadvantage. Fictional consequences put the character in better or worse positions to complete the Goals. Example: The Character slides down and realizes the climb can't be made, but because there was 1 Hit, I'll say the consequences weren't so bad. Maybe a few scratches, bruises and a broken pride. This Character will have to find another way, perhaps through a more dangerous forest area, but won't be losing any H (Health) because of this challenge.

Enemies

Combat with Enemies works like a series of Tests. Each type of enemy has a number of H (Health), and a fixed amount of DMG (Damage) it inflicts in case the Player Character fails a Test.

Situations of combat can emulate any type of conflict between the Character and opposing forces. A rap battle can be done as combat, a pie-eating contest too, and of course, so can a sword fight between two knights. Combat, however, better emulates situations in which the actions of one side can affect the other, therefore some situations work better as single or multiple Tests, without keeping track of an Enemy's Health.

The player chooses who attacks first and when it makes more sense for the Character to have initiative during the combat, making offensive Tests, and when it makes more sense for the character to be making defensive manoeuvres to avoid taking DMG. The same applies to the morale of Enemy troops. When in doubt, again, ask the Oracle.

Just remember that damage does not always equate to physical damage, and an enemy who was finished may survive the outcome if the player or the Oracle decides.

Tips

1. You can find each side's designation in the upper right corner of the card.

2. Some Traits need Items to function. Make sure to check if you have the correct equipment, otherwise, the Trait becomes unusable for the Test. Use your best judgement and, when in doubt, ask the Oracle.

3. It might make sense to let some unique enemies attack more than once before you can strike back. They might, after all, be very fast or have multiple weapons.

Download Tabula Rasa Now

Whether you're a writer looking for creative inspiration or a gamer seeking your next great adventure, Tabula Rasa has you covered!

The rules are simple enough to play on the go in only a few minutes, and deep enough to carry you to the fulfillment of your fictional Goals.

Solo RPG veterans will be right at home. Simply plug your favorite sourcebooks, books of random tables and other media for inspiration and you'll be ready to start your next quest!

First-time solo RPG players might find the initial reading of the rules unclear. Don't worry, we've all been there! Stick to the game, because the rules will more sense the more you play.

And if you need help playing solo, I'd suggest starting with Trevor Devall's YouTube channel "Me, Myself and Die", and especially his Ironsworn season, so you can learn from the best.

In any case, always remember: use and trust the Oracle whenever you're unsure, but never let any rule (or lack of one) get in the way of your fun!

Plans For The Future

Sine Qua Non - Tabula Rasa Essentials

I also have plans for:

• Character Sheets (card, PDF and fillable versions);
  
• Complete PDF version + multiplayer and dice rules;
• Tutorial videos for purposes of clarification and exemplification;
• Multiple one-page original Settings;
• Short adventure modules

If you're any interested in any of that, follow me!

Special Thanks

To my wife, Thaisa, for valiantly resisting the urge to bash me in the head whenever I go full nerd on this stuff. Also, for being my number #1 fan and inspiration. Love you, Zuzi. You can find her amazing paintings and drawings at Thai Moreira (@thai_amoreira) • Fotos e vídeos do Instagram.

To my friend, digital content creator Johnny Menezes, for solving a lot of issues I had with the rules and the wording, and giving me a thorough review of the game. You can find his work via @JohnnyMenezes | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree.