Old Man Grognard breaks down the workload of hex crawls versus the railroading risk of point crawls.
The episode opens with Old Man Grognard introducing the topic of hex crawls versus point crawls for game masters. He then shifts to a personal aside, thanking listener Gilbert Soares for financial support and revealing he has thought about ending the podcast due to difficulty generating material. Returning to the main topic, he defines both hex crawls and point crawls as sandbox approaches, with hexes allowing free movement and points connecting specific locations. He traces point crawls to inspiration from tactical board games like those depicting Civil War battles. The host compares the advantages and disadvantages: hex crawls offer player agency but demand significant GM preparation for encounters and plot hooks, while point crawls reduce prep but can lead to linear, railroaded play if not careful. He discusses his GM philosophy, emphasizing player agency and avoiding railroading, but notes that once players engage a plot hook, he runs with it. He touches on handling player disengagement and party splits, stating he follows the majority of players. The host expresses his preference for point crawls, citing their use of abstract distances, which he finds flexible and conducive to improvisation. He recommends listeners try point crawls with a map of four or five locations. The episode concludes with contact information, donation links, and shout-outs to other OSR podcasts.
