D&D (2024) DMG 2024: Is The Sandbox Campaign Dead?

[Umbran]

There used to be a lot more across the older editions to support this as regular play such a hirelings and level titles.

What do level titles have to do with sandbox play?

 

[Oofta]

I am interested in why, specifically, you don't consider that "sandbox" play when it pretty much hits the common definition.

I can say that Minecraft is a sandbox because what people do is restricted by the rules of the game but there are no real goals other than the ones that are 100% established by the players. In my games I'm still establishing the goals, even if I dangle multiple goals. I'm also applying external pressures and threats to move the game forward. The end result isn't quite a linear campaign because if they unexpectedly manage to kill a BBEG or thwart their plans, there isn't going to be a Deus Machina to keep the BBEG alive but it ends up following my high level fuzzy campaign outline the majority of the time.

That and I have a pretty episodic approach to my campaigns, when a group picks a direction I try to keep them more or less on the chosen path for a bit. There have been sessions where things go wildly sideways but those tend to be the exception to the rule, especially depending on the group.

Or maybe I'm running a sandbox campaign but we just have different definitions of what that means.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Worldbuilding is never wasted.

So long as you enjoyed doing it, I agree.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What do level titles have to do with sandbox play?

I'm not sure why you would need hirlings either, but 2024 DMG brings them back anyway.

 

[Belen]

What do level titles have to do with sandbox play?

They act as a primer for the players and a way for them to think about interacting with the world.

Bastions, in a sense, do support sandbox play. They give the players something outside of the DM prepped adventure to do. I think you can argue that Bastions is meant to expand and support sandbox play in the same vein as level titles.

 

[Oofta]

,,,
Players just do not seem to want to investigate or become a part of the world these days.

It's group dependent and I find that the larger the group the worse it is. Playing online also seems to make it worse for some reason.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'm not sure why you would need hirlings either, but 2024 DMG brings them back anyway.

Do they? That's awesome! I missed that when I had a chance to skim the book.

 

[Micah Sweet]

They act as a primer for the players and a way for them to think about interacting with the world.

Bastions, in a sense, do support sandbox play. They give the players something outside of the DM prepped adventure to do. I think you can argue that Bastions is meant to expand and support sandbox play in the same vein as level titles.

Bastions in 5.5 don't work that way to me, because they are too divorced from the setting. Their mechanics are more important than their narrative role IMO.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's group dependent and I find that the larger the group the worse it is. Playing online also seems to make it worse for some reason.

Online adds an extra degree of separation. Easier to get distracted and not get called out on it.

 

[Belen]

It's group dependent and I find that the larger the group the worse it is. Playing online also seems to make it worse for some reason.

Hmm...I had not caught the online angle and that may play a part.