The 3 Pillars
The 3 Pillars don’t have any particular order to them, and they tend to overlap, but understanding the core purpose of each of them, is key to making the most of them!
- Pillar 1: Combat
- Using physical skills like Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, or consumable power like Spell Slots, to overcome hostile enemies
- Pillar 2: Exploration
- Using combat abilities outside of combat. In other words, it’s using some level of physical skill like Strength, or consumable power like Spell Slots, to overcome hostile environments
- Pillar 3: Social Interaction
- Using conversational skills like Charisma, Intelligence, and Wisdom, or just role-playing out a situation, to learn about an upcoming Exploration or Combat event
Combat Example
- Maybe you want them to use their abilities against hostile enemies:
(A group of assassins try to sneak up on the players)- – Perception checks to see if they notice the build up of individuals coming at them
- – Rolling for initiative, performance checks to make the assassins think you’re still surprised
- – Using abilities directly against attackers
Exploration Example
- Maybe you want them to use their abilities against the environment:
(A scaffold collapses as the players pass beside it)- – Dexterity Saving Throws
- – Perception or Arcana checks to see if they can use their reactions to dodge, cast spells, etc.
- – Using abilities to clear the way and help out any injured NPCs
Social Interaction Example
- Maybe you want them to use their skills to learn about possible Combat or Exploration events:
(A street-corner bard sings about a local menace)- – Investigation and insight checks to learn more, maybe persuasion if people won’t talk about it
- – Roleplaying interactions from player-to-player and player-to-NPC
- – Get players to plan their next move based on info. Maybe its related to an ongoing story?
Recap
Keeping the core purposes in mid greatly helps with formatting. All that’s left to do is mix the pillars into the structure (Where, What, & When)
The 3 Ws: Where does it start, What are we doing, and When does it end?
The 3 Pillars:
Combat = hostile enemies
Exploration = hostile environments
Social Interaction = learning
In the examples above, the players are walking through the streets of a bustling city. Each of those Pillars can be a hook for something to do or pass up on
Either way, the players get a chance to interact with the world as they make their way through the session
