Questions tagged [sandbox]
Sandbox role-playing focuses on promoting freedom in terms of player choice and influence within the game.
42
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Help with motivations on Player driven games
I hope someone can give me some help.
I've been running a sandbox campaign for a few sessions now, and I'm having the problem on how to explain to my players what are good character motivations.
They ...
74
votes
11
answers
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How can I run an open-world game with vast power differences, without resulting in constant TPKs?
I would like to run a game with an open world, where the party can explore unconstrained. I would like to do it in D&D 5E, but the power differences are very stark between levels. How can I make ...
26
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3
answers
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I'm having difficulty getting my players to do stuff in a sandbox campaign
I've been a GM for about three years now. I've been GMing for this group for almost two years next month. I have an issue with motivating my players to take action.
It's a sandbox campaign and they'...
8
votes
1
answer
361
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How does PC access to life-restoration magic affect a westmarchian game?
One of the hallmarks of a westmarchian game is danger, with a high likelihood of character death.
From Grand Experiments: West Marches:
The environment is dangerous. Very dangerous. That’s ...
6
votes
2
answers
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How much money do traders have to purchase PCs' goods?
In my setting money is fairly important, as I am running a West Marches style campaign. I don't want the one lowly trader in the village to be able to purchase everything the PCs wish to sell, but I ...
15
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How can I encourage player engagement between sessions in a West Marches style game?
I'm currently nine sessions into a West Marches style game with a pool of 20 players. The sessions are going well, and the players enjoying themselves, but I have a concern:
One of the central ...
8
votes
3
answers
504
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Running an Unstructured Narrative
What measures and pitfall should I consider when running an especially unstructured narrative in Pathfinder?
In the campaign I am running that has started recently, I am attempting to run a fairly "...
6
votes
4
answers
985
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Briefly resolving the pickpocketing of 10 gp a day
Context: A sandbox campaign with players having a stable of characters. One character of one player is kleptomaniac (has the envy drawback), which requires them to steal 10 gp (a large amount of cash) ...
14
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6
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Remembering to add tracks and signs of wandering monsters
When refereeing OSR sandbox game (using whatever rules; key parts are player-driven sandbox play with neutral referee, and rules as negotiable representation of fiction) I use random encounters: ...
19
votes
3
answers
3k
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How can I satisfy two groups who want the same quest in a West Marches campaign?
I recently started a West Marches style game because of our group's increasingly deteriorating attendance. We still wanted to play when we get a chance to get together but not everyone will be able to ...
5
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3
answers
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How well are low level PCs able to defeat high level NPCs in B/X D&D?
For a Basic/Expert game, I want to populate the campaign area with important and influential NPCs, who are doing their things independent of the player's activities. The goal is to have the players ...
5
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2
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What and How to Prepare In Advance For the Next Session? [duplicate]
So I'm starting a new campaign with a group this week, I'm the DM with 4 PC's (2 are long-time RPers and 2 are fairly new to D&D).
I've got notes made for the first session, how the party meets, ...
19
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5
answers
6k
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What would the effect of removing death saves and just having characters die at 0HP be?
I am currently attempting to create a campaign, inspired both by West Marches, and earlier editions of D&D (mostly OD&D and 1e AD&D), but still keeping the 5e rules that my group are ...
9
votes
4
answers
450
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How can I incorporate intrigue and inter-NPC-factional depth whilst maintaining speed & spontaneity in a sandbox game?
The scenario...
My players are meeting lots of NPCs, and the galaxy around them is as deep as they desire... Whilst the flavour of our game is Action/Comedy (a little like Fifth Element) I'm ...
15
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Way to manage world factions and events
Abstract
I have a loosely interconnected world where news travel slowly, but steadily so when a trader from a far off place comes visiting your place, what does he know? Whats his latest perspective ...