Emergent Goals

I’ve talked at length about not bringing completed characters to session 0, not writing extensive backstories, and tailoring the party to the adventure. The ultimate goal is to unite the party over some effort that can be achieved within the adventure. However, whether you start with a module or a sandbox, there will always be a “break-in” period with a new party of characters. Relationships will be established, reputations will be developed, and the party’s personality will not solidify for a few sessions.

Once this has occurred, the emergent goals commonly associated with sandbox play are more likely to appear and over time this likelihood grows as the party strings adventures together. 

While parties will likely achieve equilibrium faster and enjoy an adventure more if they bring undeveloped notions to session 0, that will not be a cure-all as there is no substitute for time. A module will create a point of focus to direct the collaboration, and not bringing a completed character sheet to session 0 leaves a player open to adjustments to fit the party goal and dynamic, but all groups can create and pursue emergent goals whether beginning with modules or immediately jumping into an open sandbox.

Emergent goals are the natural result of a long-running campaign. The much venerated open-world sandbox purported to realize the distinguishing feature of RPGs: namely, that one can try to do anything and attempt to make someone of themselves, does this only marginally better than a series of modules. Modules can be placed in a sandbox with ideally minimal effort, but so long as the party encounters opportunities to forge their own goals and is allowed and encouraged to pursue them by an accommodating GM, this group will also realize this feature.

The groups that never find this bliss are ones that have an entire campaign plotted from the beginning. Games where deviation causes significant re-work or loss of work on the part of the GM. We need more modules, and fewer campaign books.