D&D 5E To boxed text or not to boxed text

iserith · Apr 15, 2019

I like boxed text when it is 3 to 5 sentences that gets the point across. Otherwise, it's too long and the players are likely to forget everything by the time I'm done reading it. I've seen old adventures where the boxed text runs longer than a full page which is just nuts.

Ralif Redhammer · Apr 15, 2019

I generally riff on the boxed text, but only strictly adhere to it when it describes details or dialog that is vitally important to the understanding of the section. Other than that, I go for the spirit rather than the exact words.

I'd like to see a change in boxed text formatting, maybe to bullet points rather than just a straight bit of text to read. Something like this:

-The cavern is 50'x75'
-The walls glitter with mica when illuminated
-There is one entrance and two exits; from the one on the left an eerie chanting can by heard; from the one on the right you can see a skeleton collapsed on the ground, as if fleeing something from the tunnel

thundershot · Apr 15, 2019

I'm very pro boxed text. To the point where I don't even try to run an adventure that doesn't have them. My brain can't come up with details like that on the fly, and I don't have the time to do it myself ahead of time.

Ralif Redhammer said:
I generally riff on the boxed text, but only strictly adhere to it when it describes details or dialog that is vitally important to the understanding of the section. Other than that, I go for the spirit rather than the exact words.

I'd like to see a change in boxed text formatting, maybe to bullet points rather than just a straight bit of text to read. Something like this:

-The cavern is 50'x75'
-The walls glitter with mica when illuminated
-There is one entrance and two exits; from the one on the left an eerie chanting can by heard; from the one on the right you can see a skeleton collapsed on the ground, as if fleeing something from the tunnel

Now that I could deal with. Give me SOMEthing to work with... I would actually pay someone to add boxed flavor text to a couple of my 2E modules so I can convert the rest...

robus · Apr 15, 2019

I've struggled with boxed text in that it often assumes a certain direction of approach by the party and a static situation (especially when it includes NPC info).

Boxed text that simply and evocatively described the location/environment would be great. Let me handle the dynamic aspects.

robus · Apr 15, 2019

iserith said:
I like boxed text when it is 3 to 5 sentences that gets the point across. Otherwise, it's too long and the players are likely to forget everything by the time I'm done reading it. I've seen old adventures where the boxed text runs longer than a full page which is just nuts.

The way I think about scene setting is similar to a chapter in a book. The first page or so of the chapter typically immerses the reader in the location, setting the mood, describing the environment etc etc. After that the reader is assumed to have that picture in their head and the action resumes. So some lengthy (2 or 3 paragraphs) boxed text at the beginning of an adventure/extended sequence of encounters is OK with me as it helps to set the mood. (And I have a habit of not setting the scene well enough, jumping into the action a bit prematurely so I, at least, could do with some encouragement in that department

). But a randomly long piece of exposition in the middle of the action? No thanks!

Bawylie · Apr 15, 2019

iserith said:
I like boxed text when it is 3 to 5 sentences that gets the point across. Otherwise, it's too long and the players are likely to forget everything by the time I'm done reading it. I've seen old adventures where the boxed text runs longer than a full page which is just nuts.

Count me stridently opposed. 3-5 sentences is least terrible, but you have maybe 30 seconds before you need to introduce a decision point to the players.

If you plan on writing boxed text, here’s my unsolicited advice - establish scene and tone ASAP (use few, heavy, visual words). Next, Call out important features, NPCs, interactive stuff. Finally drop a decision point that invites players to take some kind of action.

Since you need to do this at the beginning of every scene, and often as the entirety of a transitional scene, it is best to dispense with it quickly and efficiently. Save exposition to reveal during play as part of interactive scenes or when recalling lore (and even then keep it tight).

To date I have not used any boxed text in a game as it’s been written (well, since becoming an adult anyway).

P.S. on backstory. If backstory was ever any good, it would be main story. The less explained it is, the broader the strokes, the better it is. Obviously this is just my opinion, but think of the last prequel you saw and ask yourself how it held up to whatever the main story was. There are very, very few prequels worth their own full treatment.

Celebrim · Apr 15, 2019

I use boxed text because it insures I don't leave out important details and because it typically makes for a better read than not using it.

At times though you have to flex from boxed text because the point of view the text is written from is not applicable.

I like having a clear separation between information that can freely be shared with players and information that is initially hidden from them.

For all the problems boxed text might have, it's infinitely better than older unstructured text where information had no particular order or arrangement and you had to either have the module memorized or else carefully read through what could be several paragraphs of text to pull out the important details.

cmad1977 · Apr 15, 2019

I use it all the time. Also.. I don’t. Also.. I change it on the fly.

pogre · Apr 15, 2019

As a person who runs a high school D&D club, I can tell you my young DMs really appreciate boxed text. It may be annoying to some veterans, but I think it is a lot easier for a veteran to modify or ignore box text in an adventure than it is for a new DM to run without it.