Running D&D in a boardgame style

[rounser]

Before people leap to conclusions, this is not a flame or a troll, nor a sarcastic attack on the new edition. I love boardgames, and sometimes think they nail the D&D vibe better than D&D does.

How would you run a campaign of D&D in "the boardgame style"? I think D&D 4E offers the possibility of being a Warhammer Quest or Talisman, but better, more than any of the prior editions - if run in the right way. The level of abstraction has gone up in some areas and down in others to support that, IMO.

Towns: Probably the bit that gets abstracted the most. When PCs visit a town, they simply get presented with a list of quests NPCs want done, and what can be bought there. No need for other stuff, no need for a map. Maybe some towns have dungeons in them, or an encounter with (say) thieves in an alleyway, hired by a disgruntled villain - go to the encounter map. If they've gone there to talk to an NPC about a plot development or quest, just skip to the chat with that NPC.

Wilderness: Maybe a hex map. Walk around the hex map, discover encounters on the hexes.

Dungeons: Certain hexes contain dungeons. PCs go to another map if they choose to enter.

Simple as that? I'm interested in other's thoughts.

And no, I'm not having a go (honestly).

 

[Doug McCrae]

No DM.

 

[rounser]

No DM.

I'm not sure that's realistic in the current editions. Someone's still got to create the adventures, and roll dice for the monsters. The campaign needs a manager, adjudicator and level designer. These roles haven't been automated.

 

[jgerman]

Before people leap to conclusions, this is not a flame or a troll, nor a sarcastic attack on the new edition. I love boardgames, and sometimes think they nail the D&D vibe better than D&D does.

How would you run a campaign of D&D in "the boardgame style"? I think D&D 4E offers the possibility of being a Warhammer Quest or Talisman, but better, more than any of the prior editions - if run in the right way. The level of abstraction has gone up in some areas and down in others to support that, IMO.

Towns: Probably the bit that gets abstracted the most. When PCs visit a town, they simply get presented with a list of quests NPCs want done, and what can be bought there. No need for other stuff, no need for a map. Maybe some towns have dungeons in them, or an encounter with (say) theives in an alleyway, hired by a disgruntled villain - go to the encounter map.

Wilderness: Maybe a hex map. Walk around the hex map, discover encounters on the hexes.

Dungeons: Certain hexes contain dungeons. PCs go to another map if they choose to enter.

Simple as that? I'm interested in other's thoughts.

And no, I'm not having a go (honestly).

I would say whatever way you want, borrowing campaign rules from games like Descent would work well. Take at look at the rules for the "Road to Legend" rules here: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/descent_support.html

4e provides a richer combat experience, you could easily use it instead of the Descent rules when delving. Of course with 4e you get outdoor combat as well.

4e has it's problems but it's really hit a sweet spot in the gaming world.
Given a continuum of gaming with boardgaming on one side and rpgs on the other 4e allows you to play anywhere you like within those bounds. That's a huge win and your question is a natural one to ask.

Of course any RPG can provide that but IMO 4e does a good job of providing an "adventure game" toolkit that can be tailored to the needs of an individual group (despite some of it's flaws).

 

[rounser]

I would say whatever way you want, borrowing campaign rules from games like Descent would work well. Take at look at the rules for the "Road to Legend" rules here: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/descent_support.html

Tah. Will do.

That's a huge win and your question is a natural one to ask.

I'm glad you agree. The idea of being able to put a metropolis on the map, have it get visited, and just present the players with a list, explaining that PCs can:

1) Enroll in the gladiatorial circus for prizes (go to encounter map).
2) Speak to Melvid about his bounty on the heads of all faeries.
3) Buy magic items from the Floating Tower, so long as they get past the demon guardian and his riddles first (again, encounter map).
4) etc.

...is somewhat liberating. All of a sudden, a complex problem ("how do I represent a city of 250,000 people, let alone map it") becomes quite manageable, and exactly as time-consuming as the DM wants it to be. The flavour can also become very focused ("Oh yeah - Morgrotten is that place with the gladiators and that crazy wild mage who hates faeries.")

It's also the logical conclusion of the DMG advice on fun being debated in another thread.

 

[Corsair]

Personally I think I'd use a system like you are suggesting if I wanted to run a Battletech campaign. Wargaming rules for combat, but streamlined quasi-RPG stuff in between the combats.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Would there be speaking in character? Third person? Or would all NPC interaction be handled by social skills? Maybe PC interaction too.

 

[rounser]

Would there be speaking in character? Third person? Or would all NPC interaction be handled by social skills? Maybe PC interaction too.

Whatever's appropriate, I suppose. Getting past the Royal Guard to speak to the King might be handled with a roll of the dice, whereas you might roleplay Melvid and his insanity firsthand if the PCs are interested in exactly why he hates faeries so much.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Personally I think I'd use a system like you are suggesting if I wanted to run a Battletech campaign. Wargaming rules for combat, but streamlined quasi-RPG stuff in between the combats.

That's actually how I have run two short Battletech Campaigns. Worked beautifully, use the CBT or Aerotech rules for combat on the mech scale. Interaction was kept pretty freeform and personnel scale combat was using Exalted 2e Heroic Mortals rules with some new equipment.

 

[jmucchiello]

I think you need something like the game Rune. Rotating DMs. That way you could still have "secrets" in you dungeon exploration but no one owns the game world (or everyone does depending on your point of view).