Reading the Omen - Part 3
An irregular update on the progress of the Omen Gamemaster Emulator
A lot has changed since the last update. Working on the actual Omen GME and… procrastination caused me to delay this article, but I realized - the longer I wait writing this, the more updates I’ll have to write about. These pieces keep me accountable, so on with it. This one surely is long enough. Here’s our biggest update so far! Let’s dive in.
Introducing: Omen GME
Omen GME is a ‘gamemaster emulator’, a method that allows you to play any TTRPG solo. It uses a unified D10 mechanic with 4 states (you know them! Fail, success, critical fail, and critical success). The GME structures your solo play into scenes (no expectations required!), and players are given tokens they can spend to influence the flow of their story.
Are you a solo RPG-player and wanting to try a new “Gamemaster Emulator”?If you like to help, reach out here via Substack or join our Discord: https://discord.gg/hwDRFxApNp
Status of Omen GME
Graphic design is done for the whole book! Yesssss!!!
There are a couple more things I like to add, like more sidebars and some iconography. Art is ready by Silver Nightingale and I’m working on a couple of art pieces I can add next month.This V1.3 PDF has now been downloaded over 500 times. Since the last update (V1.2), that’s 5 times more. Seems like it’s getting some traction now.
Omen GME Updates V1.3 include:
Major reorganization of the first 2 chapters of the GME.
Vocabulary changes: The ‘Theme’ column in the Spark table is renamed to Nature and Intensity levels are named. Added the name of the roll (success, fail, crit,...) to each state’s description. Changed wording of the story twist table so it fits better with the style of the other tables.
Rule changes:
you now gain a token after a critical fail scene.
Working on a Quest theme state that can be triggered when rolling the Story theme state. Currently in playtest.
Omen GME: Extended updates:
Omens Below published as a standalone add-on.
Omen Chorus published as a standalone add-on.
Omen GME brand, marketing, learning materials:
Created a single-page ‘Omen: The Basics’ overview that can serve as an introduction or as a rules refresher. Finishing the example of play that goes on the back side.
Soft launch of The Random Refuge logo:
Next month
Publishing ‘Omen: The Basics’ document on the Omen GME itch page.
That’s everything, on a single spread. Creating simple things can be so complex. Previously I wrote how I dislike making videos. But I guess it’s about finding your routine. I bought a video boom and a tiny mic, and I’m committed to making more videos. I feel an FAQ video series could be really nice, addressing questions with short tips in video. I also have plans to create actual-play videos showcasing the full range of the Omen GME tools.
Creating art for the title pages and the cover art.
Sending out digital promo copies of Omen GME + Omens Below + Omen Chorus to reviewers.
Writing the Keyed Campaign mode, Adventure mode and Sceneless mode for Omen GME: Expanded (completion planned for May ‘26).
In-depth: Omens Below
Last time, I wrote about my obsession to create a dungeon generator tool. I wrote in the previous Reading: it’s a nice tool, but I realize it doesn’t belong under the banner of Omen GME, partly because of the shared DNA with Just One Torch. But also because the mechanics don’t have much in common with Omen GME.
So a couple of months later I present you Omens Below: ‘Omens Below’ allows you to draw a dungeon while exploring it room by room as a solo-player. No preparation is required. It’s both a dungeon creation tool and a solo dungeon crawl procedure (optional, as not to conflict with your RPG system of choice).
So what changed since the previous article?
I did structure ‘Omen GME: Expanded’, and it will consist of Modes, Variants and Add-Ons. ‘Omens Below’ is an add-on. It expands on the ‘Dangerous Location’ theme state in Omen GME. However, as an add-on, it is not required and works completely standalone.
I replaced the stock tables that were used from Just One Torch with clue-like tables that can serve as a jumping point for your imagination. Just like with the general spark table, you roll twice for the room’s content and forge the results into a single meaning. This simple solution feels much more like the rest of the Omen framework.
The addition of the ‘Worksheet’ allows you to base your dungeon crawl on a prewritten dungeon while keeping all of the surprise.
In-depth: Omen Chorus
Now realizing better Omen’s strongest suit, I quickly created the next add-on.(well, quickly… I did use the basics of this for over a year): Omen Chorus. This add-on also focuses on:
using D10 rolls, with its 4 states and,
using clue-like tables similar to the general spark table.
‘Omen Chorus’ helps you visualize a random encounter with a new NPC in your solo TTRPG game. With a couple of D10 rolls you generate the base of a conversation with a stranger. The closer you get and the longer you stay with the NPC, the deeper the ensuing conversation becomes.
Just like Omens Below, this expands on the ‘NPC’ theme state in Omen but is not required and is even completely standalone.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ First impressions:
“Really enjoy this idea - you can find out a lot about the NPC just by engaging them in conversation rather than starting out knowing everything about them.”
Someone else:
“This is so good. I love the flow of how you interact with the NPC tables - it feels very organic.”
Ways you can help Omen grow:
Leave a short comment on the download page. Even just a ‘Looks great’ goes a long way.
Do you have a vlog? Talk about it in your videos and spread the word.
Ask me about free digital copies for your video.Do you have a blog? Make a short post about your first impressions.
Are you active on Discord, Reddit, Meta,… in the TTRPG community? Simply notify others about the existence of the Omen GME. You don’t need to advertise it. Simply point out its existence.
If you have played with Omen GME, a playthrough (written, audio or video) would be the greatest gift!
If you made it this far, make sure to download the GME. Did I mention it’s free?
Cool. It seems like everything is coming together. It's going to be exciting to see how this turns out. Well done!
Another GM emulator :). Always interesting to see how the system works out and how the tables are built up. I compare a lot with Mythic 2ed which really is a self contained ruleset And gm emulator. I downloaded the free copy. Will try as soon as possible :).