One of these days, I want to run an open-world style D&D campaign with overworld map exploration. but I suck at improv, so I think the only way I could do it is by basically inventing a Skyrim-sized world ahead of time. :P
Okay, that's an exaggeration, but I do get pretty tingly thinking about spending weeks working on a setting like that.
This is actually something I want to design/publish in P&T
@radix idk how useful this is but our DM had an exploration mechanic that was semi-collaborative, in order to make the bits of D&D where you're moving from A to B more interesting
@cwylo that sounds pretty interesting, can you tell me more? like the players would have a chance to make up story elements as you went along?
@radix Sure! So it went something like this (after we had determined where we were going etc.):
1) Players roll initiative to determine order
2) In turn, each player comes up with an obstacle (e.g. we've lost the path! the weather gets bad! my char suddenly learns of a family crisis!)
3) GM (and players) devise a suitable method to solve it (search for markers/look for shelter/have intense crisis of loyalties)
(...cont'd)
@radix
4) Roll dice or roleplay as applicable (roll Perception to look for markers/roll Survival to spot or build shelter/INTENSE EMOTIONAL ROLEPLAY.)
5) Then it goes to the next player in the order.
6) Repeat till enough time/distance/emotional milestones have been hit. GM optionally can throw in a curveball (stumbled across ruins! sudden change of plans!)
We played it to avoid combat entirely, and it also let us do some of that sweet character development on the way!
@radix I should ask my GM more about this, b/c I think he adapted a system he found from... somewhere? Will ask for source.
@cwylo thanks, it sounds really cool. I'm curious what kind of (real-life) time scale this involved, it sounds like it was relatively expedited? like you would get through a whole round of each player doing this (and then maybe other stuff) in a single session?
@radix yeah this was our travel interlude, so maybe took an hour? There were five of us and we each went once.
@cwylo really cool, thanks for taking the time to explain it to me :) I am very interested in trying something like this, though it may be a challenge to get my players to try it, there is very little role-play at my table so far! but this may be a nice system to try to encourage it
@cwylo nice! my group is going to be traveling to a far off location next session, I'll give it a try!