Into the Cloud Empress Solo Protocol and the Bean Barge
Explore a strange and wonderful world of science-fantasy where giant insects abound and survival is a challenge in Cloud Empress.
There was a grand sense of intrigue that came over me when I first learned about Cloud Empress. This tabletop RPG features a unique setting filled with mysteries, often of an ecological nature! I was interested to learn more about this concept of science-fantasy, as well as the official solo module. Time to begin a new tale in my solo RPG adventures!
Spoiler Alert
The prologue adventure, Last Voyage of the Bean Barge, provides an introduction to the system. Some details are included below, and it’s meant to be a storyline with some surprises. I’ve done my best not to reveal any major spoilers, but you may find some information about NPCs or certain situations. If you plan to play the prologue soon, maybe skip over this post.
Game Overview
Game Name: Cloud Empress
Publication Year: 2023
Designers: Christian Sorrell & watt
Artists: Garin, Juan Gee, imogen, & pbbeta
Publisher: worlds by watt
Solo Mode: Included in the Solo Protocol
This is a futuristic world where life is difficult, and the land is filled with strange magic. Enormous cicadas offer their own mysteries as they travel through the wreckage. A solo party sets out with a goal, ready to encounter what might lurk in the light or shadows… Provided they don’t panic!
Pulled in by a Setting
I believe my husband was the one who was initially the most interested in this one, yet as its arrival drew closer, I was quite curious to learn more from these lovely books.
Make no mistake: There isn’t a cozy feeling here, as this post-apocalyptic world is defined by short lives and strife.
Still, I loved reading through the rules. A hex crawl format dominates the setting books, which can be a challenge to run in a solo format… Yet I was feeling brave on this day!
The combination of science and fantasy was very appealing, and hope seemed to be imbued into the struggles.
Neat Solo Characters
With the solo mode, a party becomes the focus. Most of character creation is the same, and it was fascinating! I made some choices, but ended up with fun random results.
The best part, at least in my opinion, is the solo character personality section. That’s what these little pie charts represent, all based on random rolls for characteristics!
Moody Bubble matched her name and teenage age with her unforgiving, emotional, and manipulative nature. Ha!
In uncertain situations, a simple die roll then determines how a character will act based on these personality traits.
The Old Bean Barge
The main rulebook includes an introductory prologue titled Last Voyage of the Bean Barge. The artwork was excellent at conveying the opening scene. Very clever!
For solo, though, this was a fully written adventure that had some storylines that were introduced at timed intervals. I had the hardest time getting started with the process.
How was I to play when I knew so much? Ah, the beauty of solo oracles! Despite a rough start, I got into the action.
My trio of characters started to interact with the world, and things certainly didn’t follow a simple step-by-step story!
NPC Importance Levels
Even though I had plenty of information as I interacted with the characters, with the way this prologue was structured, it was impossible to focus on interacting with every NPC.
That was neat! Some situations drew me in, which delved deeper into some of the plot hooks. Mysteries were all over this little airship, and everyone felt multi-dimensional.
I enjoyed how both times someone tried to interact with Mother Menfa, she reacted warily and refused to talk.
There is a small note that these characters may show up in at least one setting book… It will be cool to see them again!
A Storied Past of the Bean Barge’s Passengers
My party consisted of Moody Bubble, Sapphire the Moldy, and Duke Spoon. Each had their own backgrounds and what might be labeled as a most unusual set of items. For instance, Sapphire the Moldy was coming from an elaborate funeral… And yet, her belongings turned out to be the most useful. I had so many ideas about their backstories from random rolls!
On board, the first mate offered a sweeping tour of the whole airship. I could almost feel the wind whipping around, cold and tinged with noxious gas. Other passengers seemed closed off and steeped in mystery. It was only fortunate that Onion, the first mate, was curious about the party and excited to show off even the darkest corners of the Bean Barge.
Wait… Is there a murder mystery?! Before anyone could investigate, the cicadas lurched out of the clouds and began to attack the airship. Onion directed the action, with Duke Spoon emptying a large water tank with the leaky firehose. It worked, yet the damaged airship was dangerously close to crashing. And where in the world was that adorable packsquab?
Nearly everyone made it off without any damage, or so it seemed. All except Captain Stello, who seemed determined to go down with his beloved vessel. The party last saw the airship descending through the swarm-laden skies, disappearing behind the yellow clouds as the ground rose up sharply to greet them in the most unwelcoming of ways. Here, it all began.
NPC Mood Table
Another feature of the solo mode is a mood table for NPCs. There is a system to figure out if a conflict will break out, which comes down to the – and + symbols in some areas.
I loved this! It’s such a simple table, but it opens the door for all sorts of stories. There isn’t a “why” included for these moods, so they remain open-ended and situational.
A character who is afraid might have any number of reasons for feeling that way. Just don’t talk to Moody Bubble… Ha ha!
This is also correctly weighted towards conflict. This magical world is not a particularly friendly place, after all.
All the Memories
What an adventure! As I mentioned, it was a little hard to get into the flow of playing solo with the prologue, yet I loved how it worked. My trio certainly had their struggles!
And there were unexpected moments that made it feel so personal. Duke Spoon, young apprentice to the rather rude magician, Moody Bubble, started out with a packsquab.
You know… A very common horse-bird hybrid! This adorable companion, called Stone, was stolen. Stolen!
As the party slowly descended to safety, I already had side plots and mysteries to pursue beyond the main goal.
Another Apprentice
Duke Spoon may have been a magician’s apprentice, yet there was another apprentice at my table! Namely, I used a few decks of The GameMaster’s Apprentice for inspiration.
These are fantastic in the right setting. I don’t find myself using them all the time, yet I had a great time! The sensory sentences were really helpful and brought scenes to life.
All in all, this was excellent! I didn’t mind the challenge of getting started playing solo, as it’s been a little while.
Now I have a party on the map, ready to pursue a number of leads… And discover more in this strange, wonderful world!
Continue the Conversation
Have you played Cloud Empress? Are there any other tabletop RPGs with a solo mode you struggled to get started with, but ended up discovering something excellent? I was completely enamored with the world once I got going. The solo protocol worked really well, to the point I may use some of those ideas in other games. Very cool, with lots more to explore!
Thanks for this post!
I’ve tried a few solo RPGs but they were too focused on dungeon crawling for my tastes. I will give Cloud Empress a try and see if this is more what I am looking for.
You’re very welcome! Finding the right solo RPG for you can take some trial and error, but I hope this one at least gets you on the path to discovering something you’ll enjoy. Good luck!