A Solo Heroic Fantasy RPG
This section preserves One Hero Engine v0.12 as an archived development draft. It is kept online for design history after the v0.20 rewrite, but it is no longer the current rules version.
The material below is the original split publication of the older draft. It still reflects an unfinished rules state with open gaps and inconsistent procedures, so it should be read as archival source text rather than the active playtest edition.
For the current version, use One Hero Engine v0.20.
At a glance
- Archived version: v0.12
- Version status: Archived development draft
- Current version: v0.20 Coherent Playtest Edition
- Status: Preserved for reference
- Play style: Solo heroic fantasy with no game master required
- Resolution tools: d20 rolls for checks, saves, and combat plus Oracle dice for narrative uncertainty
- Progression: Milestone-based leveling with traits, tags, and path choices
- Legacy character sheet: One Hero Engine v0.12 PDF
Known unresolved areas in the current source include starting HP, zero-HP and defeat procedures, a full Morale subsystem, complete Fray eligibility rules, and a universal spellcasting procedure.
What you need
The current draft assumes:
- A character sheet
- A way to track HP, MP, Tags, Traits, and Twist Points
- d20 rolls for checks, saves, and combat
- 2d6 for the Oracle’s Chance and Risk dice
- Damage dice based on the Step system
If you want the campaign context behind these rules, the earlier setup note is still here: One Hero Engine Campaign Setup.
This archived PDF is preserved as part of the v0.12 draft. It is not the current v0.20 character sheet.
Start here
If you are new to the rules, begin with One Hero Engine: Start Here. That page gathers the current v0.20 play loop, required tools, Oracle basics, and the shortest path from character concept to first scene.
Why this page is shorter now
The original One Hero Engine article had grown into a full draft rulebook on a single page. These archived pages preserve that older split draft:
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Start Here
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Character Creation
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Core Rules
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Combat
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Solo Play
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Ancestries
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Classes and Paths
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Magic
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Advancement
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Quick Reference
- One Hero Engine v0.12: Changelog
Design context
What I wanted from this project was a single-hero campaign that starts powerful enough to feel dramatic without dragging me into too much bookkeeping. This archived version shows an earlier attempt at that design before the tighter v0.20 rewrite.
The core goals of the draft are still the same:
- No game master required
- Oracle tools resolve uncertainty
- Lightweight but expressive mechanics
- Milestone-based leveling
- Character-first design
Because this is an archived draft, some procedures are clear and some remain partial. The gaps are preserved as part of the design history rather than rewritten away.