Snoweel
First Post
Yeah well, it must be my psychic skills that tell me your PCs sit around the table with you while your NPCs don't.
Plots in a Sandbox
Yeah well, it must be my psychic skills that tell me your PCs sit around the table with you while your NPCs don't.
Raven Crowking
First Post
I think that you are claiming a bit more psychic ablity than merely determining who sits at my table.
(And, by the way, the PCs don't; the people who play the PCs do. The person who plays the NPCs sits at the same table, too!)
RC
Snoweel
First Post
I'm sure you wouldn't treat your PCs unfairly.
howandwhy99
Adventurer
PCs begin the game at level 1 in layer 1 of the dungeon where a parabolic distribution averaging level 1 for treasures, monsters, and traps exist. The PCs may go to harder levels, but they are choosing to do so. Harder levels can be recognized because they are of greater difficulty and complexity. If the PCs rise to, say, 3rd class level and adventure only on the 1st layer of the dungeon, that's their prerogative. It won't end in much treasure or XP, but it is the players' choice. To try and put it in your words, increases in PC power do not force players into facing increased opposition. Nor does low PC power force players into facing lower opposition. The game only begins at a level appropriate area as no knowledge of the world by the Players is yet known.
Setbacks mean a loss of resources and even PC death (i.e. starting the game over at 1st level). It is each individual's choice on if they wish to increase lower level allies', PC or NPC, power level by giving them resources. It is the group's prerogative on deciding how shallow or deep into the dungeon they will go, what situations they will face, and which ones run from all based upon their own read of the entire team's effectiveness. A mixed class level group in a non-predetermined, "level appropriate" world is the norm in a sandbox game, so this is a constant issue confronting the players. It takes critical thinking skills and real teamwork to increase in class level, especially when increasing one's own class level depends so heavily upon the degree of influence one's allies have.
Since the degree of influence a player has within the game has historically not been linked to class level a balanced influence across all situations for all players isn't possible. Nor is it preferable. It is a chimera anyways and a removal of player reward. A 1st level PC or NPC may be more influential than a 10th level PC given the right situation. This is before taking into account player ability. Knowing one's own assets and liabilities allows a player to judge what situations they want to face and what ones they don't. These judgments, or any player's preferences, feed into the decision making process of the player group about what to do.
ExploderWizard
Hero
Ariosto summed it up fairly well. The whole idea of freeform/sandbox play is that the players may end up facing challenges too easy or downright deadly to them.
Lesson 1 of sandbox DMing: It is not the DM's job to make sure the PC's only face challenges that they can handle.
There may be several situations/encounters that the PC's can get involved with at any time. Being a sandbox situation, lets say out of 8 things potentially happening 2 would be deadly, 4 would be dangerous, and 2 would be fairly easy.
The DM does not need to force feed this information to the players but making the information available to the players should they be interested in finding out is part of being a fair DM.
Once information has been gathered, it is up to the players to decide how much risk they wish to face. Game balance is maintained by making sure the highest risk challenges provide the greatest rewards.
Setbacks:
Sandbox play can be very rewarding so long as an epic story and wish fufillment are not the primary objectives of play. If the playing group cannot handle the possibility of frequent character death then sandbox play might not be for them.
A sandbox campaign world will have a life and continuity of its own and should be able to withstand frequent PC turnover without much trouble.
Snoweel
First Post
What's stopping more powerful predators from moving into areas full of weaker prey (including the PCs) and hunting them through superior use of stealth and violence?
Snoweel
First Post
And if the deadly thing has a strong interest in the PCs not finding out its intentions or capabilities?
Ah.
"This is the party's new hire... another Dwarf fighter. Say Hi to Bob 2."
I guess I can see the appeal. However although I'm not a fan of wish fulfillment, I do like my epic stories.
The Shaman
First Post
Other than the skills and resources of the players and their characters, not much.
Then it uses whatever resources it possesses or controls to that end.
I don't normally like to ask this question, because I recognize that all of us can post whatever we like to any thread we choose, but I have to wonder why you decided to post to this thread specifically about sandbox-style play
ExploderWizard
Hero
Thats part of the challenge. The nature of the threat determines how easy it is to find out about and also how difficult it would be to run away once the poo pile has been stepped in.
For example, the two deadly threats for a beginning area could be an owlbear lair and a necromancer with minions who has moved into an abandoned ruin outside of town.
The challenges are both deadly to beginning characters but the nature of the threats are different.
The owlbear lair could be scouted out and if the beast is roused, the party could thrown down food and perhaps make a clean getaway.
The necromancer has an interest in keeping his lair a secret and do everything in his power to prevent discovery. If the party discovers the tower and notices suspicious activity, they may want to investigate. If discovered the necromancer will try and make sure none survive to tell the tale.
This is entirely possible. In a sandbox campaign a player may have several characters active at a given time.
Everyone enjoys different things. I like it when my epic stories just grow out of play rather than the play being aimed at making the story.
