tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post3204365674988275893..comments2024-03-25T21:52:03.310-05:00Comments on Hill Cantons: Pointcrawling Urban Ruins, Part OneChris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-91111992829412164522013-06-15T23:42:46.910-05:002013-06-15T23:42:46.910-05:00Can't wait to see part 2.Can't wait to see part 2.R Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18411907126909551409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-77430824539933494162013-04-20T09:40:59.397-05:002013-04-20T09:40:59.397-05:00And just to elaborate some more this morning, from...And just to elaborate some more this morning, from the players' side of the DM screen, <i>it doesn't matter</i> which method or what kind of map the referee uses to get the adventurers from Point A to Point B, as long as the players are having a good time.Desert Scribehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13862907749003106864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-67041853055369722572013-04-19T23:19:12.463-05:002013-04-19T23:19:12.463-05:00It was meant as a compliment. While I'm more ...It was meant as a compliment. While I'm more of a dungeon crawl type of guy myself, those outdoor excursions (wilderness or ruins) can be just as entertaining.Desert Scribehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13862907749003106864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-10027663036427728202013-04-19T21:24:18.114-05:002013-04-19T21:24:18.114-05:00I didn't think I was bitching and moaning enou...I didn't think I was bitching and moaning enough to warrant kvetch, but if the shoe fits.<br /><br />Yeah seamless is what I want to shoot for, so I take that as a complimentChris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-30003106183795105172013-04-19T18:21:24.385-05:002013-04-19T18:21:24.385-05:00I kibitzed about my difficulties in running city a...<i>I kibitzed about my difficulties in running city and town ruins.</i><br /><br />Don't you mean <b>kvetched</b>? :)<br /><br />Speaking as one of your players, running an exploration using this method seems like it would be indistinguishable from a player's perspective to how you run wilderness travel. In other words, from our side of the table, it still seamlessly seems like we tell you which way we want to go, and you describe the scenery as we travel.Desert Scribehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13862907749003106864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-64190981473325265592013-04-19T14:25:57.343-05:002013-04-19T14:25:57.343-05:00I don't think generalizing a method is healthy...I don't think generalizing a method is healthy for all groups and all GMs. This is definitely written from the perspective of "this is a method I have found that ends to work for me". <br /><br />And a big stress on "tends" because I have found that on certain occasions pointcrawling doesn't work for me even. Case in point would be the recent wilderness crawl mini-campaign in which the main incentivized goal is to explore and fill in the blank areas of a map. When drawing out the maps I quickly discovered that a pointcrawl was a poor fit, but the traditional hex crawl on the otherhand was ideal. Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-58567370522720160072013-04-19T14:16:58.976-05:002013-04-19T14:16:58.976-05:00I have far too many players reading this blog, so ...I have far too many players reading this blog, so yeah this is a just an example. Agree that a more organic shape would be better for the real deal. Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-32878870531275857862013-04-19T14:15:56.652-05:002013-04-19T14:15:56.652-05:00Good call on visibility, I would probably want to ...Good call on visibility, I would probably want to keep to something simple like XXX number of points for XXX amount of feet above the ground level. Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-57825604881435076332013-04-19T14:14:01.588-05:002013-04-19T14:14:01.588-05:00Yes like my wilderness crawl I consider this the &...Yes like my wilderness crawl I consider this the "exploration and mapping" speed and would consider full movement being twice this or even triple if mounted.Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-4008709613606397902013-04-19T13:16:30.992-05:002013-04-19T13:16:30.992-05:00I like how you managed to make this simple without...I like how you managed to make this simple without getting simplistic--it looks effective. Gotta try this out...garrisonjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544523186717576771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-91548484304590298852013-04-19T13:00:47.779-05:002013-04-19T13:00:47.779-05:00I do appreciate the way you think and write, howev...I do appreciate the way you think and write, however, is this for your own campaign where you are ever present as the DM or for publication for unknown groups to use? I ask because it makes no sense to me that someone would design an underground in the same way under those two different conditions. Can you see the difference?<br /><br />If designing for ones own players the creative effort should be centred on the where and the whither of the player characters from session to session with creative effort dwindling away from your best anticipation of their interests.<br /><br />When designing for others there is nothing for it but a universally flat vague plan with pockets of excitement according to tired formulae. Why? Because the designer must conceive of a generic cliched exploring party and unknown players.<br /> <br />I loathe, from the experience of wide reading, efforts to design generic underworlds but I am very interested in personalised design for a DM's own original campaign. Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165997449776226774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-13014133599320055442013-04-19T12:46:40.088-05:002013-04-19T12:46:40.088-05:00Yeah, I think point crawl is the way to do it. I w...Yeah, I think point crawl is the way to do it. I would just suggest that you make some areas less accessible than others, for instance have the noble quarter only be accessible through the perfume district. Make sure it is more organically shaped than the grid you showed as the example. I think the random tables will be very important for making the ruins come alive.Piercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17342275462566805167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-73904157953359083922013-04-19T12:19:55.579-05:002013-04-19T12:19:55.579-05:00I have to say this is a wonderful way of abstracti...I have to say this is a wonderful way of abstracting the process for the GM.<br /><br />My suggestion would be to think about some visibility guidelines/rules, to determine how the surroundings should be described for the players and what they are actually able to discern at a distance, especially if they find a blue/green area (or fly) and are able to climb to a high point? That feels like a very useful tactic for the players, and also a good way to get some structure and expand the players' choices and tactics.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-61079299600400826892013-04-19T12:14:27.442-05:002013-04-19T12:14:27.442-05:00Those travel times represent very slowly, cautious...Those travel times represent very slowly, cautious movement, I assume? Otherwise, they would seem sort of logn given the distances I would think we were talking about.<br /><br />In any case, good post!<br /><br />Treyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04647628467658839351noreply@blogger.com