It's Okay to Run Away: Retreat and Failure in Solo RPGs

Your hero does not have to win every fight. Running away can be the start of a better story, and here is how to make it one.

Retreat is part of the story

New solo players often feel they must fight every monster and win every roll, because quitting a scene feels like losing. It is not. In fiction, the hero who runs, bargains or hides is as common as the one who charges in, and they usually have the better stories. Giving your character permission to retreat also gives you permission to take bigger risks, because you know there is a way out.

Ways to leave a scene

Run. Ask the oracle whether the way back is clear. If the answer is no, something is in the way, which is a new scene.
Hide. Describe where, then ask the oracle whether anyone is looking.
Bargain. Offer something small. The other side is a person too, so use a generated character to give them wants.
Surrender. Being captured is a story. It sets up an escape, a rescue or a strange new ally.
Come back later. Mark the place on your map and return stronger, or with a plan.

Four questions after you run

When your character has escaped, take a minute to write answers to these in your journal. They turn a retreat into progress.

What is the impact? What did running cost? Gear lost, time spent, a companion left behind, a rival who now knows your face?
What did you learn? About the danger, the place or yourself. A good lesson is a clue for next time.
How will you grow? What will you do differently, train in or seek out before returning?
How does it change your perspective? Does the goal still matter? Does a different path look better now?

Turn it into an arc

A character who failed and came back has an arc. Write the answers into your notes, and your next session starts with purpose. If you want help, roll a villain who remembers you, or try a hireling who has seen the danger before.

A reminder for the cautious

If a scene feels uncomfortable for you rather than your character, you may stop or change it at any time. Solo play is for enjoyment, and the real you always has the final say. If you want a gentle place to try this, play an example adventure, where failed rolls always move the story forward and there is always a way on.