How I Build The Starting Region of a Sandbox Campaign

In this video, I share how I design the starting region filled with adventure. You'll learn how I... Craft Adventure Locations: How to choose and prepare 2–3 location-based adventures that set the stage for exploration. Connect the Dots: Techniques for linking adventure sites with NPCs, factions, and legendary monsters to create a living, breathing world. Map It Out: A walkthrough of using hex maps to design regional layouts that influence travel, random encounters, and the overall feel of the campaign. Populate the World: Ways to develop minor locations, NPCs, and single encounter micro-adventures that bring your sandbox to life. Set the Stage for Player Choice: Methods for planting clues, rumors, and hooks that encourage players to explore and shape the story. Whether you're prepping for your first session or looking to expand an existing world, this guide offers practical tips and creative strategies to make your campaign both coherent and full of endless adventure. The Mapping Software I use https://worldographer.com/ Free Hex map sheets I use sometimes on DTRPG https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/124393/ax2a-sandbox-resources-hex-map-pack Blog posts I wrote about random encounter tables and how I use them. https://grumpywizard.home.blog/2019/01/30/how-i-structure-random-encounter-tables/ https://grumpywizard.home.blog/2019/06/03/random-encounters-convey-information/ Blog post about how I keep players engaged in my sandbox and rarely create adventures that don't get played once the campaign is in motion. https://grumpywizard.home.blog/2023/11/23/how-do-i-keep-players-from-ignoring-adventures-in-my-sandbox-campaigns/ Rob Conly's book about how he creates sandbox campaigns (affiliate link on DriveThruRPG) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/470041/how-to-make-a-fantasy-sandbox?affiliate_id=4354512 (affiliate link)