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<blockquote data-quote="Thalionalfirin" data-source="post: 7084417" data-attributes="member: 15407">What I would do if I was running a published module as a sandbox campaign is to specifically tell the players that it's a sandbox.I'd let them know that I'm not going to adjust the level of encounters to their current level.&nbsp; If they're 6th level characters and they run across a 3rd level encounter, then that's the way it's going to be.&nbsp; On the flip side, I'm not going to feel bad if they head down to a 9th level dungeon and get their butts kicked,&nbsp; I'll let them know that running is always an option, and sometimes may be the best one.It's a matter of expectations and prior experience.&nbsp; Players whose majority of experience comes with 3rd and 4th edition are mainly (though not always) exposed to the concept of appropriate CR so there tends to be the expectation that they should be able to handle whatever they encounter (with varying levels of resource expenditure).&nbsp; Other players with more sandbox experience tend to assume the opposite... that on any given day, they can run into something that can kill themTell them to remember that there are THREE pillars in D&amp;D, and that in a sandbox environment, exploration and interaction may be equally important as combat, and in some cases may be more so.I'm not familiar with the specifics of PotA (I'm in the beginning of the campaign as a player myself) but I know of it's 1e predecessor, The Temple of Elemental Evil.&nbsp; So' I'm going to assume that there's a lot of cultist encounters.&nbsp; If the cultists in their lair/dungeon are too tough for the party, arrange a random encounter with just a few of them somewhere outside the dungeon to let them know how tough they are in smaller numbers.&nbsp; Then if they're trying to infiltrate the dungeon and they see a larger number of them, they've been warned.Negotiation works too.&nbsp; Maybe less so if everyone in the party dumped charisma, but it's always an option.&nbsp; As is scouting ahead to possibly avoid encounters.&nbsp; Again... exploration and interaction.Kick their butts early to set the tone.&nbsp; You don't necessarily have to kill them, but you do want to send a message in a sandbox campaign.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Thalionalfirin, post: 7084417, member: 15407"] What I would do if I was running a published module as a sandbox campaign is to specifically tell the players that it's a sandbox. I'd let them know that I'm not going to adjust the level of encounters to their current level. If they're 6th level characters and they run across a 3rd level encounter, then that's the way it's going to be. On the flip side, I'm not going to feel bad if they head down to a 9th level dungeon and get their butts kicked, I'll let them know that running is always an option, and sometimes may be the best one. It's a matter of expectations and prior experience. Players whose majority of experience comes with 3rd and 4th edition are mainly (though not always) exposed to the concept of appropriate CR so there tends to be the expectation that they should be able to handle whatever they encounter (with varying levels of resource expenditure). Other players with more sandbox experience tend to assume the opposite... that on any given day, they can run into something that can kill them Tell them to remember that there are THREE pillars in D&D, and that in a sandbox environment, exploration and interaction may be equally important as combat, and in some cases may be more so. I'm not familiar with the specifics of PotA (I'm in the beginning of the campaign as a player myself) but I know of it's 1e predecessor, The Temple of Elemental Evil. So' I'm going to assume that there's a lot of cultist encounters. If the cultists in their lair/dungeon are too tough for the party, arrange a random encounter with just a few of them somewhere outside the dungeon to let them know how tough they are in smaller numbers. Then if they're trying to infiltrate the dungeon and they see a larger number of them, they've been warned. Negotiation works too. Maybe less so if everyone in the party dumped charisma, but it's always an option. As is scouting ahead to possibly avoid encounters. Again... exploration and interaction. Kick their butts early to set the tone. You don't necessarily have to kill them, but you do want to send a message in a sandbox campaign. [/QUOTE]

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