D&D General Why Exploration Is the Worst Pillar

[jgsugden]

FR has too little left to explore, too many NPCs to interact with, and too much going on

Exploration means a broader concept than you're considering it to mean. From the PHB, page 8:

"Exploration includes both the adventurers' movement through the world and their interactions with objects and situations that require their attention, Exploration is the give-and-take of the players describing what they want their characters to do, and the Dungeon Master telling the players what happens as a result. On a large scale, that might involve the characters spending a day crossing a rolling plain or an hour making their way through caverns underground. On the smallest scale, it could mean one character pulling a lever in a dungeon room to see what happens."

Simplified version: Are you in round by round combat? If yes, you're in the combat pillar. If no, are you speaking with an NPC? If yes, you're in the social pillar. If no, then you're in the Exploration pillar.

A low level party traveling from one city to another is exploring. A low level party scouting the edge of a cave to see what lives inside it is exploring. A PC searching for a black market is exploring (until they speak with someone, and then it is the social pillar).

Whether an area is mapped out, whether you know where the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar or the Dungeon of the Mad Mage are located - going there and finding out for yourself what is there is exploration.

Exploration is the core of D&D - the backbone of the story. If you're not enjoying it, it is a sign that you should do some research to figure out how to get more out of it because it can be insanely fun.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

The exploration pillar isn't just mapping out hexes in an overland journey. It is also searching for clues at a crime scene, exploring a haunted manor house, avoiding traps and solving puzzles in ancient temples etc.

Pretty much anything that isn't combat or social.

 

[robus]

Wasn’t mapping the dungeon a big part of the exploration pillar back in the day? That growing sense of understanding of the layout of the place and where there might be a secret chamber And thus a hunt for the way in? Exploring a dungeon (in TotM at least) is not going to be as evocative unless one of the players is actually drawing what they find IMHO.

Travel is a different issue, and I like to use my alternate travel rules for that (where adventuring days are slotted in to break up the journey into memorable moments).

 

[Minigiant]

Exploration means a broader concept than you're considering it to mean. From the PHB, page 8:

"Exploration includes both the adventurers' movement through the world and their interactions with objects and situations that require their attention, Exploration is the give-and-take of the players describing what they want their characters to do, and the Dungeon Master telling the players what happens as a result. On a large scale, that might involve the characters spending a day crossing a rolling plain or an hour making their way through caverns underground. On the smallest scale, it could mean one character pulling a lever in a dungeon room to see what happens."

Simplified version: Are you in round by round combat? If yes, you're in the combat pillar. If no, are you speaking with an NPC? If yes, you're in the social pillar. If no, then you're in the Exploration pillar.

A low level party traveling from one city to another is exploring. A low level party scouting the edge of a cave to see what lives inside it is exploring. A PC searching for a black market is exploring (until they speak with someone, and then it is the social pillar).

Whether an area is mapped out, whether you know where the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar or the Dungeon of the Mad Mage are located - going there and finding out for yourself what is there is exploration.

Exploration is the core of D&D - the backbone of the story. If you're not enjoying it, it is a sign that you should do some research to figure out how to get more out of it because it can be insanely fun.

I don't mean you can't explore in FR. I mean FR is too written down and too high powered so that too much is already known or involved with NPCs to inspire wonder.

You can still Explore in it but so much is taken out of your hands if you do the setting in full earnesty. You have to actively forget or remove things to open up more avenues of exploration.

 

[robus]

Not to go to the same well over and over, but Critical Role is a game that uses 5E rules and still manages to make the Exploration Pillar interesting. If you struggle, listen to a little Critical Role. The first few (recorded) episodes of season 1 covers their investigation into the underdark. Episode 57 of season 1 is their search for some powerful magic items which involves a fair bit of exploration. Season 2 episodes 36 starts a sea exploration phase. Around Episode 66 or 67 of Season 2 begins a traditional dungeon delve with more exploration than combat.

I agree, but doing it the CR way does require some skill in the art of storytelling/scene setting. If the players ears prick up (as mine did) whenever the DM describe a new environment (or NPC) then it’s going to do fine, if they start reaching for their phones then either they’re just not into it (which is fine) or the DM needs to learn how to to breathe life into the scene. It can be done and much of it is through tone of voice/attitude. But it does take practice. I definitely got better at it as I gained more experience.

A simple test would be to record oneself reading aloud from some favorite fantasy text and then listen to the playback. Do you want to hear more or are you bored to tears by the sound of your own voice?

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Exploration is not about finding things; it's about deciding what to do with the things you find.

If the things you find are not interesting enough to do anything with, exploration is a slog.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

This is exploration:

DM say: You walked into a triangular room with a wooden door on each side. The floor is made of sandstone, stained like a bag of Skittles - all the colors of the rainbow. Spread throughout room are six steel domes, each with a steel handle.

DM's notes: Beneath each dome is a vat of liquid.

Dome A: Purple, bubbling goo. Dries after 1 minute. Acts like a mixture between glue and concrete. DO NOT DRINK.

Dome B: Silver. Smells like lavender. Anything placed inside the vat or in contact with the liquid. shrinks to 1 tenth its size after 1 minute. This is not a curse or magical enchantment. It is a physical transformation.

Dome C: Shamrock green. Smells like springtime. Any creature placed in this vat or who imbues its liquid is reincarnated, as per the spell. Even if it is still alive.

Dome D: Black as black can be. Because it's a terrifying black ooze monster. And it's hungry.

Dome E: Orange. Smells like ogre. If imbued, causes the character to sprout a second head. The head has the opposite alignment as the original character. This is not a curse or magical enchantment. It is a physical transformation. (Imagine spiking someone's wine with this).

Dome F: Yellow, fizzing. This is a very strong acid. Shatters glass. Eats away organic material. Will eventually destroy metal.

Chaos ensures as characters try to discover the secrets of the vats and decide how to best use that knowledge.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Also, vertical dungeon maps are much fun and evocative than horizontal ones. Spelunking gone wild.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think it depends on what your player's goals are. I've used the journey rules from AiME in my home campaign, and they worked pretty well for me. One issue I have is that if your players perceive their goals as important enough, they're not going to want to engage in any activity that doesn't lead to those goals. So exploring the dungeon takes a back seat to stopping the cultists. Other activities seem an unnecessary distraction.

I'd love to have more exploration, but adventuring is too often about having a job to do.

 

[Fanaelialae]

This is exploration:

DM say: You walked into a triangular room with a wooden door on each side. The floor is made of sandstone, stained like a bag of Skittles - all the colors of the rainbow. Spread throughout room are six steel domes, each with a steel handle.

DM's notes: Beneath each dome is a vat of liquid.

Dome A: Purple, bubbling goo. Dries after 1 minute. Acts like a mixture between glue and concrete. DO NOT DRINK.

Dome B: Silver. Smells like lavender. Anything placed inside the vat or in contact with the liquid. shrinks to 1 tenth its size after 1 minute. This is not a curse or magical enchantment. It is a physical transformation.

Dome C: Shamrock green. Smells like springtime. Any creature placed in this vat or who imbues its liquid is reincarnated, as per the spell. Even if it is still alive.

Dome D: Black as black can be. Because it's a terrifying black ooze monster. And it's hungry.

Dome E: Orange. Smells like ogre. If imbued, causes the character to sprout a second head. The head has the opposite alignment as the original character. This is not a curse or magical enchantment. It is a physical transformation. (Imagine spiking someone's wine with this).

Dome F: Yellow, fizzing. This is a very strong acid. Shatters glass. Eats away organic material. Will eventually destroy metal.

Chaos ensures as characters try to discover the secrets of the vats and decide how to best use that knowledge.

That's what I consider wildcard exploration, and I don't actually consider it to be a great example of how to make exploration interesting.

It only has variety if the players can actually figure out what it does. If they try a few things and nothing works, they may just decide it's a red herring or not worth their time.

Contrast that with a tree made of pure crystal that the PCs come across in their wanderings. They may or may not successfully deduce anything about it, but are nonetheless left with a bit of wonder about it. What is it? How did it get there? It's inherently more distinctive than a vat of liquid.

It again only has purpose if the players can and do figure out what the liquids do. Even then, it's more likely that it's a purpose that the players need to devise on their own (if any).

Compare that with coming across a forgotten back door to the dungeon you were trekking to. This has an obvious purpose. It's possible that the players may not make the connection, and might assume it is a different dungeon, but they certainly have the capacity to at least make an educated guess as to its purpose.

Lastly, the challenge of the vats is in experimenting to figure out what the liquids do (without doing permanently harm to your character). If the players decide that it isn't worth their time, there is no challenge. All they've given up is finding out what the liquids do (which for all they know could be water with food coloring).

By comparison, a river that needs to be crossed in order to reach the dungeon is a real challenge with plenty of options. They could try to swim across, look for a shallow ford, or even lash together a makeshift raft. While they could certainly turn around and go home, that isn't very likely.

I'm not suggesting that wildcard exploration is bad. I've played plenty of adventures which featured that sort of thing and it can lead to great fun and surprising hijinks. However, it can also end in the PCs walking away in frustration, with the players wondering why you wasted everyone's time.

While it's certainly an example of exploration, I don't really consider it to be a great case of exploration. IMO, it's something you don't want to overuse.