D&D 5E Do You Prefer Sandbox or Party Level Areas In Your Game World?

So these are two approaches that campaigns can (and do) use. They have various names, but I'm using these names. I've used both approaches in the past.

Obviously there is more nuance than the definitions below, but these are two possible extreme ends of the poll when voting feel free to choose whichever end you tend towards, or embellish in the comments.

Sandbox -- each area on the world map has a set difficulty, and if you're a low level party and wander into a dangerous area, you're in trouble. The Shire is low level, Moria is high level. Those are 'absolute' values and aren't dependent on who's traveling through.

Party -- adventurers encounter challenges appropriate to their level wherever they are on the map. A low level party in Moria just meets a few goblins. A high level party meets a balrog!

Which do you prefer?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Question: after that somewhat linear story arc is finished, what then? Campaign over, or can they bash around until they find another such arc?

I ask as this is kind of how I do it - it's open-field until they get into something which will then become linear for a while (almost like an adventure path) until it's done, after which it's open-field again until they find their way into another longer-term arc; lather rinse repeat. During the open-field sections they can always find stand-alone adventures if they want to; and there's a few story threads running underneath just about everything which rear their ugly heads now and then.

I'll have some arcs planned out ahead of time, as in "if they get into adventure A it will almost certainly lead to B to C to D to E" because I've found (or written) a decent way of stringing those modules together; but how those arcs will fit in with and-or relate to each other in the bigger picture, or which ones will even get run or not, I often have no real idea until-unless they arise in play. That, and sometimes a series of what seem like stand-alone adventures can almost string themselves together into something bigger either via what the players/PCs do with them or via some pleasant coincidences that arise as things go along.

It depend on level and the adventure. I have an FR campaign where they got transported to Abeir and are finding the tools and such to make their way back home. They’ve also learned that Shar is basically a primordial shadow of Io the moment of their death. She is working with Tiamat, it’s a whole thing. Now they want to take down Shar and probably Netheril while they’re at it. That is a pretty epic story, and when it concludes, it will probably be epilogue for the campaign after that. There is also a subplot about restoring a handful of gods to FR, like Mask, Helm, Shaundekul, and some others. It’s big epic game stuff.

In Eberron, the current arc won’t be the last, and it will be back to “what you wanna do?”

 

[Emerikol]

The simple truth is that if the GM invokes Rule 0, the players will be aware, and they may not like what the change is. When Rule 0 was mentioned it was to point out how the GM is “all powerful”. I don’t really agree....players may not be happy with its use.

I've always said that a campaign always belongs a bit more to the DM than it does to the players. If the players get angry and all quit they will likely find a new DM but that new DM will start a new campaign even if the characters from the old campaign come over. Even if they happened to use the same store bought setting, the campaigns would by their nature be different. You can't take the unknown prep with you.

I agree rule 0 can be abused. Rule 0 is still essential though. And if a group has a good DM, then even a rule 0 ruling they don't especially like will be tolerated if it is not happening too often. A good DM is very hard to find. Now if the DM just goes crazy with stupid rule 0 rulings then that DM is not a good DM and thus is easily replaceable and probably will be.

I very much believe and adhere to Gygax's final statement in the Dungeon Master's Guide 1e. To me it is essential. Having said that, my goal is party fun. So I don't expect that much conflict. I've never had a group ragequit on me ever. I have ruled on rare occasions in a way that the group didn't like. I've changed rules ahead of time. When I create a campaign there are a lot of assumptions going into that campaign that have to be accepted in order to join that campaign. Often these things vary from one campaign to the next.

 

[Maxperson]

I very much believe and adhere to Gygax's final statement in the Dungeon Master's Guide 1e. To me it is essential. Having said that, my goal is party fun. So I don't expect that much conflict. I've never had a group ragequit on me ever. I have ruled on rare occasions in a way that the group didn't like. I've changed rules ahead of time. When I create a campaign there are a lot of assumptions going into that campaign that have to be accepted in order to join that campaign. Often these things vary from one campaign to the next.

This?

"As a DM you must live by the immortal words of the sage who said: “Never give a sucker an even break.” Also, don‘t be a sucker for your players, for you‘d better be sure they follow sage advice too. As the DM, you have to prove in every game that you are still the best. This book is dedicated to helping to assure that you are."

 

[ART!]

Party.

I'm very good at scaling challenges that the moment needs. For instance, if they haven't had a really deadly encounter in a while, I will bring it no matter where they are. And vice versa.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

This?

"As a DM you must live by the immortal words of the sage who said: “Never give a sucker an even break.” Also, don‘t be a sucker for your players, for you‘d better be sure they follow sage advice too. As the DM, you have to prove in every game that you are still the best. This book is dedicated to helping to assure that you are."

yikes. Is that really the DM advice from 1e?

No wonder there is a generational difference in DMing style. From the perspective of what everyone I know sees D&D as being about, that is the worst advice possible.

 

[S'mon]

yikes. Is that really the DM advice from 1e?

No wonder there is a generational difference in DMing style. From the perspective of what everyone I know sees D&D as being about, that is the worst advice possible.

AFTERWORD
IT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME, NOT THE LETTER OF THE RULES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. NEVER HOLD TO THE LETTER WRITTEN, NOR ALLOW SOME BARRACKS
ROOM LAWYER TO FORCE QUOTATIONS FROM THE RULE BOOK UPON YOU, IF IT GOES AGAINST THE OBVIOUS INTENT OF THE GAME. AS YOU HEW THE
LINE WITH RESPECT TO CONFORMITY TO MAJOR SYSTEMS AND UNIFORMITY OF PLAY IN GENERAL, ALSO BE CERTAIN THE GAME IS MASTERED BY YOU AND
NOT BY YOUR PLAYERS. WITHIN THE BROAD PARAMETERS GIVEN IN THE ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS VOLUMES, YOU ARE CREATOR AND
FINAL ARBITER. BY ORDERING THINGS AS THEY SHOULD BE, THE GAME AS A WHOLE FIRST, YOUR CAMPAIGN NEXT, AND YOUR PARTICIPANTS THEREAFTER,
YOU WILL BE PLAYING ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE. MAY YOU FIND AS MUCH PLEASURE IN SO DOING AS THE REST
OF US DO!

Right above the chubby succubus.

 

[Mort]

AFTERWORD
IT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME, NOT THE LETTER OF THE RULES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. NEVER HOLD TO THE LETTER WRITTEN, NOR ALLOW SOME BARRACKS
ROOM LAWYER TO FORCE QUOTATIONS FROM THE RULE BOOK UPON YOU, IF IT GOES AGAINST THE OBVIOUS INTENT OF THE GAME. AS YOU HEW THE
LINE WITH RESPECT TO CONFORMITY TO MAJOR SYSTEMS AND UNIFORMITY OF PLAY IN GENERAL, ALSO BE CERTAIN THE GAME IS MASTERED BY YOU AND
NOT BY YOUR PLAYERS. WITHIN THE BROAD PARAMETERS GIVEN IN THE ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS VOLUMES, YOU ARE CREATOR AND
FINAL ARBITER. BY ORDERING THINGS AS THEY SHOULD BE, THE GAME AS A WHOLE FIRST, YOUR CAMPAIGN NEXT, AND YOUR PARTICIPANTS THEREAFTER,
YOU WILL BE PLAYING ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE. MAY YOU FIND AS MUCH PLEASURE IN SO DOING AS THE REST
OF US DO!

Right above the chubby succubus.

Of course, in later years, when other games, especially clones, started appearing - Gygax changed his tune to: play the game like my rules tell you to or it's not D&D and you're having bad wrong fun.

Business is business!

 

[doctorbadwolf]

AFTERWORD
IT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME, NOT THE LETTER OF THE RULES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. NEVER HOLD TO THE LETTER WRITTEN, NOR ALLOW SOME BARRACKS
ROOM LAWYER TO FORCE QUOTATIONS FROM THE RULE BOOK UPON YOU, IF IT GOES AGAINST THE OBVIOUS INTENT OF THE GAME. AS YOU HEW THE
LINE WITH RESPECT TO CONFORMITY TO MAJOR SYSTEMS AND UNIFORMITY OF PLAY IN GENERAL, ALSO BE CERTAIN THE GAME IS MASTERED BY YOU AND
NOT BY YOUR PLAYERS. WITHIN THE BROAD PARAMETERS GIVEN IN THE ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS VOLUMES, YOU ARE CREATOR AND
FINAL ARBITER. BY ORDERING THINGS AS THEY SHOULD BE, THE GAME AS A WHOLE FIRST, YOUR CAMPAIGN NEXT, AND YOUR PARTICIPANTS THEREAFTER,
YOU WILL BE PLAYING ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE. MAY YOU FIND AS MUCH PLEASURE IN SO DOING AS THE REST
OF US DO!

Right above the chubby succubus.

Wow.

Yeah, literally the opposite of what I’d describe as the new D&D perspective.

 

[S'mon]

Wow.

Yeah, literally the opposite of what I’d describe as the new D&D perspective.

IT IS THE THE LETTER OF THE RULES, NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. ALWAYS HOLD TO THE LETTER WRITTEN, AND ALLOW THE PLAYERS' ADVOCATE TO HOLD YOU TO THE RULE BOOK, EVEN IF IT GOES AGAINST THE OBVIOUS INTENT OF THE GAME. BE CERTAIN THE GAME IS MASTERED BY YOUR PLAYERS AND NOT BY YOU. WITHIN THE NARROW PARAMETERS GIVEN IN THE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS VOLUMES, YOU ARE NEITHER CREATOR NOR FINAL ARBITER.
BY ORDERING THINGS AS THEY SHOULD BE, YOUR PARTICIPANTS FIRST, YOUR CAMPAIGN NEXT, AND THE GAME AS A WHOLE THEREAFTER, YOU WILL BE PLAYING DUNGEONS & DRAGONS AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE. MAY YOU FIND AS LITTLE PLEASURE IN SO DOING AS THE REST OF US DO!



Not exactly, right? I think you're saying it's more cooperative & less adversarial now?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

IT IS THE THE LETTER OF THE RULES, NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. ALWAYS HOLD TO THE LETTER WRITTEN, AND ALLOW THE PLAYERS' ADVOCATE TO HOLD YOU TO THE RULE BOOK, EVEN IF IT GOES AGAINST THE OBVIOUS INTENT OF THE GAME. BE CERTAIN THE GAME IS MASTERED BY YOUR PLAYERS AND NOT BY YOU. WITHIN THE NARROW PARAMETERS GIVEN IN THE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS VOLUMES, YOU ARE NEITHER CREATOR NOR FINAL ARBITER.
BY ORDERING THINGS AS THEY SHOULD BE, YOUR PARTICIPANTS FIRST, YOUR CAMPAIGN NEXT, AND THE GAME AS A WHOLE THEREAFTER, YOU WILL BE PLAYING DUNGEONS & DRAGONS AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE. MAY YOU FIND AS LITTLE PLEASURE IN SO DOING AS THE REST OF US DO!



Not exactly, right? I think you're saying it's more cooperative & less adversarial now?

Pedantry is without value.