A Historical Solo
Journaling RPG
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Roman
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Roman
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Chronicle
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Chronicle
SOLO INVESTIGATION
SOLO INVESTIGATION RPG
RPG
BASUNAT ANCIENT ROME
ANCIENT ROME
Roman Chronicle
A Historical Solo Journaling RPG
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Basunat
2025
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Original written by: Basunat
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Roman Chronicle v1.0 © 2025 Basunat
Text under license: CC-BY-SA 4.0
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A Note from the Chronicler
Part I: Core Game
Chapter I: Unveiling Your Roman Chronicle
The Essence of Solo Journaling RPGs
Which Version to Use: Forging Your Experience
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The Core Game (Part I)
The Full Game (Integrating Part II)
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What You Need to Play
The Roman Twilight: A Glimpse of the Age
Your Place in the Twilight
Understanding Wealth: The Roman Chronicle's Economy
Chapter II: The Scriptorium's Call
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Your Pen in Hand: Character Creation
Your First Commission: A Window into Rome
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Receiving a Client Request (Card Prompt)
Writing the Client's Letter
Example of Letter Draft (from a PC with Survival ambition
and low Social Awareness)
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Identifying Information Threads
Example Information Threads from Servilia's Case
Reflect and Journal
Example Journal Entry (from the same PC)
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Character Examples
Character Example 1: Livia Faustina
Character Example 2: Marcus Rufus
Chapter III: Streets and Scrutiny
Expanding Your Contacts
Deeper Observation: Finding More Threads
The Social Awareness Meter: Your Evolving Perspective
What are Prompts and How to Use Them?
Prompts: The Daily Grind
New Client Request (1d6)
Game Example: Livia Faustina
Chapter IV: Unraveling the Knots
Connecting Threads to Discover Potential Plots
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Formulating Investigation Questions
How to Formulate Investigation Questions
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Pursuing Leads: The First Steps of Investigation
Prompts: Pursuing Leads
Game Example: Marcus Rufus (Continued)
Chapter V: The Weight of Truth
Publication Opportunities
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The Ethical Choice: Using Your Pen
Prompts: The Ethical Choice
Set of Prompts
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Game Example: Livia Faustina
Chapter VI: The Pen's Legacy
The Long-Term Impact
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Determining Your Legacy
Prompts: The Chronicler's Legacy
Game Example: Livia Faustina (Concluding)
Part II: Expanding Your Journey
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Playing Your Way: Part I or Part II
What Awaits You in Part II?
Chapter VII: Expanded Lore – The Twilight of the Empire
The Zenith of Rome: The Age of Unification
The Fracturing: The Long Decline
The Shattered Legacy: The Current Era
The Nature of Conflict in the Shattered Legacy
Key Concepts for Your Chronicles
Elements for Your Story Creation
Crafting Your Adventure Hook
Chapter VIII: Deepening Your Chronicle
The Cost of Failure: Setbacks and Complications
How to Use the Consequence Die
Character Advancement and Growth
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Reputation System: Navigating the Political Landscape
Identifying Key Factions
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Tracking Your Reputation
Gaining and Losing Reputation
Consequences of Reputation
Long-Term Play and Campaign Development
e Campaign Structure & Milestones
Thematic Arcs and Resolution
Environmental Changes: The World Evolves
Chapter IX: Tools for the Solo Chronicler
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The Oracles: Answering the Unseen
Yes/No Oracle
The Unexpected Plot Twist Oracle
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Descriptor Table: Adding Rich Detail
Random Descriptor Table
Oracles (Expanded)
Event Oracle
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Action Outcome Oracle
Character Trait Oracle
Location Detail Oracle
Conflict Resolution Oracle
Travel & Encounter Tables
How to Use These Tables
Destinations Around Rome (1d20)
Historical Sites Within Rome (1d20)
NPCs of Rome and its Surroundings (1d20)
NPC Biographies
Chapter X: Claudia Magna's Chronicle
Entry 1
Entry 5
Entry 9
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Entry 15
Entry 18
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Entry 21
Appendices
Quick Start Rules
Rules Summary
e Gameplay Flow
Oracles and Their Use
Progression and Ending
Step-by-Step Gameplay Example
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Starting Your First Session
Meet Your Chronicler: Valeria, the Frontier Scout
The Adventure Begins: A Brewing Crisis
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Step-by-Step Gameplay
Post-Session
Designer Notes: Forging the Roman Chronicle
ROMAN CHRONICLE: CHARACTER SHEET
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Pre-Generated Character Sheets
A Note from the Chronicler
You hold in your hands a key to a lost age. An age of
unparalleled dominion, where the eagles of Rome soared from
the sun-baked sands of Africa to the mist-laden forests of
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Britannia. An age where laws were etched in stone, roads
stretched like sinews across a vast empire, and the very concept
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of civilization seemed to flow from the Tiber’s banks. Indeed, for
centuries, to be Roman was to be a citizen of the world’s
enduring marvel.
Yet, even the mightiest oak may wither, and the longest day
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must yield to night. The Empire, so vast, so seemingly eternal,
began to groan under its own weight. The very success that had
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forged its unity now, paradoxically, sowed the seeds of its
decline. This is not a tale of the Republic’s stern virtues, nor the
dizzying heights of the Pax Romana. No, Chronicler, your journey
begins in the shadow of its zenith, as the long, slow descent
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begins –a decline marked not by a single cataclysm, but by a
thousand gnawing wounds.
You are stepping into the Twilight of the Empire.
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Here, the marble of proud monuments cracks, aqueducts weep
their precious water onto parched earth, and the discipline of
once-unconquerable legions frays. The familiar gods of the
Capitoline, Jupiter Optimus Maximus and the rest, seem to have
turned their faces away, their temples slowly yielding to new,
often secretive, faiths. From beyond the Rhine and the Danube, a
clamor rises: the so-called Barbarians – Goths, Vandals, Franks –
are no longer mere raiders to be repelled. They are peoples on the
move, pressing, settling, and sometimes, even ruling within lands
once proudly Roman.
This is a time of emperors who rise and fall with bewildering
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speed, their reigns often shorter than the construction of a public
bathhouse. A time of civil strife, of economic decay that gnaws at
the common man, and of a weary populace longing for the
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stability of bygone days. Yet, even in this gloom, sparks of
resilience endure. Isolated communities cling fiercely to Roman
ways, cunning merchants find profit amidst the chaos, and
forgotten knowledge lies buried, awaiting discovery.
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Your chronicle will not be a grand history of emperors and
battles, though their echoes will surely touch your path. No, your
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story will be far more personal, far more immediate. You are not
a senator, nor a general. You are a solitary soul, navigating this
fractured world, driven by your own motives, seeking your own
fortune, or simply striving for survival.
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Will you be a loyal servant, seeking to mend the broken pieces of
the Pax Romana? A pragmatic survivor, carving out a meager
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existence in a dangerous world? Perhaps a scholar, desperate to
preserve ancient knowledge before it is lost forever? Or will you
cast your lot with the new powers rising from the ruins, forging a
new identity in a changed world?
The ink is fresh, the dice await. Begin, Chronicler, and let your
journey unfold with total freedom.
Part I: Core Game
Chapter I: Unveiling Your Roman
Chronicle
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Welcome, Chronicler, to Roman Chronicle: A Historical Solo
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Journaling RPG. This book is your guide and your companion as
you embark on a personal journey through the fragmented and
perilous world of the late Western Roman Empire. Here, you are
the protagonist, the storyteller, and the sole arbiter of your fate.
eThe Essence of Solo Journaling RPGs
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Before we delve into the rules, it’s vital to grasp the heart of a
solo journaling RPG. Unlike traditional role-playing games, there
is no Game Master (GM) to guide you. Instead, this book –with
its rules, tables, and prompts– serves as your interactive GM. If
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you are a beginner, don't worry, with this book as your faithful
guide, you will learn to play step by step. These are the steps you
will usually have to follow.
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1. Read and Interpret: Understand the situation, your
character’s goals, and the historical context.
2. Declare Actions: Decide what your character attempts to
do.
3. Consult the Oracle/Tables: Use dice rolls and specific
tables within this book to determine the outcome of your
actions and introduce new elements into your story.
4. Write Your Chronicle: The most crucial step. Based on the
rules and oracle results, you will write the narrative of
your character’s journey, successes, failures, and
discoveries. This is where your unique story truly takes
shape.
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This process is a dynamic conversation between your
imagination, the game's mechanics, and the roll of the dice.
Embrace the unexpected, and let the story surprise you.
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Which Version to Use: Forging Your Experience
Roman Chronicle is designed with two distinct approaches to
play, allowing you to tailor the depth of your experience. You
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can choose to play with the Core Game for a streamlined
experience, or integrate the Full Game for a more historically
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detailed and mechanically rich campaign.
The Core Game (Part I)
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This rulebook is complete in itself for a satisfying and engaging
experience. The Core Game focuses on the essentials.
● Character Creation: Defining your unique Roman
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character.
● Core Mechanics: Understanding Focus Points (Perception,
Ingenuity, Resilience) and dice rolls.
● Action Resolution: How to determine the success or
failure of your character's attempts.
● Basic Oracle: Simple event generation to move your story
forward.
● The Chronicle: The art of journaling your adventure.
This is the ideal starting point for beginners. If you are new to
solo RPGs, or prefer a quicker, less complex game, begin here.
Master these foundational rules, complete a few short
adventures, and get comfortable with the rhythm of play.
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The Full Game (Integrating Part II)
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For those who crave deeper immersion, richer historical detail,
and more complex strategic choices, the Full Game integrates
additional mechanics and extensive lore found in the latter half
of this book. The Full Game includes delving into all aspects of
the Core Game.
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● Expanded Historical Lore: A detailed dive into the period,
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providing greater context for your adventures.
● Deeper Consequence Mechanics: Making failures more
narratively impactful.
● Character Progression: Allowing your character to gain
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Insight Points and evolve over time.
● Faction & Reputation System: Tracking your standing
with various groups, influencing opportunities and
threats.
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● Advanced Oracles & Tools: More nuanced event
generation, environmental conditions, and plot twists.
● Detailed Location & NPC Tables: Specific historical sites in
and around Rome, complete with unique encounters.
We recommend beginning with the Core Game. Once you feel
comfortable with the basic flow and wish to add more layers to
your chronicles –more historical authenticity, more complex
challenges, and deeper character growth– then consult the
sections dedicated to the Full Game. They are designed to
seamlessly integrate with the core rules you will already know.
You can transition to the Full Game at any point. Perhaps after
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your first major adventure, or when you feel ready for a
multi-session campaign. The choice is always yours.
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What You Need to Play
To embark on your Roman Chronicle, you will require only a few
simple tools.
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● This Book: Your complete guide to the game.
● Dice: You will need several six-sided dice (d6). Having at
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least 3-5 is ideal, but more is always better for speed.
● A Journal/Notebook: This is where you will write your
chronicle. It can be a physical notebook, a digital
document, or even a simple text file. This is where your
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story comes to life.
● A Pen/Pencil (or keyboard): For writing your entries.
That’s all. No miniatures, no maps (unless you wish to draw
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them), no elaborate setup. Just the power of your imagination
and the guiding hand of the rules.
The Roman Twilight: A Glimpse of the Age
To fully immerse yourself in Roman Chronicle, it is vital to
understand the turbulent epoch you inhabit. This is not the Rome
of Caesar and Augustus, a thriving metropolis at the heart of an
undisputed empire. No, Chronicler, your Rome is later, a city and
an empire teetering on the precipice, its glory fading, its power
fractured.
The Unravelling: A Vast Empire Stretched Thin
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For centuries, Rome had been the undisputed master of the
Mediterranean world. Its vastness was its strength, a network of
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cities, provinces, and trade routes bound by Roman law, Roman
roads, and the iron will of its legions. Yet, this very expansion led
to unprecedented strains. The Empire grew too vast to govern
effectively from a single seat. Communication was slow,
administration unwieldy, and the sheer cost of maintaining its
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sprawling borders became an immense burden.
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The Barracks Emperors: A Crown of Thorns
The political landscape became a dizzying merry-go-round of
emperors. Unlike the stability of the Pax Romana, this era saw
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numerous short-lived reigns, often decided by the legions
themselves. Generals, ambitious and charismatic, would seize
power, only to be overthrown by the next ambitious general. This
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constant internal strife – civil wars, assassinations, usurpations –
bled the Empire of its resources, its finest men, and its political
cohesion. Loyalty became a scarce commodity, bought with
promises of plunder or fear of the sword.
The Barbarian Tide: New Peoples, New Pressures
For centuries, Rome had viewed the peoples beyond its borders
–the barbarians– with a mix of disdain and grudging respect.
They were a threat to be managed, a source of slaves and
recruits, or simply a wild periphery. But as the Empire weakened,
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these external pressures intensified dramatically. Tribes like the
Goths, Vandals, and Franks, themselves displaced by other forces
further east, began to press against Roman frontiers not just for
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raids, but for new lands to settle.
These weren't always organized invasions. Often, they were vast
migrations of entire peoples, seeking refuge or opportunity
within the vast, seemingly empty lands of a declining empire.
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The legions, stretched thin and often demoralized, found it
increasingly difficult to hold the line. Fortifications built over
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centuries crumbled, and once-proud Roman provinces became
new, independent kingdoms, ruled by foreign kings who often
adopted Roman customs but retained their own fiercely
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independent identities.
Economic Decline and Social Upheaval
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The very engine of Roman prosperity began to sputter. Constant
warfare, both internal and external, drained the imperial coffers.
Trade routes became perilous, disrupted by brigands and warring
factions. Inflation soared, making basic goods expensive and
devaluing the Roman coin. Taxation became an oppressive
burden on the common people, leading to widespread poverty
and desperation. Cities, once vibrant hubs of commerce and
culture, began to shrink, their grand buildings falling into
