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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 5581873" data-attributes="member: 20323">I'm curious about this point. So there's something about 4e's mechanics that lends it more readily to a sandbox style than previous editions? Can you elaborate? I know right? Mike Mearls had some great earlier work, and I remember first reading through City Works (not an adventure but full of adventue hooks) and being blown away at the raw gaming goodness. Maybe when he's free to spread his wings his writing is better? I dont know. But the difference is intelligent creative well-designed material is noticeable, as you say.Which sort of clashes with the "natural sandbox" aspect Crazy Jerome mentioned. IMO there's no good reason to design a modern adventure this way (hyper linear) unless it's a remake of an old school adventure.Does it make a difference in terms of outcomes which order the PCs explore the map? Or is it "meaningless" freedom? Maybe I've just been polluted by the times, but isn't a focus on "set pieces" more exciting at the table than "death by attrition"? Man I hated those kinds of potshots encounters when we played 1e. My philosophy with 4e is that the day the PCs are "level appropriate", I'll start using "level appropriate" encounters; until then I'm tossing very hard encounters at them. If I don't do this, the players aren't challenged and don't get to use half of the cool tactical powerz they have.I am in the process of penning an adventure where the PCs are part of a military unit besieging a warlock's keep. To get across the chaos within the keep, I put together a random "encounter" table as well as some premade encounters form climatic fights. I put "encounter" in "" because there's little to no fighting involved... Things like running into a duo of servants looting the castle, or catching a clerk burning records. These also have story ties (frex among the records are letters the warlock corresponded with a witch about a bastard heir and land rights), which the PCs can pursue as minor quests, or ignore and forge ahead with the main fights.I haven't quite hit the right balance, but I think some kind of hyrid approach (random encounters & preplanned) will make an adventure more exciting for both players and DM.</blockquote>

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