09-25-2026, 01:53 PM
(09-23-2026, 08:43 PM)sam_the_bold Wrote: All of these are, obviously, very standard dungeon-y adventures: pretty tight enclosed spaces, limited opportunities and items, mostly devoid of complex social dynamics. Everybody knows how to run and play these, and while we definitely have had some very fun and memorable moments, it's true that they are, for the most part, basically just standard dungeon dragon affairs. But you can run them by doing basically nothing more than reading!
The big challenge from here, in my mind, is trying to apply this same level of thorough-preparation in an environment that is less familiar and constrained: mysteries, maybe, or navigating big social hierarchies, or going on long road trips, or whatever. Something that's still just as prepped and ready for play, but new and fresh.
Totally. I think part of the issue is that my current dungeon game setting deviates enough from the standard to need adjustment. But even so it's largely reworking treasure and replacing enemies with other enemies. More on the "an hour of work, primarily research" rather than "make a full dungeon of equivalent size" which probably takes four times as long.
And I anticipate some of the imported dungeons I've added to Hot Snack Island (mostly because I do not like the provided dungeons much when compared to the flora, fauna and factions) like Tower of the Plangent Mage, Aberrant Reflections and the Maggot God adventure I can't remember the name of would slot in more easily.
That said I do want to shout out a recent positive experience with running a mystery mostly out of the box. Rejection, a recent Delta Green mystery ran pretty well out of the box although it was missing at least one map I chose to put together between the sessions of the two-shot in which it fit. I agree it's a challenge to do those things and that the more open ended nature (similar to interacting with a city) means the mode of play can tip towards more complexity and become difficult to encapsulate in a single product.