Hexploration - 2 - Journey Rules part 2
Wilderness Travel & Hexploration: My Take Part 2
2. Gritty Survival Route
Step 3. TRAVEL ACTIVITIES
The party can now spend their pace points to conduct travel activities in whatever order or sequence they desire. When the points are depleted the traveling day is over.
Choice 3: Travel Check (Lead the way)
Wilderness navigation relies on landmarks and line of sight. If the party does not have a very clear landmark to guide them (road leading the way, mountains in the distance, coastline to follow), the party’s Guide/ navigator must Lead the Way depending mostly on vision. Using the stars, the position of the sun, traits of the geography or even fauna and flora, he can stay oriented in the wild.
This activity is checked Per quarter
Is combined with the HIKE activity for free (no paces cost).
During, and besides, hiking this character cannot do any other activity.
Only ONE PC, per quarter, is responsible for the Travel Roll.
Calculate the Check DC
1. Take the Base Hex Navigation DC
The start Base DC is 15.
Some hexes are tougher and have a level between 1 and 10. Add the level to the base number.
This is the base DC required for success at any skill check involved with some campsite activities.
2. Adjustment - Terrain:
Easy (-2 DC): Open terrain plus a clear landmark (road leading the way, mountains in the distance, coastline to follow)
Standard: Open terrain (see under Time) in wilderness
Hard (+2 DC): obstructed views (forests, marshes, or rugged hills without a clear view)
Very Hard (+5 DC): Featureless environments like the open sea, desert, or tundra, where even a tiny directional error leads to missing your mark by miles.
3. Adjustment - Weather:
Rain: +1 to the Navigation DC.
Mist: +2 to the Navigation DC.
Heavy Storms/Blizzards: +5 to the Navigation DC, and potentially makes open terrain difficult terrain.
4. Adjustment - Tools
Without a Compass, you take a -2 item penalty to checks to Sense Direction. Unless you have a cantrip such as Know direction, or make a Lore (navigation) check.
Without a Map, even a rudimentary one, will increase the difficulty class by 2.
Skill Roll:
Survival - Sense Direction
Some situations require a minimum survival proficiency rank.
Untrained just to determine a cardinal (N,E,S,W) direction using the sun
Trained find an overgrown path in a forest, hills or mountain
Expert navigate a maze-like area
Master navigate a labyrinth or relatively featureless desert
Legendary navigate an ever-changing dream realm
The Result:
Critical Success: The party travels briskly without issue, subtract 1 pace from the cost of the travel activity.
Success: The party moves in their desired direction.
Failure: The journey is harder than expected. Add 1 pace to the cost of the travel activity. If the party does not have enough pace to cover this cost, they must Forced march to 'Push On' that day.
Critical Failure:
You got yourself lost. Gm rolls 1d6 to pick another random direction with 6 being lost in the hex itself. Once lost the party must find a landmark with the Explore activity to orient themselves, otherwise they will continue to move in random directions. A mishap happens.
Note:
The pace point cost is subtracted from their total after the Travel Check is rolled, thus a party who only had 2 pace remaining may get a critical success and not need to Push On (forced March) to travel through Hills or Forest.
XP
10XP: For travelling a New hex successfully
Choice 3: Other Travel Activities
Although one hiker is doing the 'Lead the Way' activity, that doesn't mean other hikers only hike. They can opt to do other activities during hiking.
Important Note:
Half travel time: Most activities reduce the group's travel pace by half. Some feats help to do them at full speed (no loss of pace).
If you forced march, you cannot perform activities that slow Travel speed.
Support Activities
Activity | description | 1/2 speed? |
Aid | Help out another with a task | varies |
Follow the Expert | When you don't have the skill | varies |
Defend | You travel (max 12 miles a day) with shield raised. | YES |
Detect Magic | You cast detect magicat regular intervals. | YES |
Repeat a Spell | You repeatedly cast the same cantrip. | YES |
Avoid Notice | You attempt a Stealth check to avoid notice while traveling at half speed. | YES |
Choice 4: Hike (-> Pace varies)
Hike Activity:
Must be done by ALL members of the group if you want to move forward on the map. The party spends the amount of pace to move into the next hex. If the hex is a 12mile hex then a hike is needed to exit the hex.
Terrain Adjustment
The pace spent is based on the terrain they are moving to, using the terrain chart below.
Hex Type | Walk | Fly | Swim-sail | Pace cost |
Plains/grasslands | open | light winds | Down river/ coastal sea | 2 |
Light Forest | open | ---- | Upriver/ Open sea | 3 |
Hills | open | ---- | ---- | 3 |
Dense Forest | Difficult | Strong Winds | Strong Waves | 4 |
Desert | Difficult | ---- | ---- | 4 |
Mountains - jungles- swamp | Greater difficulty | Stormy | Stormy | 5 |
Notes:
High Mountains: impassable
A Road: (not a trail) reduces the pace cost by one.
Rivers: not a type of terrain in and of themselves. Fords and bridges can be used to pass over a river. If there are none, you need a raft or boat to cross a river, or swim across it. Either will cost more pace.
When moving through mixed terrain, the GM can approximate or average the results, depending on how much accuracy is required.
Kingmaker - Settlement streets: Hexes containing a settlement with Paved Streets constructed reduce travel cost by 1 pace (ask GM).
Weather
The hike cost can be modified by the elements with things like heavy rain making the grasslands muddy and slowing the party down.
Precipitation:
Rain (not drizzle): You can travel only 1 quarter today or become fatigued.
The chance of Rain on any given day varies according to the season and climate.
Roll a flat check 1d20 per day or per hex travelled.
Climate | Summer | Spring | Autumn | Winter |
Temperate | DC 18 | DC 15 | DC 15 | DC 12 |
Subtropical | DC 17 | DC 14 | DC 14 | DC 11 |
Tropical | DC 15 | DC 12 | DC 12 | DC 10 |
Choice 4: Rest (1 Pace)
The party rests for a few (1-2) hours. A resting party member can do:
a healing check on everyone in the party
a repair check
other short activity not needed a whole setup.
GM rolls for Wandering Encounters (during travel)
Introduction
TIP: If possible, make the Danger Level check at the end of a session for the next session. Allowing the GM to prepare.
Although too many wandering encounters can bog down your session; if you don't check for wandering encounters once in a while, many camping activities are obsolete and there's no tension. Personally, I like to add encounters beforehand but, especially during the night phase, it gives some agency to the player's actions.
Roll the Chance of an encounter
Calculate or check the Danger Level
Roll the Flat check (see Hexploration - 3 - Night) listed under the adjusted Danger Level
If success, roll on the Wandering Encounter Table
Roll once per travel quarter but no more in the same hex that day.
Step 4. AFTER TRAVEL ACTIVITIES
Explore a hex (1 or 2 paces)
Discoveries are "curiosity baits"—interesting or valuable encounters designed to pull the party off the road. To make exploration feel rewarding, the wilderness should be peppered with these enticing landmarks. Ideally, every discovery offers a payoff: either a piece of intriguing lore or tangible loot (and occasionally both) to justify the party’s spent time and effort.
When you enter each hex, the GM will check if the party stumbled upon anything obvious - most of the time they won't. But each hex can hold many secrets - small villages, ruins, travelling theatre trope etc.
The Pace Cost
You can explore what the area holds by spending extra time surveying the area — scouting terrain, spotting unusual features, and searching for points of interest. The party must spend the pace point (1 pace of a 6 mile hex and 2 for a 12 mile hex).
Roads: Do not reduce the time required to Explore a hex.
The Check
When exploring, the GM describes the area to make each hex a little different. He can ask players to describe it for him, how they imagine it.
No check: Some features are obvious and automatically found. For example: prominent rock formation
Check: Some features are Hidden.
Roll a Survival, Perception, Stealth or relevant Lore check to find the hidden feature or site
XP
30XP: For successfully exploring a hex (excl. encounters)
Next time: Hexploration 3 - Camping
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