D&D 5E Expedition based adventuring

[FrogReaver]

Sounds a lot like a hexcrawl with a focus on resource management. There are loads of advice on running hexcrawls, maybe look to those for some ideas.

From what I understand of hexcrawl, what I am proposing is pretty far from one. Maybe you can elaborate on the similarities?

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Lot of hand waving.

Why? Building up the characters of the npcs is key to making the players give a damn. Otherwise they're merely equipment. In which case, why bother with them?

An expedition is a wilderness adventure interspersed with set pieces when they reach the Well of Ill Omen, the Ruins of Castle Greybane, and the Tower of Manifold Pleasures.

Hand waving away all the bits in between does not make it feel very expedition-y. Much more fun if Labourer Seth helps the PC when she gets snakebit in order to deliver a payoff when Seth is in trouble.

 

[BoldItalic]

Well that was insightful.

... Players go to a big city and get hired ...
... Part of the PC's job is ...
... The PC's will ...
... The players in the big city will ...
... Once they have chosen ...

The reason I said "no" is that what you are creating, is a job description for the players. You are creating MegaDungeon Corp. with yourself as CEO. You're playing managers with the players as employees. You are dictating what they are going to do.

You're simulating work.

That isn't fun.

 

[ChrisCarlson]

[MENTION=6777052]BoldItalic[/MENTION], I would expect buy-in to be necessary before proceeding.

 

[Imaculata]

I run an exploration based campaign, and one of the most important parts is the journey itself. I don't hand wave anything away. I let my players plan the entire journey, make all preparations, and make choices to overcome all obstacles along the way (which I randomly roll for). I don't play out every second, but skip to the moments where something happens. What I do, is tell my players to make a navigation check for each hour of travel. I then roll for one interesting encounter, discovery, obstacle or landmark that they encounter during that hour, and we play that out. They are free to completely ignore what they encounter, or spend as long as they want to deal with it.

So maybe they encounter a river, or a canyon, or a merchant who needs help with his cart, or some bandits, or some monsters... etc. I also have exotic encounters that are more rare, where they can encounter entire lost cities, legendary creatures, and amazing discoveries. But although I randomly roll for these things, I make sure that it doesn't become an incoherent mess. I try to narratively tie everything together.

 

[ccs]

That's largely how I run many a "campaign". A series of self-contained, most likely unrelated, adventures. Each one progressively harder/more dangerous as the pcs lv up.
NPC involment varies from none to in one game an entire crew of a pirate ship.

 

[Bubba Whoozawhatits]

I think it is important to consider pacing when implementing new mechanics or game play that is not strictly combat/problem solving. If this becomes just a series of dice throws, its going to take away from your experience.

 

[ccs]

... Players go to a big city and get hired ...
... Part of the PC's job is ...
... The PC's will ...
... The players in the big city will ...
... Once they have chosen ...

The reason I said "no" is that what you are creating, is a job description for the players. You are creating MegaDungeon Corp. with yourself as CEO. You're playing managers with the players as employees. You are dictating what they are going to do.

You're simulating work.

That isn't fun.

Sounds like a pretty typical setup for a D&D adventure to me....

Characters interact with NPC (s), accept dangerous job of some sort, & adventure ensues.

●"Hey, somethings going on in the Lost Mine of Phandelver, I need you to check it out."
●Your party is sitting in the tavern when a gypsy enters. He walk over to you and hands you a letter from the mayor of Barovia. "To thee of honor & valor..... I need you to come save my daughter from the vampire....."
●And countless other adventures - published or homebrewed.

 

[wedgeski]

No.

Sometimes, I do really wish there was a down-vote button around here.

Only sometimes though.

 

[AngryTiger]

Seems pretty cool idea. I'm planning something slightly similar to my future campaign, except with more hexcrawl added to it. PC's find out about adventure sites trough rumors, or accidentally stumbling on them and so on, and then hire mercenaries and laborers, get supplies, and hexcrawl to the adventure site. Then start a site based adventure exploring the dungeon, ruins or whatever the site is, and hexcrawl back to civilization with whatever treasure they managed to acquire.