tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post4922308970893893648..comments2024-03-17T03:37:02.014-04:00Comments on Dreams in the Lich House: Managing Sandbox ScopeJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-73986345811854127022013-03-17T00:34:30.009-04:002013-03-17T00:34:30.009-04:00It helps if the game you're using has NPC comp...It helps if the game you're using has NPC compendiums that you can just flick through and select as well. That way if they go off on a tangent you've still got something.Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00456068019298922261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-37590474314673773302013-02-27T16:38:35.561-05:002013-02-27T16:38:35.561-05:00Roger has a good series of encounter tables on his...Roger has a good series of encounter tables on his blog that bring some more info to a random encounter. Here is one example:<br /><br /><a href="http://rolesrules.blogspot.com/2013/01/faerie-world.html" rel="nofollow">http://rolesrules.blogspot.com/2013/01/faerie-world.html</a><br /><br />Seems like a reasonable way to do things, though I haven't gotten around to trying it out myself yet.<br /><br />General tag seems to be:<br /><br /><a href="http://rolesrules.blogspot.com/search/label/encounters" rel="nofollow">http://rolesrules.blogspot.com/search/label/encounters</a>Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-35058833689241995102013-02-27T16:11:21.965-05:002013-02-27T16:11:21.965-05:00And how detailed is an average D&D hex?And how detailed is an average D&D hex?Ynas Midgardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-65296645532611436702013-02-27T11:31:27.615-05:002013-02-27T11:31:27.615-05:00A while back I started trying to come up with a li...A while back I started trying to come up with a list of reasons a monster might be wandering, and how it might affect the encounter. I never got around to turning it into a table, because I wasn't satisfied that I had listed out enough reasons yet. But, in case others might find it useful, or in case they have ideas to add to the list or the best way to spread the probabilities on a table, here's the notes I came up with thus far:<br /><br />--- Reasons a monster wanders (so a table can be made showing why a monster showed up)<br />-Hunting/gathering food (30% chance has fresh food, 40% hasn't found any yet, 10% hunting/gathering has failed and is on way home, hungry)<br />-Traveling to/from water (50% chance of carrying water)<br />-Traveling to/from meeting with others<br />-Traveling to/from latrine (Perhaps a morale check- more likely to run away if they were on their way as opposed to done?)<br />-Traveling to/from settlement (Might be carrying things to sell/trade, or things that were bought, or things that failed to sell)<br />-Fetching something/someone (50% of having the something/someone with them)<br />-Migrating (Moving to a new lair, carrying their valuables with them)<br />-Patrolling (Less likely to be surprised? More likely to have better morale?)<br />-Seeking the PCs (investigating noisy party, or needing help, or whatever)<br />-Has set up a lair here<br /><br />Mr. Grogghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07707066562852996060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-32357746693987234092013-02-27T10:22:25.091-05:002013-02-27T10:22:25.091-05:00This is where I'm going too - the next evoluti...This is where I'm going too - the next evolution of wandering encounter tools needs to include options around the encounter so it's a little more developed than the traditional wandering monster listing.<br /><br />If you put orcs on a table, create 1-4 sub encounters with orcs that are pregenerated, or maybe define your table as a 3-column format of X doing Y to Z to provide some stronger improv tools.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-1549746456381030472013-02-27T09:47:57.336-05:002013-02-27T09:47:57.336-05:00Another technique that works well for me is to pre...Another technique that works well for me is to pre-generate some encounters from likely encounter tables (not to be used in a quantum ogre fashion, but just to decrease the chance that you will need to improv interesting encounters from whole cloth... obviously, in a truly open setting, occasionally you will have no prep to fall back on).<br /><br />All else being equal, I much prefer to have more to work with than "8 orcs, reaction roll 5, distance 70 feet" to work with.Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-13413902648925451442013-02-27T09:45:23.767-05:002013-02-27T09:45:23.767-05:00Based on what I've seen, drop-in FLAILSNAILS g...Based on what I've seen, drop-in FLAILSNAILS games either have a short rumor list or an explicitly stated objective ("this is a rescue mission for X" or something like that). Occasionally there is no pretence at narrative at all, and everyone is just there for the dungeon by communal consensus (this is also pretty common).Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-52945709002081682392013-02-27T07:01:24.315-05:002013-02-27T07:01:24.315-05:00I agree there's an easing-in process, but I do...I agree there's an easing-in process, but I don't think you need something so heavy-handed as 'you start in front of a dungeon'.<br /><br />The game I'm currently running started out with villages/rumors and after some debating went chasing after the rumors that most interested them:<br />http://billygoes.blogspot.co.il/2013/01/new-tilia-session-1.html<br /><br />Admittedly, the previous sandbox I ran started the players off in the first village to be infected with Zombies, so there was immediate action. But from there it was up to them what to do.<br />http://billygoes.blogspot.co.il/2011/02/polish-resistance-session-1.htmlBillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16717291964764757651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-60726165259898908062013-02-26T13:56:48.722-05:002013-02-26T13:56:48.722-05:00Skyrim is apparently sixteen square miles in area,...Skyrim is apparently sixteen square miles in area, and I think it's fair to say that it's not particularly varied in terms of "physical" content, so I wouldn't worry about trying to compete with it; I imagine most GMs with a little bit of experience have already created a larger and more detailed world. How big is the average <i>D&D</i> hex?thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-90159643486602442242013-02-26T13:43:06.520-05:002013-02-26T13:43:06.520-05:00Good post, Beedo.Good post, Beedo.Black Vulmeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04270071699114783644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-31444963828725001662013-02-26T12:16:08.897-05:002013-02-26T12:16:08.897-05:00Welcome to the blogosphere, I'll check it.Welcome to the blogosphere, I'll check it.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-84118446640674008262013-02-26T11:59:51.739-05:002013-02-26T11:59:51.739-05:00I have a pretty volatile crew. 17 players, actuall...I have a pretty volatile crew. 17 players, actually, with 5 to 10 showing up to each session. We adapted the 'you MUST end up back in town at the end of each session' pretty much from the get-go.<br /><br />I posted my thoughts on whether or not the DM should maintain a wiki or adventure notes on my blog, but in short, I have found that relying on 'oral tradition' from the players is a preferred method for communicating what happens at each session to those who don't attend. You can check that out if it interests you.<br /><br />I haven't yet been bitten by the FLAILSNAILS bug, and I also wonder how some of those DM's manage it. But then again, when you sign up for a partilcuar DM's game, I imagine you already kind of know what you are getting into.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05782596632903617443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-86820371046890936582013-02-26T11:40:50.195-05:002013-02-26T11:40:50.195-05:00There are plenty of times where we run late, and h...There are plenty of times where we run late, and have the "What's Next Week?" conversation through email, too. I usually get them to spin a few options, so even they flip their minds at the start of the session, I can roll with it. If it gets out of hand, you need to call 'time out' and have a heart-to-heart; you don't have 100 designers working on your campaign.<br /><br />I have a very consistent group of 7 players, with only 1 player with sketchy attendance (due to a newborn). With a highly volatile roster, I'd require starting and ending each session back in town (assuming a megadungeon structure with a nearby town), maybe even use a wiki or something for last week's group to post some notes for this week's group. That's an unusual circumstance for an ongoing campaign, a weekly rotation.<br /><br />I don't do any online G+ flailsnails games, I wonder if the DM's usually kick off each session with a strong narrative push - ie, <i>welcome back to another week of delving into my Dungeon X...</i>, so they're always prepared regardless of the participants.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031181424520125213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4353391426294254427.post-70980618205231396302013-02-26T11:00:29.150-05:002013-02-26T11:00:29.150-05:00Beedo-- interesting points. Regarding the 'Wha...Beedo-- interesting points. Regarding the 'What's Next Week' session, I have found that doing this through email in the following days is preferable to give the players a bit of time to reflect and recharge. My group is a fickle bunch as far as long-term plans go, so they often change their minds at the last minute, which presents a whole other set of issues.<br /><br />I have been following your Black City game for quite some time. Do you have pretty consistent attendance for each session? My game has more players than we have seats at each game so only 1/2 to 1/3 are there at any given time, which makes planning problematic.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05782596632903617443noreply@blogger.com