ALONE IN ROME
A Solo Engine for Glitch! — No GM. No Safety Net. Just You and the City.
"The city doesn't need anyone to run it. It runs itself. It has been running itself for two thousand years and it will keep running long after you are gone. You are not the protagonist of Rome. You are an inconvenience Rome has not yet dealt with."
ALONE IN ROME replaces the Game Master with a set of interlocking tables that generate scenes, complications, NPCs, and consequences. You make decisions. The dice make the city. Between the two of you, something will happen that neither expected.
What You Need
The standard Glitch! rules. A generated character (use the generator in the ROLL SOMEBODY UP section). The dice roller widget ⚄ in the bottom-right corner handles all your rolls — pick the die type, set quantity if needed, hit ROLL. Something to write on. About 90 minutes. The willingness to let the city win sometimes.
Before You Begin
1. Generate your character. Use the Character Generator. Roll everything. Do not cherry-pick. The character the city gives you is the character you play.
2. Roll your Obsession on the Obsession table (d20). This is what drives you. Every session, every scene, every risk you take is in service of this or in spite of it.
3. Roll your Opening Situation on the Opening Scene table (d12). This is where you are when the session starts and what's already wrong.
4. Set the Tension track to 0. It will rise. It always rises.
5. Open two Thread slots. Your Obsession fills one automatically. The other starts empty. The city will fill it.
The Session Structure
A solo session is 3–5 scenes. Each scene has the same structure:
Scene Structure
1. Frame the scene — Roll on the Scene Generator to establish where you are and what's happening. Add your character's current situation.
2. Establish your goal — What are you trying to do in this scene? Name it. One sentence.
3. Ask the Oracle — When the outcome is uncertain, ask the Oracle a yes/no question. Roll d10, consult the Oracle table.
4. Act on the answer — Interpret the result. Use Glitch! rules for any rolls required. Describe what happens.
5. Roll for Complication — After each scene, roll d6. On a 1–2: roll on the Complication table. On a 3–4: Tension +1. On a 5–6: clean exit, no consequence.
6. Check Tension — At Tension 6, a Crisis occurs. Roll on the Crisis table immediately.
Threads
Threads are active story problems. You always have 1–3. Your Obsession is always a thread. Others are created by Oracle results, Complications, and Crisis events.
A thread is resolved when you achieve its goal or when the city takes it away from you. Resolved threads may leave consequences — new threads, new debts, new Heat.
If you ever have 0 threads, roll on the Opening Scene table. The city finds you something.
The Oracle
Ask a yes/no question. Roll d10. The Oracle answers — but Rome always has an opinion.
Hit Roll to see a result
| d10 | Oracle Answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | No. And it gets worse. Not only does it fail — something additional goes wrong. Tension +1. Roll Complication. |
| 2 | No. Firmly. The answer is no and the city makes sure you understand this. A faction, person, or circumstance actively blocks you. |
| 3 | No. But there's something else. The thing you wanted isn't here. Something unexpected is. Roll on the Unexpected Find table. |
| 4 | No. For now. The obstacle is real but temporary. Roll d6 — that's how many scenes before it changes. |
| 5 | Yes. But. You get what you want. It costs something — roll on the Cost table to find out what. |
| 6 | Yes. But someone notices. Success, with an audience. Add 1 Heat to the most relevant faction. They know what you did. |
| 7 | Yes. Conditionally. You can have it — if you first deal with something on the NPC's terms. They name a condition. Interpret it from their motivation. |
| 8 | Yes. Clean and straightforward. It works. Take a moment to enjoy this — it won't last. |
| 9 | Yes. And. Better than expected. You get what you wanted plus something extra — roll on the Unexpected Find table. |
| 10 | Yes. And the city owes you one. Exceptional success. Reduce Heat with one faction by 1. Something in Rome shifted slightly in your favor. Note it. It will be taken back. |
Obsession — d20
Roll once at character creation. This is what you want. Everything else is in service of this or because of it.
Hit Roll to see a result
| d20 | What Drives You |
|---|---|
| 1 | A person. Someone specific. You need to find them, protect them, or reach them before someone else does. Roll d4: 1) they don't know you're coming, 2) they're hiding from you specifically, 3) they're in danger and don't know it, 4) they're the danger. |
| 2 | A debt. Yours. Enormous. The kind that has collectors. You need money — fast, a lot, by any means. The amount: roll d6 × 400 lire. |
| 3 | Information. You know something exists. A formula, a list, a memory, a location. You need to find it before the faction that's also looking does. |
| 4 | Revenge. Someone did something. You remember every detail. You have a name. The name has protection. The protection has a price. |
| 5 | Escape. You want out. Of the city, of a faction, of your own life. But Rome doesn't let go easily and you have one last thing to settle before you can leave. |
| 6 | Protection. Someone is in danger and only you know it. You can't explain how you know. You have to act before whatever's coming arrives. |
| 7 | A job. Specific, high-paying, complicated. Something a crew would normally do. You're doing it alone. Roll on the Jobs Board for which one. |
| 8 | The truth. About something that happened. About what you are. About who someone really was. The truth exists somewhere in the city and is being actively suppressed. |
| 9 | Survival. Someone wants you dead. Specifically, deliberately, recently. You don't know everything about why. You know enough. You need to either run far enough or end the threat. |
| 10 | A memory. One of yours, extracted without consent. It's being sold commercially. Somewhere in this city someone is watching your worst moments as entertainment. You want it back. |
| 11 | An android. One specific android. You built it, owned it, loved it, lost it, destroyed it, or were destroyed by it. The relationship is complicated. The city has it somewhere. |
| 12 | Redemption. You did something. You know what it was. Someone was hurt by it who didn't deserve to be. You can't undo it. You can try to compensate. The city will make this very difficult. |
| 13 | Power. A specific resource, position, or leverage point. If you had it, everything else would be manageable. You don't have it. Someone does. Roll a faction — they have it. |
| 14 | A substance. You need it. Specifically, not a substitute, not a similar product. Your supplier is gone, arrested, dead, or compromised. The only remaining source is controlled by someone who doesn't know you exist yet. |
| 15 | An object. Physical. Specific. Currently in someone else's possession. It's yours by right, sentiment, or necessity — but the law and the city disagree. |
| 16 | Justice. Not revenge — actual accountability. Something happened and no one has answered for it. You've decided that you will be the one to make them answer. The system will not help you. The system is part of the problem. |
| 17 | Love. You are in love with someone. Completely, involuntarily, at the worst possible time. They are in a situation that is dangerous, complicated, or actively hostile to your involvement. This will not stop you. |
| 18 | Identity. You don't know what you are. Human, android, clone, something else — there's a gap in your memory or your biology that the city has the answer to. Someone knows. They've been keeping it from you deliberately. |
| 19 | Legacy. Someone died and left something unfinished. A task, a promise, a debt, an enemy. You've decided to finish it. You're not sure you have the right to. You're going to do it anyway. |
| 20 | Nothing. You have no obsession. You are simply surviving, one scene at a time, making decisions that feel right and dealing with consequences. Roll on the Scene Generator and begin. The obsession will find you. |
Scene Generator
Roll on each sub-table and combine the results. The combination is your scene. Interpret freely — the dice give you elements, you give them meaning.
Location — d12
Hit Roll to see a result
| 1 | Termini Morta market — the dead station, always open, always dangerous. Stalls in every direction. The smell of ozone and old blood. |
| 2 | Trastevere Profondo — tight streets, tenement windows, the sound of music from somewhere you can't locate. Everyone knows everyone. Nobody trusts anyone. |
| 3 | A Pharma-Vatican distribution point — the queue is long and quiet. The acolyte behind the counter sees everything and remembers it. |
| 4 | Parioli Superiore — glass and filtered air and people who have never smelled sewage. You are immediately conspicuous. SecCorp patrols every four hours. |
| 5 | EUR Fantasma — Mussolini's unfinished monument. Marble and squatters and data brokers in the old exhibition halls. Something on the top floor is watching. |
| 6 | Ostiense Bruciata — industrial ruins still running. Chemical fires. The best music in the city playing in a warehouse between the burning and the machinery. |
| 7 | Via Sacra Nera — contested territory between three religions who hate each other. Ancient ruins as battleground. Every surface is marked by someone's claim. |
| 8 | An augmentation clinic — three chairs, flickering lights, a drain that never fully clears. The surgeon doesn't ask questions. The equipment is mostly sterile. |
| 9 | A rooftop — the city from above. You can see three districts from here. Someone below is looking for you. You can see them but they haven't seen you yet. |
| 10 | A moving vehicle — tram, stolen car, SecCorp transport you shouldn't be in. The destination is not entirely under your control. |
| 11 | The Zerocalcare compound — artists and anarchists and the only free clinic in the southern districts. They'll help you if they decide you're worth helping. |
| 12 | Somewhere you've been before — a location from a previous scene, or from your character's background. Something has changed since you were last here. Roll d6: 1–2 worse, 3–4 different, 5–6 someone is waiting. |
Situation — d12
Hit Roll to see a result
| 1 | You're being followed. You noticed three blocks ago. They're professional. They haven't made a move yet. That's the concerning part. |
| 2 | Something is about to happen. The tension in this location is visible — people moving too quickly, conversations stopping, a smell that shouldn't be here. You have one scene to act before it does. |
| 3 | You need something this location has. Information, a person, an object, access. It's here. Getting it requires navigating whoever else is here first. |
| 4 | Someone recognizes you. Roll d6: 1–2 they're glad to see you (they want something), 3–4 they're afraid of you (you did something), 5–6 they shouldn't know you exist (someone told them). |
| 5 | You're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Something is happening here that has nothing to do with you. It will involve you anyway. Roll on the Complication table for what it is. |
| 6 | A transaction is occurring. Money, goods, information, or a person changing hands. You can observe it, interrupt it, participate in it, or ignore it. Each option has consequences. |
| 7 | You're waiting for someone who is late. Each scene they don't appear, roll d6. On a 1: they're not coming. On a 2–3: they're in trouble. On a 4+: they arrive, with complications. |
| 8 | A faction is active here. Roll which one on the Faction Presence table. They're not here for you. That may change. |
| 9 | You have a window. A brief, specific opportunity — someone's back is turned, a door is unlocked, a patrol has just passed. You have one action before the window closes. |
| 10 | Something from your past. Roll d6: 1–2 your Debt shows up in person, 3–4 one of your Habits creates an immediate problem, 5–6 your Background intersects with what's here in an unexpected way. |
| 11 | You're hurt or compromised. Either carry forward damage from the previous scene, or roll d6 — on a 1–2 you're currently low on a resource (ammo, Static, Power if android) and this scene requires it. |
| 12 | The city gives you something. Roll on the Unexpected Find table. It's here. Whether it's useful, dangerous, or both depends on what you do with it. |
NPC Presence — d10
Hit Roll to see a result
| 1 | Nobody relevant. The scene is you and the location. The city watches but says nothing. |
| 2 | A crowd. Dozens of people, none specific. Cover and anonymity, but also witnesses. PRE DR 12 to disappear into them. |
| 3 | One NPC, hostile disposition. Roll their role on the Faction Presence table. They have a reason to be here that conflicts with yours. |
| 4 | One NPC, neutral disposition. They have their own agenda. They'll deal with you if it serves them. Generate motivation from the NPC table. |
| 5 | One NPC, cautiously friendly. They know something useful and might share it. PRE DR 10 to establish enough trust. They want something reasonable in return. |
| 6 | An android. Roll d6: 1–2 registered and compliant (ARM chip visible), 3–4 rogue and wary, 5–6 in Glitch — roll on the Glitch table for current state. |
| 7 | A named NPC from the ROM Cast. Roll d6 to determine which one (1 Zanardi, 2 the Cop, 3 the Kid, 4 the Scientist, 5 the Fixer, 6 the Cardinal). They are here for their own reasons. Those reasons may intersect with yours. |
| 8 | Two NPCs in conflict. They're in the middle of something. You've walked into it. Choosing sides, staying neutral, or exploiting the situation are all options with different costs. |
| 9 | Someone who knows you. From your Background, or a previous scene. Their disposition depends on how that history went. If this is the first scene, roll d6: 1–3 they owe you something, 4–6 you owe them. |
| 10 | Mort. Not looking for you. Not interested in you. Passing through, or stopped, or standing very still staring at something across the street. He is an obstacle or an asset depending entirely on whether Marla-J is nearby and what mood she's in. Roll d6: 1–2 she's here, 3–6 she's not. |
Faction Presence — d8
Hit Roll to see a result
| 1 | SecurItalia Corp — patrol, checkpoint, or plainclothes operative. Their interest in you depends on your Heat level with them. |
| 2 | Pharma-Vatican — distributor, enforcer, or acolyte. They want something from this location or someone in it. The Sacraments are always moving. |
| 3 | Android Liberation Front — cell of 2–4, cautious, armed. They're running an operation. They'll accept help from the right kind of person. Roll PRE DR 12 to qualify. |
| 4 | Luddite Enclave — wreckers, 1–3, carrying sledgehammers and purpose. They heard there's an android nearby. There may or may not be. Either way they're committed. |
| 5 | CogniData SA — extraction team, professional, legally covered. Someone here has memories they want. May or may not be you. |
| 6 | Street gang — d4+2 members, territorial. Roll their motivation from the Gang Motivation table in the main rules. |
| 7 | ARM — Android Resource Management — compliance officers with SecCorp escort. They have a name. Roll d6: 1–3 it's yours or an android you know, 4–6 it's someone else's problem that's about to become yours. |
| 8 | Zerocalcare Collective — activists, medics, or journalists. Friendly by default. They need something. It's always reasonable and always dangerous. |
Tension Track
Tension starts at 0 each session. It rises through Oracle results, Complications, and bad decisions. At Tension 6 a Crisis occurs immediately — roll on the Crisis table and resolve it before continuing.
Complication — d20
Roll when the Oracle says something goes wrong, or after a scene on a 1–2.
Hit Roll to see a result
| 1 | Heat +1 with the most relevant faction. They saw something. They noted it. It's in a file now. |
| 2 | New Thread. Something from the current scene becomes an active problem that won't resolve itself. Name it and add it to your Thread tracker. |
| 3 | Resource depleted. Lose one item, dose, or charge from your gear. The city takes things. |
| 4 | Someone followed you. You don't know who yet. They know where you've been. Roll NPC Presence at the start of your next scene — that's who it is. |
| 5 | Physical cost. Take d4 damage from stress, a minor altercation, or the city's infrastructure failing around you at the wrong moment. |
| 6 | A thread gets worse. Pick your most pressing Thread. Whatever was difficult about it becomes significantly harder. Add a new obstacle. |
| 7 | Tension +1. The city is winding tighter. Something is building that you can feel but not yet name. |
| 8 | Time pressure. You now have d4 scenes to resolve your current Thread before consequences arrive automatically. The clock is now visible. |
| 9 | Debt called in. Someone you owe — money, a favor, a past action — makes contact. They want what they're owed. Now. Roll d6: 1–2 character background, 3–4 previous Oracle result, 5–6 the city invented it. |
| 10 | An NPC turns. Someone neutral or friendly now has leverage over you or has become hostile. Roll d6: 1–3 hostile, 4–6 leverage. |
| 11 | Your Habit activates. Roll d2 — that Bad Habit creates an immediate mechanical problem. You don't get to choose not to. |
| 12 | Something good goes wrong. A previous success has an unexpected cost that surfaces now. Invent it — make it hurt in an interesting way. |
| 13 | Unwanted witness. Someone saw what you just did. They're not a faction — they're a civilian. They look like they're deciding something. Roll d6: 1–2 they report it, 3–4 they want payment for silence, 5–6 they want to help, which is its own problem. |
| 14 | Equipment failure. One piece of gear stops working. Roll d6 to determine which item. It can be repaired — but not now, not here, and not cheaply. |
| 15 | The city is in a mood. Roll on the City Mood table. That mood takes effect immediately and persists for the rest of this scene. |
| 16 | Your Obsession recedes. Something happens that makes your goal feel further away — a lead goes cold, a contact vanishes, a door closes. It's still there. The city just reminded you how far you have to go. |
| 17 | Heat +1 with a faction you forgot about. Not the most relevant one — a different one. They've been watching quietly. They just stopped being quiet. |
| 18 | A bad roll compounds. The last test you failed has a secondary consequence that arrives now. The city doesn't let things go easily. |
| 19 | Someone from your past. Roll d6: 1–2 a person from your Background appears and complicates the scene, 3–4 evidence of something you did surfaces in a way someone else can find, 5–6 a name from your Debt shows up in the wrong place at the wrong time. |
| 20 | Everything at once. Roll twice more on this table, ignoring further 20s. Both apply. They are connected. Figure out how before the scene ends. |
Cost — d8
Roll when the Oracle gives a "Yes, but" result.
Hit Roll to see a result
| 1 | Money. It costs lire. Roll d6 × 100 lire. If you can't pay, roll Complication instead. |
| 2 | Time. It takes longer than expected. Tension +1. The window you had is narrower now. |
| 3 | Attention. Heat +1 with a relevant faction. What you did was noticed. |
| 4 | Damage. Take d4 damage. The city exacts a physical toll. |
| 5 | A favor owed. Someone helped you and they will collect. Add them as a Thread — they'll appear within d4 scenes. |
| 6 | Something lost. An item, a piece of information, or an advantage you had is now gone or compromised. |
| 7 | Trust damaged. An NPC who was favorable becomes neutral. An NPC who was neutral becomes suspicious. The city watches who you're willing to sacrifice. |
| 8 | A new complication. Roll on the Complication table. The yes has a tail attached to it. |
Unexpected Find — d20
Roll when the Oracle gives an "And" result, or when the Scene Generator indicates something unexpected.
Hit Roll to see a result
| 1 | Money. Roll d6 × 150 lire. No explanation. The city occasionally gives things back. |
| 2 | Useful information. Someone here knows something relevant. Roll NPC Motivation — that's what they know and will trade. |
| 3 | A contact. Someone here can help with your current Thread. They're not offering — you'll need to approach. PRE DR 10. |
| 4 | Gear. Roll twice on the Salvage table. Take one, leave one, or take both and attract attention. |
| 5 | A lead on your Obsession. A fragment — a name, a location, a connection — real and forward-moving. Define what it is. |
| 6 | An android in need. Power 1 or lower, or in Glitch, or both. What you do is your business. The city notes it either way. |
| 7 | Heat reduced. Something here clears the air. Reduce Heat by 1 with your highest-Heat faction. |
| 8 | A witness to something important. They saw something relevant to your Thread or Obsession. PRE DR 12 to extract the useful part without alarming them. |
| 9 | A thread resolved naturally. One active Thread reaches a conclusion without your intervention — the city moved and closed the door. Note the consequence and remove it. |
| 10 | Something from the Strange Things table. Roll there. It's here. What it means is yours to determine. |
| 11 | A safe place. Someone offers shelter, a safe house, or a secure location for the night. No strings visible. Roll d6: on a 1, there are strings. |
| 12 | Medical attention. A Surgeon, a clinic, or a Chemist with supplies. Restore d6 HP. No charge — they want a favor instead. Roll d6: 1–2 simple, 3–4 complicated, 5–6 dangerous. |
| 13 | Intelligence on a faction. You overhear, observe, or stumble into something that tells you what one faction is currently planning. Choose which faction — the information is real and actionable. |
| 14 | Static recovered. Something restores your luck, your nerve, or your faith in something. Recover 1 Static. |
| 15 | A distraction, well-timed. Something happens in the scene that draws attention away from you at exactly the right moment. One test that would have been DR 14 becomes DR 10 this scene only. |
| 16 | Abandoned gear. Something left behind by someone who no longer needs it. Roll once on the Salvage table. It has a history — roll d6: 1–2 it's traceable, 3–4 someone is looking for it, 5–6 it's clean. |
| 17 | An overheard conversation. Two people talking who don't know you can hear. The content connects to one of your active Threads in a way that reframes what you knew. Reinterpret one Thread detail. |
| 18 | An unexpected ally. Someone in this scene decides you're worth helping — not for payment, not for leverage, but because the city occasionally produces people like this. They help once, cleanly, and disappear. |
| 19 | The Obsession moves. Something here brings you measurably closer to what you want. Not resolution — movement. The distance between you and the goal is shorter than it was. Define how. |
| 20 | Everything at once. Roll twice more, ignoring further 20s. Both apply. The city is being generous, which means something is about to cost you twice as much somewhere else. |
Crisis — d20
Roll immediately when Tension reaches 6. Resolve completely before continuing the session.
Hit Roll to see a result
| 1 | Ambush. A faction with Heat 3+ sends people. Roll how many from the Threats section. Combat is likely. Escape is possible. Neither is guaranteed. |
| 2 | Betrayal. An NPC you trusted was working against you. Heat +2 with their faction. They took something. Roll Salvage — that's what's missing. |
| 3 | Deadline expired. A Thread you've been avoiding resolves badly. Determine the worst plausible outcome and apply it. |
| 4 | Physical crisis. Take d8 damage and roll on the Broken Table. The city finally touched you directly. |
| 5 | Cornered. No obvious exit. At least one serious threat closing in. One scene to find a solution before it becomes unresolvable. |
| 6 | The Obsession is threatened. Whatever you want most is in danger of permanent loss. d4 scenes to act before it's gone. Everything else stops mattering. |
| 7 | Mort. He is here. Something involving you has intersected with something involving Marla-J. He does not distinguish intentional from accidental. Make your case fast. |
| 8 | Everything at once. Roll twice more on this table, ignoring further 8s. Both happen. They are connected. Figure out how. |
| 9 | Faction war erupts. Two factions with unresolved conflict between them reach a flashpoint in your current location. You are caught between them. Neither side is interested in your neutrality. |
| 10 | Identity exposed. Someone reveals something about who you are — your Background, your real name, what you did — in a public or faction-visible context. Heat +1 with all factions simultaneously. |
| 11 | The android breaks. If you have an android ally or contact, they Glitch catastrophically — roll d20 on the Glitch table and apply it at maximum intensity. If no android contact, a nearby android Glitches and you are in the blast radius. |
| 12 | Resource crisis. Lose half your remaining lire (round down). Lose one piece of gear to damage or theft. Lose 1 Static. The city is collecting on something. |
| 13 | A Thread closes badly. Your longest-running active Thread resolves — against you. Apply the worst outcome you can imagine that still makes narrative sense. It's done. It can't be undone. |
| 14 | Pharmaceutical crisis. If addicted: withdrawal hits now — all tests at −2 for the rest of the session unless medicated immediately. If not addicted: you find something and the city makes it look very appealing. TOU DR 14 to resist starting. |
| 15 | The safe place isn't. A location you considered secure — a contact's stall, a safe house, a known route — has been compromised. You find out the hard way. Roll Faction Presence to see who's waiting there. |
| 16 | Collateral damage. Someone uninvolved in your situation is hurt because of it. An NPC from a previous scene. Someone who helped you. The city sends you the bill for their involvement in the form of a new Thread you cannot ignore. |
| 17 | ARM termination warrant. If you are android or have harbored one: ARM has issued a termination warrant. You are now legally removable by any ARM-affiliated party. If not android: someone close to you is on the list instead. |
| 18 | The Cardinal moves. Pharma-Vatican sends a Kardinal-Enforcer. Not acolytes — the real thing. They know your addictions. They arrive with an offer before they arrive with anything else. The offer will be difficult to refuse. It should be refused. |
| 19 | Decay advances. Roll on the Decay table. That stage begins applying to this session's fiction immediately. The city got worse while you were busy. |
| 20 | Survive this and you are changed. The Crisis is severe — the GM (you) decides what form it takes, drawing from everything currently active in the fiction. It should be the worst thing that makes sense. Resolve it. If you survive, roll immediately on the Scar & Change table. No session end roll — just the scar. |
Session End — d6
Roll at the end of each session to determine what the city took and what it left.
Hit Roll to see a result
| 1 | The city won this round. A Thread you didn't resolve worsens. Heat +1 with your highest-Heat faction. No advancement roll. The city is not done with you. |
| 2 | A draw. No advancement. No improvement. But you're still here, which in Rome counts for something. Reduce Tension to 0. Begin next session fresh. |
| 3 | Forward movement. Make one advancement roll from the Scar & Change table. You're getting somewhere. It costs what it always costs. |
| 4 | Something resolved. Close your least active Thread. It's done — for good or ill. Gain d6 × 50 lire from whatever it left behind. |
| 5 | Closer. Your Obsession has advanced. You are one significant step nearer to whatever you're chasing. Define what that step is. Note it. The city noticed you moving. |
| 6 | A good session. Advancement roll plus one Thread resolved plus Tension resets to 0. This happens rarely. It will not last. Enjoy it while the city isn't looking. |
Opening Scene — d12
Roll once at the start of your first session only. This is where you are and what's already wrong before the first scene begins.
Hit Roll to see a result
| d12 | Where You Start |
|---|---|
| 1 | You owe money. Your Debt from character creation is being collected. Right now. The collector is in the same location. They are not patient. |
| 2 | You just arrived somewhere you shouldn't be. Roll Location. You are here, you have no obvious reason to be here, and someone has noticed. Roll NPC Presence. |
| 3 | You're recovering. From something. HP at half maximum. Roll d6: 1–2 a fight, 3–4 a bad dose, 5–6 something you did that you're not proud of. You don't have all the details yet. |
| 4 | Someone left you a message. Physical, unsigned. It contains a location, a time, and one sentence that suggests the sender knows something about your Obsession. The time is soon. |
| 5 | You're being watched. You know it. You can't identify who yet. Roll Faction Presence — that's who it is. They haven't moved yet. |
| 6 | Something from your Background is here. Roll Location — you're there. Roll d6: 1–3 someone from that past recognized you first, 4–6 something from that past has physically manifested (a person, an object, a consequence). |
| 7 | You have 24 hours. To do something. You know what it is — it connects directly to your Obsession. The 24 hours started some time ago. You don't know exactly how long ago. |
| 8 | You found something. Roll on the Unexpected Find table. It's in your possession. You don't know yet if that's a good thing. |
| 9 | You're running. From something. You've been running for two hours. You don't know if you've lost them yet. Roll Faction Presence — that's who's behind you. |
| 10 | The city is in a mood. Roll on the City Mood table. That mood is the backdrop for the entire first scene. Everything that happens is colored by it. |
| 11 | Quiet. Nothing immediate is wrong. You have a moment to breathe, to plan, to observe. Roll Location — you're somewhere relatively safe. This will not last. Roll d6: on a 1, it ends before the scene does. |
| 12 | The worst possible start. Roll twice on this table. Both are true simultaneously. The city wanted to make an impression. |
The Solo Mindset
You are the author and the protagonist simultaneously. When the Oracle gives you a result, interpret it in the most dramatically interesting way — not the most convenient. When a Complication arrives, don't minimize it. The city is trying to tell you a story. Let it.
You will lose scenes. Characters will die. Obsessions will be permanently blocked. This is correct. Rome is not obligated to let you win. The interesting question is not whether you survive — it's what you do with the time you have.
Write it down. Even a sentence per scene. You'll want to remember what happened when the session is over.