Hey guys. so my players will be coming to the end of our current campaign here very shortly. I have a few ideas for my next big campaign but i kind of also, wanted to hear what you guys have done. I would like to expand the way i DM and open up the world for my players. My games so far have been very railroad-like and less sandboxy. I kind of want to do a more sandboxy type of campaign but i am kind of at a lost on how i would even begin to get this idea going. Help please?
Well, what I generally do is have a "secret railroad" system. So rather than an explicit "go here do this" situation, I keep tabs on what will happen when they do go where you want them to and then I give them just enough info through NPC interaction to warrant them doing what they're supposed to. Based on that, it will seem to the players that the story is progressing dynamically and realistically, but also provide a sense of freedom, allowing them to do what they want to do.
Examples with diagrams
So, starting in Town 1, the players can either go to Town 2 or Town 3. As the DM, you have 3 choices as to how you continue the story.
In this situation, a skeleton army is attacking one of the towns and a cult of murderers has taken over the other.
a) The same thing happens regardless of which town they go to and then the other thing happens when they go to the other town. Use this if you want to put emphasis on a particular story line.
b) Both towns have different events that are connected to that town, but both can still be experienced irregardless of time. Use this if you want to be not as in control of outcomes or if you want a more full and diverse story line.
c) Both events occur simultaneously. So if the players go to the cult town first, then by the time they get to the second town, the Skeletons have burned everything down and the town is in ruins and instead of fighting off the skeleton army, they have to save captured civilians from their lair. Use this if you want a system based on choice and realistic story telling.
Well that's all from me. I hope at least one thing I said was useful.
I'm in the same situation as well with a party who is about to wrap up their first story arc. I'm in the process of planning out what i would like to become the second story arc, but in order to maximize the agency of the players, I am using the 5x5 method for campaign design. That way, I can set up one or two major plots and another three minor ones, each of them having progression along the way. So now the party can choose what they want to do out of five distinct choices. Additionally, every plot path will have adventure hooks for two other plot paths as well. It's great because it lets the party uncover things at their own pace and according to the choices they make, but it also keeps the story tight for me as the DM and nudges them back onto my other paths naturally. They can go a few steps down one path, then completely shift gears if they want to go down another path.
Hey guys. so my players will be coming to the end of our current campaign here very shortly. I have a few ideas for my next big campaign but i kind of also, wanted to hear what you guys have done. I would like to expand the way i DM and open up the world for my players. My games so far have been very railroad-like and less sandboxy. I kind of want to do a more sandboxy type of campaign but i am kind of at a lost on how i would even begin to get this idea going. Help please?
Free the DMs
Well, what I generally do is have a "secret railroad" system. So rather than an explicit "go here do this" situation, I keep tabs on what will happen when they do go where you want them to and then I give them just enough info through NPC interaction to warrant them doing what they're supposed to. Based on that, it will seem to the players that the story is progressing dynamically and realistically, but also provide a sense of freedom, allowing them to do what they want to do.
Examples with diagrams
So, starting in Town 1, the players can either go to Town 2 or Town 3. As the DM, you have 3 choices as to how you continue the story.
In this situation, a skeleton army is attacking one of the towns and a cult of murderers has taken over the other.
a) The same thing happens regardless of which town they go to and then the other thing happens when they go to the other town. Use this if you want to put emphasis on a particular story line.
b) Both towns have different events that are connected to that town, but both can still be experienced irregardless of time. Use this if you want to be not as in control of outcomes or if you want a more full and diverse story line.
c) Both events occur simultaneously. So if the players go to the cult town first, then by the time they get to the second town, the Skeletons have burned everything down and the town is in ruins and instead of fighting off the skeleton army, they have to save captured civilians from their lair. Use this if you want a system based on choice and realistic story telling.
Well that's all from me. I hope at least one thing I said was useful.
Des Noirs - Black Dice (Direct Translation) / The Slaves (Literal Translation)
A possibility of untold horror and mystery
I'm in the same situation as well with a party who is about to wrap up their first story arc. I'm in the process of planning out what i would like to become the second story arc, but in order to maximize the agency of the players, I am using the 5x5 method for campaign design. That way, I can set up one or two major plots and another three minor ones, each of them having progression along the way. So now the party can choose what they want to do out of five distinct choices. Additionally, every plot path will have adventure hooks for two other plot paths as well. It's great because it lets the party uncover things at their own pace and according to the choices they make, but it also keeps the story tight for me as the DM and nudges them back onto my other paths naturally. They can go a few steps down one path, then completely shift gears if they want to go down another path.
Click here to check out the 5x5 method.
"Not all those who wander are lost"