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< # travel is one hex a day with random encounters based on nearby lairs and there's a lair of some sort in practically every hex – the [[Microlight Campaign]] idea means that I only need to prepare surrounding hexes while random encounters provide opportunities to learn about foes and potential allies in the area
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> # travel is one hex a day with random encounters based on nearby lairs and there's a lair of some sort in practically every hex – the [[Microlite Campaign]] idea means that I only need to prepare surrounding hexes while random encounters provide opportunities to learn about foes and potential allies in the area
As a kid, I always felt weird when letting my players roam around in the wilderness. I keenly felt the need to lead them by their noses to the adventures I had prepared. Playing the Paizo Adventure Paths in recent years has shown me a solution: big bad is going to happen unless you go right here, right now. I sometimes dislike this sense of urgency because players will usually solve the urgent problems before thinking about their retirement, their castle to build, their temple to found, the guild to run. In a way, it has stifled player plot initiative. Players make no plans if big bad is going to happen real soon.
I did not want to run that kind of game in my Alder King campaign. Instead, I followed this small number of rules for my sandbox wilderness:
That still leaves a lot of points raised by Zak unanswered (limited-resource scenario, problem solving, information turning to tactical advantages), but it’s a start.
Update: see also A Method For Making A D&D Sandbox
Tags: RPG
Keep It Short 