How to Build a Compelling DnD Sandbox
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
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Check out my other Sandbox Videos Referenced:
Running DnD with No Plot: • Running DnD with No Pl...
Having a Sandbox Mindset: • How to Play in a Sandb...
Creating Conflict in your Sandbox: • This One Element is Cr...
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#dnd #osr #sandbox #ttrpg #dungeonsanddragons
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Check out my other Sandbox Videos (referenced)!
Running DnD with No Plot: czcams.com/video/Z7FaSGq09E8/video.html
Having a Sandbox Mindset: czcams.com/video/fhEzhdORrnw/video.html
Creating Conflict in your Sandbox: czcams.com/video/WqGT8pibIJs/video.html
What many modern players don’t understand about a sandbox is that it’s about the effects and consequences of player actions. It doesn’t mean there isn’t a story, it means that character decisions have a real impact on the setting.
You must be a divination wizard, my next video talks all about consequences and impact for driving the sandbox forward.
Your comment immediately reminds me of the dichotomy that video games have created in the minds of younger gamers.
You'd think these worlds like Skyrym, Elven Ring, etc would influence VGers in a sandbox way but.. it hasn't. TTRPGers (IMO) who are also VGers know the differences & still like the game.
AS a DM, you don't have to make your gamers exactly like video games! Earthmote gets it right here!
@@helixxharpellElden*
@paragonknight3307 yeah, good catch! 😂 my phone apparently only knows elvish. 😅
iv been running a sandbox setting based on Robert L. Asprin's Thieves' World for many years. The main themes are betrayal, intrigue, corruption and power. Over the years iv added many of my own NPCs, recurring villains, a good magicians guild, 2 rival assassin guilds and a thieves guild. Villains are typically crime-lords and for a time there where two rival crime-lords in conflict over regions within the city and black market goods. The party were hired by one of the crime-lords but later abandoned him when he was captured by the city guard. They became entangled in a larger conflict between a vampire worshiping cult and a faction of lawful monks. One quest involved them infiltrating an enemy stronghold and rescuing a maiden sacrifice. They are currently exploring a far off dungeon in search of powerful relics which are needed by a lawful army to defeat an invading army led by the cult. The campaign began as low magic but has gradually developed into an epic war of magicians and winged guardians versus werewolves, demons and cultists. Soon the campaign will switch to the location of the siege and the party will take an active roll in helping hold off the invading army who have lain siege to the city of magic. The Enemy seek an ancient tome of magic contained within the city that will help them resurrect a cabal of ancient vampire lords. Classic good vs evil. Rumour mongers, story hooks linked to player backgrounds, sages, hazard-class magicians, master assassins, spies, double-dealing royal advisors, free-lance thieves and street urchins and sell-swords are all tools I use to provide potential story hooks to guide the party or sometimes to add unexpected challenges/side quests. I find the trick is to give the players enough interesting possibilities and then add the detail to the ones they find interesting. Give them a little of what they like and some unexpected twists.
Sounds fun!
Great advice! And if you plan even a few things in advance (a few small dungeons/ruins), that can keep you gaming for months. Players NEVER get as much done as I think they will in a session.
Yep, that's a great point. They can take quite awhile to explore areas. And in the meantime, you can use any spare prep time devising other elements in the nearby area.
@@EarthmoteI do that all the time. Buys me an extra week to think things up.
I would like to add that it might be a good idea to have room for the players to get drawn into particular themes as well as other aspects of the setting. It might be that the GMs favorite theme isn't the one players will most engage with.
Yes! Always a good discussion to have with your players. Introduce them to your ideas ahead of the playing (Session 0 or sharing a document) and let them know what they are thinking and gauge what they are interested in too.
@@Earthmote Yeah. That's great when it works. Sometimes though there's a need to adjust while the game is in progress and things are less abstract.
Your points emphasize the importance of a good session zero where you will outline the sandbox and inform the players what their responsibility is in the world. If things are stalling, then between sessions, ask the players if they understand the plot hooks and opportunities you are dropping for them (assuming you are dropping them). I have had to get a group back on track that was aimlessly wandering because they were used to being railroaded and had not yet learned how to move out on their own.
Yes, I find your players need to have the right mindset for a sandbox game. I made a video talking about it!
Nice video! I’m running a Pathfinder campaign set in the Warcraft world of Azeroth. I wouldn’t call it a sandbox but more of a theme park style world where there are various attractions that the players can see and are incentivized to check out. Nevertheless I think you made very salient points that apply to my campaign too.
I’m wondering if it’s not too much work to include some text on the video to emphasize your points while you’re talking: I think it could help drive home the core message of your videos which might help draw in more people. Setting, theme and conflict are the pillars but a quick summary or bullet points while you’re speaking on the topic could be really helpful.
+1 for Evils of Illmire, a very good sandbox with several factions and themes, mysteries and dense content.
This series is great timing as I gear up for my campaign!
Glad it could help!
Another great video. Your advice has been very helpful with running a sandbox. Just started our first sandbox a few months back. I am still watching these videos to expand my knowledge and keep my imagination going. Curious if you mostly run Sandbox styles or do you like to switch it up? I enjoy both I think.
Thank you! I have run both story-arc campaigns and sandbox ones in the past. For fantasy RPGs I definitely lean towards sandbox style games, it just fits better with how I like to prep these days. But there is nothing wrong with either; as long as your table is having a good time and you as the GM are good with the workload, then that's all that matters.
But I like running (certain) adventure modules too. I'm looking forward to Mothership physical rulebooks being available soon. I'll probably run their modules to get a hang of the system before considering any sort of homebrew.
Every story begins with an inciting incident. This usually involves establishing the threat of the villain. Because its a sandbox setting, introduce the Big Bad Evil guy as soon as you can to creates tension and a reason for the players to travel the world together. It also helps create stakes as the villain is on the move, just the players. Every party action has an equal or greater reaction, most likely from villain. When the players seem like they have no direction, have the villain or his minions do something to spark interest in different parts of the map.
Give clear plot threads:
For example, the party hears reports that orc tribes are forming an alliance that can prove to be deadly. It might be worth stopping or maybe you could win the tribes for yourself.
Meanwhile, the elves offer a legendary weapon to any champion who can purge their woods of the undead curse. That weapon will give them an edge over the BBEG
Elsewhere, the human kingdom is hosting ball where strategic marriages and alliances are formed. This non-combat mission could prove to profitable for future wars.
Also, across the map are various ruins full of unknown treasures occupied by snake cults. What are they planning? And are they in cahoots with the BBEG?
You've now given your players 4 quests along side anything they think of. Let them know that by doing one of the quests, they might miss out on the others so every choice feels weighty. Have the villain steal the "victory" from the ones they failed to complete to really twist the knife. Now, your sandbox feels alive because the world moves as the players move.
Note: this requires a lot of improv so I'd advise against it if you like over planning because many of these quests may never get completed or have unexpected endings. Use your BBEG as the anchor to spark life into the story if it grows stale. Also, killing the villain gives a clear ending to the campaign so you don't have to run it forever.
a lot of people need to discover solo RPGs....
I've been learning about solo play a bit more lately! Both from a DnD perspective and some other solo games. I haven't tried it out too much yet, but I think I have a lot to learn from that style of play. Cheers
Gygax wrote rules for solo AD&D back in 1974. They are downloadable online.
Solo play sounds like solo sex to me; it might work but it misses the point.
@@EarthmoteI hear "Scarlet Heroes" by Kevin Crawford is a good solo game.
Just found this channel/video, can't wait for part 2!
Awesome advice, thanks for the video!
YOUR VIDEOS ARE THE BEST1!!!!! you speak so well, not annoying at ALL!!! such fantastic advice and amazing outlines of what to do and how. Can't wait to see your channel explode because of how awesome you are at this.
Thank you, that's very kind! I'm glad you find use in them.
@@Earthmote REAL TALK, I've seen a bunch of your videos now. I love Seth Skorkowsky's channel and have watched it for years. Your videos are similar but they are very polished, and the points are so tasteful and well sequenced. 61 orcs bruh. People are conditioned to believe the orcs always mean harm, but the narrative really got flipped. so sick
Great video. Subscribed 👍
Thank you!
Yes, sandbox games are more work upfront, less work later. Versus the plotline/storyline/BBEG games that are little work at the start, then continuous work throughout. I chose the location in the world it would focus on and the first couple of adventurers for them to interact with. Then, as the weeks leading up to the first session, I gradually flesh the world out more with further potential adventure locations and world information that just builds upon itself. So, when the players ask for rumors or information, I have a host of start at the beginning and this snowballs into more stuff. My most recent sandbox game is now only on session six but I have already populated the map with 35 potential adventures. Either premade modules or ones that I made of my own. The best part is how freeing it all is. If I find a cool module that I like I just alter it to fit somewhere in the world without worrying about it fitting into "the story." The same goes for cool ideas that I have for my homemade adventures. I am not limited by making stuff fix into a "story" but they are they're own insular situations when I create them.
I used to run multiverse campaigns using different systems that I had math to convert on. We chose a system at the start and stuck with it. I ran full conversions on all relevant items. I warned people that each setting should be treated as exactly that, a setting. Each setting has it's own nature, characters, cultures and rules therein. This was when the D20 system was first being sold, just to give a time frame. I ran GURPS, D20, tristat and AD&D in different runs at the request of my players.
Each run had players adopt at least one NPC from the early jumps into their group as they learned what my words truly meant, unplanned by me, and then forge their own path once they absorbed what their actions could set in motion.
This meant I had one group with two brothers in a modern setting adopt a similarly aged sister that their parents never had and move into a high fantasy world to find a globe shaking conspiracy and move with the bad guy's plot for a while, another went into a gritty Dirty Harry sort of underbelly run that had players avoiding cops and gangsters alike, and one that managed to uncover the lossest connections to a group that spanned the multiverse into their own mythology and learn that there are others.
Sometimes I had players walk away sad it was over, angry at the last scene, or dumbstruck at what they learned. Every time I had people come back because they enjoyed the ride and eventually wanted to know more about why they had the previous ending, or to see more of one the world's they encountered.
Even in a fully open sandbox, players enjoy a good ride. If you can manage the interactions you can manage their options, or avoidance of such and show the paths they have open. And, always be ready for someone to take a machete to the vine wall next to a path or cluelessly find a cloak that let's someone walk through shadows while in a no light situation in underground ruins while separated from the group.😂
Ah yes, just two small factors: what the gm does and what the players do
Subscribed! what are some other premade sandbox settings like dolmenwood?
I showed a few during the video that I really like. Most of those are focused on OSR style games.
If your a 5e GM, I'd recommend checking out Neverland: amzn.to/49olv47. Its a sandbox that's inspired by the stories of Peter Pan, but its done in a really creative way. The monster stat blocks are a bit simplified from standard WoTC formatting, but they play just fine. Its also quite reasonably priced.
The Dark of Hot Springs Island is another cool one shorturl.at/wzU45. That is system neutral, so you'll have to find stats for the monsters that are present in it. There are fan made stat blocks for both 5e and OSR games. That one does have some more mature themes though, so you'll have to decide if that's appropriate for your table. They are easy enough to downplay, but they are present in the game.
@@Earthmote I got the Evill in Illmire, looks really fun. I'm tired of running linear adventures, sandbox style sounds better to me than the linear style adventure im running now,
I think tone comes before theme. Is you campaign light-hearted and fun, cinematic, brutal and realistic or..?
Yeah, tone is a good thing to discuss with your group ahead of time too!
I have to disagree a bit with this, because in my experience the tone changes depending on the situation. The same campaign can have both silly, slapstick moments as well as serious events that pull the players' heartstrings. It would be difficult for me to set a single tone for my games from the beginning...
@@samihietanen2605 Absolutely, but there is always an overarching tone. An action-comedy film might have moments of pure drama or pathos, but the general tone is light-hearted. Same in a game. If players expect D&D style high-fantasy and superheroics in my games they might be very disappointed, even though there might be just such moments. Best to be clear that blades can hurt and wounds don't always get better.
That said, it would be perfectly acceptable to introduce a tonal shift; maybe even an unexpected one. You could pull a Dusk Till Dawn and switch things on players. You could even switch genres with your Noir detective story turning into a post-apocalyptic zombie fest; for example.
Are you familiar with the Curse of Strahd 5E campaign? Other than the initial railroad to get into Barovia, do you consider Curse of Strahd to be a sandbox?
I'm under the impression that your definition of a "plot" is a scripted story for the players, but I can't think of any published D&D campaign that does that other than maybe Tyranny of Dragons, but that is widely considered the "worst" published campaign because of it. The "plot" of a campaign is the central conflict and what the various NPCs and factions plan to do about it. Players are still free to do whatever they want.
Using the term “sandbox” is a simple analogy, but I couldn’t stop there. I remember real sandboxes when I was a child, think of all the conditions, type of sand, presence of gravel and rocks, reason for play, tools, toys, weather, what other kids build, bugs, snakes, cats and their contributions, tree roots and vines, leaves and sticks, things buried and forgotten, and the size of the box. Providing a sandbox demands restraint on the referee to keep from dictating and requires players to be creative and proactive. I like sandbox campaigns because it’s easy to say “yes” to any idea or possibility.
For me, the sandbox analogy breaks down quickly. It's not a sandbox for players - they do not design the world. It is not for players to say there's a mythical beast under the Great Temple. Players, mostly, explore an open world.
@@davidmorgan6896 I was like that when I began sandboxing decades ago, and it became a chore trying to create for the players. I took advice from a friend who is a terrific DM and listened to the players (and characters). Their expectations and wants provided me with more than enough ideas to expand the world, which would be altered and ready for next session. One player wanted to DM too, but wanted to have her own world. I suggested adding to the existing world somewhere in the unexplored area, and then I would get a break. One more player wanted to do that and eventually we would each run an adventure (one to three sessions) then pass the baton to the next. That campaign lasted for a year with about 50 sessions. Having a shared world saved a lot of time and it was nice to get to play, and not have DM burnout.
@@onetruetroy I'm not short of ideas.
In my opinion I do think that a goal is needed as a basic component of the setting and campaign. The goal can be very nebulous and vague so the players can form their own ideas and opinions of it, but a completely open sandbox with no end goal in sight just does not drive most players to have deep interest and feel driven to act.
Maybe I’ve had bad players, or maybe my settings were just boring, but I’ve seen when I don’t create such a goal that there is a lot of time where the game sort of hangs in the air where no one knows what to do or where to go and so a lot of playtime is taken up by randomness or clear boredom. Even with deep description of several people, places, and things in the setting.
I'd probably discuss the group's (initial) goals in a session zero as you get the game started. You can present the info that I talked about here, but then ask them what interests them and what they'd like to try to achieve to start. Can even help focus your prep work to start!
One thing you could probably try is tying goals to XP, specifically ones that encourage adventure. In old-school D&D this is treasure for XP, which encourages players to delve into ancient ruins in search of artifacts.
But the goal could be anything really. From assassination, to uncovering enemy plans, to finding lost history etc.
The thing to keep in mind is players will sometimes likely be driven to do whatever gets them the most XP. So if the players start to lose interest in earning treasure, you can use Gold = XP as a base for other types of goals players might wish to pursue instead.
Drink every time he says “sandbox”
Shar in Ebberon is a great urban sandbox
I love sandboxes, but eventually, it's time to get out of the sandbox and play on the swing or go down a slide.
There's still an issue of interplayer conflicts of interest and player psychology broadly speaking. (Buckle up. This is gonna be a long one.)
I've noticed the following behaviors from players that I feel the GM is at least partially responsible for alleviating:
- Different Goals: Player's often get attached to a setting because they have a goal in mind, but the odds of all the players having the same goal is unlikely in a world of infinite possibilities. Even if they compromise to do one goal first, it's a gamble as to if we'll ever return to that other goal. A hook could last a whole campaign! And what if a player has a secret goal, for the sake of mystery and intrigue? I, as the GM, may know it and could implement it as a linear subplot, but then we ride the line as to if we're playing a sandbox.
- Reclusive vs Abrasive players: Some players don't want to step on the party's toes! Others want to do their quest and will assume everyone is in on it. Many will respond to this issue with "well, if the player wanted something, it's their fault for not speaking up!" But I think that's unfair. There must be a means to incentivize players into saying what they want, sans outright forcing them too.
- Preparedness: This is an odd one. A lot of players will, for some reason, only move forward with anything once they're 100% sure that they're ready/safe. You may be wondering how this affects Sandbox Games. Loss aversion! They best way to not get into trouble is to not engage at all. It's optimizing the fun out of the game to ensure their character survives or doesn't have irrecoverable loss. I guess a GM could set the stakes lower, but...then it may get too dull? Hard to know where to draw the line there.
- Different Goals: In order to keep a sandbox focused, players should create PCs that have a shared goal. They may all have different reasons for pursuing the goal, but the goal is ultimately the same. If you're concerned about personal goals, then the party may decide to have that be the goal to focus on.
- Reclusive vs Abrasive players: All this can be solved by working as a team. Players should be respectful and have general courtesy to one another. Reclusive players should be lifted up and encouraged to be active. And GMs should be patient and active listeners, and allow players the opportunity to speak up.
- Preparedness: You can have the players go through a deadly dungeon/area as a tutorial to get used to the danger. You can start having conflicts come to them if they keep doing nothing.
But the best suggestion for this one is to have a serious talk with your players. Let them know they need to be active, and willing to take risks in order to bring life to the game.
A sandbox is driven by the player's actions that create consequences. This is how a sandbox story is created, and it is the player's story.
Well maybe your players are not trying to have imagination and game. Its called roleplaying. Find s king a baron or a chief and find some work or just explore the world. DM will react. Conan never needed a gamemaster to give him adventures he just ran into them.
What? 😂