Hiya!
This
thread got me thinking. I've been reading too many published adventures lately that all have a timer of some sort. Some big bad Thing is going down, and the adventurers need to stop it. What kind of adventure/campaign can be constructed where taking a week-long rest doesn't result in towns destroyed, kidnapped princesses sacrifced, or the BBEG inching closer to his plan?
I kinda shook my head and felt sad when I read this. Tis true that "modern gaming" has taken a turn for the focus on "story" over "setting". Looking at the adventures by WotC for 5e, we have... Adventure Paths. Pretty much all of the "Oh noes! [insert something bad happening] It's up to you to [goal of the adventure] or else the entirety of the [insert campaign world / Forgotten Realms]...and you only have [insert time frame]!" Pretty much all of them other than, what was it, was it that Temple of Elemental Evil remake? Princes of the Apocalypse? I hear that one was a lot less 'time constrained'. I haven't played/bought any of the AP's because, well, they're AP's. Been there, did that, not interested.
I use OSR/1e/2e/BECMI adventures when I DM 5th Edition. I generally don't use 3.x/PF because the monster amounts encountered are 'backwards' from 5e (in 3.x, seeing a single monster in the middle of the room means "Avoid at all costs!", but seeing a dozen monsters is code for "Lets get 'em, boys!" ; In 5e, it's reversed where a dozen goblins will really put the hurt on a quartet of 3rd to even 5th level PC's...ime anyway).
The "older school" adventures of yore frequently had "plots/stories" that could be easily be completely ignored, modified, hacked or used as-is. But more often than not an "adventure module" was a setting piece where something odd or dangerous was going on in some location and it was the players PC's finding something interesting and exploring for fame, glory and treasure! Like,
The Secret of Bone Hill. An old 1e module where the whole "story/plot" was basically "Just outside town, on the top of Bone Hill, and old ruin stands. Lately strange lights and sounds have been seen at night coming from it. What's going on? Is the long dead wizard returned to continue his experiments?" That's it. No end of the world, or even end of the area. Just a mysterious ruins with some new activity going on. It's whatever the players actions and DM's decisions turn it into. It is YOUR story...not the person who wrote it.
So, TL;DR - Go grab some OSR style modules and give 'em a shot.
If you remove time frame pc will nova at each fight who look dangerous.
otherwise time strain is needed to feel the thrill of the hunt.
Game were nothing happens can be dull.
You are at the beach on your desert island, the goal of the day is to get water.
Tomorrow the goal will gather be some fresh fruits.
And next day some fishes.
And then water again.....
I think time strain is an essential part of a good challenge.
Time constraints are great, when used in moderation. If every game has a time constraint, eventually the Players will become apathetic if you are lucky...outright hostile if you aren't. "Oh, great. Let me guess...some evil group is going to summon an evil deity/dragon/demon or other D-word creature who will feast on the souls of men and cause an age of darkness, pain and suffering if we don't put a stop to it by end of next Tuesday? Right?".
The key to defining if a game is "dull/boring" is almost always because of predictability. Beach, water, beach, food, beach, water, beach, food... that's predictable. Save the world, save the world again, save the world again, save the world one more time, save the world yet again... that's predictable. Both are bad for a DM who's trying to keep his campaign entertaining.
As for the whole "nova" thing. You know, almost the ONLY time I've ever seen this is when playing Adventure Paths? Seriously. I think it's because...predictability. It's almost always blatantly obvious that a "big fight" is coming up or is at hand. The players can then feel free to "go nova" because they know that the AP will account for the PC's having spent all their abilities/spells/etc, and will provide a nice, warm safe-space where they can rest and feel good about themselves in comfort. You know what happens when a party "goes nova" in 5e when I'm running an old 1e module, say,
The Secret of Bone Hill? TPK's happen...or at least NTPK's (near TPK...all but one PC dies). Why? Because in OSR modules, the adventure isn't written with PC survival being "assumed". Going all nova in the middle of a dungeon if you didn't have to is almost signing your own death warrant. Wandering monsters don't care if your wizard has no spells and your cleric is out of healing, and all your warriors are far below half-HP's.
Anyway, I guess my overall point of suggestion is... go pick up an OSR module or old 1e/BECMI adventure and use it. I am partial to the "DCC Modules" made by Goodman Games back for the 3.x version of D&D. Nice "old school feel". Or my old 1e modules. I can still DM a module for the Nth time and the story and PC's choices STILL surprise me in a very pleasing way!
^_^
Paul L. Ming