Bromeliad: Far From Home is a mini RPG designed for solo play, where you play as an anthromorphic tree frog setting off from their home flower to explore the wide world.
You can PWYW for this title on DriveThruRPG or download a free PDF here. To get early access to monthly games, support me on Patreon.
Each flower, a city. Each branch, a nation. Each treetop, a world.
It is time to leave your home and see what lies beyond the glory of the petals and the pool.
Pack your things and make your way, brave soul.
What lies ahead may be dangerous, but one day you will return with what you set out to find.
You are a tree frog, of the genus Bromeliohyla. You were born in the pool inside this great flower in the tree-tops. Until now, it is all you have known.
You have seen travellers come through. Their weary legs carrying them over the edge of the petals above. They sell their wares and tell their tales. They look into each other’s eyes with understanding and they look into yours with something that could be sadness, or nostalgia, or pity.
Today, you pack what little you have into a folded leaf and tie it to your back. You take one last look behind you and begin to scale the petal walls. Ahead of you is a world you have never seen before…
HOW TO PLAY
You will need a handful of dice (1d20, 1d10, 1d6 & 5d4), the RUNNING A GAME page, and a way to write things down to keep track of your story.
This game is GMless and designed for solo play. It relies on generating OUTCOMES for your actions by rolling dice and adding modifiers. Depending on how high you roll, a selection of potential OUTCOMES will be generated. When OUTCOMES are generated, pick one that fits the current narrative. Try and ask yourself how the narrative will move forward, based on the wording of the OUTCOME and the story so far.
Remember, you are the hero, but you are not perfect. Things will not always go your way.
CONFIDENCE
On your adventure you will need to make rolls to generate OUTCOMES. Only make a roll when the success of your action is in doubt.
Whenever you wish to generate an OUTCOME, check what your current CONFIDENCE level is and roll the appropriate dice.
Your CONFIDENCE can be either LOW, NORMAL, or HIGH.
| HIGH | 5d4 |
| NORMAL | 1d10, 1d6, 1d4 |
| LOW | 1d20 |
Each OUTCOME will tell you to increase or decrease CONFIDENCE.
When you increase or decrease CONFIDENCE, change it by one level unless otherwise stated – if it is currently LOW, it becomes NORMAL. If it is currently NORMAL, it becomes HIGH etc.
You begin with a NORMAL level of CONFIDENCE.
SITUATIONS
You may have lived a sheltered life that hasn’t prepared you for the true dangers of the outside world, but you are better in some SITUATIONS that others.
Assign the modifiers +2, +1, +1, 0 to the SITUATIONS below.
| STRIFE | BEING IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO AN INTELLIGENT CREATURE |
| PERIL | BEING ENDANGERED BY THE WORLD OR THE WILD |
| TOIL | BEING ENGAGED IN TASKS THAT REQUIRE SKILL, EFFORT, OR CONCENTRATION |
| STRESS | BEING UNDER PRESSURE IN A SITUATION NOT COVERED ABOVE |
Whenever you generate an OUTCOME, decide which SITUATION you are in and add the appropriate modifier to your roll.
PURPOSE
Before you begin your journey, decide what you are setting out to find or accomplish and write it down.
If you are unsure whether something you’re doing will drive you towards your PURPOSE, roll on the PURPOSE PROMPT table in RUNNING A GAME.
When you have achieved your PURPOSE, your story ends and you may return home, or you can find a new PURPOSE to work towards.
OBJECTS OF USE
OBJECTS OF USE are items that you have, find, or barter for on your travels. Whenever you generate an OUTCOME, if an OBJECT OF USE would help you, then add +1 to your roll.
You start your adventure with three OBJECTS OF USE. Decide what they are. Each one may have up to three CHARACTERISTICS from the list below. Pick them or roll on the table.
| D20 | CHARACTERISTIC | D20 | CHARACTERISTIC |
| 1 | HEAVY | 11 | LONG |
| 2 | DURABLE | 12 | ROOMY |
| 3 | RELIABLE | 13 | WATERTIGHT |
| 4 | LIGHT | 14 | CHEAP |
| 5 | OBVIOUS | 15 | SHARP |
| 6 | VALUABLE | 16 | STICKY |
| 7 | SHORT | 17 | BLUNT |
| 8 | COMBUSTIBLE | 18 | SOFT |
| 9 | DISTRACTING | 19 | BEAUTIFUL |
| 10 | SUBTLE | 20 | BENDY |
If an OBJECT OF USE is GAINED, choose up to three CHARACTERISTICS from the list to describe it.
If it is IMPROVED, give it an additional CHARACTERISTIC.
If it is PERFECTED, gain an additional +1 when using it.
If it is DAMAGED or in need of REPAIR, then it cannot be used until it is REPAIRED. You can attempt to REPAIR it by making a roll in a SITUATION of TOIL or finding someone to do it for you. If it is DESTROYED or beyond REPAIR, it can no longer be used. You will need to find a replacement.
RUNNING A GAME: YOUR ADVENTURE
You are not only a player, you are your own Game Master – try to keep these motives in mind when deciding what to do:
PLAYER MOTIVES: Be the hero. Follow opportunities. Play to make a story. Work towards your PURPOSE. Play on from OUTCOMES. Create a world that you want to exist in.
GM MOTIVES: Ask if a roll is necessary. Consider the most likely outcome. Consider the most interesting outcome. Create opportunities for drama. Interpret the OUTCOMES in line with the narrative.
OUTCOMES
On your adventure you will need to make rolls to generate OUTCOMES. Only make a roll when the success of your action is in doubt. Whenever you wish to generate an OUTCOME check what your current CONFIDENCE level is and roll the appropriate dice, adding any modifiers for SITUATION or OBJECTS OF USE. Compare the result below:
| RESULT | OUTCOMES |
| 21+
|
|
| █ Increase CONIDENCE to HIGH | |
| 20-16
|
|
| █ If CONFIDENCE is LOW or NORMAL, increase | |
| 15-11
|
|
| █ If CONFIDENCE is LOW, increase | |
| 10-6
|
|
| █ If CONFIDENCE is HIGH, decrease | |
| 5-1
|
|
| █ If CONFIDENCE is NORMAL or HIGH, decrease |
THE WORLD
You should build a world in the treetops that fits your imagination. Each flower may have a completely different way of life of culture, or there may be a shared, overarching theme. You could imagine your Flowers full of great, towering, ramshackle structures, or like tiny island nations that are traversed by small leaf-crafted boats. You could imagine twisting lanes and dark corners, great and magnificent boulevards, or simple and rustic dwellings. Make the world your own and have fun with it. You’re a tiny frog person, after all!
PROMPTS
The tables below will help you if you are not sure what you encounter next, or if you want to know if something will lead you towards your PURPOSE. Use these as the seeds for the next part of your adventure.
ADVENTURE PROMPTS: Ask “What do I stumble upon?”, then roll a D20.
| D20 | PROMPT | D20 | PROMPT |
| 1 | A MONSTER | 11 | A CROSSROADS |
| 2 | A CRIME | 12 | A THING NOT OF THIS WORLD |
| 3 | AN AMBUSH | 13 | AN ABANDONED SETTLEMENT |
| 4 | A SETTLEMENT OR DWELLING | 14 | A NATURAL FEATURE |
| 5 | A RELIC OF AN OLD NATION | 15 | A FAMILIAR FACE |
| 6 | A CHANGE IN WEATHER | 16 | SOMEONE IN NEED |
| 7 | A WILD CREATURE | 17 | SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN LOST |
| 8 | AN ENCAMPMENT | 18 | A PLACE OF CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE |
| 9 | A POTENTIAL FRIEND | 19 | A DEAD END |
| 10 | A CHANCE TO TRADE | 20 | A SIGHT THAT NO ONE HAS SEEN BEFORE |
PURPOSE PROMPTS: Ask “Will this drive me towards my purpose?”, then roll a D6:
| D6 | ANSWER |
| 1 | YES, IMMEDIATELY |
| 2 | YES, IN TIME |
| 3 | IT IS POSSIBLE |
| 4 | IT IS UNLIKELY |
| 5 | NO, THIS IS A DISTRACTION |
| 6 | NO, THIS WILL DRIVE YOU FURTHER FROM IT |
Ursidice 