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The Sandbox and the Railroad
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<blockquote data-quote="Emerikol" data-source="post: 7470303" data-attributes="member: 6698278"><p>I like to think I play sandbox compaigns but some criticisms of the sandbox on here don't apply that much to my games.</p><p></p><p>To me a sandbox is not a lack of adventures or adventure hooks. It's a very deeply designed piece of the world where a bunch of plot threads are running on a clock all the time. The players choose which plot thread to follow and get involved in as the game progresses. So my groups have adventures in the sandbox.</p><p></p><p>The key for me and what characterizes a sandbox</p><p>1. You really develop the NPCs/Monsters so that they are doing things regardless of what the PCs do. You keep a calendar and things keep happening even if the group takes a day off in game time.</p><p></p><p>2. You provide a means to graduate from one sandbox to another when the party is kind of satisfied with the current one.</p><p></p><p>3. The villainous PC's should be up to no good. So the party can oppose them and become heroes. The more you make it real to the good people of the sandbox and play that angle up, the more gratifying it will be for the PCs to be heroic.</p><p></p><p>4. An adventure is a railroad technically. What I see as a true railroad is the adventure path. I've played them and they can be fun for sure but at this stage of life I prefer sandboxes full of adventure opportunities. </p><p></p><p>5. It is harder for the DM but for me more rewarding. You want the genesis of a lot of adventures but you don't have to have everything 100% detailed out. You can write a synopsis and when the party heads out you can develop the minute details before the next session. </p><p></p><p>6. Sandboxes build NPC relationships which are fun. They build a sense of community and make the PCs heroes early to their community even if it is small. It also provides continuity. Even after the PCs move on their starting home will be someplace they might occasionally check back on. They may even go back and decide to build their castle nearby if that is a possibility.</p><p></p><p>So for me to be a true railroad, you have to know you are going to adventure path #3 even though you are currently on adventure path #1.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Emerikol, post: 7470303, member: 6698278"] I like to think I play sandbox compaigns but some criticisms of the sandbox on here don't apply that much to my games. To me a sandbox is not a lack of adventures or adventure hooks. It's a very deeply designed piece of the world where a bunch of plot threads are running on a clock all the time. The players choose which plot thread to follow and get involved in as the game progresses. So my groups have adventures in the sandbox. The key for me and what characterizes a sandbox 1. You really develop the NPCs/Monsters so that they are doing things regardless of what the PCs do. You keep a calendar and things keep happening even if the group takes a day off in game time. 2. You provide a means to graduate from one sandbox to another when the party is kind of satisfied with the current one. 3. The villainous PC's should be up to no good. So the party can oppose them and become heroes. The more you make it real to the good people of the sandbox and play that angle up, the more gratifying it will be for the PCs to be heroic. 4. An adventure is a railroad technically. What I see as a true railroad is the adventure path. I've played them and they can be fun for sure but at this stage of life I prefer sandboxes full of adventure opportunities. 5. It is harder for the DM but for me more rewarding. You want the genesis of a lot of adventures but you don't have to have everything 100% detailed out. You can write a synopsis and when the party heads out you can develop the minute details before the next session. 6. Sandboxes build NPC relationships which are fun. They build a sense of community and make the PCs heroes early to their community even if it is small. It also provides continuity. Even after the PCs move on their starting home will be someplace they might occasionally check back on. They may even go back and decide to build their castle nearby if that is a possibility. So for me to be a true railroad, you have to know you are going to adventure path #3 even though you are currently on adventure path #1. [/QUOTE]
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