Nowhere Land

Oracle System

Speaking to the Void

Oracles are the heartbeat of solo play. They answer the questions a Trickster would normally handle: “Is the door locked?” “Does the NPC trust me?” “What happens next?” Nowhere Land offers two oracle tiers — a Quick Oracle (2d6) for fast answers and a Deep Oracle (d100) for nuanced results — plus four Essence Oracles that filter answers through the game's core metaphysics.

QUICK ORACLE (2d6)

The fastest way to get an answer. Ask a yes/no question, roll 2d6, and apply modifiers for likelihood:

Quick Oracle Table

RollAnswerInterpretation
2No, and...Emphatic no — something worse happens in addition
3-4NoSimple negative answer
5-6No, but...No, but there's a consolation or partial success
7Maybe / MixedAmbiguous — ask differently, wait, or accept uncertainty
8-9Yes, but...Yes, but with a complication, cost, or condition
10-11YesSimple positive answer
12Yes, and...Emphatic yes — something even better happens too

Likelihood Modifiers

LikelihoodModifierWhen to Use
Very Unlikely-2Contradicts established facts or heavily against odds
Unlikely-1Somewhat improbable given the situation
Even Odds+0Could go either way — the default
Likely+1Somewhat probable given the situation
Very Likely+2Aligns with established facts or heavily favored

DEEP ORACLE (d100)

When you need more nuance — especially for pivotal moments — use the d100 oracle. Cross-reference your roll with the current likelihood:

d100 Oracle — Cross-Reference Table

d100 RollVery UnlikelyUnlikelyEven OddsLikelyVery Likely
01-05No, and...No, and...No, and...No, and...No
06-15No, and...NoNoNo, but...No, but...
16-25NoNoNo, but...No, but...Maybe
26-40NoNo, but...No, but...MaybeYes, but...
41-50No, but...No, but...MaybeYes, but...Yes, but...
51-65No, but...MaybeYes, but...Yes, but...Yes
66-80MaybeYes, but...Yes, but...YesYes
81-90Yes, but...Yes, but...YesYesYes, and...
91-95Yes, but...YesYesYes, and...Yes, and...
96-00YesYes, and...Yes, and...Yes, and...Yes, and...

ESSENCE ORACLES

Filtering Through the Essences

Nowhere Land's four Essences color everything in the game, and oracles are no exception. When a question touches a specific Essence's domain, use the matching Essence Oracle to interpret your result. The answer stays the same (yes/no/maybe), but theflavor shifts to match the Essence's nature.

Anima Oracle

For questions about emotions, instinct, relationships, and passion.

“Yes, but...” becomes: “Yes, but it stirs unwanted feelings”

“No, and...” becomes: “No, and an emotional bond is damaged”

Use when: Do they trust me? Is this a trap born of jealousy? Will the crowd follow my call?

Forma Oracle

For questions about structure, physicality, construction, and logic.

“Yes, but...” becomes: “Yes, but the structure is compromised”

“No, and...” becomes: “No, and something physical breaks down further”

Use when: Is the bridge safe? Can I craft a tool from these parts? Is the fortress defended?

Reverie Oracle

For questions about imagination, strangeness, creativity, and the surreal.

“Yes, but...” becomes: “Yes, but reality blurs in unexpected ways”

“No, and...” becomes: “No, and something bizarre replaces what you expected”

Use when: Does the dream lead somewhere real? Can I reshape this domain? Is this vision trustworthy?

Umbra Oracle

For questions about secrets, darkness, hidden things, and the unknown.

“Yes, but...” becomes: “Yes, but you learn something you wish you hadn't”

“No, and...” becomes: “No, and a deeper secret is revealed”

Use when: Is someone hiding something? What lurks in the shadows? Can I avoid detection?

CHAOS FACTOR

Measuring Narrative Turbulence

The Chaos Factor tracks how unpredictable your story has become. It runs from 1 (calm, controlled) to 9 (utter chaos). At the start of each new scene, roll d10:

  • • Roll ≤ Chaos Factor: the scene is altered or interrupted.
  • • Odd result: The scene is altered — something is different from what you expected.
  • • Even result: The scene is interrupted — a completely different event occurs instead.
  • • Roll > Chaos Factor: The scene proceeds as you envisioned.

Adjusting Chaos Factor

At the end of each scene, assess what happened:

  • • Things went out of your control? Chaos Factor +1 (max 9)
  • • You resolved the situation or gained control? Chaos Factor -1 (min 1)
  • • Neutral outcome? No change

Start your first solo session at Chaos Factor 5. It will drift naturally as your story unfolds.

EVENT MEANING TABLES

When your oracle says “something happens” and you need to know what, roll on both tables and combine the results into a narrative prompt:

Action Word (d20)

  1. 1. Arrive
  2. 2. Betray
  3. 3. Create
  4. 4. Destroy
  5. 5. Escape
  6. 6. Fight
  7. 7. Guard
  8. 8. Hide
  9. 9. Investigate
  10. 10. Judge
  11. 11. Kill
  12. 12. Liberate
  13. 13. Move
  14. 14. Neglect
  15. 15. Open
  16. 16. Pursue
  17. 17. Reveal
  18. 18. Steal
  19. 19. Transform
  20. 20. Worship

Subject Word (d20)

  1. 1. A secret
  2. 2. Knowledge
  3. 3. Power
  4. 4. A weapon
  5. 5. An ally
  6. 6. A portal
  7. 7. The past
  8. 8. A faction
  9. 9. A creature
  10. 10. A curse
  11. 11. A blessing
  12. 12. A debt
  13. 13. A home
  14. 14. A stranger
  15. 15. A dream
  16. 16. A treasure
  17. 17. A fear
  18. 18. A memory
  19. 19. A promise
  20. 20. The Count

SCENE SPARK (d20)

When a Scene Feels Stuck

Roll when you need a narrative jolt:

  1. 1. An NPC arrives unexpectedly
  2. 2. Something you need is missing
  3. 3. The environment changes
  4. 4. A clue to your goal appears
  5. 5. Someone is watching you
  6. 6. A past decision has consequences
  7. 7. You find something useful
  8. 8. A threat emerges
  9. 9. An opportunity presents itself
  10. 10. You're forced to make a choice
  1. 11. Something breaks or fails
  2. 12. A secret is revealed
  3. 13. Help arrives (at a cost)
  4. 14. Time pressure increases
  5. 15. Your assumptions are wrong
  6. 16. An ally needs you
  7. 17. The goal moves or changes
  8. 18. A new faction gets involved
  9. 19. The Count notices you
  10. 20. Roll twice, combine

NPC ORACLE

NPC Reaction (d6)

  1. 1. Hostile — attacks or works against you
  2. 2. Suspicious — distrusts, demands proof
  3. 3. Neutral — waits to see what you do
  4. 4. Curious — interested, asks questions
  5. 5. Friendly — willing to help, offers information
  6. 6. Allied — actively assists, may have agenda

NPC Motivation (d10)

  1. 1. Survival — they just want to live
  2. 2. Greed — they want profit or treasure
  3. 3. Knowledge — they seek information
  4. 4. Revenge — they harbour a grudge
  5. 5. Loyalty — they serve someone or something
  6. 6. Freedom — they want to escape control
  7. 7. Power — they want influence or status
  8. 8. Protection — they guard someone or something
  9. 9. Redemption — they seek forgiveness
  10. 10. Mystery — their motivation is unclear

NPC Behavior Shift (d6)

Roll when circumstances change to see how an NPC's attitude shifts:

  1. 1-2. Attitude shifts one step worse (min Hostile)
  2. 3-4. Attitude unchanged
  3. 5-6. Attitude shifts one step better (max Allied)

THREAD & NPC TRACKING

Keeping Your Story Alive

Solo campaigns thrive when you track threads (ongoing storylines) andactive NPCs. At any time, maintain two simple lists:

Thread List

Active storylines, quests, and mysteries. Number them 1-10 (or more).

  • 1. Find the portal key to the Clockwork Citadel
  • 2. Repay the debt to The Count
  • 3. Investigate the missing Chronicler
  • 4. ...

NPC List

Characters you've met, with their current attitude and motivation.

  • 1. Mara (Friendly, Survival) — guide in the Salt Flats
  • 2. The Collector (Suspicious, Greed) — wants the artifact
  • 3. Hollow Jack (Hostile, Mystery) — follows you
  • 4. ...

When a scene is interrupted (via Chaos Factor), roll d10 to pick a thread that drives the interruption. When an NPC appears unexpectedly, roll on your NPC list to see who it is.

“Ask the void a question, and the void answers — not always truthfully, not always kindly, but always with the spark of something unexpected.”

— The Lone Traveler's Oracle

Continue the System

Solo Play Hub

Return to the Lone Traveler System overview.

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Domain Navigation

Procedures for exploring domains without a Trickster.

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Narrative Journaling

Templates and prompts for recording your solo adventures.

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Random Tables

Additional d20, d12, d10 tables for encounters and events.

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