jgsugden
Legend
Again, if this is the case, I can say from experience that you've left good film on the cutting room floor....In my games, the PCs spend the bulk of their time adventuring and after a certain point they can't buy better equipment or a better lifestyle. That's when wealth just turns into a tedious bookkeeping chore.
Your response basically boiled down to, "All we want to do is adventure. Social and exploration pillars are just ways to get us to more adventure." What I'm saying is that you can have a lot of fun with those other pillars if you engage in good storytelling techniques and engage your players.
That wasn't exactly what I was suggesting. Think of it more as assistance than replacement.Sending some hirelings to explore the ruins sounds like a pretty dull adventure from where I'm sitting.
And this has been a part of D&D since before AD&D existed. Hirelings and followers were a huge part of the original editions of the game, with the assumption that the heroes, around 10th level, would become the leaders of large groups.
If you enjoy a good movie or book, there is more you can enjoy in a D&D game than the fighty fight fight.