The solo sandbox
I really like to try an old school D&D sandbox. As solo system I probably go with Scarlet Heroes or Whitehack with Scarlet Heroes adaptions for solo play.
I'd like to use Yoon-Suin as a setting.
Per default, it's assumed that you create the sandbox beforehand with many random tables.
However, this defeats the purpose of exploration (and the sense of wonder which I try to maintain as a player).
Any tips on how to create a meaningful sandbox which still is capably of surprising you as a player?
#oldschool #sandbox
I haven't read Yoon-Suin, but what about generating the sandbox as you go?
ReplyDeleteOh I have a method. Basically you have a mixture of bottomup generation that implies high level stuff, and high level stuff that in turn generates more low level stuff. It's basically what I expect to release in MONDOTRON. If I ever.
ReplyDeleteThanks. What I meant is that if I generate neighborhoods, important actors, rumours etc. beforehand (as I would do as a GM for a group), I already know too much and know the secrets behind the scenes which I don't want to know as a player.
ReplyDeleteHm. I use a LOT of tables. I mix them up, randomize them, so part of the surprise for me is not knowing which tables I'm going to end up on. They're all downloaded content. I haven't studied them, so I don't know their content in detail.
ReplyDeleteNow, having said that, I think one of the most useful ways to generate truly unknown content is through things like the "This"+"That" tables from Mythic, UNE, BOLD, & CRGE, and Rory's Story Cubes.
These are useful not only on their own, but to modify or complement the random tables from above.
My greatest surprises have been from the above processes, either starting from the general & going to the specific until my imagination interprets it in some way I never would have considered on my own, or latches onto some feature & runs with it, or starting with the specific & then modifying/randomizing it until it becomes something new, exciting, & unknown.
It's a process not unlike reading tarot cards or runes. An oracular system, like peering into a crystal ball & seeing details emerge.
Takes a bit of an ability to improvise, interpret, & run with things on the fly, but I think it works & is worth it.
None of it really a considered process, but developed organically, in the moment, as a method of answering the same question for myself: "how can I surprise myself here"?
Start with your character(s). Decide how they fit in to the setting, and generate as much of it as you need to in order to make them feel at home. E.g. my elves grew up in the faerie forest; their initial sandbox was a giant map full of mostly unnamed towns, castles, and cities. Whole cities got added later as the random feature generator in Hexographer didn't put them in some prime locations (especially Wandlebourne). They (and I) mostly learnt what things were like by going there. My Runequest PC is a noble of her city. I have a whole post describing her city, and the character creation tied into and aded to all this. But I kept it all in broad strokes; one of her brothers didn't even have a name for the first half of the adventure. I also rely heavily upon randomly generated rumours and even random encounters to flesh out the setting. A random road encounter with a talkative diplomat (giving a rumour) was the first mention in my game of Ildmarch. I made a note of it, and referred back to it when the PCs finally went there. And added a bit more when they went back. And the random adventures the PCs got embroiled in made it come alive. I guess what I'm trying to say is to start small and vague and leave yourself plenty of room for things to develop.
ReplyDeleteit deserves to be its own post
ReplyDeleteChris Stieha The constellation generator is a real treat! :)
ReplyDeleteChris Stieha Agree with everything you said. Pretty much been doing the exact same thing in my own hex crawl, just not in the exact same way, but pretty darn close to it.
ReplyDeleteStarted off a character from an isolated people with only very limited contact with "the world", who only know about each other through rumors & legends, banned them from their tribe, plunked them down in a hex with a goal of "find the 12 Kingdoms of Men & find their way in the world" & said: GO! generating terrain, encounters, unique terrain features, hazards, etc as I go & letting the world emerge as I encounter & learn about it.
MoonSylver I like your idea of randomly picking a random table. I may have to borrow that. And "great minds think alike, and fools seldom differ" ;)
ReplyDeleteJohn Fiore Ivan Vaghi Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.
I'm running a solo OD&D/lotfp game with the Outdoor Survival Map. I'm generating things as I go. I'm using some tables, but primarily using Rory's Story Cubes, Tarot Carots, an alphabet die, and a "Yes, No, And, But" die to generate data. Plus some of the Wilderness Exploration from OD&D that goes along with the Outdoor Survival Map, and any other random table I feel like using in the moment. Also using Scarlet Citadel solo rules. Having LOTS of fun.
ReplyDeleteJacob Lindsay Have you posted any detailed account? I am interested in reading more about the things you mention.
ReplyDeleteHaven't posted anything yet. Will try to post something in the next week or two. I'm intentionally keeping it very free form rules wise. The emphasis is on exploration.
ReplyDelete