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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ExploderWizard" data-source="post: 7153434" data-attributes="member: 66434">When a game requires a "fights per day" mechanism for balance and combat encounters are also the primary means of gaining XP/advancement then you have a game that is crap for sandbox play unless you change some basic assumptions. - make treasure the primary source of XP. Divide encounter XP by 10. Wandering monsters are then more of a resource drain and pain in the arse instead of being loads of extra XP. - with treasure as the primary source of XP, exploration to find it can become a central activity of play instead of a brief interlude between fights. This can be challenging if a good amount of physical challenges are presented with failure & failed attempts resulting in levels of exhaustion instead of massive hit point loss. A good resource management game must challenge the players by forcing meaningful decisions about how to expend resources that matter. By default, hit points (and to a lesser extent magical abilities) are so easy to replenish out of nowhere that players don't have to worry about managing them very much. Exhaustion however, is another matter. Recovering from that requires actual time along with the consumption of supplies or valuable high level spell slots. With these assumptions in play, the party can go seek as many fights as their little hearts desire. They can also rest when they like and recover their resources. All they will get managing meaningless resources is nearly meaningless XP. Make sure any good loot requires risky exploration to find and that could mean multiple levels of exhaustion for the party in obtaining it. Once exhausted, any combat that the party engages in will be that much more dangerous and tense.</blockquote>

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