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A Solo Tabletop Roleplaying Game without the Tabletop

✓ One Player ✓ No dice necessary ✓ Genre-agnostic ✓ Everything included ✓ Hands are stupid

Hands-Free RPG is a game you play entirely in your head. Game Phases
You can play while in the shower, mowing the lawn, Here’s a closer look at the phases of gameplay.
or lying in bed. Not recommended while skydiving. Narrate - Simply describe what happens. Spend as
much time in this phase as you desire. When you
How to Play question what happens next, consult an oracle.
In Hands-Free RPG, you I’ve got
visualize a narrative in your some If you want to play with a simulated GM, you should restrict
head, making any decisions questions! your narration to your character’s actions, and only narrate
you want. When you reach a results/responses to those actions that are obvious.
point of uncertainty, consult an oracle. There are
several. Interpret the result to see what happens next!
Oracle - Consult any oracle that feels most appropriate.
Your Role The oracle gives a response which you must
interpret. Some oracles can trigger an event.
In a Solo RPG, typically, you imagine yourself as the
main character, but you can also be the party
(representing multiple characters), the GM (setting There are no attributes in this game. No need to remember
challenges for imaginary players), or the storyteller you have a 15 in Intelligence, just remember you’re on the
(crafting a narrative about … anything). All perspectives smart side. A skill check is just a Yes/No Oracle check. Set
are valid. Combinations can be fun.
the threshold to 5 and then raise it if it’s easy and/or
Mental Fatigue you’re good at that sort of thing, or lower it if not.

Solo RPGs are taxing on the noggin, and

Hands-Free RPG goes further by expecting you to Interpret - Do your best to settle on the meaning of the
memorize the rules and play without visual aids. Learn response, given the context. If this succeeds, resume
the rules gradually! Start with the Die Generator, the storytelling and continue to narrate. As necessary,
Word Generator, the Yes/No Oracle, and the seek clarification through another oracle. If any of
this fails, reject it, and trigger a fault.
Zoltar Oracle. Introduce the other tools as you progress.
Fault - When interpretation fails, you may invalidate a
The Gameplay Loop premise behind your question. Try to interpret this
new response. Alternatively, you may substitute an
event. See Faults.
Event - A random thing happens! Interpret this
surprise. This can interupt or augment the moment.
See Event Oracle.

We’re Flexible
You can substitute actual dice if you’re in a position to
do so. Just because it’s called Hands-Free doesn’t mean
it can only be played that way.
You can use this in a group setting. Each player
manages their own character. Agree on what questions
to ask of which oracles. If the group does not come to an
You’ll spend most of your time in the upper right of agreement on common interpretation, consult the
the chart. Narrate until you have a question, consult an Option Oracle see who is right.
oracle to get a response, interpret the response to You can play this with a GM. Since you’re the one
resume narration. reading this, that’s probably you. You decide which

TIP
oracles to utilize, and your players provide the words to
Prefer narration over questions until you
arrive at meaningful choices! feed them. Narrate – or let them narrate – when
appropriate.
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 Die Generator Other Dice
Before we get to the oracles This RPG uses a 1d10 exclusively, but it can be adapted
I need a
let’s present a useful tool. random to other dice types. For a 1dN, start the count at 1
You can’t roll a die when you number! and roll over to 1 whenever you pass N . For
are hands-free … or can you? instance, 1d6 would count:
This will emulate various dice rolls by counting word
strokes and “wrapping around” your die range.
… 3  4  5  6  1  2  3 …
1d10
Triggering Events
The core of Hands-Free RPG is the 1d10, which gives a
result from 1 to 10 . If you get the same result as your last roll, you trigger an
event. Whatever you narrated or visualized is
1. Pick any word. Maybe it is related to the question. interrupted, and instead something else occurs. Use the
You’re hot on the trail, so you choose TRAIL . Event Oracle to determine the nature of the event.
Bullets are flying, so you choose SHOOTOUT . You
like the sound of the word BUBBLES so you pick it!

You are trying to disable an

Vary word length between uses. If you can’t think of longer alarm panel, and roll a dupe.
words, use phrases instead. Avoid reusing the same word. You get DRESS from the
Event Oracle. You don’t get
2. Now, visualize writing the word in your head. Picture very far before you realize
each stroke you make with a pen, and count these you’re being watched!
strokes. She eyes you curiously.

Varying case and font will give different results. For example:

I = 1 stroke, i = 2 strokes, I = 3 strokes Fast 50%

If you have a simple yes/no question with a 50/50
3. Whenever the count surpasses 10, continue counting likelihood, you can save a little time with a using the
from 1. So your count becomes: Die Generator and a short word. An odd sum represents
yes. An even sum represents no. This never causes a
… 7  8  9  10  1  2  3 … wrinkle or event, so save it for minor questions.
See Other Dice.
Counting word strokes does a pretty good job of providing
unpredictability and an even result distribution! For additional Yes/No Oracle
randomness, instead of counting from 1, start counting The Yes/No Oracle is your Did it work?
from your last roll result or any arbitrary number. go-to for asking simple
questions. Formulate a Yes or no?
question that can be
I’m exploring a mountain cave. answered with a yes or no. Determine the likelihood
I use the word SPELUNK and count 16 strokes. that the answer is yes from 1 (10% likelihood) to 9
Therefore, 6 is my die roll. (90% likelihood). This is your threshold. If you can’t
decide, your threshold is 5 .
Roll 1d10. If you rolled less than or equal to your
threshold, the answer is yes. If you rolled higher than
your threshold, the answer is no.

You are trying to disable an alarm panel. You put

your chances at 70%, which is a threshold of 7 .
You succeed on that or less. Roll higher, and you fail.

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Wrinkles Word Generator
It’s hard to come up with a
A wrinkle occurs if you roll very close to or very far from I need a
random word out of the blue, random
the threshold ( T ). They add an additional twist
but it’s easy to come up with word!
beyond yes and no, and happen ~38% of the time. An any word. This generator
and occurs on an extreme result, and is with extra effect takes that boring, predictable word and turns it into
or consequence. A but occurs on a tight result, and is something more surprising with a mini-game. This can
with reduced effect or consequence. be used in oracles, events, or for general inspiration.
It works by taking a start word that doesn’t have to be
all that random – usually your last Die Generator word
will suffice – and then you “wordle” it to a new word.
The new word you come up should meet the following
conditions:

You try to shoot a quarter in the air. Impossible shot, ▸ One letter in the same place
but not for you! You set the threshold to 4 :
▸ One letter in a different place
Result Example
The answer is YES, AND: a stronger yes, with an Let’s say you are using this generator to describe what
additional twist. You hit the quarter. It bounces off happens when a goblin throws a spear at you. You
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the bell on the post and lands on the table in front of
choose the start word DUCK . You might pick the U to
your amazed opponent.
meet the first condition and the C to meet the second,
2 - 3 Just a plain YES. The bullet strikes the quarter.
which could lead you to CURSE , CTHULHU , or
You rolled exactly your
CHUNKY . One word you can lead to many others:
threshold. You barely
succeed, which is a YES,
BUT. That’s yes with a DUCK  D U C K
4 mitigating twist. C U R S E
You clip the quarter, U N S K I L L E D
which rebounds
U N C L E
towards the bar.
“My eye!” shouts the barkeep. D R U N K
You rolled one over your threshold. So close! That’s K U D Z U
a NO, BUT: a weaker no, with a mitigating twist.
5
You miss the quarter, but strike the bell on the post.
You swap in an ace while your opponent is distracted. FIGHTING  F I G H T I N G

6 - 9 Just a plain NO. Your bullet misses the quarter. G A S H

The answer is NO, AND. That’s a stronger no, with T I N F O I L
10 an additional twist. You miss the quarter completely. H A U N T
The bullet hits the lamp on the counter. The barkeep B E G I N
shrieks and looks for something to put out the fire.
N A C H O S

Wrinkle Distribution
% T 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10% 1 Ya Nb N N N N N N N Na
20% 2 Ya Yb Nb N N N N N N Na
30% 3 Ya Y Yb Nb N N N N N Na
40% 4 Ya Y Y Yb Nb N N N N Na
50% 5 Ya Y Y Y Yb Nb N N N Na
60% 6 Ya Y Y Y Y Yb Nb N N Na
70% 7 Ya Y Y Y Y Y Yb Nb N Na
80% 8 Ya Y Y Y Y Y Y Yb Nb Na
90% 9 Ya Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Yb Na

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 Zoltar Oracle Transition Oracle
Whereas the Yes/No Oracle What is it
Use this oracle to fast-
Let’s fast-
gives a concrete narrow like? / What forward through the story, to forward a
answer, this oracle gives a do I find? potentially gloss over a less bit!
vague broad answer. Ask important or monotonous
any question and the use the Word Generator to get an section.
inspiration for the answer.
A break in the Meanwhile, back at the ranch.
What do I see when I peek in the room? action Next scene: at ranch
P E E K  S P E CK The passage of (MONTAGE) It took us all day to paint that
I can barely see a thing. There’s something small and time fence, but we did it. Next scene: iced tea?
reflective in the center. Or a change in As you examine the artifact, your eyes roll back
I tell the shopkeeper about the treasure I found. perspective into your head and you experience a vision.
B R A GGING  A R GUMENT Next scene: vision, or the aftermath
The shopkeeper has had enough of your tall tales and A change in We drive through the valley to the reservoir.
demands to see the so-called treasure. location Next scene: at the reservoir
How does the alien respond to my presence?
RE S P ONSE  S HA P E Visualize the transition and what it leads to. Set the
The alien attempts to communicate by making a threshold to 7 . Consider the likelihood of a seamless
gesture with its appendages. transition. If trouble is more likely, bring the threshold
down. If you’re in no mood for shenanigans, bring it up
The problem with this oracle is it speaks in riddles! It’s
wildly open to interpretation, and you might wind up higher. Then consult the Yes/No Oracle with:
needing other oracles to clarify the result.
▸ Does the transition happen as expected?
Spectrum Oracle
This oracle is an easy way to
How many? Interpret the result. You may trigger an event and/or
ask how much/many, as well
apply Wrinkles to put a spin on the next scene.
as “more like this or that?” How much?
Pick something to be Result Example Interpretation
represented by the 1 and something to be represented
YES means the transition You make it to the reservoir, just
by the 10. Roll 1d10. Interpolate the middle. Guesswork
happens as visualized. just in time for the hand-off.
is fine!
YES, AND means it You make it to the reservoir early.
How many brigands are there? - I think there are 5-15 happens, and there’s an You take the opportunity to put a
brigands. I roll a 8 . That’s about 12 brigands. additional twist. lookout on the bridge.
That’s a lot of brigands. YES, BUT means it happens, The car stalls on the highway. By
Is it more like a lizard or more like a bear? - If you rolled but there’s a mitigating the time you get to the reservoir,
a 3 it would definitely be more lizard-like, but a twist. nobody is here.
beefier version, with tufts of fur. NO means the transition The cops are blocking the road to
fails to happen as the reservoir. So much for the
How effective is my scare tactic? - Somewhere between
visualized. Something else hand-off. I wonder what happened
a little and a lot. I rolled a 6 . So, scary yeah, but happens. here?
not pee pee pants scary. NO, AND means it doesn’t You enter the car and are startled
happen, and and there’s an
Option Oracle additional twist.
by a man with a gun in the back
seat. “Be cool,” he says. “Just
Use this when you want to drive.”
Which of
choose between a set of these NO, BUT means it doesn’t You drop the suitcase and it pops
possibilities. Some options things is it?
happen, but a mitigating open, spilling bearer bonds. “Well,
deserves a greater twist occurs. well, Jimmy. I guess the price is
probability than the others. Just clump the outcomes going up now.”
into discrete groups in your head and roll 1d10.
A duplicate roll result Your event is T R A S H .
How bright is the light? - More likely fading light. triggers an EVENT that You get a call from the mobster.
1-2 sunlight, 3-8 dusky, 9-10 dark. replaces the next scene. “We gotta cancel the thing. They
How deep is the water? - More likely shallow water. See Event Oracle in the next found Uncle Jimmy in a trash
1-5 shallow, 6-8 medium, 9-10 deep. section. compactor this morning.”
What color is the bird? - Probably colorful.
1-7 ROY G BIV, 8-9 black, 10 white.

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Event Oracle Advanced Events
Use this oracle to generate When interpreting an event, consider if the word might
Get ready
an unexpected twist. These for a be related to your backstory: This can be an opportunity
random moments can be surprise! to tie in another active mission. You could also bring
drawn from different story back something from the past, such as the setting’s
elements and omens you are tracking, or can be drawn local history, your personal history, or previously
simply from the context that triggered the event. Use the retired missions. Further, you can fulfill or further
Word Generator to generate a word to inspire the twist. foreshadow an omen for some flavor.

Basic Events Active Missions

The most important elements are your missions or
The simplest use of this oracle is to loosely interpret the
word in the context of the moment. For example, the quests. These are goals your characters have set for
goblin throws a spear at you. Does it hit you? Ah, but an themselves. When they tie off a mission, they are likely
event is triggered: to want to pursue another one. It’s good for there to be
several missions nagging at your crew. Maybe one of
them is related somehow to the moment?
CURSE The goblin has been recently cursed. The
spear remains stuck to his hand.
GRAPH While questioning a rogue about the docks
UNSKILLED The spear sails over your head. theft, you find he carries an old map. Could
this point to the wizard you seek?
UNCLE A gray-haired goblin
comes out yelling. You could also use the event to introduce a new
“Uncle Gobby” grabs the mission. Consider the how the visuals brought on by the
other goblin by the ear and event word might spring you to action.
drags him back home to do
chores. You’re in a tavern. when… A limo pulls up and the
driver says get in… You hear a loud crash… You find
DRUNK The goblin sways, under the influence of a note in your pocket… The door bursts open…
mead. He passes out. You’re not sure how you got here… The room erupts
in violence… You hear a rumor…
KUDZU You step back to avoid the spear and trip on
some vines. The goblin laughs at you.
Retired Missions
Drilling Down When you complete a mission, it’s retired. But it could
You may consult additional oracles for clarification: be dramatic and personal to revive a mission.

Sway Can’t decide between two possibilities? Come up FALLEN The bodies of the guards bear the mark of
with a likelihood and consult the Yes/No Oracle. The Necromancer, but how can that be?
Does FLOWER mean his internt is peacefuil? You witnessed him tumble from the tower and crash
on the rocks below!
Alignment Use the Spectrum Generator to determine a
positive or negative event (from the perspective of
your character). A 1 is great for you, and 10 Personal History
is rotten. Is this a good or a bad event? Your characters were born, grew, and worked in the
Severity Use the Spectrum Generator to determine the past. Sometimes this is backstory, but it can also come
significance. A 1 has a minor impact, and 10 back to catch you off guard:
is an extreme result. How big is the explosion?
Perspective Are too many interpretations possible? Use the MISSING You gawk at your sister, who smiles before
Zoltar Oracle to focus. What kind of SPARK ? you. Last time you saw her was at her
funeral on Epsilon 6.
Scale Elements can vary in scale. For example:

SCALE  Minor Major Epic

Impact A few people A group A population
Consequences Manageable It’ll sting Calamitous
Effort Fairly easy Significant Dedication

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 Local History Lookup Table
The setting you are playing in may have a rich history Although this RPG includes
What kind
you can tap into. some tables you can of thing is
memorize, it takes effort to it?
IMAGE On the package you’re delivering, you notice do so. Instead, you can
a symbol, the very same symbol you’ve seen approximate any table lookup with the Word Generator
graffitied on walls about town. and some creative association. First, name your table.
The name is a category of things that might be in the
table. Next, generate a word, and ask, “What word
Omens matching the category is closest to that word?” Go with
An omen is a foreshadowed element. In someone or your first answer, if you can’t decide.
something you know, something you carry or have seen, Given the word JUNGLE and the category VERBS ,
or somewhere you’ve been there’s trouble brewing. It’s you think about verbs related to jungle. Here are some
ominous, but you don’t exactly know why … yet. that come to mind for me:

BRIGHT The necklace your mother gave you begins TREK (through the thicket)
glowing. The startled orc jumps back.
CUT (with a machete)
You can use the event to introduce a new omen.
SWEAT (from heat)
Something happens that’s a little weird. You don’t have
to understand the full symbolism of the omen, that will BITE (from bugs)
come later.
Type of Business
CRANE You see an ancient crane rusting in the B U SINESS  S U B TRACT
distance. It’s incredibly tall. A chain You find yourself in a casino.
hangs down from it with nothing attached. You
stare as it sways, the image tugging at your mind. Gossip You Might Hear
G O SSIP  C O R G I
The king’s royal dog has gone missing!

Letter Generator Movie Billboard

S US P ENSE  S EX P OT
Use this oracle to get a
I need a
random letter for initials and random MO V I E  V AL I D
word inspiration by first letter! “True Passion”
lettter.
Disease
To do this, come up with a word related to the
FE E L ING  S L E EPY
context. Then use the Die Generator to create a number
from it, from 1 to the length of the word (1dN). Finally L E E C H  E JE C T
count along the letters of the word until you get to your They say you can live a normal life with sleepy sneeze
number. disease.

CAR CAR 1d3 = 7 strokes = 1 . Alternative: First Letter

The first letter and the result is a C . Use the Letter Generator to determine the first letter of
your lookup result. Then deduce a word starting with
SCREW SCREW 1d5 = 13 strokes = 3 . the letter that fits the category. I get a G from the
The third letter and the result is an R . generator and my category is scary things. GHOSTLY
will do.

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Name Generator Mood Oracle
Here are three methods for generating names. Sometimes you want to
How would
quickly fill in some details of you
Basic Names a place or thing. Using the describe it?
For a simple name, you can S H O R T mnemonic, ask
What these questions:
use the letter oracle to get a should I
start letter and pick a name call it?
starting with that letter.
S ee - What is its appearance? What details do you see
notice from afar and/or close up? Consider colors,
shapes, movements, and overall visual impact.
N I got an N. Nancy it is.
H ear - What sounds do you notice? Are there any
distinctive noises, voices, or ambient sounds?
Sounds Like
This method can make names sound a little stranger.
O dor - What scents or smells are present? Are they
pleasant or unpleasant? Are they strong or faint?
Use the Word Generator and replace or insert a letter to
whatever the Letter Oracle gives you next. R ub - What does it [seem it will] feel like to touch or
interact with surfaces? Is it rough or smooth?
ETCH + D This suggests Detch Consider textures, temperatures, physical sensations.
or even stranger Edch.
T one - What is the atmosphere or mood? How does it
HORSE + N Honse, Horne, Norse make you feel? Is it tense or calm? Eerie? Lively?
CRANKY + O Cranoy, Cranko, Cranoky

Syllable Construction
For more complicated names, use the Word Generator
or word associate to come up with two or more words.
Then take a syllable from any part of each word. To
generate a compound sound. Tweak the final result.

PANESDU COM PAN Y  BUSIN ESS  DU TY

VILTEN E VIL  ROT TEN

JONES GEO RGE  BUR NS

Codename Example
Here’s an example of using the codename method with
the S H O R T anagram. You pick the word E B O N Y :

S ee E nd, the place is dilapidated

H ear B anjo, music in the distance
O dor O rder, a stew is cooking somewhere
R ub N ascent, one chair is freshly hewn
T one Y ours, you feel strangely at home

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 Interpretation The barman is a he.

The patron next to you yells, “You cretin,

Workshopping striking a lady!” and tackles you.
This game relies a lot on interpretation. Maybe this
interpretation is obvious, but sometimes it’s confusing. You have usable hands.
Workshopping your interpretation involves taking an Your partner tangles your arm with his, preventing
initial idea and throwing it out there to see how it feels. the punch. “We just got out of jail.”
Does it make sense? How could you refine it for a better
fit? You’re not stuck with it, try another interpretation. The barman exists.
Faults You’re so drunk you’ve been arguing with a ficus
A Fault occurs with any plant this whole time. Nevertheless, you hit it good.
What the
oracle when a solid hell does it
interpretation of the result mean?!
fails to find purchase in your
head.

I throw a punch at the barman. Does he fight back?

The Yes/No Oracle returns NO, AND but I don’t know
what to make of that, so I call a fault.

I enter the room and turn on my lamp. What do I see

in the room? The Zoltar Oracle returns INVISIBLE . I
scratch my head and trigger a fault.

Triggering a Fault
If any of the following conditions are true, a fault
triggers. The punch lands.

Your drunken aim is so poor you strike the post.

▸ Am I taking longer than I’d like
to come up with an interpretation?
That really smarts! The barman says, “Stop that.”

You’re in the bar.

▸ Am I unhappy with the
interpretation I came up with?
With a whoosh your punch strikes air,
sending you off-balance. You find yourself in the
If you like your interpretation, that’s the correct one. If desert. Pixie sprinkles are settling around you.
you want more time to consider it, that’s fine. But at any
point you feel at a loss for what’s next, go ahead and It’s a good idea.
resolve a fault.
Other patrons are standing up to assist the barman.
Resolving a Fault One of them tells you, “If you want this bean, you’ll
A fault in the question means that it rests on an invalid have to eat the whole burrito.” You back off.
premise.
When this happens, identify and invalidate one or The inciting incident played out as you thought.
more of the premises underlying your question. You can You realize the barman just sneezes funny, and
then choose to either roll back the action that led to the wasn’t casting aspersions at your dead grandmother.
question or alter how it plays out. For example, in the
question ‘I throw a punch at the barman. Does he fight
back?’, some possible premises include:
The person you’re punching is the barman.

That wasn’t the barman, that was the sheriff

helping himself to the whiskey.

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Starting a Campaign World-Building Questions
You’ll need a character to
What do I
play, a setting to play in, and need to get One of the easiest ways to create a setting is to just ask
a motivation to get you started? questions. Some general questions are below fitting the
started. If you already have mnemonic P L A C E .
an adventure from another RPG or worldbook, jump
right in! But you can create a completely new adventure P eople - How do customs, traditions, and social
in your head. norms affect daily life here?
L andscape - What are notable features of geography
Establish a Setting or climate? What about magic and technology?
A uthority - How is power structured, exercised,
You can start with very little
Give me a maintained and challenged? Notable factions?
knowledge of your world random
and let the gameplay fill in setting! C onflicts - How do current conflicts, issues and trends
those details, or you can bolster or disrupt the status quo?
spend some time world-building. This could be as E vents - What myths, ancient knowledge, or historical
simple as picturing yourself in a movie, novel, or events shaped the current state of the world?
random genre, or as complex as a multiple sessions
dedicated to world-building.
Codename Example
Here’s an example of using the codename method with
the P L A C E anagram. You pick the word W E I R D :

P eople I ntroverted, local tribes

L andscape E vil, presence of dark magic
A uthority W ork, mandated gov’t duties
C onflicts R andom, periodic violence
E vents D ried; a curse made it arid

Genre Table
For a quick start, roll once or twice from the following
genre table:

ROLL RESULT
1 W hodunit (Mystery, crime, detective, secrets)
2 O dyssey (Adventure, journey, exploration, quest)
3 R ustic (Western, frontier, cowboy, lawless)
4 L urid (Horror, dark, supernatural)
5 D ystopian (dismal, decayed, oppressive)
6 T hriller (espionage, suspense, high stakes, action)
7 Y ore (Historical, period, bygone eras)
8 P owers (Superheroes, military, might)
9 E nchantment (Fantasy, magic, mythos)
10 S cience (Science Fiction, space, future, technology)

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 Creating Characters Character Questions
You need at least one
Give me a
playable character, but you’ll random Here are six questions you can ask to learn more about
also run into NPCs as you character! a character. Use the Lookup Table and pick an
go. Just like with world- interpretation that is most interesting. Don’t limit
building you can go in without knowing much about yourself to just these questions if you want to dig
them (“play to find out”), or you can spend some time deeper.
fleshing them out. You could base characters on
existing people you know or fictional characters you F orm - What do they look like? Age. Gear. Quirks.
like. Does this affect how they are treated by others?
A pproach - What’s their personality? Disposition
towards others, particularly strangers?
C atalyst - What drives them to act? Goals. Values. Are
they aware of their motivations?
E xpertise - What do they do? What are their skills and
strengths? How were they trained?
T ies - Who do they know: family, friends, patrons, and
social standing. Over whom do they have influence?
S etbacks - What are their flaws and weaknesses?
How do they suffer? What are their disadvantages?

Codename Example
Here’s an example of using the codename method with
the F A C E T S anagram. You pick the word S P Y M A N :

F orm S turdy; big fella

A pproach P atronizing; he’s better than you
Character Tables
C atalyst Y elling; returns violence in kind
One way to quickly roll up a character.
E xpertise M anipulation; pushes your buttons
ROLL Motivations Objectives Occupations T ies A unts and Uncles raised him
1 M ake O bject O fficer S etbacks N ightmares keep him awake
2 O ffer B elief C leric
3 T end J eopardy C raftsperson
4 I mpair E scape U nskilled
5 V anquish C ommand P atron
6 A cquire T ruth A rtist
7 T ransform I nstitution T rader
8 I mprove V irtue I ntellectual
9 O perate E nigma O utlaw
10 N avigate S elf N utcase

The Story Thus Far…

Give your character a few
Start with
omens, some personal some back
history, and a few active story!
missions to start the game.
See Advanced Events.

10
Setting the First Scene Resuming Sessions
What kind of adventure do Here are tips to get back into
Ready to Where did I
you want to have? That go! It’s the game after a break. leave off?
informs your first scene. It is Show time! Conveniently these tips spell What now?
a common practice to start out B A C K .
the game right in the middle of the action, but you could
also start more slowly if that’s your jam. B rief - Remember the major beats and what
You could pick something related to what your happened last. It’s not important to get all the details
character does, what they want, the setting or an active right as it is to get yourself back to a fun point. Recall
mission. You could start with a random event. Or you your missions and omens. Generate new ones if the
could ask questions: list is light. Retire any resolved missions.

B eginning - What inciting incident brought trouble? A dapt - Consider how the previous session impacted
What is the current mood and level of urgency? your character(s), and make changes in response.
Roleplay any new attributes or skills that occur.
E nvironment - Where are you? What can you see?
What environmental factors are at play? “The gendarme always seemed to know where I was!”
G oal - What are you trying to accomplish? What is Jean becomes paranoid. Anyone could be listening!
your target? How do you get it?
I mpediments - What challenges prevent you from “I still can’t believe I leapt between those rooftops.”
reaching your goal? What barriers are in your way?
Rebecca is now athletic. The yoga must be helping.
N eeds - What’s at risk if you fail? What’s the impact of
success or failure? Why are you involved?
C orrect - Are any missions too difficult or
S tate - What is your physical or emotional state? How uninteresting? Drop them! Were there any disasters
does your current condition affect your actions? or confusing moments? There’s no reason you can’t
rewrite history! Remember what happened
Codename Example differently, and go with that reality now.
Here’s an example of using the codename method with
the B E G I N S anagram. You pick the word R A N G E R : K eep Going -If you can go back to the same point you
left off and it works out, awesome. If not, you can use
the Transition Oracle to get to the next scene, bring
B eginning R iot, sudden running and yelling
out the Event Oracle, or use the questions from
E nvironment A battoir, next to a market Setting the First Scene to jump you back to action.
G oal N injas, fleeing the scene
I mpediments G orge, a scary dare-devil leap
N eeds E nding, splat, death Have Fun!
S tate R unning, after the ninjas

Credits and Plaudits

Hands-Free RPG was designed by Eric W. Lund ([email protected]).
Many people inspired this RPG. Here are some of them:

Tana Pigeon for Mythic which set the bar on GM emulation. https://www.wordmillgames.com/
Alfred Valley‘s Diedream for dicelessness and rapid word association. https://alfredvalley.itch.io/diedream
Also dicelessness in Val Rijov’s Daydreamer https://www.reddit.com/r/Solo_Roleplaying/search/?q=Daydream+Universal
GravenUtterance’s Recluse for presupposition. https://gravenutterance.com/2019/03/24/recluse-solo-engine/
Karl Hendricks for One Page Solo Engine https://inflatablestudios.itch.io/one-page-solo-engine
One of my favorite subreddits, /r/Solo_Roleplaying https://www.reddit.com/r/Solo_Roleplaying/
Geek Gamers for best usage of a crochet needle. https://www.youtube.com/@GeekGamers01
Trevor Devall at Me, Myself and Die! for making it seem easy. https://www.youtube.com/@MeMyselfandDieRPG/
Drive Thru RPG because I have a spending problem. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
Homebrewery was used to design this document. https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/
Most of the art in this document was generated using AI technologies and subsequently post-processed
in Affinity suite, including background removal, detail editing, layout adjustments, and recoloring.

11
 Addendum
I’m putting things here that are new and I don’t know if Yes/No + Spectrum
or where they fit… Yes/No Oracle can be 1 Go, my friend! Here’s $100!
combined with
2 You may go, my friend.
Charts Spectrum Oracle.
Instead of flat 3 You can go.
Here’s an analysis of the top 10000 most popular
wrinkles, you can
English words (minus 1-3 letter words), and what kind 4 Oops, I left the door unlocked.
interpret the “degree”
of die roll they get using the Die Generator. I am moved by your story, but
to which you got a yes 5
or a no. For example, my duy compels me.
if you ask “Does my 6 You’ll get your day in court.
impassioned
7 No, prisoner, get in your cell.
argument resonate
with the jailor?” with 8 No, prisoner, and shut up.
a threshold of 4 , 9 Your kind never stops lying.
then your result table
10 You want my fist in your face?
might be like on the
right. Interpolate the degree between best and worst
case of each yes/no option.

Adapting Other RPGs

Other RPGs can be made hands-free by replacing some
of the rules with those in this game.
This not an idealized result for most random number Some features do not work well in a hands-free
generators, but for our purposes I think it works pretty environment. Here’s some tips on how to deal with
well. I’m not a statistician (or a mathemetician for that them:
matter) but when I took a swing at it, I found the
Feature Accomodation
standard deviation is 2.94 which is a decent distribution
Mapping While there are ways to memorize a
(compared to 2.87 nominal), and the chi-square test is
39.726 with a p value less than 0.0001, which is – as I spatious map (google Memory Palace),
understand it – abysmmal. :) But a 1d10 result at 10% that’s a lot of work! You might try
±2 probability for no math and just counting strokes remembering only notable features. Then
sounds like a win to me. go to a new feature every time. To return
That is examining one theoretical vocabulary, to an old feature, use a Transition Oracle
representing nobody in actuality. Eschewing larger and give it a lower threshold based on
words (see what I did there) gives different biases but how old it is.
the same 10% ±2, so it all works out in the end. Braille Lots o’ stats This is touched upon under Game Phases.
dot results are similar. References Rely on your imagination instead of a
Furthermore, starting the count at an arbitrary sourcebook. Lean on the oracles to help
number, the last rolled number, or the rightmost digit of you to fill in details.
the current “turn number” should reduce the biases Big lookup tables Try to get a sense for what the tables do
significantly. and substitute the Lookup Table.
Small lookup tables These can be turned into a mnemonic
Adjacent Inspiration and memorized, much like I’ve
demonstrated in this manual.
When using oracles that have a word as inspiration, you
may treat these results as “word-adjacent,” meaning Journaling Journal afterward.
that the actual result is a word similar to but not the Progress Tracks See Timers in a section that comes later
same as the inspiration word.
Let’s say you use the Lookup Table for “ancient Split your time between hands-free and not. Use the
treasures” and you got D R I V E R . Literal meanings hands-on time to handle the heavy lifting.
include golf clubs and vehicle operators. One level of
indirection from ( A d a m ) D r i v e r  S t a r W a r s
could be a laser sword. Further indirection of D r i v e r
 C h a u f f e r  S e r va n t could be an automaton
or a charm spell.

12