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How much prep do I need for a sandbox?
- Thread starter LostSoul
- Start date
I think that Wandering Monsters might not serve their original game-mechanical purpose so well in 4E. That purpose is to be something players try to avoid, primarily with good time management: fewer WMs per treasure hoard secured.
If they're "XP on the hoof," about as good whether WM or "in lair," then that part doesn't click. In the old days, it mattered quite a lot that WM had little or no treasure.
The large amount of real playing time that, in my experience, almost any combat takes in 4E (or even 3E) versus older rules sets seems to undermine the model as well. If a WM encounter is (as it was meant to be) a waste of time in terms of player objectives, then I think it wastes too much time these days.
One might come up with creative solutions to these problems, if one agrees that they are problems.
If they're "XP on the hoof," about as good whether WM or "in lair," then that part doesn't click. In the old days, it mattered quite a lot that WM had little or no treasure.
The large amount of real playing time that, in my experience, almost any combat takes in 4E (or even 3E) versus older rules sets seems to undermine the model as well. If a WM encounter is (as it was meant to be) a waste of time in terms of player objectives, then I think it wastes too much time these days.
One might come up with creative solutions to these problems, if one agrees that they are problems.
pawsplay
Hero
My campaign design usually goes like this:
1. One village
2. The region it is located in and its general characteristics
3. The foes I'm expecting them to face at the next few levels.
4. Neighboring regions.
5. A general continent map.
Virtually everything after that can be tailored as you go, fleshing out each new region in the weeks before the PCs actually visit.
Because you are wanting to work strategically, it's important to set out, "What will happen if the PCs do nothing?" and make sure you have the details for that. For instance, lots and lots of NPC stats are not usually efficient uses of your time, but with this ambivalently helpful NPC organization in the picture, you want stats for them and their leaders, as well as their main enemies.
1. One village
2. The region it is located in and its general characteristics
3. The foes I'm expecting them to face at the next few levels.
4. Neighboring regions.
5. A general continent map.
Virtually everything after that can be tailored as you go, fleshing out each new region in the weeks before the PCs actually visit.
Because you are wanting to work strategically, it's important to set out, "What will happen if the PCs do nothing?" and make sure you have the details for that. For instance, lots and lots of NPC stats are not usually efficient uses of your time, but with this ambivalently helpful NPC organization in the picture, you want stats for them and their leaders, as well as their main enemies.
This.
Plus have one or two mysterious groups who are working behind the scenes. Then as the PCs find clues and debate the meaning of the clues keep track of these ideas that the players have given you and run with it.
First, there are quite a few places in the Nentir Vale that can be expanded for adventuring (Temple of the Yellow Skull, Raven's Roost, the tombs beneath Fallcrest, etc.). For each of those I would either a) find an appropriately themed published adventure to stick in at that location and reskin whatever needs to be reskinned; or b) create two or three set-piece encounters for each location with interesting terrain, monster combinations and treasure then 5-6 more "normal" encounters with groups of monsters that make sense for the surroundings (i.e. human bandit minions in Raven's Roost, cultists at the TotYS). You might also want to create a small wandering monster chart for each location and its surrounding area. Come up with a few seeds to plant with the PCs that might make them interested in visiting these places.
Second, come up with a dozen or so things that happen based on current events over the next month in the campaign area. These are things that could be expanded into further adventures if the PCs show an interest. Again, prepublished adventures are good here if you can reskin them and slot them into the setting. Otherwise, there are numerous threads on ENworld with ideas for adventure seeds. Just pick a few of them and work them into the fabric of the campaign. These can either lead to preset location-based adventures or they can be investigative/exploration adventures where the PCs are traveling around the Vale encountering various NPCs and monsters.
Third, and this is probably most important, ask the players what they think should be happening in the campaign. Players always have notions about what certain bits of campaign info mean or how certain groups or individuals might be reacting to campaign events. Mine the player's brains for good ideas and inspiration.
blargney the second
blargney the minute's son
I just ran a 4e game like this last night. It took me about an hour to do up a map, generate some names, pick out encounters, and sort out treasure packets. I wasn't aiming for a huge amount of complexity - just enough framework to get started.
-blarg
-blarg
diaglo
Adventurer
for my typical sandbox.
i log in around 2-4 hours of preparation for every hour of play.
so for a 6 hour session that can be as little as 12 hours of prep to as much as 24.
it really depends on how much i expect the players to want to do.
if it is all combat it is easier. if it is fluff and stuff than i have to come up with more. cuz i will need spinoff material for use later on in the campaign. which means inserting things or at least having an idea what i may have done to the campaign.
i keep a flow chart handy.
i log in around 2-4 hours of preparation for every hour of play.
so for a 6 hour session that can be as little as 12 hours of prep to as much as 24.
it really depends on how much i expect the players to want to do.
if it is all combat it is easier. if it is fluff and stuff than i have to come up with more. cuz i will need spinoff material for use later on in the campaign. which means inserting things or at least having an idea what i may have done to the campaign.
i keep a flow chart handy.
For me, creating a sandbox took a long time. I drew out a world map, figured out which countries were at odds with each other, where trade routes went, and all kinds of other details of that nature. Then I let the players go in a city and they did what they wanted. I spent literally days working out how I wanted my world to work on a macro level, but the PCs interactions with the world determined the micro level (until they reached nearly epic levels, then things got macro again). Basically, my style of sandboxing involves a lot of general ideas that can easily be planted in a situation at any given moment. Whether these are published adventures or just things I made up, they are all ready to go when I need them for the PCs to encounter. I suppose it helps that I'm quite good at improvising things when I need.
If you're not writing for publication, then published works tend to be pretty poor models in terms of what and how much to write down. Notes to yourself need be only enough to jog your memory, and you can probably improvise many details that a writer might include in a module.
ExploderWizard
Hero
Since you already have a region set up and some locations defined, you just need
to fill it up with "stuff". Once you have an idea of what types of people and/or creatures
live in a particular area its time to generate some NPC's, thier resources (including allies),
define thier motivations, and outline some basic plans they might have for achieving thier
goals based on available resources. Several different NPC's or groups operating in the same area
all with different agendas will make the place seem more alive. Some of these NPC's/groups will have plans
that come into conflict with the PC's, some may be potential allies, and others might have
the potential to become either enemies or allies depending on how the PC's interact with them.
At this stage only broad ideas about capabilities/resources need to be defined. Another
thing to keep in mind is to sketch out a rough timeline of what these NPC's will do
to further thier goals assuming no interference from the PC's. Devise a few encounters
with connections to each of the NPC/ groups. Once the PC's enter the scene and start
interacting, you can feed them all kinds of information and see where they want to go
and who they are most interested in dealing with. Develop these NPC's/groups in more
detail as needed but don't forget about the ones the PC's are not focusing on. As time goes on
the PC's may come into contact/conflict with them naturally.
Some handy tips:
1) Prepare some NPC's designed to be fonts of information. Some will be reliable,
others may not be.
2) Have a few sets of generic combat stats ready to go. Use them as needed and make
them mutable enough to be "skinned" on the spot.
3) Prep a few generic wild animal/ beast encounters to be used as needed for random
travel/wilderness threats.
4) Have some stuff just "happen" from time to time that isn't always connected to a plot
or directed against the PC's. Natural disasters occur, holidays or festivals take place,
new people arrive, others die or leave, ect.
After a few sessions the story will grow naturally out of the plans of both the PC's and NPC's.
to fill it up with "stuff". Once you have an idea of what types of people and/or creatures
live in a particular area its time to generate some NPC's, thier resources (including allies),
define thier motivations, and outline some basic plans they might have for achieving thier
goals based on available resources. Several different NPC's or groups operating in the same area
all with different agendas will make the place seem more alive. Some of these NPC's/groups will have plans
that come into conflict with the PC's, some may be potential allies, and others might have
the potential to become either enemies or allies depending on how the PC's interact with them.
At this stage only broad ideas about capabilities/resources need to be defined. Another
thing to keep in mind is to sketch out a rough timeline of what these NPC's will do
to further thier goals assuming no interference from the PC's. Devise a few encounters
with connections to each of the NPC/ groups. Once the PC's enter the scene and start
interacting, you can feed them all kinds of information and see where they want to go
and who they are most interested in dealing with. Develop these NPC's/groups in more
detail as needed but don't forget about the ones the PC's are not focusing on. As time goes on
the PC's may come into contact/conflict with them naturally.
Some handy tips:
1) Prepare some NPC's designed to be fonts of information. Some will be reliable,
others may not be.
2) Have a few sets of generic combat stats ready to go. Use them as needed and make
them mutable enough to be "skinned" on the spot.
3) Prep a few generic wild animal/ beast encounters to be used as needed for random
travel/wilderness threats.
4) Have some stuff just "happen" from time to time that isn't always connected to a plot
or directed against the PC's. Natural disasters occur, holidays or festivals take place,
new people arrive, others die or leave, ect.
After a few sessions the story will grow naturally out of the plans of both the PC's and NPC's.
