Here's an interesting conversation started by a #DnD designer! What are YOUR thoughts on boxed text? https://t.co/L8WqQV5L5z
— Dungeons & Dragons (@Wizards_DnD) April 13, 2019
Thanks for sharing the conversation!
— James Introcaso (@JamesIntrocaso) April 13, 2019
This is a Twitter poll for #dnd DMs. Do you prefer read-aloud text in published adventures?
— SlyFlourish (@SlyFlourish) April 14, 2019
In my own #dnd adventure writing I use boxed text, and “area aspects” which are like bullet points. I also avoid talking about living things in boxed text to avoid the whole “those orcs I mentioned aren’t really there”. Brevity is critically important as well. https://t.co/NFcZEy2CEw
— SlyFlourish (@SlyFlourish) April 12, 2019
Honestly, I love boxed text. Even when I run home games, I write boxed text for myself and read it almost verbatim–and digress when I've forgotten something or I decide I want to go off-script. The baseline script that I can throw away if needed is immensely useful.
— James 🌺 Haeck (@jamesjhaeck) April 13, 2019
The dreaded #DnD boxed text debate: I think boxed text has a place, particularly for DMs that don't have time to do a lot of prep or to make sure a particular mood is established. In particular it seems to help in convention settings. pic.twitter.com/7lqbGy7Kpr
— Greg Marks 🐈 (@Skerrit7h3green) April 15, 2019
However, I also think lots of boxed text is unnecessary (an empty room doesn't need boxed text), too long (anything over a paragraph or so), written poorly burying important details, pretends to be a story to be listened to by the players, preventing them from being involved.
— Greg Marks 🐈 (@Skerrit7h3green) April 15, 2019
I never thought about box text being a problem until I started seeing things listed as bullet points. I quickly learned to like keeping things in “my voice” as I described a setting. Yeah, its also an issue that people have been "trained" over the years by the boxed text that has been provided, but we haven't been innovating as much as we should have been.
— Greg Marks 🐈 (@Skerrit7h3green) April 15, 2019
i agree. i think sometimes a story needs a bit of boxed text at the beginning or if something happens suddenly in the narrative, like in Once in Waterdeep. that being said, ive read quite a few adventures where the important details were buried away because there was no box text I am all for boxed text for complicated descriptions where details are key (like puzzle traps) or for villain speeches to set a mood.
— Greg Marks 🐈 (@Skerrit7h3green) April 15, 2019
A point I was trying to make was that if boxed text worked well, then we would see it used on the streams as a go-to to start a scene. I don’t think we ever see it. Instead, we see a back-and-forth between the DM & Players. Something a “box of text” in my mind makes much harder. While this is true, different people (and roles) have different needs. A majority of DMs out there WANT boxed text (well-written hopefully) to make their lives easier when they buy adventure content. So it is a risk not to provide what your audience and consumers want.
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) April 14, 2019