Bat in the Attic

Joe's post on the Quantum Ogre raises an old question about sandbox play: when does moving an encounter around interfere with players' freedom to decide what their characters do?

I agree with a lot of what he says, especially that information matters. In my Living World Sandbox, I stress the importance of the Initial Context.

Where I disagree is that players' choices matter. It doesn't matter to me whether they made an informed choice or the choice resulted from blind chance. What matters is the consequences of that choice. 

Suppose there is a fork in the road. They know nothing about either path. They choose the left fork. Joe argues that if they know nothing about either path, then putting a prepared encounter, like an ogre, on either road doesn't cost them anything. 

For me, the question is different.

Why is the ogre there?

To answer that, I look at how I described the setting and the campaign's current circumstances. But another factor is particularly relevant in Joe's post. Whether anything was prepared at all; thus, both roads could represent a blank slate.

Part of my Bag of Stuff consists of prepared encounters that aren't tied to a particular region or location. So how is using something from my Bag of Stuff any different from what Joe is doing by placing the ogre encounter regardless of which fork is taken?

The difference is that Joe's procedure allows the ogre to be placed on whichever road the players choose because nothing distinguished the roads beforehand. What I do instead is look at what I know about each road, make a short list of what could be there, and roll to see if the result is an ogre on the list, since the chosen road runs through some hills. Then I will use that ogre encounter in my Bag of Stuff.

I do this to discipline myself so that I always follow through on the consequences of the players' choice instead of changing the circumstances because I have something prepared that would be convenient to use. To be clear, rather than treating the "blank slate" as permission to use something I prepared, I treat it as an uncertain part of my setting that I need to resolve during the session.

That said, I like and agree with quite a bit of Joe's post. 

There is a section where he had a goblin cave prepared. The goblins were causing trouble for some local halflings, but the players opted to deal with some orcs instead. As the campaign progressed, Joe adjudicated that the halflings took care of the goblins themselves.

Joethelawyer, Quantum Ogre

Another variation on this I’ve experienced as a GM is where the encounter is more than just a basic bullshit ogre on the road or goblin ambush. For example, I made up a large cave complex where a clan of goblins lived, and they were raiding the halfling lands around. The PC’s had a choice to go there, or to orc caves, or a couple more places. They went to the orc caves, kicked their asses. Through roleplaying later, the halfling village they saved said they’d take care of the goblins, thanks for the help. 

In my view, this represents World In Motion, an aspect of a Living World Sandbox. That is, as players make their choices and act accordingly, the other inhabitants aren't standing still but making decisions themselves. In this case, to finally deal with those pesky goblins once and for all.

As for the prep, it went back into his Bag of Stuff and was repurposed later with different inhabitants and circumstances, which is exactly what the Bag of Stuff is for.

The goblin caves went unused. It would be a bullshit move as a GM to have the PC’s encounter the goblin caves in the next encounter. But there’s nothing wrong with using it in the future. I reskinned it a bit, added a two-headed troll, and used it as an encounter with a different group. I could have used it with the same group once enough time had passed, and it was in a different place.

If you are interested in my ideas behind my Living World Sandbox. I have a blog post below summarizing what that type of sandbox campaign entails.

The Living World Sandbox.

And I collected all my posts on Sandbox Campaigns on this page.

Managing Sandbox Campaigns

Sandbox Campaigns often fail when players feel they lack information and that their choices are little better than throwing darts at a board in the dark. In the decades I have been running Sandbox Campaigns, one key tool I use to combat this issue at the start of a campaign is working with the player to establish their character's initial context. This helps them make informed choices as their characters the moment the campaign begins. 

Creating Characters

Creating characters for the Majestic Fantasy RPG involves deciding on an initial context, rolling attributes, picking a character class, choosing a character background, allocating skill points, and finally choosing equipment and spells. The following outlines each of these in detail.

The Initial Context

The players’ choices as their characters propel sandbox campaigns. However, to make choices, the player has to understand the circumstances and the character’s context. Otherwise, the options are no better than making a random dice roll.

The Initial Context is particularly important at the start of the campaign, when there are no past events for the players to reference when making decisions as their characters. The Initial Context establishes the character's circumstances at the start of the campaign, enabling players to make informed choices from the outset.

The Initial Context doesn’t have to be elaborate. It only has to be sufficient. What is sufficient varies from player to player. I have had players come up with detailed histories and backstories, as well as those who found a single sentence sufficient. “Max likes to hang out at bars in Eastgate and likes to get involved in trouble.” This player decided to make a Human Thug in a campaign set in the City-State of Eastgate.

Most players find a paragraph or two of personal background sufficient, along with a handout of the region or city they will be starting out in.

Ideally, with the Initial Context, the players should know or have created:

• Where is the character starting?
• Who does the character know?
• What are the character’s immediate goals?
• What kind of trouble is the character in at the start?

The Pre-game

I encountered this in HârnWorld, released by Columbia Games in 1983. The basic idea is that you sit down one-on-one with each player before the first session to flesh out the character’s background. Mostly, this is some discussion intermixed with a bit of light roleplaying.

This technique effectively minimizes the write-up required for handouts. The discussion and roleplaying often work better and are more fun than reading a document, particularly for players or groups who want detailed backgrounds at the start of the campaign.

If this feels too formal or you don’t have the time, that’s OK. The key is that the Initial Context fits the group’s time and interest.

Definition Note

Initial Context: The circumstances, location, and relationships that define where the character is at the beginning of the campaign.

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I find it useful to include a brief note on the assumptions behind why I design things the way I do. In the case of the Manual of the Three Adventuring Arts, I help the reader with information so they can weigh the benefits of the different options I write about for character creation and adjudication.

Rule AssumptionsThe following is a summary of the assumptions used by the rules of the Majestic Fantasy RPG. They are useful to know as you work your way through the various lists of available options, such as classes, backgrounds, skills, and spells.Combat ActionsIn combat, every character gets two actions during their six-second turn. Each character rolls a 1d6 initiative roll to determine the order in which they act. The character’s Dexterity bonus and other abilities may modify the initiative roll. Monsters may use half of their Hit Dice as an initiative modifier.
The basic principle is that characters can take a half move as a regular action and make an attack as an attack action. A character can only take one attack action per round, whether it is melee, missile, or spell casting.
If the character chooses not to use an attack action, they may take another regular action instead. For example, they may take two half moves in succession to move their full modified movement during a combat round. See the Combat chapter for further details.SkillsWhen the odds of success are uncertain due to limited time, such as during a combat round, limited resources, or when the consequences of failure are significant, such as climbing a great height, make a skill roll. The basic chance of success is 15 or better on a 1d20 roll. Add a relevant attribute bonus to the skill bonus to modify the roll. 
Two other basic principles of the Majestic Fantasy RPG are that any character can attempt any skill and that if a character has sufficient time and resources, they will succeed. When failure is a remote possibility, the player still rolls 1d20, but it only fails on a natural 1.ExperienceIn the Majestic Fantasy RPG, characters earn experience in one of two ways. The first is by defeating or overcoming opponents in combat or other forms of conflict. The second is by achieving the goals the players set out for themselves. Tougher opponents and more difficult goals award more experience.BackgroundsA character’s background consists of inherited traits and culture. Inherited traits determine physical and, in some cases, mental characteristics. A character’s culture reflects the social environment that shaped them and may modify their attributes or grant bonus skill points.RoleplayingGenerally, campaigns in the Majestic Fantasy RPG begin with the referee describing the circumstances in which the players find themselves as their characters. The players then, as their characters, describe or roleplay their responses. The referee decides what rolls, if any, are required and adjudicates the results. Following that, the referee either roleplays the non-player characters or describes how the circumstances change.
Repeat this process throughout the session and the campaign.
The Living World Sandbox chapters of the Tome of the Mundane, Strange, and Arcane provide specific techniques and advice for managing this process.SpellcastingThe Majestic Fantasy RPG centers the bulk of spellcasting on the traditional Vancian system of spell memorization. However, two major additions extend how magic works: Rituals and Focused Arts.RitualsIn the Majestic Fantasy RPG, a spellcaster can cast spells as 10-minute rituals without memorizing them, but must first inscribe them in a ritual book or spell book. Rituals also incur costs in their components. Each type of spellcaster has its own rules regarding rituals. Ritual Casting represents an older, less developed form of magic.Focused ArtSpells are more effective when cast by a cleric or magic-user with a focus in that art. The spell description provides the details at the end of each entry in the section labeled Focused Art.
These rules categorize spells into nine arts of magic. Nine of these arts are associated with one of the chromatic crystals used to seal the entrance to the Abyss. The tenth is the original ambient magic of the Majestic Fantasy Realms.VizViz is a magical substance that takes many forms, from a flask of pure spring water to a newly blooming flower or an iridescent rock. All these items share one trait in common: pure magic infuses them. Viz is typically harvested, refined, and measured in units for spellcasting. When casting spells or creating magic items, spellcasters can use units of Viz to assist the process. See the entry for Viz in the Treasure chapter for further details. 
VimMagic permeates everything throughout the Majestic Fantasy Realms, including the souls of sentient beings and various creatures. Intertwined with a sentient being's soul or spirit is a form of Viz known as Vim. For most, the amount of Vim is not enough to manifest any magical effects. Some creatures or individuals can create magical effects by having more than the usual amount of Vim as a result of birth or training.
Rob’s Note: Unlike Viz, Vim has no explicit mechanics unless specified by a class or ability.

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 The Manual of the Three Adventuring ArtsForeword

Welcome to the Majestic Fantasy RPG. What is it, and what sets it apart? It is meant to do a few things. It supports my setting, the Majestic Fantasy Realms. It is built to run sandbox campaigns. And it is written to be useful for people running fantasy games regardless of edition, setting, or rule system.

The Majestic Fantasy Realms grew out of the fantasy campaigns I have been running for my friends for over four decades. I kept the same setting across successive campaigns, with different groups and even different systems. Over time, that produced a fair amount of original material. The Majestic Fantasy Realms is the setting portion of that work. The Majestic Fantasy RPG is the rules portion, adapted to classic Dungeons & Dragons.

What makes this a sandbox RPG? In a sandbox campaign, the players act as their characters and decide what matters. The direction of the campaign comes from the choices they make. The referee builds the setting and serves as a neutral arbiter. My book How to Make a Fantasy Sandbox explains how to build a setting. The Majestic Fantasy RPG focuses on how to describe that setting in game mechanics, how to adjudicate the players' choices, and how to keep the world in motion. What it does not do is tell you how the campaign ought to go or what choices the players ought to make.

I have always kept my campaigns grounded in the medieval fantasy of classic Dungeons & Dragons, no matter what system I was using at the time. Decades later, medieval fantasy and D&D tropes still sit at the heart of most fantasy roleplaying games.

Throughout the text you will see Rob's Notes. These are short comments explaining why I wrote certain sections the way I did. By laying out the thinking behind the rules, I hope the material remains useful even if you do not adopt the system as written.

Over the years, and after reading more about how Dungeons & Dragons developed, I came to believe that most campaigns are hybrids to some degree. By including Rob's Notes and structuring the Majestic Fantasy RPG as four books, I want this game to be useful even if you only use parts of it.

Thank you for reading. Let's step together through the door and see what kind of world you and your players will build.

Introduction

The Majestic Fantasy RPG consists of four books: The Manual of the Three Adventuring Arts, The Doomsday Codex, The Legendarium of the Fantastic, and The Tome of the Mundane, Strange, and Arcane. The book you hold, The Manual of the Three Adventuring Arts, is the player's handbook of the Majestic Fantasy RPG.

Here you will find the rules that govern the Martial, Mundane, and Magical Arts as they apply to creating characters and adjudicating their actions. This includes the classes they may pursue, the workings of arcane and divine magic, the equipment available to them, the resolution of combat, and advice for players exploring the Majestic Fantasy Realms or any setting your referee creates.

Everything here assumes a medieval fantasy setting. Its historical foundation rests between the fall of Rome and the Age of Reformation and Exploration, when firearms and long ocean voyages began to appear. Onto that foundation are added the familiar elements of Dungeons & Dragons: Vancian magic, dragons, and the strange creatures found across its various editions.

With modest work, these rules can also support campaigns set in earlier periods or later ones up to the first industrial revolution.

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I just shipped off the draft for my Scourge of the Demon Wolf, 2nd edition, to my editor, and I am resuming work on my next major project, the full version of the Majestic Fantasy RPG.

For those who don't know, I started publishing on my own by releasing Supplement VI: The Majestic Wilderlands. Not only was it a setting overview of my Majestic Wilderlands, but it was also a supplement adding classes and other rules to Swords & Wizardry, Core Rules circa 2009.
Since then, I've used it in various campaigns, and by the mid-2010s, it had become a complete system in its own right. Still compatible with Swords & Wizardry.

I realized many of you already have a favorite edition or clone, and that more of you opt to run your campaign using a kitbash of your favorite subsystems. While the Majestic Fantasy RPG is a complete RPG in its own right, I also designed it so that it is easy to pull apart so you can use as much or as little of it as you want in your own campaign. To help with this, the text will feature numerous Rob's Notes that explain why certain sections work the way they do.

I created a basic overview for my players, which you can download here.
https://www.batintheattic.com/downloads/MW%20Majestic%20Fantasy%20Basic%20RPG%20Rev%2010.pdf

Later in 2020, I expanded it, had it edited, and released it as the basic rules here.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/337515/the-majestic-fantasy-rpg-basic-rules

Now I am working on the full version as a sandbox RPG supporting my Majestic Fantasy Realms, Living World Sandbox Campaigns, and medieval fantasy settings. If you have questions or want to discuss something, the best place is the development log thread I maintain on the RPG Pub. https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/the-majestic-fantasy-rpg-draft.12932/

The system will be presented as four digest books, split so each is a useful reference in its own right.

The Manual of the Three Adventuring Arts
A player's handbook for the Majestic Fantasy RPG

The Domesday Codex
A manual of characters for the Majestic Fantasy RPG.

The Legendarium of the Fantastic
A manual of monsters for the Majestic Fantasy RPG.

The Tome of the Mundane, Strange, and Arcane
A guide for running campaigns using the Majestic Fantasy RPG, along with various subsystems like Merchant Adventures, and material like Magic Items and Treasures.

Optional

Libram of Spells 
(print only, the PDF will be included in the files for the Manual of the Three Adventuring Arts)

Rob's Note: Several people suggested offering a print version of just the spells. The spells will also be included in the Manual of the Three Adventuring Arts.

One of the biggest challenges of publishing today is getting people to look at what you produced. This is why tools like DriveThruRPG's Promotion Points are crucial to publishers, especially those like myself who rely on online websites for the bulk of their sales. 
Thanks to your support of the release of the Northern Marches back in May, I had enough points to submit the Northern Marches to the Deal of the Day queue. And that deal is today. For 50% off ($20.00), you can get the Northern Marches Guidebook and the complete set of digital maps and reference files.
Into the Majestic Fantasy Realms, the Northern Marches ($20.00).
The Northern Marches is a 320-by-400-mile fantasy sandbox covering the lands around the western end of the Grey Sea. It includes the Wild North, Blackmarsh, the Southlands, the conquered Viking realm of Vasa, the Duchy of Northport, and the strange Ring Islands.

The setting is spread across four 12" by 18" maps using 5-mile hexes. Throughout the guidebook are settlements, ruins, lairs, tribes, realms, factions, NPCs, and local history intended to give you enough detail to start running a campaign while still leaving enough room to make the setting your own.
While the digital version comes with all the maps and files you need to begin using the Northern Marches, you can get the poster maps or the map booklet separately as print products. Note that the digital files for both are included in the Guidebook product being offered, as you will see below.
Poster Maps, 12" by 18"Maps and Reference Book, letter-sized
The $20.00 Deal of the Day includes more than just the Guidebook PDF.

Guidebook PDFs
You get two versions of the Northern Marches Guidebook: one optimized for reading on a tablet or phone and a larger version suitable for printing at home.

Markdown Document
The complete text of the Guidebook is included in Markdown format and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license. You can use, modify, and build on the material for your own projects under the terms of the license.

Reference PDFs
Six reference PDFs summarize the rules, charts, travel information, encounters, and other material found throughout the Guidebook. This also includes the current version of the Merchant Adventure rules for the Majestic Fantasy RPG.

Rob's Note: All poster maps are designed to be printed at 12" by 18".
Player and Referee MapsHigh-resolution JPGs of the poster maps are included in both player and referee versions, along with the town maps used throughout the Northern Marches.
Layered Map PDFsThe complete Northern Marches map is also included as nearly 24" by 36" layered PDFs in both player and referee versions. By turning layers on and off, you can create customized map views for your own campaign.
Editable SVG Map
The Northern Marches map is included as an SVG file usable with Inkscape, CorelDraw, Affinity, Adobe Illustrator, and other programs that support SVG. This allows you to edit the map and create your own version of the Northern Marches.
High-Resolution Print MapsShipping poster maps can get expensive, especially outside the United States. So the package includes the high-resolution files used to print the four 12" by 18" maps. You can take them to a local print shop and have your own copies made.
Map BookletSometimes a letter-sized book of maps is easier to manage at the table than four large poster maps. The four maps have been divided into 25 overlapping letter-sized areas and assembled into a map booklet. The booklet also includes reference sheets, a visual index, terrain indices, and locale registers for the Northern Marches.
So if you were on the fence about giving the Northern Marches a try, today is a good opportunity. For $19.99 you get the complete setting along with the maps and reference material I use to support it at the table. 
Welcome to the Majestic Fantasy Realms!

So for a couple of years, I've been slowly putting together an explanation of how I run tabletop roleplaying campaigns, and I finally got a good intro and summary that tie everything together and give me a foundation for organizing the details of what I do.

The Living World SandboxA Sandbox Campaign is a way to run a tabletop roleplaying campaign in which the players, rather than the referee, determine the campaign's focus. The referee creates the world, its characters, locales, and geography. During play, the referee role-plays the creatures and non-player characters and adjudicates the players' attempts as their characters. The players are free to pursue whatever catches their interest or go wherever they believe will further their goals.
A Living World Sandbox extends the Sandbox Campaign by bringing the setting to life. The goal is to let the players feel as though they have stepped through a wardrobe into a living, breathing world while pursuing the adventures that interest them.
A Living World Sandbox is not a game system. It is a way to organize and run a campaign. The referee presents a setting whose inhabitants have their own motivations, resources, relationships, and plans. The players decide what their characters attempt, and the referee uses the rules and the setting's established circumstances to determine what happens next.
The referee does not prepare a predetermined story for the players to follow. Instead, the referee prepares the circumstances, places, and people that make up the setting. The campaign develops from the interaction between what the players attempt and how the setting's inhabitants respond.
Because of this, a Living World Sandbox can be run using many fantasy roleplaying systems, including the original 1974 rules, AD&D First Edition, GURPS, Fantasy Hero, Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, or others.
Some systems are easier to use than others. Generally, the more a system focuses on describing what characters can do rather than defining a story path or narrative structure, the easier it is to use for a Living World Sandbox. In my experience, most traditional roleplaying games lend themselves readily to this style of campaign.
How the Campaign UnfoldsThe referee describes the characters' current circumstances. The players respond by describing or roleplaying what they attempt as their characters. The referee decides what happens, using the rules when the outcome is uncertain, and then describes how the setting's circumstances change or role-plays how its inhabitants react.
This process repeats throughout the session and throughout the campaign
After the session, the referee considers what the players changed, who knows about it, and what the affected characters (or creatures) will do next. Those consequences become part of the circumstances presented during the next session.
The result is a continuing cycle of choices, consequences, and new circumstances propelling the campaign forward.
Elements of the CampaignA Living World Sandbox has four important elements:

• Locales where events and adventures can occur.
• Characters with whom the players can interact.
• Plans made by characters and factions.
• Natural or supernatural events that occur independently of those plans.

These elements do not need to be detailed in advance of play. The referee only needs enough material to begin the campaign and respond to the players' initial choices.
These elements do not need to be detailed in advance of play. The referee only needs enough material to begin the campaign and respond to the players' initial choices.
LocalesThe iconic adventure locale is the dungeon, a maze of rooms that may be empty or contain monsters, deadly traps, strange features, or glittering treasure. Dungeon mazes can be stacked upon one another to form multiple levels, with the danger of the monsters and the value of the treasure increasing as the characters venture deeper.
In the world outside of the dungeon, locales are just as varied. There are natural locales like creature lairs and hazardous terrain (deserts, icefields, and jungles). Some locales are built, like villages and towns, camps and castles. Some locales are old and no longer used, creating ruins that may be inhabited by monsters and their treasure.
At the beginning of a campaign, create or detail about half a dozen locales. These may be original creations or places taken from an existing setting.
About half should be places where the characters can seek adventure, such as dungeons, monster-haunted forests, abandoned mines, or ruined monasteries. The remainder should be inhabited locales that the party can use as bases or visit for aid and information. Examples include a large village, a castle belonging to a local lord, a roadside inn, a market town, or a druid circle hidden deep within the forest.
These locales establish the immediate geography of the campaign. They give the players places to explore, people to meet, and resources to use.
CharactersThe characters encountered during the campaign are the key element that allows the players to make their mark upon the setting. Some may become allies. Others will remain neutral unless circumstances change. A few will oppose the player characters from the beginning.
Prepare about a dozen notable characters. As a starting point, three might be potential allies, six might be neutral, and three might be potential enemies. These are only the characters' initial attitudes. Do not be surprised when the players, through good or poor decisions and roleplaying, completely rearrange the list.
Examples include:

• A village reeve.
• A castle lord.
• A master druid.
• The chief of an Orc tribe.
• A merchant who controls the local smuggling ring.
• A priest of an evil god who commands a band of outlaws.
• A disgruntled old farmer who knows everybody within a day's travel.
• An ambitious yeoman seeking adventure.
• A retired Magic-User who sells potions from a cottage at the end of the lane.

Create a few relationships among these characters, but keep their number low at first. The old farmer and the castle lord may have been rivals for the love of the same woman when they were young and remained enemies ever since. The young yeoman may yearn for adventure so he can gain the fighting skill needed to avenge his family against the Orc chief.
Just as the passages and chambers of a dungeon provide natural avenues of exploration, the relationships among the characters provide social paths for the players to follow. At the end of these paths may be allies, enemies, information, resources, and complications that lead to further adventures.
PlansThe inhabitants of the setting have lives of their own. They possess hopes, fears, ambitions, and plans for the future.
The players decide the plans of their own characters. The referee decides the plans of the non-player characters and factions. Together, these plans become forces that shape the campaign.
Detailing the plans of three to five important characters or factions adds enough complexity to fuel numerous adventures.
For example, an evil priest has taken up residence in the forest. His god has commanded him to exact vengeance upon the region. Two generations ago, followers of the goddess of justice purged the dark god's worshippers and drove them from the area. The priest has now attracted a collection of outlaws and desperate peasants and organized them into a gang of bandits.
Most of the wealth and supplies stolen by the bandits are given to the priest. He uses these resources to search the forest for the lost axe of Chernak, a legendary Orc chief who led his tribe into the forest long ago. The priest hopes to use the axe to gain the allegiance of the present-day Orcs. Together, the priest, the axe, and the Orcs will become his god's instrument of vengeance against the followers of the goddess of justice.
Some plans are modest. A farmer may want to purchase another field. A merchant may want to eliminate a rival. A young knight may want to earn enough renown to receive a fief.
Other plans may threaten an entire region.
Regardless of their scope, these plans represent what could happen, not what will happen. They are not plots that must be completed. The actions of the players may advance a plan, delay it, change it, or make it impossible.
When that happens, the referee considers the character's motivations, knowledge, resources, and current circumstances and decides what they will attempt next.
EventsEvents are natural or supernatural occurrences that happen for reasons largely independent of the choices made by the setting's characters (PC or NPCs). Some events may be anticipated or prevented through timely action, but a character's plan does not normally cause them.
Natural events can include droughts, floods, fires, disease, severe storms, harsh winters, or earthquakes that devastate the countryside.
Supernatural events might include the opening of a passage into the realm of Faerie, a surge in the local flow of magic that makes spells dangerously effective, the awakening of a slumbering taigh, or a conjunction that allows the dead to walk abroad.
Events should occur because they follow from the setting's conditions, not simply because the referee wants to create excitement. Their number should be sufficient to make the campaign feel like a living world, but not so great that the players constantly feel beleaguered.
Too many natural disasters will cause the campaign to become focused on people struggling against nature. Too many supernatural disruptions will make extraordinary events feel ordinary.
Use events sparingly enough that they remain significant.
Running the Living World SandboxOnce the groundwork has been laid, it is time to begin the campaign.
Three primary techniques help create the feeling that the players have stepped into the setting as their characters:

• The Initial Context establishes where the characters are and what they know at the beginning of the campaign.
• World in Motion manages how the setting changes as the campaign progresses.
• The Bag of Stuff provides material when the players do something unexpected, and the referee has no time for detailed preparation.

The Initial ContextThe players' choices as their characters propel the Living World Sandbox forward. To make meaningful choices, however, the players must understand their circumstances and their characters' place within them. Otherwise, their choices are little better than random dice rolls.This is particularly important at the beginning of a campaign, when there are no previous sessions or events for the players to use as reference points.
The Initial Context establishes the characters' circumstances at the beginning of the campaign and provides players with enough information to make informed choices from the outset.
The Initial Context does not have to be elaborate. It only has to be sufficient.
What is sufficient varies from player to player. I have had players create detailed histories and backgrounds. Others found a single sentence sufficient.
"Max likes to hang out at bars in Eastgate and gets involved in trouble."
That player decided to create a Human Thug for a campaign set in the City-State of Eastgate.
Most players find a paragraph or two of personal background sufficient, along with a handout describing the region, town, or city where the campaign begins.
When the players are uncertain about the available options, prepare three to five rumors, pieces of lore, problems, or contacts for them to investigate. Anything their characters would certainly know should be included in a short handout or explained by the referee.
Keep the handout as brief as possible while still covering what the players need to know.
Ideally, the Initial Context should answer the following questions:

• Where is the character starting?
• Who does the character know?
• What are the character's immediate goals?
• What social complications exist for the character at the beginning?

The answers do not have to point toward a specific adventure. Their purpose is to give the player enough context to begin making decisions as the character.The Pre-gameThe basic idea of the pre-game is to sit down one-on-one with each player before the first session and flesh out the character's background. This usually consists of discussion mixed with a little light roleplaying.
The referee might ask how the character knows a local merchant, why the character left home, what obligation they owe to a temple, or why a local lord considers them troublesome.
This technique reduces the amount of written material needed for handouts. Discussion and roleplaying often work better and are more enjoyable than reading a document, particularly for players or groups who want detailed backgrounds at the beginning of the campaign.
If this feels too formal, or if the time is not available, that is fine. The important point is that the Initial Context is sufficient for the group's time and interest.
Setting the World in MotionAfter each session, review the plans of the important characters and factions affected by what occurred.
Begin with what the players did as their characters. Then consider:

• Who knows what happened?
• What do they believe happened?
• How does it affect their plans?
• What resources do they have available?
• What will they attempt next?
• What signs of their response will the players be able to observe?

The distinction between what happened and what the inhabitants believe happened is important. Characters act upon what they know, what they have been told, and what they can reasonably discover. They do not automatically possess the referee's knowledge of events.
You do not have to manage the entire world at once, or even an entire region.
The players' choices usually affect their immediate social circle first. This includes the characters with whom they directly interacted, followed by those connected to them. Beyond that, your notes only need to be updated when you have the time or when events make those distant characters relevant.
For most purposes, characters more than two degrees removed from the player characters are beyond the campaign's social event horizon for a session or two.
As the player characters gain experience, wealth, allies, and authority, their actions will begin to affect a wider area. A fight in a tavern may concern only the owner, the local watch, and the participants. Killing a baron, destroying a temple, or founding a mercenary company may concern an entire realm.
After each session, review the relevant plans in light of what the players did or failed to do. Sometimes an NPC's existing plan will become impossible. When that happens, consider the character's personality and motivations and determine what they now want from the future.
This process helps the referee avoid forcing the players along a predetermined path. The non-player characters may pursue their own goals, but they need to respond to changing circumstances just as the player characters do.
When you suspect that your preferences are influencing the outcome too strongly, use a good set of random tables you like. Random results can help you create unexpected reactions, complications, decisions, or new plans that you would not have considered.
Balance random results with judgment.
Overreliance on judgment may cause the campaign to reflect the referee's biases. Too much reliance on random tables can make events feel disconnected from the personalities, motives, and circumstances already established.
The purpose of the random result is to address uncertainty, not to replace the setting's logic.
The Bag of StuffWhen acting as their characters, players do the unexpected all the time.
They may decide to visit a shrine you noted but did not detail. They may abandon the dungeon you prepared and explore the forest instead. They may take an interest in a nameless guard, travel down a road you never expected them to use, or attempt to speak with a monster you assumed they would fight.
When this happens, the referee must improvise.
The Bag of Stuff is a collection of locales, characters, plans, situations, and other material that can be pulled out and used to run part of the campaign without preparation.
The material does not need to be elaborate. It only needs to give you enough information to adapt the material, begin describing the situation, and roleplay with the players.
Once something from the Bag of Stuff enters play, take notes. It is now part of the setting. If the players return to it, you can develop it further between sessions.
LocalesPrepare or gather six to twelve generic locations that commonly appear in the campaign.
Examples include:

• A shop.
• A crossroads.
• A forest clearing.
• A section of swamp.
• A peasant's hut.
• A roadside shrine.
• A ruined tower.
• A small cave.
• A merchant camp.
• A manor house.

These locations do not need extensive descriptions. A sketch map, a short list of features, and a note about who may be present are usually sufficient.
When you use one, alter a few details to make it fit the circumstances. A generic forest clearing may contain an abandoned cart in one session and a weathered stone idol in another.
Take notes during play if the locale is likely to be revisited. Later, when you have time, develop it into something more distinctive.
CharactersA major section of these rules describes common non-player character types in the same general format used for monsters. These entries are useful when preparing an adventure or locale, and when you need to draw something from your Bag of Stuff.
When the players unexpectedly interact with someone, choose an appropriate NPC entry and change a few details.
Give the character a name, a mannerism, an immediate concern, and a reason for being present. That is usually enough to begin roleplaying the encounter.
If the character becomes important, make a note of what happened and develop them further after the session.PlansPrepare a short list of personality types, immediate concerns, and broad goals. Add to the list whenever you have a useful idea.
Examples include:

• Wants recognition from a superior.
• Needs money to pay a debt.
• Is concealing a past crime.
• Wants revenge against a rival.
• Is afraid of losing social standing.
• Wants to protect a family member.
• Is searching for forbidden knowledge.
• Wants to leave but lacks the courage.
• Is loyal to an institution but distrusts its leader.

These ideas provide a starting point for players interacting with someone you did not expect to become important.
As with locales and characters, use only enough detail to serve as a memory aid. The character's fuller personality and plans can develop through play.
Afterword on the Living World SandboxWhat started me on the path of running campaigns as Living World Sandboxes was a willingness to let the players trash my setting.
In the early 1980s, I gained a reputation as the referee who allowed the players to kill the king, build wizard towers, and become magnates controlling the underworld of a city-state. The referee who let his players trash his setting.
Much of this came from my background in early wargaming. My friends and I would set up scenarios and battle them out to see what happened. When I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons, that same fascination carried over into my campaigns.
I built the world, detailed the characters, let the players decide where to begin, and then ran the campaign to see what happened. I had no particular destination or conclusion in mind.
My creativity was engaged not by writing stories, but by considering what could happen and then accepting the constraints of roleplaying the non-player characters under the same circumstances and rules as the players.
The results were often unexpected, surprising, and memorable for the entire group.
Across the decade, that remained the heart of the Living World Sandbox. The referee creates the setting and brings its inhabitants to life. The players step into the setting as their characters and decide what interests them and what adventures to pursue.
And they will trash your setting as a result.

Since the release of the guidebook and the poster maps, I have gotten excellent feedback on both. Several comments made me realize that I was too focused on the 12" by 18" poster format.

Based on that feedback, I realized we also need the maps in book form. So I divided the four poster maps into 25 overlapping sections and created a visual index to make them easy to use.

This format has several advantages.

1. It makes referencing the maps at the table, or while traveling, easier.
2. It allows those of you outside of the United States to get printed maps at a more reasonable cost.
3. It lets me create a more attractive package for the handful of retailers I work with.

The books also include printed versions of the travel and encounter reference sheets I created for the digital download, along with a copy of the Terrain Index and the Locale Registers for each of the four poster maps.

There are two formats available: a softcover standard-color book for $9.99 and a hardcover premium-color book for $19.99.

For those of you who already bought the guidebook or backed my Kickstarter, I have emailed you or sent you a Kickstarter message with a discount coupon for both versions. They are marked up slightly so they register as a sale on DriveThruRPG for promotional purposes.

The link to the Maps and Reference Sheets for the Northern Marches Book.

Visual Index
Map Page

My friend Joe the Lawyer and I are having a live discussion about the Northern Marches, along with other OSR and RPG topics, tomorrow, Sunday at 5 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

I hope you will join us. Feel free to ask Joe and me questions during the livestream. If you are unable to make it, post your questions in the comments on the post or video, and I will try to answer them.

Into the Majestic Fantasy Realms the Northern Marches

 I have known Agile Monk for a long time, and we have talked a lot over the years about my work and the OSR in general. Recently, he and his team at Fantasy Companion Workshops launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund two books designed as expert-level gaming resources. The Kickstarter is due to end in two days, on June 25th at 4 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

Wonderous & Dangerous Consortiums & Xendria World/Lore Book Kickstarter

The first book, Wondrous and Dangerous Consortiums, focuses on worldbuilding and helps the referee design organizations, societies, clubs, guilds, and similar groups for their campaigns.

The second book is Xendria, a fantasy setting designed by the FCW team. The book is system-agnostic, but includes adventures and support material for Castles & Crusades, ShadowDark, D&D 5e, and Nimble 2e.

I hope you take a look at what Agile Monk and the Fantasy Companion Workshops team are doing and consider supporting their efforts to bring these projects to life for the rest of us to use and enjoy.

Wonderous & Dangerous Consortiums & Xendria World/Lore Book Kickstarter