West Marches.games

West Marches Resources

Note that westmarches.games supports a wide variety of campaign styles, not just the traditional sandbox format introduced by Ben Robbins. Any time you're running a large group or want flexible scheduling, westmarches.games can help you organize and run your campaign.

Ben Robbins, Original West Marches Articles

The complete series from the original creator, covering design principles, worldbuilding, and common pitfalls:

  1. "Grand Experiments: West Marches"
    The original introduction to the West Marches concept
  2. "Part 2: Sharing Info"
    How players communicate discoveries and build collective knowledge
  3. "Part 3: Recycling"
    Reusing content and maintaining consistency across sessions
  4. "Part 4: Death & Danger"
    Managing risk and consequences in an open world
  5. "West Marches: Running Your Own"
    Practical advice for implementing your own West Marches campaign

Essential Guides

  1. "Starting a West Marches Campaign , Step By Step" (Roleplaying Tips)
    A multi-part guide to framing the campaign, preparing the world, and scaffolding your startup.
  2. "Planning a West Marches Campaign in D&D 5e" (DungeonSolvers)
    Practical advice on session setup, scheduling, lore, and modular prep.
  3. "What Is A West Marches Campaign?" (Czepeku blog)
    Good introduction + design tips (maps, danger tiers, improvisation) for newcomers.

Video Resources

  1. "The West Marches | Running the Game" (Matthew Colville)
    Comprehensive overview of the West Marches style from one of the most respected voices in D&D.
  2. "How To Run A West Marches Campaign" (The Arcane Library)
    Broad discussion + implementation tips, useful to see how others verbalize the style.
  3. "How to Build A West Marches Campaign (Step by Step Tutorial)" (Enter the Dungeon)
    Walkthrough from concept to session 0.
  4. "Make hexmaps easily with THE POWER OF OUTLINES!"
    Tutorial on creating hexmaps using outline techniques.
  5. "Why 3-mile hexes make HEXCRAWLS fun"
    Explanation of hexcrawl scale and why 3-mile hexes work well for exploration gameplay.
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