PLAYSPACES
Playspaces define specific areas in which REFEREES and PLAYERS can expect to participate in a game of The Lens, and the sections that follow explain how to use your Characters to engage in those spaces! For most dungeon explorers, Exploration and Skirmishes will fit the bill, but there’s room for much more if you or your Game Referee wants to expand their horizons!
DEFINING AND SELECTING PLAYSPACES
Defining the PLAYSPACES a CAMPAIGN will be encompassing is critical for both PLAYERS and REFEREES. A CHARACTER based on excelling in the DIPLOMACY PLAYSPACE may feel useless and excluded if the REFEREE has designed a campaign solely around CRAFTING and GOVERNANCE. If all participants clearly communicate expectations for play, agreeing on PLAYSPACES which fulfill those expectations will make the game more enjoyable for everyone.
| PILLAR | DETAIL |
|---|---|
| BATTLEFIELD | Mastering the art of battlefield control, unit movements, attrition, maneuvering, formations, ambushes, and hearing the lamentation of your enemies. |
| CRAFTING | Crafting includes everything from the preparation and identification of raw materials to their use in ever more complex and impressive constructions. |
| DIPLOMACY | The battle of wits between orators at the podium bears rough similarities to the battles between knights on the field, but the weapons are very different, and the stakes can be much higher. |
| EXPLORATION | The world is huge, and much of it is not known. Exploring the wild reaches beyond the borders can bring rewards, but not without risk. |
| GOVERNANCE | Sometimes it’s not enough to find new lands; sometimes you want to stay there. |
| MAGIC | Accessing magic, creating and casting spells, and the consequences thereof… |
| SKIRMISH | Small group combat, of the kind that dungeon crawls are made of. |
| TRADE | Caravans, barter, economies, imports and exports, profits and losses, risks and rewards |
CAMPAIGN EXAMPLES
As examples, you can consider these starting points to build your own CAMPAIGNs, but don’t limit yourself! Some ‘dungeon crawl’ games may be investigation-heavy, or you may want lots of heroic single combat in your ‘conquest’ style game.
LORDS AND VASSALS
If your group wants to found their own kingdom and tame the lands around it, they can expect their play experience to incorporate these PLAYSPACES:
| PLAYSPACE | FREQUENCY | PURPOSE |
|---|---|---|
| GOVERNANCE | Often | A critical part of your play will be in building, maintaining, and growing your Kingdom. |
| BATTLEFIELD | Occasionally | The enmity of your neighbors is always a risk. |
| DIPLOMACY | Occasionally | While fighting your neighbors may sometimes be necessary, making friends of them ahead of time is often the better long-term solution |
| EXPLORATION | Occasionally | You’ll need solid intelligence from your scouts as to what threats await in the wild lands beyond your current borders. |
| SKIRMISH | Occasionally | Though unlikely, there may be times when your leaders are waylaid by assassins or forced into single combat. |
CONQUEST AND WARFARE
In a game centered on conquest and warfare, you’re most likely to see these PLAYSPACES engaged:
| PLAYSPACE | FREQUENCY | PURPOSE |
|---|---|---|
| BATTLEFIELD | Often | Large-scale combat will be the centerpiece of the campaign’s action - your CHARACTERS will be leaders and military commanders, not soldiers. |
| DIPLOMACY | Occasionally | While not the focus of the campaign, there may be times when the battle shifts to the throneroom and weapons are words. |
| EXPLORATION | Occasionally | Though general exploration won’t be of much interest, the spies and scouts you send to warn you of your enemies moves will be in constant motion. |
| GOVERNANCE | Occasionally | Managing the condition of your holdings (and their access to resources) will be an important element of your game, as losing or gaining those holdings will directly affect your ability to wage war |
| SKIRMISH | Rarely | Though unlikely, there may be times when your leaders are waylaid by assassins or forced into single combat. |
RUINS AND RENEGADES
In a traditional RPG dungeon crawl campaign, these are the most likely playspaces you’ll get to tinker with:
| PLAYSPACE | FREQUENCY | PURPOSE |
|---|---|---|
| SKIRMISH | Often | Most likely one of the centerpieces of the game - the inevitable result of meeting the inhabitants of the lost ruins you discover. |
| EXPLORATION | Often | Whether trekking in the uncharted wilds, in a forgotten ruin beneath the earth, or in the back-alleys and districts of a bustling city, you’ll be exploring with at least as much regularity as you’ll be fighting! |
| DIPLOMACY | Occasionally | While most of your time is spent fighting, searching, and looting, there will be occasional opportunities to make friends, allies, and enemies out of the people you meet. |
| INVESTIGATION | Occasionally | Though your group is probably more inclined to brute-forcing their way through scenarios, there will come times when more subtle approaches are necessary. |
| MAGIC | Occasionally | Magic is rare, but it’s likely at least one or two of your group are knowledgeable in its ways - and you’re bound to come across ancient magics, relics, and artifacts which will need an expert in their lore. |
| CRAFTING | Rarely | Your lives are too hectic to set down roots for long, but some of you may be able to make a living - or even a contribution - by using their skills to build tools. |
SECRETS AND LIES
DEALS AND WAGERS