Hexploration - 1 - Journey Rules part 1
Updated: 2d
Wilderness Travel & Hexploration: My Take
Wilderness travel and hexploration—also known as hexcrawling—have been discussed for years, and I haven’t found a single “best” system. I’m looking for a balance: something with a touch of realism, meaningful player involvement, and mechanics that support the story without dragging down gameplay once they're in place. So, I made my own rules inspired by 'PF2 Kingmaker Rules' , 'Forbidden Lands RPG' and 'One Ring RPG'. I have also tried to make it as streamlined as I could without making it too easy to no longer have any effect on roleplay.
1. The Quick Cinematic Route
When the journey itself isn’t central to the story — when it doesn’t build tension, offer meaningful choices, or foreshadow future events — it’s perfectly fine to keep things simple. Skip ahead or focus on narrative character scenes (player input).
Steps:
The GM describes the area to make each hex a little different: changing scenery, snippets of local flavour, or quick glimpses of the world in motion. He can ask players to describe it for him, how they imagine it. It must be fast and cinematic.
The GM asks one PC what was a complication on the journey
The GM then asks another what the solution was they used to solve it. (Or GM will roll on a table for a travel action.)
2. Gritty Survival Route
If the journey IS the adventure — if survival, discovery, or hardship are part of the stakes — then the environment is a challenge of its own, and PCs earn XP when conquering it (depending on difficulty level).
This is a shared effort between GM and players, turning the wilderness into a living, breathing part of the story. Narrative ownership is important in gritty survival. The key is choice. For travel to be interesting, the party has to make interesting choices. Choices on Time, Danger, Navigation and Resources.
Note: In PF2e players become Heroic, magic will in the end make the 'Gritty Travel' a lot less gritty. That is okay, that shows them they have grown into heroes.
Step 1. TRAVEL ROLES
Each PC picks a role and asks the player to take ownership of an aspect of survival travel. These roles are for overland travel that takes hours and hours.
To help you, the GM has made Role Cards.
GUIDE
"Keep the group oriented using the stars, the position of the sun, and the traits of the geography."
TIME: Determine how long it will take to travel through a hex.
Find The Company Speed (see Choice TIME) and pace received
Adjust due to weather (info from GM) or through Predict Weather)
Adjust for Terrain received from the Tracker
Proficiency: Check proficiency level needed
Tools: missing a compass or map will adjust the roll
Guide Activity: Lead The Way (See Choice Navigate)
Skill used: Survival - Sense Direction
This is the only activity the Guide does during travel (at normal speed)
Narrate the day’s travel
Gm may assist, or take over near key locations
TRACKER
"You help out determining the route, getting unlost, covering tracks and survive."
TIME:
Assist the Guide by Determine Terrain Type and weather
Predict Weather: If you are able to Predict Weather OR
GM Reveals Weather for the day after other calculations.
Tracker Activity options: (at 1/2 speed) (also see Experienced Tracker feat)
Track (follow signs of others or getting unlost)
Cover Tracks (hide trail)
Narrate the activity
Gm may assist, or take over near key locations
SCOUT
"You scout ahead and behind the group to spot threats early."
Know Danger level
Skill (trained): Nature, appropriate Lore skill or information gathering
Success: reveal a range of 2-3 possible Danger levels
Critical Success: reveals the exact Danger Level
Scout Activity (at 1/2 speed)
Skill: Stealth (to see danger beforehand) or Perception (see something)
Scout (also see Scout's Speed feat)
Narrate your scouting and/ or the journey
GM may add some extra flavour or take over when arriving into a key location.
PROVISIONER
"You try to provide food and shelter as well as keep track of current resources."
Pre-travel Provisioner Activity:
Check group supplies (rations, torches, arrows,...)
During Travel
Any support Activity
Roll any resource Supply Dice after an event
Post-travel Provisioner Activities:
Roll Supply Dice for rations in the evening.
Narrate the foraging and provisioning
Gm may assist, or take over near key locations
Step 2. TRAVEL PREPARATION
Choice 1: DANGER
The chance of encountering a hazard or monster. Spending time in the wilderness is dangerous, but that danger factor varies. You CAN control the danger of the route, but only if you know about the danger. Smart travellers SHOULD know about dangers through talking to locals and reading the land. Each Hex has a 'Danger Level' from 1 (safe) to 6 (extremely dangerous).
Scout Role - Know the Danger level
Skill(trained): Nature (expert), a Lore skill or information gathering
Success: reveal a range of 2-3 possible Danger levels
Critical Success: reveals the exact Danger Level
Level | Type | description |
1 | Safe | Civilised settlements (offer a relatively safe area) |
2 | Low | Civilised region (assuming that the roads are even occasionally patrolled by the local authorities) or a barren, desolate region (because it’s harder for living things to survive there to begin with). |
3 | Moderate | Wilderness frontier areas such as forests, flatlands, hills and wetlands. They all offer ample resources for creatures to live off of. |
4 | High | Enemy or monster territory, magical terrain |
5 | Dangerous | Regularly patrolled hostile territory |
6 | Hostile | Terrain filled with enemies that are actively trying to destroy all intruders |
Notes
Danger level is used during travel AND camping for encounters.
Camping: Actions of the player can adjust the Danger level up or down.
Travel: If everyone is Avoiding Notice or like action, reduce the Danger level by 1.
Choice 2: TIME (travel time)
Travel has to involve a component of risk. For example, imagine the choice between a long, safe path and a short, dangerous path. That creates a conflict. Do you risk the dangerous path to save time? What’s more important? Time or safety?
1. Travel Day - Quarters of the day
During journeys, the day is divided into four Quarter Days, used to measure time in the game:
quarter | Time | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
Morning | 05:00 - 11:00 | Light | Light | Light | Light |
Day | 11:00 - 17:00 | Light | Light | Light | Light |
Evening | 17:00 - 23:00 | Light | Light | Light | Dark |
Night | 23:00 - 05:00 | Dark | Dark | Dark | Dark |
Sleep: Although players need 8 hours rest to be fully rested, it is acceptable to sleep in one quarter and rest 2 hours in an adjacent quarter.
Dark quarter: A guide rolls his travel check at a –2 penalty.
In some regions winter may only offer light during the day quarter.
2. Number of Pace points received
The traveling party receives their pace as points that they, as a group, can spend to do travel activities until no pace points remain. The party's pace points are always equal to the single lowest current pace of all traveling companions, as you can only travel in a group as fast as the slowest member.
Speed | Speed | Miles/ Day | Speed | Speed | Miles /Day | |
2 paces | 5-10 ft | 8 | 8 paces | 40 ft | 32 | |
3 paces | 15 ft | 12 | 9 paces | 45 ft | 36 | |
5 paces | 20–25 ft | 18 | 10 paces | 50–55 ft | 40 or 44 | |
6 paces | 30 ft | 24 | 12 paces | 60+ ft | 48 | |
7 paces | 35 ft | 28 |
Note:
Time: A hiking day can take a maximum of two quarters before fatigue starts
Hex miles: In the 'paces system' 1 hex is 6 miles but Greyhawk Map by Anna has 12 miles hexes. So a hike is done to enter the hex and another to exit.
Wounded: Any PC that is badly wounded (or below 50% HP) will subtract 1 pace for the day. Even when on horseback but not when you lay on a cart.
Next time: Step 3 (travel activities) and Step 4 (after Travel activities)
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