# Lonelog tags: #solo #reference #tools ![[Lonelog (cover).jpg|600]] **Lonelog** is Roberto Bisceglie's (Zotiquest Games) standard notation for *logging solo RPG sessions* — a shorthand for writing down what happens when you roll dice against yourself without the log turning into an indecipherable wall of prose, a run of cryptic bullets, or a spreadsheet nobody will ever read again. If [[Loner]] is the quiet little engine that asks *"does it happen?"*, Lonelog is the scratchpad where you scribble both the answer and the mess it made. Same author, same philosophy: strip away everything that isn't the game, keep the rhythm. It's deliberately *not* a game — it's the language you use to remember the game. It grew out of the earlier **Solo TTRPG Notation**, which the community actually used enough to earn a rename and a proper spec. **Five symbols, one language.** Everything in a Lonelog is built from just five tokens: `@` for a player action, `?` for an oracle question, `d:` for a dice roll, `->` for the result, and `=>` for the consequence. Learn those and you can log anything; layer on tags and progress blocks only as a campaign gets complicated enough to need them. ## The Core Notation | Symbol | Meaning | Example | |--------|---------|---------| | `@` | Player action ("at this moment, I…") | `@ Sneak past the guard` | | `?` | Oracle question | `? Does he see me?` | | `d:` | Dice / mechanics roll | `d: Stealth 4 vs TN 5 -> Fail` | | `->` | Result / answer | `-> No, but...` | | `=>` | Consequence / outcome | `=> He spots me and shouts an alarm` | Attribution uses `@(Name)` (a companion or named NPC), `@(A > B)` (lead/assist), and `@(A+B)` (joint). Results resolve with `d:` (mechanics), `->` (oracle), `tbl:` (named table lookup), or `gen:` (multi-step generator). A complete beat reads like: ``` @ Pick the lock d: d20+Lockpicking=17 vs DC 15 -> Success => The door creaks open, but the noise echoes through the hall. ``` ## Tags & Optional Layers Beyond the core, Lonelog tracks **persistent elements** with bracket tags — the part that saves you from reading twelve sessions back to find one NPC: `[N:Jonah|friendly]` (NPC) · `[L:Lighthouse|ruined]` (location) · `[E:AlertClock 2/6]` (event/clock) · `[Thread:Find Her|Open]` (story thread) · `[PC:Alex|HP 8]` (PC, with `+`/`-` stat deltas) · `[#N:Jonah]` (reference back) · `[Clock:]`/`[Track:]`/`[Timer:]` (progress) · `tbl:`/`gen:` random tables & generators Structure is optional but powerful: `S1 *Dark alley, midnight*` scene markers, `S1a` flashbacks, `T1-S1` parallel threads, `S7.1` montages, plus campaign/session headers. Narrative excerpts sit in `\--- … ---\` blocks, meta notes in `(note: ...)`. ## Add-ons The add-ons extend the core without touching its five symbols — each adds tags/blocks for a specific kind of play: - **Combat** (`[F:]` foes, `[COMBAT]` blocks, `Rd#` rounds) - **Dungeon Crawling** (`[R:]` room tags, `[DUNGEON STATUS]`) - **Resource Tracking** (`[Inv:]` items, `[Wealth:]` currency, `[RESOURCES]`) - **Card Notation** (playing cards `Qs`, Tarot `M16r`) - **Dice Notation** (the `d:` expression grammar, `2d6+3`, `4d6k3`) - **Solo Wargaming** (`[Unit:]`, `[BATTLE]`, `Tn#`, `[CAMPAIGN]`) ## Versions & Provenance The library holds the main spec at **v1.3.0** and four add-ons at **v1.1.0**; the latest online edition is **v1.5.0** — notation-identical, with wording/consistency polish only. The **Card**, **Dice Notation**, and **Wargaming** add-ons are online-only (v1.0.0). Full version inventory and the mismatch log live in the workspace reference set, [`lonelog-reference/`](https://github.com/lonelog/lonelog) (see the provenance doc there). ## Our play tools Our solo-play runners can emit Lonelog directly with a `--lonelog` flag: `oracle_roll.py` (`tbl:`), `loner_oracle.py` (`?` / `d:` / `->`), and the Ironsworn/Starforged mover (`@` / `d:` / `=>`). That's how we drop our dice checks and oracle rolls straight into a Lonelog log as we play. # References - [Lonelog — official spec](https://lonelog.org/) — the standard, plus downloads. - [Lonelog Docs (Read the Docs)](https://lonelog.readthedocs.io/) — browser-readable spec and add-ons. - [Lonelog on itch.io (Loreseed Workshop)](https://zeruhur.itch.io/lonelog) — the PDF/print release. - [Loner — official site (Zotiquest Games)](https://loner.zotiquestgames.com/) — the companion engine.