Critical Role Why Critical Role is so successful...

[Wishbone]

Well, they've never put out a book on how to run combat or how to handle social interactions. Why would they do a book on exploration?

I think this is one of those things a video series would be better, but honestly even then I'm not sure anyone could do it justice. There are so many different styles, your best bet is likely just finding a podcast or stream you enjoy and try to get ideas from there. I could explain how I handle a lot of things, but it may not work for anyone else. Maybe a separate thread of suggestions?

D&D gives you the tools, the DM and players have always been responsible for figuring out how to use those tools. The answer may well vary from table to table.

I was thinking of Into the Unknown from 4e and Dungeonscape from 3.5e and how both cover aspects of exploration specific to dungeons. A separate thread with potential suggestions for different styles of play sounds like it could be really useful.

 

[Oofta]

I was thinking of Into the Unknown from 4e and Dungeonscape from 3.5e and how both cover aspects of exploration specific to dungeons. A separate thread with potential suggestions for different styles of play sounds like it could be really useful.

Maybe when I have a bit of time, actually been a bit swamped.

I do think there are many areas of exploration though, it's all about discovery, clues and having player choices having meaningful impact. That can be in a dungeon, a city, or a royal ball.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Gross is not taking a shower. Maybe the rest of the table is totally cool with your smell, but it's generally polite to show up clean.

All manner of things can be gross. It's a pretty common usage of the term.

 

[Scott Christian]

Has WotC ever attempted to put out a whole book dedicated to exploration?

The Wilderness Survival Guide dealt with exploration. But, to be truthful, it was so long ago that I read it, it is vague. Anyone have a clearer recall than me?

 

[prabe]

The Wilderness Survival Guide dealt with exploration. But, to be truthful, it was so long ago that I read it, it is vague. Anyone have a clearer recall than me?

Arguably the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide deal with Exploration, too, but neither of those was WotC. ;-)

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Maybe a separate thread of suggestions?

Yes, brilliant idea. Let's do it.

 

[NaturalZero]

It's not necessarily a panacea for creative exploration as a broad concept, but I would love a thick book with all kinds of dungeon terrain, materials, traps, etc, with ready-to-go 5e mechanics. Maybe even a series of pre-constructed rooms with huge traps, mechanisms, and magic gimmicks that could be plopped into any combat. I feel like there were a bunch of things like grass that would grab you and poisonous mushroom squares for set piece design in 4e that never really made the jump to 5e. I may have to dig out some old edition books for inspiration.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It's not necessarily a panacea for creative exploration as a broad concept, but I would love a thick book with all kinds of dungeon terrain, materials, traps, etc, with ready-to-go 5e mechanics. Maybe even a series of pre-constructed rooms with huge traps, mechanisms, and magic gimmicks that could be plopped into any combat. I feel like there were a bunch of things like grass that would grab you and poisonous mushroom squares for set piece design in 4e that never really made the jump to 5e. I may have to dig out some old edition books for inspiration.

Yes! Let us know if you find any gems!

4e had so much cool stuff for hazards and traps and puzzles that could be their own encounter or be part of a larger encounter.

 

[Celtavian]

Tell that to @Celtavian and others who remain unconvinced an extremely rules- and math-heavy game such as Pathfinder 2 isn't for everybody, and certainly not for the average 5E gamer...

Why do you put words in other people's mouths? No one said anything of the kind one way or the other.

You're the one that keeps thinking that PF2 has to compete with 5E, but it doesn't. It needs to find enough players who enjoy that crunchier play-style to take it up. It has a lot going for it and doesn't have to be 5E to compete. It doesn't try to be 5E. Near as I can tell it is literally built for people that don't like the rules-lite 5E approach of which I am one. I know I'm not alone.

My entire group of 30 plus year D&D veterans grew bored of 5E because it was too light on rules. PF2 is there to appeal to a group like us who don't want another rules-lite 5E experience. Not sure why you think PF2 can't compete in the RPG market. Still not sure why you think all gamers are all looking for a rules-lite 5E experience.

There's a lot of older gamers used to more rules in the game whether they come from 2nd edition or 3rd edition or PF1. Paizo made a bet there are enough of them around to sustain and grow PF2. We will see in time.

 

[CapnZapp]

What I don't understand is how anyone could think Pathfinder doesn't compete against D&D...

They're geared towards exactly the same niche of exactly the same genre, with a similar emphasis on mechanically balanced combat, and sharing maybe 95% of the same heritage, tropes, and history...

Just baffling.

But even if you somehow manage to ignore all that, D&D is the behemoth of the ttrpg world - every other game competes with D&D to some extent.

Some more, some less. Maybe Powered by the Apocalypse, or Maid the RPG, are examples of the former.

But if there's a single game that is in the latter category, it's Pathfinder. Paizo is, by far, WotC's most direct and most prominent competitor.