D&D 5E Sandbox Play

[Jaracove]

Sandbox play from DM's perspective

How do you go about it?

Hand out a list of rumours so the players can follow up the ones that pique their interest?

Drop a map, tell them to pick a location and go with it?

Write up a few npcs with conflicting goals (that also conflict with pc goals)?

Something else?

 

[Schmoe]

To be honest, this is something I've been wondering about as well. I'm thinking about joining a sandbox game, but I'm not sure what to expect. A few years back I was in a game that I think might have been a city-based sandbox, but it was extremely unsatisfying. We each crafted intricate back stories, but then spent each session wandering around the town doing random odd missions for a local barkeep without any idea why we were doing them. There was no reason behind what we were doing, other than he was our patron in the town. When we tried pursuing parts of our backstory, we just kept running into dead ends with no leads to follow. In case you can't tell, I wasn't happy with the game and ended up quitting.

When I run a campaign, I typically present several clear different avenues for the PC's to explore, but when they've chosen one I like to create a story behind their choice. So the players have a lot of control over where the story goes, but I actively work to make sure their choices create an engaging story. Is that typical of what people think of when they think of a "sandbox" game? I don't really know. I certainly guide the players by creating plots and presenting plot hooks in the way of the players, but I also try not to force the players to go any certain way, and I'm prepared to improvise if they want to go in a different direction. It's just been my experience that they rarely do! Even when the players are following a plot line, I try to create situations where the players have to choose between several different exclusive paths. So I guess you could call my campaign style a "choose-your-own-adventure" style. Again, I don't know if that is typical of sandbox play.

So I'll join in with the OP and ask, for those who spend a lot of time in a sandbox campaign, what are the distinguishing characteristics that identify it as a sandbox? If someone sees a sandbox game advertised and wants to join, what should they expect?

 

[Morrus]

So I'll join in with the OP and ask, for those who spend a lot of time in a sandbox campaign, what are the distinguishing characteristics that identify it as a sandbox?

Lots of players sitting about with no reals sense of what to do next, or why.

OK, that's more a description of bad sandbox play. Sandboxes are hard to run well - the GM has to be a good one.

 

[Schmoe]

Lots of players sitting about with no reals sense of what to do next, or why.

Lol, that was my fear. Based on the one campaign I was in, it was certainly my experience.

OK, that's more a description of bad sandbox play. Sandboxes are hard to run well - the GM has to be a good one.

Hmm, if that's the case, then it comes down to "How do I tell if the DM is a good one?" But what does good sandbox play look like?

 

[Morrus]

Hmm, if that's the case, then it comes down to "How do I tell if the DM is a good one?"

I dunno if you can without taking the plunge. Maybe ask for recommendations? Other than that, it's pot luck!

 

[Paraxis]

Yeah mostly. I have run a few that were published adventures, like Kingmaker for pathfinder, and did a conversion of a Hex Crawl Classic for 5e during the playtest. Have a hex map with something interesting in all of them, have a chance the party will find that interesting thing, use random encounter charts with events and helpful npcs not just monsters, use random weather, stuff like that.

The thing I suggest first is get them with a good hook, why are they hex crawling and playing in your big sandbox?
Explorers moving through uncharted wilderness, settlers to a new land, survivors of some cataclysm that is now just leaving the safety of the cities or dungeons they huddled in, once I had the party be displaced in time by being released from a petrification effect into a world that was completely altered to what they once knew.

 

[Uchawi]

The DM has to be good at a lot of preparation, or ad hoc story creation, to make a good sandbox. It is my experience that the best sandboxes develop over time. So if you have someone that has been a DM for a while, then I prefer to be the second or third generation of players to participate in the DMs world.

 

[Raith5]

Lots of players sitting about with no reals sense of what to do next, or why.

OK, that's more a description of bad sandbox play. Sandboxes are hard to run well - the GM has to be a good one.

I think the players also have to be good and want to engage with the lore, geography and cosmology of the world (at higher levels).

I think the single most important thing is having PC backgrounds/stories that connect with the world in some way and offer non-immediate cues for action: ie my father's sword is rumoured in be those hills, some of my elvish kinfolk are to the north, etc. This will the push for the players to want to get out and do things - and find clues to where the things/goals they want are. And of course being a sandbox, the players have more choice to work out amongst themselves where they want to as a party.

I think the key role of the DM is make the world dynamic (especially with regards to villians etc), to make the encounters/adventures/dungeons you use mesh well with world, the and work with the players to see where they are wanting to go. It helps if the DM knows where the PCs are going to go in the next session!

 

[abirdcall]

There should be some underlying conflict with the entire area.

The standard structure of being super good guys who receive missions doesn't work well for a sand box.

Instead there should be some constant pressure and the characters should have their own goals they can work toward.

They could be roguish types who are after money. It's up to them how they go about it.

They could be very noble but are living in a tyranny. They want to fight back against the power structure. They can go about it their own way.


Essentially, instead of giving out quests, the players make up their own. Instead of helping out others when they get in trouble, the characters are in constant need of something.

You should work collaboratively with the DM and other players to come up with backgrounds that will work for the game. Though that is true of any structure.

 

[GMMichael]

But what does good sandbox play look like?

Good sandbox play is simulated very well by Skyrim. There's a main quest, seemingly endless side-quests, and, importantly, NPCs that drop quests in the PC's lap.

Two types of GMs sandbox well:
- Improv actors who consistently make up interesting things (rare)
- those who prepare lots of material, gently guide the PCs, and have reasonable improv ability (more common).