Help with a freeform survival campaign

[plunoir101]

Im getting ready to run a survival campaign in 3.5 that focuses on the players using their abilities intelligently rather than just kill everything infront of you.
My problem comes with the freeform idea of letting the players depict where they go. Because the island has dangers ranging from 1st level up, i was wondering how others would go about doijg this.
My main idea was creating zones where the level of creatures would stay constant, sort of like world of warcraft

What do u guys think?

If you want more story let me know. Im ttping this from a Phone at work hehe

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Sounds like you have some very extensive and detailed map-making to do.

I've never done this, but the idea of having clear, differentiated zones makes sense. However, if they attempt to retreat, either the monsters will have a legitimate reason to stop pursuing once outside their territory, or the PC's need to have an effective way to avoid them, or they need a designated safe zone with some explainable reason, or their in trouble.

Good luck.

 

[Loonook]

Im getting ready to run a survival campaign in 3.5 that focuses on the players using their abilities intelligently rather than just kill everything infront of you.
My problem comes with the freeform idea of letting the players depict where they go. Because the island has dangers ranging from 1st level up, i was wondering how others would go about doijg this.
My main idea was creating zones where the level of creatures would stay constant, sort of like world of warcraft

What do u guys think?

This is my suggestion. You can create multiple locations, 'link' them based on travel, and have circulating random encounters. It works pretty well for the most part .

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[Jimlock]

I agree with RUMBLETiGER... you 've got a lot of work ahead of you.

But if I was to give you a single advice, it would be this:

Improvisation is your best friend. No matter how prepared you are, there is never a way to plan ahead for everything your PCs might decide to do.

This is why sandboxy DMing is IMHO the most difficult of things to pull off in RPGs.

It demands two somewhat "opposing" characteristics from the same person/DM:

1.To be a systematized/methodical freak.

2.To be able to improvise. TO able to create interesting NPCs, spaces, situations etc out of thin air.

...But no one is perfect... Personally I prefer good improvisation to good planning.

Good impro can always mask mistakes, while perfect planning is impossible.

 

[Empath Negative]

*sigh*

The players think they're choosing a direction but they're not. Even when they are... they're not.

If level 1 party goes ito room A they face villain 1. If they go into room B they face billain 1. If they go into room C they face villain 1. They'll never know the difference.

You can do this with entire rooms.


In other words, play your encounters like they're cards in your hand.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

*sigh*

The players think they're choosing a direction but they're not. Even when they are... they're not.

If level 1 party goes ito room A they face villain 1. If they go into room B they face billain 1. If they go into room C they face villain 1. They'll never know the difference.

You can do this with entire rooms.


In other words, play your encounters like they're cards in your hand.

Why the *sigh*?

While I can see Empath Negative's suggestion working for rooms, if you're making an outdoor island and intending to make varied environments (The sandy beach, the Waterfall, the Cliffside, the cluster of woods, the cave shelter, the pond, the mysterious mostly empty hut, the underground shelter, the open field... insert more locations fro the TV show LOST here), you may want to have environmentally appropriate critters at each location.

Also, might I suggest a theme for your island? Dinosaurs. Yeah, it's been done before, but for good reason. Dinosaurs are cool. Have little Swindespitters in the tall grass, Raptors in the woods, two Stegosaurus in the open field, and a T-Rex that prowls around. There are other critters of course, but also dinosaurs.

Whatever you do, enjoy!

 

[Grogg of the North]

What do you mean by survival? The PCs are stuck on an island and need to survive until rescued? They're stuck in a hostile environment? Magic may be the biggest problem there. Endure Elements, Create Water, and Create Food at later levels. Suddenly the biggest threats of the land are

What do you mean by your skill system? Does the fighter need to spend several days practicing tree climbing before he gets a skill rank in it? If I show up with a bunch of knowledge arch/eng and find out that I need nature, how do I gain those ranks?