Sandbox Generator - a tool worth it's weight in gold (review) (solo RPG)
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- #solorpg
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Hey! Thanks for the kind words. We're happy to see that you are enjoying our book 😄
Thanks for making such a cool book!
Fantastic book. I love spending time just making the world and seeing what comes up.
Excellent video. Well done and explained the generator very well.
If you wanted to you could have those big sets of hexes each be either a warm or cold temperature, then you could have savannas and deserts or tundras and taigas. Would add biomes and give each block its own feel.
Oh yeah! I almost never thing of weather when / climate. That would be good.
Which hexpaper generator online did you use for the hexes you printed?
Don't remember. There are a few I've used. Just google hex/graph paper generator. There are many great options.
how do you do water? rivers?
I believe there is a new supplement that covers water.
I'm still on a quest for an all-in-one generator. I've been using Ironsworn and Knave with a few of my own. This looks pretty good, though. I like the concept of a mega dungeon or Underdark as it were.
It might not be what you're looking for exactly, but check out Azgaar's Fantasy World Generator.
I’m going to check each of those out as well.
This one looks pretty amazing but I think its too complicated for me.
No need to comment on the D30 mistake. It's already been mentioned, and will probably be mentioned another 47 times. :) "Let it go!" Thanks to those who pointed out for others!
might want to pin this one :)
Just bought this to play with OSE a few days ago! lol perfect timing. Glad to hear you enjoy it.
I just finished a project making 700 individual doublesided magnetic hex tiles using classic hex tiles on DM's Guild that replicates Basic D&D Mystara tiles. I used 1" wood hex blanks, printed out the images, cut them out, glued them to each tile, clear coated, mod podged, then clear coated again. Then I did the same process to 120 1/2" wood squares for the map keys. I imbedded a 4x2mm magnet in each one. I can replicate a map in minutes or draw random tiles. I made enough to fill a 36"×24" black magnetic chalk board. It took me a few months but OMG it's freak'n glorious! Your channel helped inspire me! Now I'm doing 1000 magnetic NPC Tokens the Sly Flourish way. Those are way faster
Oh wow! That sounds super ambitious. Love it. :)
It started out small lol I just wanted 100. Then 200. I eventually stopped at 700. But then the backsides being blank bothered me. You can see how it grew as it unfolded. I won't lie, it turned into a monumental task 😅
😩 I passed on this one when DriveThru had the deal of the day!
I wish you folks got them early so I knew which ones to pick up!
Edit: Another vote for an entire 'at sea' version! 🙌 😃
An at sea version would go so good!
Did you ever play magic realm? one of the coolest games imo but extremely complex. It was a sandbox rpg that worked solo or with other players. Very cool game, you could potentially die first turn.
I have not. Far too complex for me. :).
@@TheDungeonDive I have to confess i play it on realmspeak which is a digital implementation that handles a lot of the book keeping. Only played the physical copy a couple of times and only a couple of times with other people. The game has a completely different and cutthroat feel with other players. I was actually amazed at some of the strategies and things they oculd pull off that i never considered.
I’m sure for the right person / group that the game is perfect. I always liked the map pieces.
@@TheDungeonDivethere's a much-simplified single page version, Magic Realm Light 30. It's apparently pretty good at capturing a bit of the feel.
I used to play Magic Realm quite a bit. Then I discovered the strategy of playing the witch and flying towards the biggest dragon and assuming it’s form. All within the first week. It’s such an easy way to become invincible.
Your method for rolling a d30 using a d20 and d6 was wrong. You said if the d6 is 4-6, add 10.
But this will be more likely to give you a result in the range 11-20.
d20 is 1-10, d6 is 1-3: result from 1-10.
d20 is 11-20, d6 is 1-3: result from 11-20.
d20 is 1-10, d6 is 4-6: result from 11-20.
d20 is 11-20, d6 is 4-6: result from 21-30.
What you should do is, if the d6 rolls a 5 or 6, add 10 or 20, whichever one puts the final result between 21 and 30.
Hey! Wouldn't be a video if there wasn't at least one mistake! :)
Worth its weight in gold?!? I only bought the PDF 😢😢😢
Seriously, this is a great resource.
This Sandbox Generator book looks amazing. And it's very accessible. One of the issues I have with a lot of material for Pen and Paper :-) However I find it misses content on generating "quests" and narrative. I like to play small adventures with my nieces, but they can't be too complex. Maybe 3 locations for a quest and one small challenging section like a dungeon. I mainly use Rory Story Cubes and for each subchallenge I roll 3 or so story dice. It works kind of, but they are very limited. I haven't found much yet. GUM possibly is a candidate for story arcs, but Rory Story Cubes are more free form and work very quickly.
I am still trying to figure out if I want this or "The Solo Adventurer's Toolbox." I know it is easier to get "Sandbox Generator." From what I've seen, I like this book a lot!
I originally thought this was a different generator that I already own...
It's not... but this look fantastic too!
Another one to add to the tools list - You can never have too many.
I would base the forest/jungle, grassland/desert, and marsh/wasteland decision on the latitude of the area. Jungles, savannahs, and deserts tend to be tropical, while forests, grasslands/plains, and marshes/swamps tend to be temperate to sub-arctic.
Oh yeah! You can get all into that kind of stuff. That’s a little too much for me to get into for a fantasy world, but I know some people really get into that.
Hello! If I may offer a suggestion, link to the reviewed products in the description please. It's always frustrating, especially if things have multiple editions, to not be entirely sure if you're looking at the right product or not.
That said, another great review for another great product that I am very interested in.
Google. It’s the first hit. I also state exactly where I got it in the video. Within the first 30 seconds.
Links often go dead. Then I get people complaining that the link I provided doesn’t work.
I provide the information needed to find the thing, but I’m not sponsored by a certain retailer, nor was this book sent to me to review.
@@TheDungeonDive Hey, fair enough. Don't get me wrong, I definitely googled it and intend to get a copy. That's a fair point about the links, I hadn't actually considered that.
No worries man, I've bought several products off of your reviews so far and I'm sure they won't be the last. Keep it up! :)
If I’m provided a review copy from a publisher or creator then I will post the link. Or if something is really difficult to locate I will for sure!
This tool looks fantastic. Exactly the sort of thing I'm always looking for. Thanks for finding this one!
This looks like a great generator. It seems a little hefty at over 150 pages but it does include a coat of arms generator & it looks like there's a lot a name generation going on. Are you using this as you play or more for prepping?
Both.
We need to talk about the d30 mist-
*a million guns appear out of nowhere*
I retract my statement.
Joking aside this is a pretty sweet tool! I could make good use of this in a Savage Worlds game for sure.
Not the Gazebo! That thing's a killer! Run away! 😁
This is a great product, just the kind of thing that ought to be a part of any well-designed game in the first place. Thankfully, we have indies. It also reminds of what I loved about the 1e DMG. There were tables for everything, lists and ideas galore, optional rules for stuff you hadn't even thought of doing yet. And a random dungeon generator!
Agree!
Lol. Definitely.
This publisher makes some really cheap really inspiing generators. I've been on a shopping binge there since watching this video. The Book of Thieves is great but they all seem to be.
Anything with a hex I know the dungeon dive is on it haha, thanks for your videos
Haha. You know it.
I have to say, this is brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing this, Drivethru RPG has so much stuff on their page, which is amazing, it can be difficult to find such products unless they're featured.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, absolutely love how the dungeon generation works! Especially how they’re connected. Very cool.
It’s great.
I can't not suggest d3 (half d6) tens and a d10 ones, ignore and reroll 25+
Or, since I have been carrying d% for some reason, turn the tens into a d3, ignore the '90' and so on. Sucks that 10% to 28% are null rolls, but rerolls are quick
Atelier Clandestin just does awesome stuff 😄 Ty ty for the great video - Been wondering about this book 😁
A little DIY tip, trace a bolt nut for a hex map
You can just download pdfs of hex paper, in any size, for free.
@@davidmorgan6896 sure, but a big part of the fun - at least for me - is making it from scratch
Have you ever seen Untold Encounters of the Random Kind, by Loke Ltd (makers of Loke Battlemats)? It's the best random encounter generator gamebook I'd ever seen!
I’ve covered it extensively! Apparently my video led to quite a few sales. :). Yes. It’s great. Would be a good pairing with this. Really looking forward to the adventure sets they have coming out soon. Should be great.
@@TheDungeonDive I watched a UA-cam video going over Untold Encounters (might have been yours, I can't remember) that made me order it directly from Loke within a few days. I might have been one of the sales you mentioned! If so, thanks for posting it! I got a great book and Loke made a much deserved sale! That book really should be much more wildly known and respected than it is.
Literally bought this after 30 seconds of this video…..
You will not be disappointed! At least I hope not. :)
I literately bought it yesterday. I haven’t read through it yet.
Oof I'm resisting the urge rn. I literally did this when I saw the review for Mythic 2e
Why he hadn't even explained what this was at 30 seconds
Same
the d30 = d20+d6 trick does not give the same probability distribution of a d30. For example, to roll a 30 on a d30 that's a 1/30 chance. To roll a 30 in a d20+d6 you need to roll a 20 and 4-6 on d6, which would be 1/20*1/2 = 1/40 != 1/30
Yes - been discussed a few times already.
Got my hard copy in the mail a couple days ago and have started creating my first 19-hex cluster. This will work great with Scarlet Heroes and/or White Box... and probably 2D6 Dungeon which I backed thanks to you as well. Having fun with it, thanks for reviewing this one. 😀
Did you combine with d6 dungeon? I suppose d6 realms is meant to do what this one does?
Awesome video! Its exactly the thing i am looking for at this moment!! I've put it in my basket and im eagerly waiting for a playthrough form you 😁😁😁
Dan I appreciate you as you dont try and blag people to pateron and pay for you to play
Only a few times a year. 3 or 4. :)
Great content as always! Thanks for bringing this great resource to generate a sandbox experience!
Glad you enjoy it!
No one can help you. You must face the Gazebo alone!
What’s it doing?
@@TheDungeonDive it’s just looking at you… menacingly!
I attack!
Nice overview! I picked this up thanks to your endorsement. Its definitely the best product of its sort I've tried so far.
I like that every hex has something interesting in it. One thing i was doing with hex crawls is making most hexes empty (just terrain and the usual chance of an encounter), to make it more "realistic". But that also makes hex crawling pretty boring! This supplement helped me realize my mistake, and by making just about every hex have something to offer exploration wise, my wilderness travel has become just as interesting as the dungeon delving, instead of being in between filler you have to slog through just to reach the next dungeon or settlement.
It's so good! Glad you like it.
Love your channel, Daniel. Your channel has gotten me really interested in solo rpg-ing. Thank you!
Welcome aboard!
So with these generators, as a DM do I roll for all the tiles and cities and stuff in between sessions? Or how do I actually use this for my games?
It's up to you. Use them on the fly, or build a world before you play.
How good is it you ask? After seeing the pdf I immediately bought the hardcover version (I deserve the best you understand).
I LOVE this book, was going to make a video about it, but just now see one had been done. Excellent
I watched the whole review and instantly bought it. My wife and I are not super creative, but I would like to play an RPG. Where the DM is basically automated. Any system recommendations? I always lean more towards combat tactics.
I would look into Scarlet Heroes which has good solo rules, or Mork Borg with Solitary Defilement. With either of these you can play an RPG solo / co-op.
Those larde hexes remind me of the hexes found in the back of The Fantasy Trip RPG in the very early 1980s.
Can you explain how to use this book with an actual rpg? For example: If you were to encounter a monster what stats and loot would it have.
Depends on the system you're using.
For example if you’re using White Box as your system, just use the stats / rules / details from that.
@@TheDungeonDive Not familiar with it but do you just choose a monster that's appropriate for the situation?
There are monster charts to roll on for each biome of the hex.
@@TheDungeonDive Oh cool. Ty I guess I missded that part.
Absolutely had to buy! I have been wanting a tool like this, this is perfect!
Absolutely Awesome!! I can not thank you enough for this superb tip.
Wanted to say that I absolutely love the way your opening has changed over time. Really catches the vibe of your whole channel. 💁🏻🖤
Thank you so much!
This looks like a very useful tool.
It is!
It looks good, although I'm in the process of making my own.
Bought, printed and bound in less than 30min after watching this video 👏 truly an awesome resource
Love the video, bought the book. Well done ,thanks man.
Just Subscribed 😊😊
Was great to hear the excitement in your voice :-)
Glad it came through.
Definitely worth the price
Mhh, this can be fun programming excercise to learn a new language
Request: Could you make a demo of the room by room dungeon generation? I've tried it but had difficulty. It didn't flow to generate room by room then trying to generate in advance, I found the results underwhelming.
I watched you nesting tiles, but you could overlay
Looks like a solid land generator. Kinda reminds me of 4 against darkness
it looks like some thing out of the 70's and early 80-s
Just got mine in the mail!! So good.
Oh nice! Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for the great walk through!
You bet!
Got it. Simply excellent!
Glad you enjoy it!
This product is so cool. Reasonable priced for a lot of content. The dungeon generator with the interconnections has me scratching my head though!
It makes sense when you draw it out using the dungeon matrix sheet.
Ah! Very good. Are the hex patterns you use to build the terrain included as a download?
No. I made those using one of the hex paper generators available on the web.
You can use transparent papers to create layers (political, regional effects...) over the hex map. Just a tip
Yep! Just a little too fragile for my purposes, but totally doable.
@@TheDungeonDive Transparent films for school projectors are pretty strong. I know because I use them in my classes. You can go rough on them, they hold their shape pretty well. With permanent markers on them, it won't go anywhere.
Great idea!
d6+d20 makes it more likely to roll 11-20, no?
Mistake has already been pointed out.
@TheDungeonDive aw well, not your mistake though. Thanks for the good review, finally added it to my wishlist!
Hope you enjoy it!
Another great review.
Thanks, Don! :) Have you used this before?
@@TheDungeonDive I haven't, but it is on my wishlist. Since you have done a very good deep dive, I might now add it to my collection.
Quick question: I couldn't find their blank hex template, it says in the book to use the one provided, but I couldn't see to find it anywhere. is that why you made your own custom hex tiles? thx
There are a few websites you can generate graph paper. Just google hex graph paper maker or something like that.
how would you compare this to something like d100 dungeon or 2d6 realm as a primary solo campaign driver?
This is only for generating the world. No rules for anything else.
Hey man, hi there.
How do you call this black folder you keep your printed copy in English?
I'm trying to find something like that in my country but I can't, so I want to search in the Web.
a 3-ring binder.
You may try to search for "Presentation ring binder".
@@TheDungeonDive Thanks. 👍👍
@@DriesV1984 Thank you too. 👍👍
3 ring binder is what we would call it.
That was awesome! Thank you. Will have to check this out, and by check out I mean purchase.
Enjoy!
I kind of hate the idea at solo rpgs but setting generators are always really cool.
Luckily you don't have to play them! Just let others enjoy the things they enjoy. :)
I'm happy youtube recommended this video to me because this is one of the best resources ive ever seen
It’s very good.
Ooh nice intro!
Looks great
There's an easier way to simulate a d30. Just roll (2d12+1d8)-2.
I think summing 3 dice will create a bell curve with uneven distribution.
@@TheDungeonDive It does create a bell curve.
It's possible to use this with Four Against Darkness ?
You could, but you'd have to come up with rules for hexcrawling within the 4AD world.
Looks great. Where would you suggest I could pull encounters from, I didnt see any tables for creature encounters?
What kind of encounters? This has some basic tables for monster encounters. You’d just need stats for what ever system.
@@TheDungeonDive Thanks yes, I was talking about creatures/enemies. This looks great though
Do you have a link to the board you put the printed hexes on?
It's just cheap chip board from Amazon. There are many options.
any ideas how add desert,jungle,swamp biomas to sandbox generator ?
I would just find another book that has those biomes and substitute tables.
@@TheDungeonDive this book IS almost perfect but BIOMAS?!? WTF jajajaja, yes i what i goong to do new bioma table
Hey where or how did you make those neat cutout hex flower templates. Planning on using parts of this for an upcoming West Marches game and can't seem to find just a blank hex flower template.
I just generated a hex grid using one of the various online graph paper websites, and cut and pasted onto cardboard.
@@TheDungeonDive Okay. Which website did you use, out of curiosity?
I don’t remember. Just google graph paper website. You’ll find different examples.
@@TheDungeonDive Okay, thanks for the advice.
did you ever release more keys and if so is it for patreon only cause i would like to purchase these if you made more and if its for patrons i would subscribes to gain access for it thank you for your time in this
Just the one. Need to do some more!
@@TheDungeonDive thanks i suffer from dyslexia and dyscalculia so trying to make these myself is hard and using premade stuff is a bit easier to process in my mind
Hey, I'm dyslexic as well. :) Not extremely, though, but it's why I often flub easy rules and maths on my videos. :)
Something just struck me on a re-watch. If my math is correct, the system they suggest for using a d20 and d6 as a sub for a d30 is not statistically the same as a d30. If you do what they say, I think you end up with essentially twice as many rolls between 11 and 20 as 1 to 10 or 21 to 30. It still averages the same, but it's weighted towards the middle. I would suggest this fix: on the d20, ignore rolls over 15, and instead of adding 10, add 15 on a 4 to 6 on the d6. I'm not 100% on this, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. I know the fix is the same as d30. I'm an old dice and math nerd, but I'm not all that up on stat calculation. Anyway, I doubt it would matter much in this situation, just something to be aware of.
Already been discussed. Thanks. :) Your math is correct!
@@TheDungeonDive I kind of thought it might have bee mentioned, but I didn't feel like reading all the comments at the time. Thanks.
🎲🎲🎲🎲
The math on that d30 roll is wrong. Instead of giving you an equal chance of rolling any number from 1 to 30, 1d20 with a 50% chance of +10 causes results from 11 to 20 to be twice as likely.
Already discussed in another comment
I. really enjoy this book, those hex map cutouts are really creative, thank you for that idea!!
You are so welcome!
You lost me a d30 and d24. Just WHY?!?! There is no reason for that.
InDeepGeek is awesome -- what's the connection? Your voice doesn't sound the same...
Also, no link to where to get this sandbox generator...
Info is provided of where I got it. Use google. Links go dead.
Cant you atleast link the product?
He's done that and had the link broken afterwards many times, so he stopped.
Can't you find it by its name? ....it's not difficult I guess.
The DriveThruRPG page is the first Google result.
@@hariszark7396 if your trying to sell or promote a product a link to said product is the easiest way.
@@yourwrong6125 He's just reviewing it. He tells you the name and that it's on drivethru rpg in the first few seconds of the video.
wait, you paid for something that you can jsut do with the donjon website??, why??
Because I like to support people who make interesting things.
Isn't designing your world half the fun? I don't really see the joy in doing it randomly.
Cool! Do it the way that’s fun for you.
@@TheDungeonDive I also mean fun for the players. If a world is no more than random tables then what's the point of exploring?
Don’t know. I only play solo and it’s fun for me. Sounds like you have a very specific idea of what’s fun for you, so stick with that. However, random charts for world building have been a thing since the 1970s. So obviously there is more than one way to have fun.
@@TheDungeonDive I can see the value of having random charts, especially when you just use them for inspiration. My issue is when your next move is just random and not revealing a part of a greater whole. I like the exploration and immersion in a world that might be strange, but is consistent. I also like the role-playing, so solo play makes no sense to me, but if it gives you pleasure who am I to say anything?
Exactly. You have fun your way, and let other people have fun their way. Doesn’t really matter if you understand it or not.
19x19 is 3.8 units per small hex. Awkward! Why not just make it 20x20? That's 4 units per small hex. Other than that, great content, keep it up! 😊
I don’t understand.
Very cute though a pub called the “red oak” would never have a rabbit as its symbol 😅 the whole point of traditional pub signs is they’re strong brands for potentially illiterate customers!
This might be the most pedantic comment in the history of the internet! Congrats! LOL!
soo... link to the product?
Google it. It’s the first thing that comes up.
Or Bing It. Or Alta Vista it. Or Dog Pile it. Or go to DrivethruRPG where I said I found it and search for it there. Have people really lost the ability to search for shit online?
Can you consider redoing the intro, either lower the volume or do a new, less annoying, intro?
Please?
It's a reason why I sometimes avoid the channel
Nope! It's one of my favorite things about the channel. :) The volume is lower than the vocal volume - I always make sure of that. Maybe just not the channel for you. Luckily there are many, many others out there! I hope you find one that doesn't annoy you. :)
Where can we get the PDF?
I stated where to get it in the first 30 seconds of the video.
The concept is good, but this shows how lazy many gm's are getting. When too much is computer generated the gm will lose focus and desire. If you can't do it yourself, then this game is not for you.
Lol. Hot take!
Lmao