D&D A Game of Exploration

[@mattj1871]

"I can't figure this lock out." thief "Hold my beer." barbarian

[@BanditsKeep]

Tried and true method

[@twentysides]

"Make characters who are interested in that" was mentioned casually about exploration, and it reminded me of something I've been thinking about. That topic is big enough to have its own video. I sometimes hear GMs lament that they want to have a certain type of campaign, like a mega-dungeon for example, but don't know how to entice the characters to take part. It seems like that's easily fixed by asking the players to make characters who have a reason to do that thing. A PC who is motivated to do a different kind of adventure than the campaign concept is no more useful to the game than PC who just wants to make potions or grow pumpkins or rob everyone. It's not what *this* game is about, and it shouldn't be solely up to the GM to hook the PCs, it should be up to the players to make PCs who can take part in the game.

[@torinmccabe]

The most important thing that drives exploration is having PCs that want things (goals). Those goals will drive the PCs to explore the world as they seek to accomplish their goals

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@ggddgg]

Hi Daniel. I took your advice on treasures maps a few weeks back and my players loved it. Really helped for exploration. Thanks 🙏

[@BanditsKeep]

Awesome!

[@vincepale]

RE: "I don't have your players" My dad and I own an online store for pit bike parts, like mini motocross bikes, but adults ride them. My dad has, SO Often had to say, "I don't have your bike here sitting in front of me, I can't fix your bike over the phone, [But I can answer questions etc etc]"

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed!

[@MarkCMG]

Thanks for the video! We played a 1E AD&D game last Saturday here in Lake Geneva with Ernie and although he sprinkled some hooks for us to check out if we so desired, we essentially purchased info and access to an entrance at a previous location (The Dungeon Hobby Shop Dungeon) and slipped inside, eschewing the obvious trail into even lower levels to explore a previously unknown (to us) level. Just running around, kicking down doors or picking locks (after some listening and trap removal). Round these parts, we love a good sandbox and will spend six to eight hours even in our dotage just exploring. Exploration is king.

[@BanditsKeep]

Sounds fun!

[@alexcothren5103]

Wait. Is that you on your shirt? Can we talk about this? Did I miss something? That rocks!

[@BanditsKeep]

It’s a photo of the puppet version of me

[@JasonTheFavorite]

Savage Worlds has a system for travel and exploration that has all the standard ideas, but also has a campfire vignette mechanic. Players get Bennies for having a revealing in character discussion

[@elgatochurro]

SWADE is the best, i also gear Fabula talked about recently. this travel in core? or the fantasy companion?

[@RedwoodRhiadra]

@@elgatochurro It's in SWADE core - Chapter Four, the sections on Interludes and Travel.

[@BanditsKeep]

Cool

[@freddaniel5099]

The Village of Homlet immediately comes to my mind. It contains so many loose ends and little tid-bits of lore, potential links to adventure and possible intrigues that all supports "exploration" and building up a detailed world to discover through play that Homlet has been the starting point for me throughout many campaigns all different in the end. The absence of the Temple just encourages people to invent original material to fill in the gap and that improves the overall experience imo. I wonder if this was perhaps the original intrnt?

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed.

[@knaz7468]

I used to have ALL of those D&D gazetteer hex maps plastered on my walls when I was young (Mystara the Known World). It always made me feel like D&D was about nothing but exploration.

[@BanditsKeep]

That’s awesome! I feel like I need to get those now, I love maps

[@savagedirk9267]

Way back in the day we spent an entire campaign where we started with a blank hex and would map as we went using random terrain generation. The map was great at the end and so many unplanned events happened that as DM I had to be on my toes to make these encounters exciting. AD&D 1e vet.

[@BanditsKeep]

Sounds awesome

[@matthewnyce2978]

I am starting a new campaign, and just made a hex map for it, partially RNG but I customized it to fit some locations. The PC's will all start with a shared Bastion (5e 2024) out of the new DMG, and try and run a settlement in the Northern Wastes. We'll see how it goes, but should be a long of randomness and fun! I like how exploration comes to define the world and allows the campaign to grow into itself naturally.

[@jacobgerhard9525]

What do mean no iron rations? Iron ration and dungeon mushroom stew is fantastic (high constitution recommended). Exploring is very important in my campaigns. Players can learn about a dungeon as they travel to it and a game master can use it to evolve the dungeon ecosystem. Happy Thanksgiving!🦃

[@BanditsKeep]

Nice! Happy Thanksgiving

[@AZOTkirill1]

For some time I tried to understand what does exploration in a board game really means, and your explanation was a big help! So exploration is not about moving to a location or obtaining new information, it’s about making decisions without clear idea what the result could be.

[@BanditsKeep]

Yes - at least not 100% - a bit of research can help though

[@PaulFricker]

Hi Daniel, good to see you in Providence, hope you had a good time. Great video, got me thinking! Glad you're still making content. Best wishes from across the pond!

[@doomhippie6673]

I don't really play open world but I find your stream immensely inspiring. Something is growing.... maybe I'll give it a try.

[@BanditsKeep]

Cool! How do you generally run? Story paths?

[@gray007nl]

0:23 extremely relatable

[@BanditsKeep]

😊

[@Mandroo]

I'm currently putting together a kind of west marches style game for people at a local gaming store and I really ressonated with the definition of exploitation you gave. I wasn't thinking too much about using the 5 room dungeon concept but I like that you felt, choice, is what makes a good dungeon. I plan to keep that in mind as I try to make dungeons for the game. As you said in the video I try to remind myself to start small with just a few options for players and to expand more as they play. I don't have to have everything all planned out immediately. Thanks for the video, have a good holiday if you celebrate.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks

[@antovirlou]

Thanks for the video, I needed that break!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks for watching

[@ericjome7284]

Include obvious, intriguing unknowns. Reward them with an experience when they confront the unknown. Have things change when they return to a place.

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@jimmybrook7119]

Nice tshirt

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks!

[@davidmc8478]

Fantastic video, lots of gods advice that’s really well balanced.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@matthew_thefallen]

With my playgroup we are playing Forbidden Lands and it has a travel and exploration mechanic with a hex map. It's really cool I think, there is also the weather table (but I think that is a fan made thing). Your tips are great!

[@BanditsKeep]

Nice

[@ercyDamiani]

Great video! This might be a bit off topic, but on exploration rounds inside the dungeon, how much would you suggest each round took in 5E? I think it was 5 minutes for the original edition (believe you mentioned it on the procedural dungeon exploration video but I might be wrong)

[@BanditsKeep]

10 minutes in OD&D - In 5e maybe 1 minute. My reasoning is that 10 combat rounds make up one exploration turn in OD&D. So that tracks mechanically. Though I would say 10 Minutes also works for deep exploration in a dungeon

[@chrisragner3882]

In the 5e presentation of Saltmarsh the thing that enticed me more was the dangerous forest boarding the community. And that is what drove me to build the world I have made today. I wish they had not done that…

[@BanditsKeep]

Nice

[@jasonconnerley]

Great advice!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks!

[@Calebgoblin]

Yussss cant wait for this one My little chickens can finalyl run around with their heads still attached

[@BanditsKeep]

😊

[@israelmorales4249]

Hi Daniel. First of all, great video, thanks. As of today I'm on the 3rd part of your campaign 'The Mapmaker's Song'. This inspired me to start my own solo campaign. (I use Pathfinder 1st Ed.) And I'm really enjoying discovering all the possible adventures that exist in each Hex. and thus populating my world to present it to my players in the future.

[@BanditsKeep]

Nice! I’ve been thinking of doing another version in AD&D for a bit more crunch, Pathfinder seems like it would be great for solo gaming

[@ginzomelo]

He's a muppet turned into flesh!

[@finger3181]

The 'flesh to reticulated polyfoam' spell will do that

[@BanditsKeep]

This is correct

[@garaleos]

what system and supplements do you use on your 2 year solo game?

[@BanditsKeep]

I have been using my own mashup of OD&D and Chainmail, as well as Outdoor survival.

[@garaleos]

@BanditsKeep do you use tables for quest/adventure/dungeon generation? how about oracles?

[@BanditsKeep]

@ for the most part I don’t use anything. I have started to use the oracles from tales of Argosa and the mythic deck, but that’s pretty recent - before that I just rolled a couple of dice to act as an Oracle.

[@garaleos]

@@BanditsKeep thats cool. the only tool I found useful for quests is the adventure generator from D30 Sandbox Companion. for the rest I use my own stuff mostly, and Perilous Tables.

[@Marcus-ki1en]

Haha, "putting intriguing things" in the players way for them to solve - is that not D&D in a nutshell?

[@elgatochurro]

an attmpt

[@BanditsKeep]

I would say yes.

[@garryame4008]

I made the mistake of throwing an unprepared group of players at a hex map. Oops

[@profezzordarke4362]

Did the map eat them?

[@BanditsKeep]

How have they adapted?

[@garryame4008]

@@BanditsKeep Unfortunately the group fell apart :/ I now know to give a group who expects a railroad a railroad. My bad. Tbh I'd still like to run a player driven hex crawl, but I'd need to find players who feel the same.