Summary
Thanks to the success ofBaldur’s Gate 3, hundreds of new players and DMs are flooding into the TTRPG hobby. For those picking upD&D(or another game like it) for the first time, running a West Marches game may be worth a try, especially for fans ofBaldur’s Gate 3.
A West Marches game isa fairly new concept withinD&D’s history, with the idea first described by RPG writer Ben Robbins in 2007. His article on the subject describes a game he ran in the ‘West Marches’ region of his world, one where players had a great deal of agency to direct the plot. The world was a sandbox, one where players chartered the map themselves, venturing out into an unknown and untamed world.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Should Give West Marches D&D A Try
The West Marches way of playingD&Dwill be somewhat familiar to thosecoming onboard fromBaldur’s Gate 3. Though the playstyle’s minutiae may differ from typicalD&D 5eplay, it’s a style rooted inDungeons and Dragonshistory—a history that also influenced5eand, in turn,Baldur’s Gate 3. The player-driven exploration it encourages makes for a unique experience, one that can be stripped for parts and retro-fit to match any table; everyD&Dgame is unique, after all.
Greater Player Agency
Players can typically expect to have a great deal of say in how aD&Dgame advances, but the DM often assumes a leading role. The DM is usually the one to schedule games, wrangle a party together, and set the adventure location. In a West Marches game, the world is a sandbox; players start in a safe town and choose where to go and want adventures to embark on. Players schedule games and decide where to go, making maps and discovering wild new terrors. For thosearriving fromBaldur’s Gate 3expecting an incredible degree of choice, they’ll find that West MarchesD&Dcan do that much and better.
Moreover, West Marches games also mimic the revolving door of charactersfound inBaldur’s Gate 3. Games run in this fashion usually have 10–14 players, but only a few adventure at a time. This means that there will either be multiple parties or, more traditionally, a party that constantly changes in its body of membership. This can be a matter of who has what skills, similar toBaldur’s Gate 3, but it’s mainly driven by interest. Some players pursue some hooks, while others follow different threads. It creates a truly immersive world where each player has a different idea as to what’s really going on.
Exploration Through An Untamed World
On the subject of immersion, the West Marches also stars a more dangerous, more untamed world, one that would be natural to those living in the medieval era.D&D 5ehas been known to fumble exploration, but West Marches games keep the region outside the starting town mysterious. Moreover, the world is intentionally unbalanced; the DM is not expected to balance every area to the players' level, enhancing the verisimilitude.
Baldur’s Gate 3has some better exploration rules, which can find parallels in how West Marches games are run. Just asBaldur’s Gate 3is alive with treasure and trinkets, the untapped nature of West Marches wilderness leaves it brimming with abandoned goodies. Larian’s AAA hit also places a premium on items like food, as they allow the player to take long rests, and the wild worlds that house West Marches games do the same. If a player wants to experience aD&Dgame with the risks and rewards found inBaldur’s Gate 3, albeit with a more grounded tone, the West Marches is a solid candidate.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
