Hexploration
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Hexploration within a roleplaying campaign can be done in many ways. This page explains the homebrew rules for exploring, mostly taken from the Alexandrian 5e Hexcrawl and mixed with Pathfinder 2 Exploration and Hexploration. Some DCs are maybe up for revision as they are based on 5e.
The general principle is that Hexploration replaces large parts of Pathfinder 2 Exploration when it comes to navigating. It may not be as well sited to campaigns where travel is just a break from "real" events and shold probably be handled differently.
In Hexploration, characters take part of one or more Expeditions that make choices in time chunks of the day called Watches, each 4 hours long, and then the activities and events take place.
Summary
- Choose Activity Type
- If Travel = Choose Speed
- Choose Activites
- Resolve Activities
- (Travel) Resolve Navigation (Lost/Veer)
- (Both) Characters make checks on Activities in the order they choose
- (Both) Resolve Random/Set encounter
- Make additional roll if encounter happens
- (Local) Resolve all Local Activities
- (Rest) Restore HP, conditions and make Daily Preparations
- (Travel) Resolve distance travel calculations
- (Travel) Traverse until reaching edge of area and make new Navigation check
- Watch has ended
Time and Activities
The Hexploration Mode is divided up into "Watches" of which the day has 6 of, each 4 hours. Every Watch the characters choose an Activity Type and an Activity that explains what they are doing and how they are going about it during that watch.
Encounters
Encounters happen randomly (random encounter) or specifically (set enconter); both associated with the local area, and pauses the current Watch until it has concluded. During Encounters, either Exploration Mode or straightforward Combat is used. Sometimes a Watch ends becase of an enconter.
Activity Type
Character choose the Activity Type for the Watch. If they don't choose the same, the party splits and are counted as two (or more) Expeditions. If one characher choose no Activity, the Activity Type matches other characters and is either Trailing (if Travel) or Rest (if Local).
- Travel means the Expedition is traversing terrain, navigating themselves in the world.
- Local Action means the Expedition is more or less stationary (maybe with some outrider) and conduct some activity locally.
If the Expedition Travels, it usally needs to do a Navigation check (Survival vs terrain Navigation DC). If no character does Navigating, the direction is determined randomly.'
Travel also has additional choices for Speed. Which Speed is used will have effects on the Activities that can be performed, and if it's done with some bonus or penalty:
- Fast (150%) - Quick speed (without additional risk of fatigue). Can't make Stealth checks. Penalty to Perception, Perception DC and Navigation.
- Normal (100%) - Normal travel. Can't make Stealth checks.
- Careful (75%) - Carefully traversing the land. Bonus to some checks.
- Slow (50%) - Travelling slowly, or travel with many detours. Bonus to some checks.
- Crawl (25%) - Extra slow pace. Bonus to some checks.
Activities
Activities more closely deals with the specifics of what is done. Each character can perform one Activity per watch (unless otherwise noted). Players may choose which order to resolve their characters' Activities. Any Activity that affects other Activities only affect them if they are resolved after its effect. Many effects happen on the next Watch rather than the current one.
If players can't agree on the turn order, roll Perception-based Initiative.
Traits
- (E) = The Expediton - Physically close to the Expedition.
- (N) = The Navigation - Navigation or travel related.
- (O) = The Outriding - Activities in the area bt outside of Expedition.
- (S) = The Security - Management of the Expedition safety.
- The Aid acticvity gains all of the traits of the Activity it is aiding.
Travel Activities
Note 1: Regarding PF2/DnD5e(*) we replaces "+4" or "-4" to Advantage/Disadvantage for DnD5e and any larger bonus/penalty is numeric.
Note 2: It's up to the GM if two characters can perform the same Activity or if the disturb one another (one can always use Aid instead!).
- Navigating (E,N) (Any speed) - Is done to avoid being lost or veer off track. Make Survival checks against the area's Navigation DC.
- Speed: Fast -4*. Normal +0. Careful +4*. Slow +6*. Crawl +8*.
- Crit Success: You identify the right direction. If you were lost or veering, that is corrected. You may choose to treat trackless terrain as having a trail, to make an Aid check for another's Expedition trait Activity or to gain a +5 circumstance bonus on your next Navigation check.
- Success: You identify the right direction. If you were lost or veering, that is corrected.
- Fail: You become lost and start veering.
- Crit Fail: You become lost and start veering. Reduce travel distance this Watch by half.
- A character Trained in Survival may perform an additional Travel Activity by taking a -10* penalty to the Navigation check.
- Stealthing (E,S) (Careful or slower) - Keeps tabs on the whole Expedition. Stealth check result is the Detect DC. Additionally use the Stealth check against DC 20. An Expert at Stealth or Survival may increase the DC by +5 to increase the bonus/penalty of the check by 2 (e.g. Expert +4/+2/-2/-4).
- Slow: +2. Crawl: +4*
- -1 penalty for every character beyond the first. -3 for a large creature. -9 for a huge.
- Crit Success = May lower random encounter chance by 50%; expedition may choose to encounter a "discarded" encounters as Hidden and Undetected. May make an Aid check for another's Security trait Activity with a +2 circumstance bonus.
- Success = May lower random encounter chance by 25%. May make an Aid check for another's Security trait Activity.
- Fail = No effect.
- Crit Fail = The Detect DC is lowered by 5. Increase random encounter chance by 50%.
- Foraging (E,O) (Careful or slower) - Survival vs Forage DC of the terrain provides one of: A source of water (can replenish any containers); one ration of food; one roll on interesting plants table from Broderick’s Compendium (add the amount over DC to the rarity roll). Characters trained in Survival may increase the DC by increments of 5 and increase the yield by +1 for each.
- Slow: +1. Crawl: +2.
- Crit Success = Choose 3. Success = Choose 1. Fail = Neither. Critical Fail = You attract trouble, eat something you shouldn't, or otherwise worsen your situation. Expedition members take a –2 circumstance penalty to checks to Forage and Subsist for 1 week (cumulative).
- Animal Wrangling (E,N) (Any speed) - Lead a number of animals equal to twice your Nature bonus. (This number includes the pack-puller's mount, if any.) If Trained, you may make a Nature check DC 25 to lead more.
- Slow: +1. Crawl: +2.
- Crit Success: +10. Success +5. Fail: 0. Crit Fail: -5
- If Expert or higher, you may increase the DC by 5 to increase the base addition by +5 for each proficienc level above Trained (e.g. +20/+10/0/-10 for Expert).
- Scouting (O) (x2 speed and 50%+) - Choose Reporting, Pathfinding, Exploring or Outriding and make the appropriate Survival/Perception check against the terrain Navigation DC.
- Reporting (Survival) - Try to make a Scout Report. A Scout Report allows a character's next Navigation check in this area to roll twice and choose which die to use.
- Crit Success = Provide a Scout Report. Also choose between gaining the Success effect of Pathfinding or add a +4 circumstance bonus to Navigation to the Scout Report.
- Success = Provide a Scout Report.
- Fail = No effect.
- Crit fail = You attract trouble, eat something you shouldn't, or otherwise worsen your situation. You take a –2 circumstance penalty to checks to Scout for 1 week (cumulative).
- Pathfinding (Survival) - Find better routes.
- Crit Success = Treat trackless terrain as if it had a trail for the next watch in this area and provide a Success Scout Report.
- Success = Treat trackless terrain as if it had a trail for the next one watch in this area.
- Fail = No effect.
- Crit fail = You attract trouble, eat something you shouldn't, or otherwise worsen your situation. You take a –2 circumstance penalty to checks to Scout for 1 week (cumulative).
- Exploring (Perception DC+2) - Rides/moves out to follow side trails, examining objects of interest, and so forth. If you reach a Success you may use the Fail effect of Reconnaissance and may use the Success effect of either Reporting, Pathfinding or Outriding.
- Crit Success = You may also increase the chance of encounters by 200% without casing penalties.
- Success = You may also increase the chance of encounters by 100%. If another character is Stealthing or Covering Tracks, they suffer a -4* penalty to their check.
- Fail = You increase the chance of random encounters by 100%. If another character is Stealthing, they Critical Fail.
- Crit Fail = You increase the chance of random encounters by 100%. If another character is Stealthing, they Fail. You take a –2 circumstance penalty to checks to Scout for 1 week (cumulative).
- Outriding (+25% speed) - Rides/moves out to detect/prevent threats. Perception check on terrain Navigation DC.
- Crit Success = As Success but for any number of encounters. +4* Perception and Initiative circumstance bonuses. You may detect and encounter any "discarded" random encounters.
- Success = If an encounter is generated; may attempt to detect it with a Perception check DC 15 (or vs Stealth DC), providing the Expedition with a +2 circumstance bonus to Initiative for that encounter. The additional encounter check for Outriding is made at 50% lower chance of a random encounter.
- Fail = No effect. The additional encounter check for Outriding is made at 25% lower chance of a random encounter.
- Crit Fail = You attract trouble, eat something you shouldn't, or otherwise worsen your situation. You take a –2 circumstance penalty to checks to Scout for 1 week (cumulative). Increase random enconter chance by 50%.
- An additional encounter check is made for each Scouting Activity. GM decides here the encounter takes place.
- Reporting (Survival) - Try to make a Scout Report. A Scout Report allows a character's next Navigation check in this area to roll twice and choose which die to use.
- Sentrywork (E,N,S) (Any speed) - The character keeps an eye out to detect threats or notice anything else out of the ordinary. Make a Perception check on the Navigation DC +2. If you Succeed you have a chance of finding any special feature that isn't hidden, chance to make a Perception check to find hidden features (the DC is increased by 2 if you don't know what you are looking for) and a chance to make a Perception check DC 15 (or vs Stealth DC) detects it ahead of the encounter.
- Speed: Fast -4*. Normal +0. Careful +2. Slow +4. Crawl +6
- Crit Success = +4 to Initiative and Perception. Chance is 75%. May make an Aid check for another's Security trait Activity.
- Success = +2 to Initiative and Perception. Chance is 50%. May make an Aid check for another's Security trait Activity with a -2 circumstance penalty.
- Fail = Chance is 25%.
- Crit Fail = -2 to Initiative and Perception. -1 circumstance penalty to others' Security trait Activities.
| TRACK DCs | |
|---|---|
| SURFACE | DC |
| Very soft ground (snow, wet mud) | 5 |
| Soft ground (sand) | 10 |
| Firm ground (fields, woods, thick rugs, dusty floors) | 15 |
| Hard ground (bare rock, indoor floor, streambeds) | 20 |
| CONDITION | MODIFIER |
| Multiple people | -2 |
| Large group | -4 |
| Very large group | -8 |
| Creature is bleeding | -4 |
| Every day since the trail was made | +1 per day |
| Every hour of rain since the trail was made | +1 per hour |
| Fresh snow cover since the trail was made | +10 |
- Track (E,N) (Slow or slower) - Follow the trail alread found by the Exploraion Activity "Track" or Local Activity Track, making a Survival check against the Track DC. Make one check every hour (4 checks in a Watch).
- If you haven't already found the track, or if you lost it while tracking, you may halt for 1 hour (lower travelled distance by 1/4 for this Watch) to make another Track Exploration Activity (Perception check) rather than stopping to Track.
- Crawl: +2 circmstance bonus to Track and the first Track Exploration Activity made to re-find a lost track doesn't require a halt.
- Crit Success = You find the trail or continue to follow the one you’re already following and have a +2 circumstance bonus on our next check on this track.
- Success = You find the trail or continue to follow the one you're already following.
- Failure = You lose the trail but can try again after a 1-hour delay.
- Critical Failure = You lose the trail and can’t try again for 24 hours.
- Experienced Tracker works with this Travel Activity in terms of speed and number of checks.
- Cover Tracks (E,N,S) (Careful or slower) - Attempt to cover the expedition's tracks. Stealth or Survival check creates the Track DC for any pursuer attempting to find or follow their tracks. Additionally use the check against DC 15. An Expert at Stealth or Survival may increase the DC by +5 to increase the bonus/penalty of the check by 2 (e.g. Expert 8/+4/-2/-4).
- Slow: +1. Crawl: +2.
- Crit Success = +4 to Track DC. May make an Aid check for another's Security trait Activity.
- Success = +2 to Track DC. May make an Aid check for another's Security trait Activity with a -2 circmstance penalty.
- Fail = No effect.
- Crit Fail = -2 to Track DC. -1 circumstance penalty to others' Security trait Activities.
- Don't forget that Tracking has +5 on hard ground and -5 on soft.
- Trailblazing (E,N,S) (Careful or slower) - Allows the expedition to lay down a trail that is either visible or hidden to others, using a Stealth check. See rules here and here.
- Slow: +2. Crawl: +4*.
- Reconnaissance (N,O) (Multiple watches) - Map your surroundings. Prerequisite to Map the Area (Local Activity). It takes as much time as twice crossing the terrain, trackless. Make a DC 20 Survival check.
- You may spend additonal Watches or spare hours to gain a +1 circmstance bonus to the Survival check for each hour so spent, up to +5 bonus.
- Crit Success = As Success but takes 4 hours less* than planned.
- Success = You automatically find any special feature that isn't hidden and you may make a Perception check to find hidden features (the DC is increased by 2 if you don't know what you are looking for).
- Fail = You may make a Perception DC 15 check for each special feature that isn't hidden to try and find it and you may make a Perception check with a -2 circumstance penalty to find hidden features.
- Crit Fail = Like Fail but DCs are increased by an additional +5.
- * Choose between reducing the amount of Watches needed or gain the +1 circmstancial bonus per hour.
- Aid (*) (Same speed as aidee) - A second character can aid an Activity check. Use Aid rules but double bonuses/penalties.
- DC 20: Crit Success +4*; Success +2; Fail 0; Crit Fail -2.
- Trailing (E) (Any speed) - If a character isn't incapacitated but doesn't choose an Activity, they simply tag along without a specific thing they do.
Local Activities
Note 1: Daily preparations are normally seen as part of the Local Activity "Rest" and the beginning of the next activity without taking up more time unless something interrupts the Rest or preparations.
Note 2: Some Local Activities can be performed while travelling if doing so in an appropriate way, like in a comfortable wagon or on a steady ship. GM pergoative.
- Resting (E) (2+ Watches) - Needs to be taken consecutively to gain the benefits of a rest (see limits). More watches may be needed if interrpted.
- Following rest, it's the normal time to do Daily Preparations.
- If a character does not spend at least two full watches per day resting; succeed at a Fortitude check (DC 16 - hours they slept, if any) or suffer a level of Fatigue.
- Write down hours of sleep missing from 8 (if slept 3h, then 5) and accumulate these for the next day's Fort check until a day the character takes no Fort check.
- Navigating (E,N) - Make navigation checks in advance for next travels. This check may be used to replace the next Navigation check made by the same character in a subsequent Travel Watch.
- Foraging (E) - As the Travel Activity with Crawl speed (+2).
- Grazing Animals (E,N) - If an appropriate biom (determined by the GM), animals (like horses) can graze and be fully fed by grazing as one Local Activity.
- Scouting (O) - As the Travel Activity.
- Sentrywork (E,N,S) - As the Travel Activity with Crawl speed (+6).
- Sighting (E,N,S) - Find an outlook to see further into the wilderness for threats. Make a Perception check against terrain Navigation DC. Spotting Distance
- Crit Success = As Success but +4 to Initiative & Perception and +1 circumstance bonus to all checks with the Navigation, Outriding or Security trait. May lower or increase encounter chance by 50%.
- Success = Automatically find any special feature that isn't hidden and you may make a Perception check to find hidden features (the DC is increased by 2 if you don't know what you are looking for) hidden within Spotting Distance. Gain +2 to Initiative and for Perception checks within Spotting Distance. May share insights with Expedition, granting a +1 circumstancial bonus during the next Watch for checks with either the Navigation, Outriding or Security trait (choose one). May lower or increase encounter chance by 25%.
- Fail = You harm yourself in the process. Take 5 damage. You may make a Perception DC 15 check for each special feature that isn't hidden to try and find it and you may make a Perception check with a -2 circumstance penalty to find hidden features within Spotting Distance.
- Crit Fail = You seriosly harm yourself. Take 15 damage. Increase random encounter chance by 25%.
| TRACK DCs | |
|---|---|
| SURFACE | DC |
| Very soft ground (snow, wet mud) | 5 |
| Soft ground (sand) | 10 |
| Firm ground (fields, woods, thick rugs, dusty floors) | 15 |
| Hard ground (bare rock, indoor floor, streambeds) | 20 |
| CONDITION | MODIFIER |
| Multiple people | -2 |
| Large group | -4 |
| Very large group | -8 |
| Creature is bleeding | -4 |
| Every day since the trail was made | +1 per day |
| Every hour of rain since the trail was made | +1 per hour |
| Fresh snow cover since the trail was made | +10 |
- Track (E,N) - Spend time familiarising ourself with the track (or to find it) and gain bonus on the next check. You may attempt up to 4 checks during the Watch.
- Track is found: Make a Survival check against the Track DC.
- Crit Success: Automatically succeed at your next Track check to follow this track.
- Success: Gain a +4* circumstance bonus to your next Track check to follow this track.
- Fail: Track is lost. You can not try another check for 1 hour.
- Crit Fail: Track is lost. You can not try another check for 24 hours.
- Track is not found: Make a Perception check against the Track DC.
- Crit Success: Track is found and you gain a +4* circumstance bonus to your next Track check for this track.
- Success: Track is found and you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your next Track check for this track.
- Fail: You haven't found the track but can try again after 1 hour.
- Crit Fail: Track is not found. You can not try another check for 24 hours. Others suffer a -2 circmstance penalty to find it in the next 24 hours because you mucked up the tracks.
- Track is found: Make a Survival check against the Track DC.
- Stealthing (E,S) - As the Travel Activity with Crawl speed (+4).
- Reconnaissance (N,O) - As the Travel Activity.
- Map the Area (E,N) - After Reconnaissance of an area, create an Accurate Map of it with a successful DC20 Survival (or Craft Map) check.
- Crit Success = You made an Accurate Map of the area that provides a +4* circumstance bonus to Navigating checks within it.
- Success = You made an Accurate Map of the area that provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Navigating checks within it.
- Fail = You have made a map with enough errors to not provide any bonus.
- Crit Fail = You have made a convincing map of the area but with some grave errors, causing -2 circumstance penalty to Navigation checks within it.
- If you get lost in this area using the convincing map, the character Navigating can attempt a Perception DC 20 check to identify that the map is incorrect.
- Fortify Camp (E,S) - Survival or appropriate Craft check against the terrain Forage DC grants the camp advantages (or remove a disadvantage).
- Crit Success = Choose 4 advantages.
- Success = Choose 2 advantages.
- Fail = No effect.
- Crit Fail = If the camp has advantages, choose and remove up to two. If not, there are unnoticed disadvantages surrounding the camp causing it to gain a level of Disadvantage.
- Advantages (circumstance bonuses): +2 to Initiative; +2 to Perception checks; +2 to Perception DC; +2 to Stealth; ability to make stealth check to start an encounter Hidden and Undetected; +1 to attack rolls in/adjacent to camp; +1 to AC in/adjacent to camp; +1 to Reflex saves; comfort increase one step (2 needed for "luxurious"); improvised caltrops in 4 spaces (Perception DC 15 to see and DC 14 Acrobatics to avoid); stakes in the ground to prevent cavalry or trample (D8 damage, Basic Reflex DC 17 Save for each such square, if damage is taken, reduce speed by 50% which may cause the creatre to stop)
- Disadvantages: Each value of Disadvantage cumulatively causes a -2 circumstance penalty to checks relating to Perception, Stealth or Initiative in or near the camp.
- Downtime Activities (*) - These activities normally take at least 4 consecutive Active Watches to perform ("a day or more") and may not be applicable.
Campfire watches
Actually keeping watch dring resting.
| Party Size | Total Time | Duration of Each Watch |
| 2 | 16 hours | 8 hours |
| 3 | 12 hours | 4 hours |
| 4 | 10 hours, 40 minutes | 2 hours, 40 minutes |
| 5 | 10 hours | 2 hours |
| 6 | 9 hours, 36 minutes | 1 hour, 36 minutes |
Resting
- Full rules: Healing#Resting
- Marching or other streneous activity in excess of 1h between rest periods will reset the time counted as rest. Taking turns on guard duty generally does not affect rest.
- Not automatically Fatigued after 16 hours; after 20 hours instead (5 Watches).
- If a character does not spend at least one full watch per day resting; succeed at a Fortitude check (DC 12 + the number of hours missing) or suffer a level of Fatigue.
- Write down hours of sleep missing from 8 (if slept 3h, then 5) and accumulate these and add them to next day's Fort check until the character gets an opportunity to ret up the missing hours.
- HP gain: CON+1 (min 1) x lvl; may be less if resting without shelter/comfort.
- Fatigue: -1
- Doomed/Drained: -1 each
- Persistent Injury: -1
- Luxurious locale: x2
- Able to regain spells
Forced March
- Full rules: Travel#Forced_March
Generally a time increment (1h) after 8h march start making Fortitude check of DC 12 + 2 for ever previous check. Hustle: 10 x Con mod minutes of 200% speed (10 min increment).
- Crit Success: Skip the next Fortitude check and don't count either this or the skipped one for calculating future DCs.
- Success: No effect
- Fail: 1D4 damage and gain a Fatigue level
- Crit Fail: 1D12 damage and gain two Fatigue levels
Food and water
- Full rules: Starvation
Water: You need 1 or 2 waterskins (0.5 or 1 gallon) of water per day depending on activity level to be unaffected by thirst.
Food: You need one ration of food per day to be unaffected by hunger.
Recover Ammunition
Ammnition that did not hit a target has a 50% chance of being recoverable. In dire straits it's possible to reover also arrowheads from the other 50% that are otherise "lost" as well as those that have hit a target (or something hard). Arrows can be repaired (5hp) or crafted from scratch. An arrowhead hitting a hard object has the Broken and Shoddy traits until repaired and endows any arrows made from them with these traits.
Craft and Repair
There is a slight lack for this in PF2.
Improvised Repair Kit means it's a Shoddy one[1], with a -2 circumstance penalty. Most of the time, some level of repair is possible from things like knives, hatchets, stones and boulders but in some cases repairs are impossible, like if there is a lack of ANY relevant tools.
Craft uses the standard rules with the folloing exceptions:
- Crafting overtly mundane items can be done at 5% the time of normal crafting as well as dring Exploration Mode (4h) or Hexploration (1 Watch).
- E.g.: Clubs, ammunition (arrowheads already made), arrowheads of common wood or bone.
- Cutting tools, rope and fire are reqired.
- Wooden weapon made for quality like a Bo-staff or spear require a full Craft check (4 days Downtime), otherwise it's Shoddy
- 10 arrows are created per check (standard)
Materials
- Bone: -2 damage and Fragile
- Wood: -3 damage & additional -1 for medium armor or -3 for heavy armor. Fragile.
- Weapons normally made by wood, like staves and clubs, do not apply these penalties.
Army movements
Large scale movement is hindered by several factors, well summarised here.
Rule of thumb 8-12 miles per day rather than 24 odd. Can probably be refined with eqation + dice.
Full rules
Watches
A watch is the basic unit for tracking time. A watch is equal to 4 hours.
Determine Time Within a Watch: To randomly generate a particular time within a watch, use 1d8 to determine the half hour and 1d30 to determine the exact minute (if necessary).
There are six watches per day and three types of watch:
- Active
- Rest
- Travel
While traveling, it is generally assumed that an expedition is spending two watches per day traveling, two watches per day resting, and two watches per day engaged in other activities.
Forced March: If a character spends more than two watches traveling in one day, they must make a Constitution check (DC 10 + 1 per hour of additional travel). On a failure, they suffer one level of exhaustion/fatigue.
Travel Pace
During each watch, the expedition determines their travel pace.
Normal: (x1) An expedition traveling at normal pace cannot use Stealth checks to avoid detection.
Slow: (x2/3) While moving at a slow pace, the expedition is purposely being careful. An expedition traveling at slow pace:
- Gains advantage on navigation checks.
- Can make Stealth checks to avoid detection.
- The chance for a non-exploratory encounter is halved. (If a non-exploratory encounter is generated, there is a 50% chance it doesn’t actually happen.)
Exploration: (x1/2) While exploring, an expedition is assumed to be trying out side trails, examining objects of interest, and so forth. While exploring, an expedition:
- Cannot use Stealth checks to avoid detection.
- Gains advantage (PF2 = +5 circumstance bonus) on navigation checks.
- The chance for encounters is doubled.
Fast: (x1.5) While moving quickly through the wilderness, expeditions traveling at fast pace:
- Cannot use Stealth checks to avoid detection.
- Suffer disadvantage to Wisdom (Perception) checks.
- Suffer a -5 penalty to navigation checks.
The most common speed is 30ft, 3mph, 12 miles per watch, 24 miles per day.
| Speed | Feet per Minute | Miles per Hour | Miles per Day |
| 10 | 100 | 1 | 8 |
| 15 | 150 | 1-1/2 | 12 |
| 20 | 200 | 2 | 16 |
| 25 | 250 | 2-1/2 | 20 |
| 30 | 300 | 3 | 24 |
| 35 | 350 | 3-1/2 | 28 |
| 40 | 400 | 4 | 32 |
| 50 | 500 | 5 | 40 |
| 60 | 600 | 6 | 48 |
Terrain
The type of terrain modifies the speed at which an expedition can travel.
- Highway: A highway is a straight, major, paved road.
- Road: A road is a dirt track or similar causeway.
- Trail: An irregular byway. Probably unsuitable for most vehicles and may only allow for single-file travel. Most off-road travel follows local trails. A known trail does not require navigation checks, although a known trail in poor repair requires a DC 10 navigation check to follow.
- Trackless: Trackless terrain is a wild area with no paths. +2 to navigation DCs.
| TERRAIN | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert | |||||
| Forest (sparse) | |||||
| Forest (medium) | |||||
| Forest (dense) | |||||
| Hills | |||||
| Jungle | |||||
| Moor | |||||
| Mountains | |||||
| Plains | |||||
| Swamp | |||||
| Tundra, frozen |
Note! These DCs are for e and ma have to be revised for PF2
Conditions
| CONDITIONS | |
|---|---|
| Cold or hot climate | |
| Giant terrain | |
| Hurricane | |
| Leading mount | |
| Poor visibility (fog, darkness) | |
| River crossing | |
| Snow cover | |
| Snow cover, heavy | |
| Storm | |
| Storm, powerful |
Leading Pack Animal: Under normal circumstances, a pack-puller can lead a file with a number of animals equal to their passive Wisdom (Animal Handling) skill.
Poor Visibility: This condition also gives disadvantage to navigation and forage checks.
River Crossing: This penalty applies to any watch during which a river must be crossed. This does not apply if the characters are following a road which has a bridge on it, but does apply if they’re traveling cross-country and must seek out a bridge.
Hexes
- 1 Hex = 12 miles (center to center / side to side) = 7 mile sides = 124 square miles
Movement on the wilderness hex grid is abstracted. In order to determine if an expedition has left a hex, you must keep track of their progress within the hex.
Starting in a Hex: If an expedition starts movement within a hex, it requires 6 miles of progress to exit any face of the hex.
- Optional Rule: You can choose to bias a starting position. For example, you might see that a river flows near the western edge of a hex. If the PCs start traveling from that river, you might decide it only takes 2 miles to exit through the hex’s western face and 10 miles to exit through its eastern face.
Crossing Hex to a Far Side: It requires 12 miles of progress to exit a hex through one of the three faces on the opposite side.
Crossing Hex to a Near Side: It requires 6 miles of progress to exit a hex through one of the two nearest faces.
Changing Direction: Changing direction more than once within a hex will result in the loss of 2 miles of progress each time direction is changed.
Back the Way We Came: If characters deliberately double back along their own trail, simply reduce their progress until they exit the hex. If they leave back through the face through which they entered the hex for any other reason (by getting lost, for example) it requires an additional 1d6-1 miles of progress to exit the hex (unless circumstances suggest some other figure).
Watch Actions
Encounters
References
- https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/46101/roleplaying-games/5e-hexcrawl-part-2-wilderness-travel
- PF2 hexploration https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=1265
- https://dndnerds.org/2021/07/15/wilderness-hexcrawl-procedure/
- ...
- https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/9m7xax/recommend_me_a_hexcrawl_random_generator/
- https://iceandruin.blogspot.com/2018/03/help-make-hex-describe-best-thing-ever.html
- Did peasants travel?
- Subsist