Well now, this was a lively one! First and foremost, a huge thank you for everybody’s comments and engagement with the poll. Some really interesting feedback and conversation. https://twitter.com/Hjorimir/status/1251172341993762822

So, disclaimer up front. This is going to be LONG and WINDING. If that’s too much traffic for you, you may want to mute this conversation. I have many thoughts on the topic.

I’m pleasantly surprised with the results here (73.1% loving exploration wildly exceeded my expectations). Of course, there’s no one right way to play, but exploration is a huge part of the game for me.

So, I’m going to dive in with some observations and my own opinions on the topic at hand. Again, all of this is subjective. Please take what I say as just one opinion. If you and your table are having fun, you’re probably doing it right. Onward!

Why did I label Exploration as “forgotten?” Is it? Yes and no. This largely comes down to how one defines exploration.

Example: on one hand Matt Colville said “…the good ship S.S. Exploration Pillar has sailed” on the other Doug Vehovec (of Nerdarchy fame) blogged pretty much the opposite.

For the record, Matt and Doug are two luminaries within the TTRPG space that I respect. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Well, naturally, it’s not as simple as that. I think they’re both making valid points here.

I agree that, technically speaking, anything that isn’t specifically social interaction or combat is part of the exploration pillar. However, I find that clinical view doesn’t really encapsulate what most of us think of when talking about exploration as an element of the game.

For me, the exploration I crave is the revelation of things unknown. Discovery. Yes, sneaking down the hallway is exploration, but not one that particularly resonates with me. Opening that door at the end of the hallway to see what’s within? Yes, I crave that.

Each door opened is a like opening a wrapped present. Each piece of new lore reveals tantalizes. I love peeling the layers of the onion to find what hides within. Players naturally love role-playing their characters, which if why social pillar activities are wildly popular.

For the DM, the setting is their character. Doubly true for the homebrewing DM who crafts their own world. It is through exploration that the DM “role-plays” the setting.

In an odd way, exploration is the social pillar of the setting itself. So then, how do we as DMs make that a compelling aspect of the game?

ADVICE #1: Keep the reading homework to a minimum. I’m not saying don’t have a campaign guide, but less is certainly more here. Give the players enough RP and feel grounded in the setting while at the same time leaving their characters with questions.

Those questions the characters have is the fuel you need to make exploration enticing. That’s the first part of the bargain between DM and player to encourage interest in your setting. Fuel for interesting questions. The second part of the bargain? Of course, interesting answers.

If the answers the characters are finding are not compelling or actionable, you’ll quickly find that the players (rightfully) don’t care. I suspect that many who voted “pointless” are saying so because, well, the answers they’ve found are in fact pointless.

Discoveries should feed into the motivations of the characters. The most obvious example is the stereotypical adventurer who seeks to wealth. Treasure map (or clues) that lead to treasure. Okay, that scans. However, we need not stop there.

What about the more “story-driven” campaign models? Yes, exploration can work here as well. Maybe the player is motivated by trying to negotiate peace between warring factions. Discovery of a hidden truth of why two are fighting can provide new solution opportunities.

My point being is that exploration need not be at odds with a narrative that doesn’t involve traipsing across the wilds in search of monsters to slay and treasure to take.

ADVICE #2: Show, don’t tell. Resist the urge to give lecture on how and why things are the way they are when it comes to mysterious elements of your setting. Don’t just give the answer away. Give tidbits.

Leaving the character with partial information hands them an unanswered question. Sure, some may not care to find answers, which is fine. However, others will be hooked and answering these questions will become part of their motivation.

ADVICE #3: Don’t switch the answer. I know there’s a somewhat common practice for DMs that basically boils down to “I will just run with whatever the player think the answer is.”

Not only can this start to break down verisimilitude if you’re not careful, it doesn’t encourage the players to explore.

Discovery/exploration is best left under the purview of the players. If you just give answers away the players do not need to engage. They can simply wait for it all to be handed to them. This encourages a mode of play we describe as “blundering forward” at our table.

ADVICE #4: Failure is an option. You have to be willing to let the consequences of failed exploration resonate (just like you do with a failed social or combat encounter).

When the party (maybe accidentally) insults the Duchess in a social encounter, trouble follows. When the party is defeated in combat, well, that could be a TPK. Exploration should be handled the same way.

Failure needs to resonate. If it doesn’t, the party won’t take it seriously. You provide opportunity for discovery. The cost of failure can vary, but the most obvious one is a consequence of ignorance. The mystery remains unsolved. The lost tomb remains hidden. Etc., etc.

ADVICE #5: Season magic items with exploration breadcrumbs. If there’s one thing I find consistent with players is that they love their magic items. Of course, you can also do this with things like art or trinkets (an inscribed locket with a small painted picture).

One of the things a lot of CRPGs do really well is doll out tidbits of lore that have players asking more. If you’re familiar with games like Dark Souls, items will have little pieces of information that come along with them.

Information provided without context. For the curious-minded player there will be questions. Who was the Witch of Izalith? In fact, what is Izalith? The Flame of Chaos? All of these are delicious breadcrumbs that fuels exploration.

I will usually give this level of information with a History or Arcana check or with an identify spell. I’ll happily expand upon it with Legend Lore. You don’t need to take it any further than that. In fact, the players may forget about it.

Until the next time they come across a breadcrumb that has the word Izalith in it. "Wait, didn’t we find a ring from Izalith? Where’s that note?!"

As an example, here’s an exchange between a player ( @Vymair) and me detailing the results of a Legend Lore spell:

Not only did I answer him, I left him with a huge number of new questions. He has no idea what a good portion of that response is even talking about. Here’s the answer to one question and fuel for many more.

I’ll often get calls from him as he will excitedly say, “I think this means this or that!” To which I will respond, “Of course, I can neither confirm nor deny any such conclusions.” He’s one of the players who has a folder full of notes. He’s such a treasure.

ADVICE #6: Don’t force exploration; entice it. Exploration sings when it is the player/character who is asking/seeking. Let them dictate on what terms they engage with exploration.

Don’t shove exploration down the throats of your players. Make it attractive. Reward their curiosity. Ignorance and missed opportunities should be punishment enough.

A thing to address: Is all of this a “distraction” from “the story?” A huge topic unto itself.

That would largely depend upon how one defines the story of the game in the first place. I’m the kind of DM that draws a clear delineation between the stories of the setting and the story of the players (or campaign).

The camera follows the exploits of my players, not my NPCs. When we are playing, the players are telling me their story. Not the other way around. Yes, of course, things are happening in the setting and that resonates upon the players.

If a dragon decides to squat on the one road over the mountain pass that is used to supply a town with needed supplies, that matters. Is the story about being rid of that dragon? Up to the players. What happens in game IS the story.

I don’t see the DM’s role as a storyteller (I’m fully prepared to have vegetables and stones thrown at me for saying that). Instead, I see the DM’s role as one that facilitates the ability of the party to tell me THEIR story. It’s their fantasy, not mine.

I cede control to player agency. Yes, I create what I think are enticing events and situations that are grounded in the lore and context of the setting. Yes, NPCs may ask (or even demand) that the players do thing. But the real storytellers are the players.

I will actually say things like “I’m just the DM here. Tell me your story,” to prompt the players into action. So, is exploration just filler? That’s up to the players to decide.

Anyway, that’s where I am today on exploration as a feature of the game. It’s an activity I love both as DM and as player. Let me see new horizons, unravel mysteries, open doors, and see that which cannot be unseen. Adventure awaits!