Playing solo

[Bodvoc]

 That is a very good chary, I shall print that off for use, cheers

[Awesome Adam]

You could just run 2 opposing war bands yourself.

[thebinmann]

You could just run 2 opposing war bands yourself.

I did this with Mordhiem, and it was fun for a while but I lost interest a little after a while....

[Steelwraith]

I've been working on creating my own warbands for Frostgrave, and I'll be going solo, at least for a while. Most of friends whom might take an interest can't exactly spring for minis right now.

Right now, I have a Necromancer with a party of skellies and a couple zombies, and a Sigilist whom has a partial squad of Heroscape Roman soldiers as her escourts. Later, I plan to get a bunch of those Crusader battle nuns from Reaper for her bodyguard, as they will look like they belong to some order of some sort, and all of them have the whimple head-thingee going on.

[Daniel36]

One way to be able to get a solo campaign going is if there were "non-player warbands".
So, for example, you could run into a:
Gnoll Warband
Ghoul Troupe
Gang of Thugs
Cabal of Cultists
Hungry Pack of Wolves
Zombie Infestation
etc.

This might also alleviate the problem some people experience when introducing new players to an already running campaign. Let one player control the "non-player warband", so that the other player has the chance to catch up a bit while at the same time having an interesting battle.

It could easily be a supplement. My idea would be to have these warbands cost 500 + X per Wizard Level or something, so that you can still also play stronger warbands this way.

While not everyone has access to a plethora of these types of models, everyone has humans. Just use them without the wizard.

The basic model statistics could be broadened up a bit. Instead of just the basic wolf, you could also have the Alpha Wolf, slightly stronger and faster, as the leader. Things like that. You could even write some additional "goals" for each of these warbands, maybe at least 4 different "goals", so that when you start the scenario, you roll a d20 and see what they want out of it.

Maybe the Thugs want to kidnap one of your men and hold him ransom. Maybe they want to kill all of you. Maybe they just want to get the heck out of there. Maybe they want... I am out of ideas.

I would be all over this kind of supplement, to be honest. I love assembling and painting random encounters.

[sulecrist]

This is something near and dear to my heart. My wife was interested in Frostgrave, but wanted to play co-op games, so after a few "versus" games I put together these advanced Creature Phase rules. Since then, they've gotten robust enough to (in my opinion) play pretty fun, interesting solo games. I've played maybe a dozen solo games with these rules, maybe a half-dozen co-op games, and had several friends playtest them as well.

CREATURE BEHAVIOR REVISITED

ACTIVATION ORDER
Starting with the player who had this turn’s lowest modified initiative roll, the players take turns choosing creatures to activate, one creature or creature group at a time, until all surviving creatures have been activated. No creature may activate more than once during this phase. Note that players only rarely make actual choices about what to do with a creature once activated--the alternation is to speed this phase up and to give a slight advantage to the player who likely had the roughest turn.

TARGET PRIORITY DEFINITIONS
Annoying - An Annoying target is an enemy that dealt damage to this creature this turn.
Bloody / Bloodiest - A Bloody target is an enemy that is currently not at its maximum Health. The Bloodiest target is the enemy that is currently out the most Health (not necessarily the enemy that has the lowest Health).
Chosen - The player who activates this creature chooses which enemy it targets.
Clearest - The Clearest target is the enemy that benefits from the lowest cumulative terrain, cover, or intervening model bonus against this creature’s shooting attacks.
Closest - The Closest target is the enemy that takes the least amount of this creature's movement (in inches) to reach in combat.
Dangerous - A Dangerous target is an enemy that killed another figure this turn.
Hardest - The Hardest target is the enemy that currently has the highest Armor.
Magical - A Magical target is an enemy that is capable of casting spells.
Ranged - A Ranged target is an enemy that is capable of making shooting attacks (including spells that are resolved with Shoot rolls).
Soft - The Softest target is the enemy that currently has the lowest Armor.
Open - An Open target is an enemy that is not in combat.
Random - A Random target is one randomly selected from enemies that suit this creature’s other priorities.
Threatening (X) - An enemy is threatening X when it is within 10" of X. X could be a specific character, a type of soldier or creature, an object, a point on the board, or a piece of terrain. If X is “Treasure Token,” any character currently carrying Treasure also satisfies this priority.
Weakest - The Weakest target is the enemy that currently has the lowest Health (not necessarily the enemy that has suffered the most damage).

Default Melee-Exclusive Priority: Closest, Random
Default Melee-Dominant Priority: Closest, Random
Default Ranged-Dominant Priority: Open, Closest, Random

ACTIVATION: MELEE CREATURE
1) Is the creature in combat? FIGHT.
If the creature is currently in combat with an enemy, it will use its first action to fight. If it wins the combat, it will choose to stay in combat. If it loses the combat and is pushed back, or if its opponent steps back, it will use its second action to move into combat once again. If it wins the combat and kills its opponent, run through these steps again to determine its next action.
2) Is there an enemy in 10" and in line of sight? APPROACH.
If a creature is not in combat, it will move toward an enemy that is within 10" and in line of sight. If there are multiple enemies within 10" and in line of sight, then run through the creature's Target Priorities, in order. E.g., if the creature's priorities are (1) Bloody, (2) Closest, (3) Bloodiest, and there are three enemies within 10" and in line of sight, and two of those enemies are Bloody, then the creature will move toward the closer of those two enemies even if the non-Bloody enemy is closer still. If this brings the creature into combat, it will use its second action to fight. If this does not put the creature in combat, it will use its second action to Approach again.
3) Is neither situation applicable? PATROL.
If a creature is not in combat and there are no enemies within 10" and in line of sight, the creature will make one move in a random direction. If the creature hits any obstacle that must be climbed or jumped, it will stop. If the creature is still not within 10" and in line of sight of an enemy, it is done for the turn and takes no additional action. If an enemy presents itself, it will Approach (see above).

ACTIVATION: MELEE-DOMINANT CREATURE
1) Is the creature in combat? FIGHT.
If the creature is currently in combat with an enemy, it will use its first action to fight. If it wins the combat, it will choose to stay in combat. If it loses the combat and is pushed back, or if its opponent steps back, it will use its second action to move into combat once again. If it wins the combat and kills its opponent, run through these steps again to determine its next action.
2) Is there an enemy in 7" and in line of sight? APPROACH.
If a melee-dominant creature is not in combat, it will move toward an enemy that is within 7" and in line of sight. If there are multiple enemies within 7" and in line of sight, then run through the creature's Target Priorities, in order. If this brings the creature into combat, it will use its second action to fight. If this does not put the creature in combat, it will use its second action to Approach again.
3) Is there an enemy 7-10" away and in line of sight? SHOOT.
If a melee-dominant creature with a shooting attack is not in combat and no enemy is within 7" and in line of sight, it will shoot at an enemy within 10" and in line of sight. If there are multiple enemies within 10" and in line of sight, then run through the creature's Target Priorities, in order. After resolving the attack, run through these steps again to determine its next action.
4) Is neither situation applicable? PATROL.
If a creature is not in combat and there are no enemies within 10" and in line of sight, the creature will make one move in a random direction. If the creature hits any obstacle that must be climbed or jumped, it will stop. If the creature is still not within 10" and in line of sight of an enemy, it is done for the turn and takes no additional action. If an enemy presents itself, it will Approach (see above).

ACTIVATION: RANGED-DOMINANT CREATURE
1) Is the creature in combat? FIGHT.
If the creature is currently in combat with a member of either player's warband, it will use its first action to fight. If it wins the combat, it will step back 1" directly away from its opponent. If it loses the combat and is pushed back, or if its opponent steps back, it will use its second action to WITHDRAW (see below).
2) Does the creature's weapon need to be reloaded? RELOAD.
3) Is there an enemy in line of sight? SHOOT.
If a creature with a shooting attack is not in combat, it will shoot at an enemy that is in line of sight. If there are multiple enemies in line of sight, then run through the creature's Target Priorities, in order. After resolving the attack, run through these steps again to determine its next action.
4) Is there an enemy in 10" and in line of sight? WITHDRAW.
If a creature with a shooting attack is not in combat, it will move away from any enemies that are within 10" and in line of sight, withdrawing, without coming within 1" of an enemy, to a position that is as far away as possible from enemies. After resolving the movement, run through these steps again to determine its next action.
5) Are none of these situations applicable? PATROL.
If a creature with a shooting attack is not in combat and there are no enemies within 10" and/or in line of sight, the creature will make one move in a random direction. If the creature hits any obstacle that must be climbed or jumped, it will stop. If the creature is still not within 10" and/or in line of sight of an enemy, it is done for the turn and takes no additional action. If an enemy presents itself, it will Shoot if possible or Withdraw if not (see above).

ACTIVATION: TREASURE-SEEKER
1) Is the creature in combat? FIGHT.
If the creature is currently in combat with an enemy, it will use its first action to fight. If it wins the combat, it will choose to stay in combat. If it loses the combat and is pushed back, or if its opponent steps back, it will use its second action to move into combat once again. If it wins the combat and kills its opponent, run through these steps again to determine its next action.
2) Is there a treasure token within 10" or in line of sight? APPROACH.
If a creature is not in combat, it will move toward the closest treasure token that is within 10" or in line of sight. If this brings the creature into contact with the treasure token, it will use its second action to pick it up. If this does not put the creature in contact with the treasure token, it will use its second action to Approach again.
4) Is there an enemy in 10" and in line of sight? WITHDRAW.
If a treasure-seeking creature is not within 10" or in line of sight of a treasure token, it will move away from any enemies that are within 10" or in line of sight, withdrawing, without coming within 1" of an enemy, to a position that is as far away as possible from enemies. After resolving the movement, run through these steps again to determine its next action.
3) Are none of these situations applicable? PATROL.
If a creature is not in combat and there are no treasure tokens or creatures within 10" or in line of sight, the creature will make one move in a random direction. If the creature hits any obstacle that must be climbed or jumped, it will stop. If the creature is still not within 10" and in line of sight of an enemy, it is done for the turn and takes no additional action. If a treasure token presents itself, it will Approach; if not, and an enemy presents itself, it will Withdraw (see above).

EXAMPLE CREATURE PRIORITY PACKAGES

Simple:

Mook (Melee): Threatening (another Mook), Closest, Random

Ghoul (Melee): Bloody, Closest, Random

Moderately complicated:

Defender (Melee): Threatening (Defended), Dangerous, Closest, Random

Destroyer (Melee): Dangerous, Hardest, Weakest, Closest, Random

Harrier (Ranged-Dominant): Open, Clearest, Softest, Closest, Random

Heavy (Melee-Dominant): Open, Clearest, Weakest, Closest, Random

Snow Leopard (Melee): Open, Softest, Weakest, Random

Complicated and scenario-driven:

Sir Boyle, Lord of Ash (Melee-Dominant): Dangerous, Magical, Bloody, Closest, Bloodiest, Random
Seer: Boyle does not check Line of Sight when choosing between enemies to Fight, Approach, or Shoot.

Frost Giant (Melee): Annoying, Dangerous, Closest, Special (Rampage)
Rampage: When this creature must choose between multiple equal-priority targets, or when he would Patrol, he instead spends his action to move as far as he can up to 2D6” in a random direction.

[monkeylite]

stuff

This is brilliant.

I'd like to combine this with some sort of overarching strategy for use with AI warbands, so instead of the PATROL result, you would continue with your plan to get treasure (somehow). And instead of WITHDRAW, maybe a morale type check, and if you pass then you will press on for treasure.

[Philhelm]

The D&D board game, Castle Ravenloft, had a solo option.  In fact, players only control the heroes, as the monsters each have their own unique AI on the monsters' cards.  Ranged units would opt to shoot or cast a spell, if possible, or move closer to the heroes.  Melee units would move toward the heroes until within melee range.  Some had special attacks based on whatever condition.