Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
White Dwarf Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Nest
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions, OSR, & D&D Variants
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
EN Publishing
Twitter
BlueSky
Facebook
Instagram
EN World
BlueSky
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Twitch
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions, OSR, & D&D Variants
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Tools for sandbox style exploration?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 5020756" data-attributes="member: 18280"><p>A sandbox can easily handle stategic scale PC decisions, where the tactical scale is used to resolve necessary conflicts toward bringing about the strategic-level design. If you examine the 1e DMG or the Rules Compendium version of D&D, both of these books offer some support for this type of higher-level play.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This is a good way to go.</p><p></p><p>Another thing you might consider is making a big DM's map with lots of sites, lots of details, and lots of lairs.....and figure out ways that they interconnect, so that learning about Site A gives you insight into Site C, and something in Lair Z connects back to Village R.</p><p></p><p>Good examples of how to do this can be found by examining "big" modules like Rappan Athuk Reloaded and The Lost City of Barakus. The interplay of faith, history, and political powers is part of what makes The Village of Hommlet interesting.....it is useful for a sandbox DM to know who thier NPCs are beholden to once the PCs start meddling.</p><p></p><p>I would also recommend getting a book like The Dictionary of Imaginary Places and/or A Magical Atlas of Great Britian, and make liberal use of the entries therein.</p><p></p><p>Features in the landscape are not just interesting in and of themselves; they are interesting when they relate to other things. When they learn that the faces carved on the Brandonburg Cliffs turn out to be the kings buried in Allmen's Howe, it is difficult for players to <em><strong>not</strong></em> feel a sense of discovery. Especially if they learn that midway between the two, a great treasure was buried long ago........where a town now stands. </p><p></p><p>Perhaps there are still dungeons beneath the town, if only access could be gained? And is that treasure unguarded now, as it has been sealed up long ago? So long as the answers make sense, and are not automatically "all long-sealed places are rife with undead!" players should get a real sense of accomplishment and discovery from putting clues in the landscape together to their benefit.</p><p></p><p>Likewise, when placing mummies, vampires, or other undead, consider carefully what conditions were like when they lived, and what they might know that the PCs do not. A real sense of discover requires a real sense of history.</p><p></p><p>IMHO, anyway.</p><p></p><p></p><p>RC</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Raven Crowking, post: 5020756, member: 18280"] A sandbox can easily handle stategic scale PC decisions, where the tactical scale is used to resolve necessary conflicts toward bringing about the strategic-level design. If you examine the 1e DMG or the Rules Compendium version of D&D, both of these books offer some support for this type of higher-level play. This is a good way to go. Another thing you might consider is making a big DM's map with lots of sites, lots of details, and lots of lairs.....and figure out ways that they interconnect, so that learning about Site A gives you insight into Site C, and something in Lair Z connects back to Village R. Good examples of how to do this can be found by examining "big" modules like Rappan Athuk Reloaded and The Lost City of Barakus. The interplay of faith, history, and political powers is part of what makes The Village of Hommlet interesting.....it is useful for a sandbox DM to know who thier NPCs are beholden to once the PCs start meddling. I would also recommend getting a book like The Dictionary of Imaginary Places and/or A Magical Atlas of Great Britian, and make liberal use of the entries therein. Features in the landscape are not just interesting in and of themselves; they are interesting when they relate to other things. When they learn that the faces carved on the Brandonburg Cliffs turn out to be the kings buried in Allmen's Howe, it is difficult for players to [i][b]not[/b][/i][b][/b] feel a sense of discovery. Especially if they learn that midway between the two, a great treasure was buried long ago........where a town now stands. Perhaps there are still dungeons beneath the town, if only access could be gained? And is that treasure unguarded now, as it has been sealed up long ago? So long as the answers make sense, and are not automatically "all long-sealed places are rife with undead!" players should get a real sense of accomplishment and discovery from putting clues in the landscape together to their benefit. Likewise, when placing mummies, vampires, or other undead, consider carefully what conditions were like when they lived, and what they might know that the PCs do not. A real sense of discover requires a real sense of history. IMHO, anyway. RC [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Tools for sandbox style exploration?
Top