D&D 5E 4Xing the D&D

[aramis erak]

A type of video game - ""eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate". Like Kingslayer for Pathfinder, if you played that.

It's been a wargame term since the 80's, or perhaps before. Starfire was billed as a 4X game on the nets in the late 80's, as was Kings-n-Things* (* massive list of & ___ follows), Godsfire, Lords of Space, and more. It wasn't until the 90's that I saw it used for computer games. Lords of Space even billed itself as a 4X game, and it was a 1986 or earlier release. (I was running a game of it my senior year in HS.)

 

[Bupp]

I like this idea of game play a lot.

A campaign of this sort has been bouncing around in my head for awhile, but I've never done anything with it.

This thread has inspired me to at least give it a little write up on my blog:
http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2015/05/world-building-idea-sinkhole.html

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I like this idea of game play a lot.

A campaign of this sort has been bouncing around in my head for awhile, but I've never done anything with it.

This thread has inspired me to at least give it a little write up on my blog:
http://5egrognard.blogspot.com/2015/05/world-building-idea-sinkhole.html

You'd need to get player buy-in to make sure they don't try to escape the mines, of course. Maybe if you just guarantee them that there is no gold or XP to be found outside the mines, that might work.

 

[Minigiant]

I was thinking about the basics for an 4X idea.


BACKGROUND: The party is in charge of developing a mining operation for a rare ore in a far away wilderness. Their patron built a fort there before in encountering resistance and obstacles. In addition, other people have set up operation this land to mine the ore.

The patron has abandoned the effort and simply given it to the party. They were only able to set up an outpost and the farms to support it before call you to govern their operation. The party must pay all salaries but the patron will supply a line of trade back to the civilized world for soldiers and food.

THE OUTPOST: If you assume a farm supports 1 person off the farm, that's 1 outpost and 60 farms. So that's 240 adults with only 20 skilled nonfarmers. Assume all the fortmen are footmen, that's only 20 guards. Yikes.
Add some guildhalls for 10 more guards. And a trading post.


The Outpost Hexes

1. The Base
   1. The Outpost 1500gp/month 60 population
   2. Extra Barracks 1 (Guildhall) 150 gp/month 8 population
   3. Extra Barracks 2 (Guildhall) 150 gp/month 8 population
   4. Trading post 300 gp/month 6 population
2. Farm 2 180 farmers (60/60 nonfarmer population supported)
3. Farm 2 180 farmers (22/60 nonfarmer population supported)

ADDITIONS: ???
Well there are not costs listed for building a normal building. I guess you fit 10 hunters in a hex for 10 scouts. A large temple would get you a stand of acolytes but the construction cost is crazy high.

 

[Bupp]

You'd need to get player buy-in to make sure they don't try to escape the mines, of course. Maybe if you just guarantee them that there is no gold or XP to be found outside the mines, that might work.

Without a doubt, this wouldn't be something you'd just dump on them. I usually discuss the tone or theme of a campaign with the group before starting, making sure it is something we'd all like to play