How and Why Integrate Pre-made Module into Sandbox RPG – Arrival at the Hollows

When Mara, Hrod, and Bruni descended from the foothills of Thynde Range, they saw a welcoming sight of a more civilized region. In the distance, smoke from the chimneys rose, and crop fields and pastures appeared after a short while. They were nearing the Hollows – a pre-made module I was about to integrate into my sandbox RPG campaign. However, I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t approach this creatively.

Why did I turn to a pre-made module?

I like to homebrew all things RPG. There’s a minimal number of adventures that I’ve run as written. Or perhaps I adjusted even those more than cosmetically. But that’s all about being a GM – you decide on things. So, why such a creatively-inclined individual as myself would choose to integrate a pre-made module into his RPG – especially if said RPG was supposed to be a free-to-act sandbox?

The answer is partially obvious – for the sake of less work. A pre-made module as the Hollows requires less adjudication on the part of the GM. And in a sandbox RPG, Game Master has a lot to decide on on the fly. They don’t need to do a lot of prep work but adjudicating during the session can sometimes be an uphill task. What’s more, however, you also have to learn how your sandbox works. I was relying on the Forbidden Lands setting and added a lot of material on my own already, so I wanted to get a better grasp on what it’s like.

Pre-made module helps you run an open sandbox. Wait, what?

Yes. You see, you can run a wholly random-generated world and make it a fun and enjoyable campaign. But it also requires a lot of work. And probably both you and your players will have to take your engagement in the game a little further because random rolls are not always that easy to handle. And – more importantly for the players – they often get very deadly.

The last session, when I rolled the orc encampment on the party’s way, only one thing probably saved them from a very challenging if not outright lethal encounter. It was the reaction roll. If the dice weren’t so graceful (they yielded a “peaceful” result, one of the most favorable rolls available at that moment), the orcs would likely be on guard and not happy to see a bunch of adventurers sticking noses into their territory. Some groups may like it that way, and that’s OK. But if you’d like to develop a larger plot, a Total Party Kill may easily disrupt it.

Get the plot hooks and let players develop the characters

On the other hand, if you run a pre-made module, you may get a lot of helpful plot hooks. You will also integrate all the sandbox rules smoothly into your game. That’s helpful if you haven’t run such a campaign before or want to try out a new system.

And while exploring a pre-made village or region, the players will have a chance to interact with the game world. It may have consequences, but it will also allow them to get more into their characters. Because combat, although unquestionably engaging, leaves little room for actual role-play and acting. And if you’d like to see more player character development (story-wise), then a pre-made module is a good choice.

Role-playing at the Hollows

In the case of my game, players enjoyed this bit of freedom on the part of their characters. Bruni’s player had a chance of making fun of his character’s love for solid beverages. Also, he could confront his backstory of being in a bit of a conflict with the dwarven customs when he met Yawim, the not-dwarven Brewmaster. Mara was seemingly enjoying a civilized place and was most eager to look for rumors and a job to get paid. And Hrod, besides enjoying witty repartees with Bruni, went on and waged his last coppers in a dart-gambling with the local marksman. Losing it all put him on a path of constant dept – which was to drive his character for the rest of the campaign.

All that leads to tightening the players’ bonds (on this topic, you may want to check this excellent article). Also, it made way for more serious plot developments. For once, the trio went eagerly to the Rust Brother Sturkas. Hearing their starting legend from a friendly Fr. Ferabald, they expected another warm welcome. Dealing with the grumpy monk turned out to be a fun yet a bit challenging scene. But they finally put together some bits of information on the treasure hidden somewhere around the village. Using a convenient Raven’s Reckoning calendar, the date I’ve determined told that the new moon was in the sky. The tomb-pillaging would have to wait more than two weeks since the vault’s entrance should be revealed only in the full moon’s light.

Enter Grulf, the Ailander

Meanwhile, the characters drank local beer and looked for someone else to help them pay for their drinks. I rolled a “guest of the inn” from the Gamemaster’s Guide table (p. 171), and it turned “a noble in disguise.” The following two rolls (p. 185) yielded a “graceful” personality and a quirk of a “treasure map but no surviving friends.” What was the treasure then? The Legend generator came in handy, and I rolled a story of the Arrows of the Fire Wyrm hidden somewhere to the northwest in the mountains. One more thing was his motivation. I decided to go for the faction table from my document and found out he was an Ailander. And it was clear.

Grulf was a noble sent by Ailanders to retrieve the legendary weapon that could help them overthrow the Rust Brothers. But meanwhile, he lost all his friends and was looking for someone to assist him. Just who could that be? Yup, a few silver pennies to let them pay for the night and food was more than enough to get the Lush, the Wench, and the Goblin on board. So, see you next time, when I’ll tell you how they searched for a mythical treasure.