Purpose:
Traveling over vast distances impacts adventurers in significant ways, influenced by various factors and randomness. These rules make long-distance travel more impactful, dangerous, and occasionally rewarding.
Changes to Long Rest
- Travel Rest: During travel, characters only gain the benefits of a short rest. Spells can still be prepared daily.
- Comfort Exceptions: If a spell or effect provides the comfort and safety of a house or inn, a long rest is allowed. For example:
- Not Allowed: [Riridia's Tiny Hut]
- Allowed: [Var'Ekai's Magnificent Mansion]
Hex Map
When traveling across multiple days, a hex map with large hexes is used. Each hex has the following properties:
- Travel Time: 4 days of Normal pace to enter and exit.
- Difficulty Class: Reflects the challenge of travel within the hex.
- Danger Level: Hidden and variable, indicating potential threats.
- Weather Table: Unique to each hex, or shared with adjacent hexes.
- Points of Interest (POI): Unique features or rewards within the hex.
- Food Level: Availability of food and water in the hex.
- Stability Label: Indicates how predictable or chaotic the hex is.
Hex Attributes
- Difficulty Class: A number between 5 and 40, determined by:
- Biome
- Local Creatures
- Events
- Danger Level: Expressed as X/Y:
- X: Current Tension Dice, affecting frequency of problems.
- Y: Minimum severity of complications.
- Weather Table: Rolled upon entering the hex. Reflects the hex's location.
- Points of Interest (POI): Beneficial features like NPCs, treasures, or unique activities.
- Food Level: Determines if the hex can supply food and water, reducing the need for personal supplies.
- Stability Label: Indicates how much the environment changes:
- Stable: Rare changes, predictable.
- Predictable: Some changes, generally expected.
- Volatile: Frequent, chaotic changes.
Travel Mechanics
When a group travels to a new hex, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Assign Roles & Determine Speed
- Roles: Each role must be filled by a different player character. If there are fewer than 5 PCs, the Coordinator can fulfill additional roles.
- Speed: Choose a travel speed:
- Slow: +5 to rolls; double travel time (8 days).
- Normal: No bonuses or penalties (4 days).
- Fast: -5 to rolls; half travel time (2 days).
- Step 2: Planning (Coordinator)
- Make a Planning check. The DC depends on group harmony in the past 4 days.
- Success: Grant two rerolls on subsequent rolls for this hex.
- Failure: The DM can request two rerolls on subsequent rolls.
(click here to expand) Possible Results for Planning Check
DC Description DC 5 The group has been agreeing on everything, like a fine-tuned orchestra. DC 10 The group has been mostly agreeing, with a few disagreements. DC 15 The group has had debates and differences in approaches more often than not. DC 20 The group has been constantly arguing about every course of action. DC 25 The group is barely acting as a group anymore. - Step 3: Scout the Hex (Scout)
- Make a Nature check to reveal the Danger Level of the hex.
- Success: The Danger Level is revealed; the group can decide to backtrack or proceed.
- Failure: No information; the group cannot backtrack.
- Step 4: Track & Forage (Tracker)
- Make a Survival check to see if the group can forage food and water.
- Make a second Survival check to find a safe resting spot or POI.
| If you succeed on the 2nd Survival check, roll a d100. | Hex with 0 Severity | Hex with 1 Severity | Hex with 2 Severity | Hex with 3 Severity | Hex with 4 Severity |
| Long Rest (Great Success) | 51 or higher. | 61 or higher. | 71 or higher. | 81 or higher. | 91 or higher. |
| Long Rest (Success) | 81 or higher. | 91 or higher. | Cannot find. | Cannot find. | Cannot find. |
| Point of Interest (Great Success) | 71 or higher. | 71 or higher. | 71 or higher. | 71 or higher. | 71 or higher. |
| Point of Interest (Success) | 86 or higher. | 86 or higher. | 86 or higher. | 86 or higher. | 86 or higher. |
| Point of Interest (Fail) | 96 or higher. | 96 or higher. | 96 or higher. | 96 or higher. | 96 or higher. |
(click here to expand) Possible Results for Tracking & Foraging
Outcome Description Success by 6 or more 50 - (10*Severity)% chance for a Long Rest spot or 30% for a POI. Success by 0-5 20 - (10*Severity)% chance for a Long Rest spot or 15% for a POI. Fail by 0-5 5% chance for a POI. Fail by 6 or more Nothing useful was found. - Step 5: Watch for Threats (Lookout)
- Make a Perception check to determine the number of threats.
- Success or failure affects the number of Tension Dice added. Tension Dice build up, every time the group has accumulated 6 of them, there's a chance of something happening that complicates things.
(click here to expand) Possible Results for Watch for Threats
Outcome Description Success by 6 or more No Tension Dice are added. Success by 0-5 Add Tension Dice equal to the 6 minus the result's difference from the DC. Fail by 0-5 Add Tension Dice equal to twice the difference of the result and the DC. Fail by 6 or more Add Tension Dice equal to three times the difference of the result and the DC). - Step 6: Analyze Threats (Analyst)
- Make an Investigation check to determine potential complication severity.
- Results can increase or decrease the severity of upcoming complications. Severity of complications is measures in exclamation marks (!) and it ranged from 0 to 6.
(click here to expand) Possible Results for Analyze Threats
Outcome Description Success by 6 or more Reduce the severity degree of the next complication by two (!!), or pass it to the next. Success by 0-5 Reduce the severity degree of the next complication by one (!), or pass it to the next. Fail by 0-5 Increase the severity degree of the next complication by one (!), or pass it to the next. Fail by 6 or more Increase the severity degree of the next complication by two (!!), or pass it to the next. - Step 7: Add Tension Dice
- Add Tension Dice based on the hex's Danger Level and days spent in the hex. Adjust based on the Lookout's results.
- Step 8: Resolve Complications
- Roll on the Complication Tables based on the severity calculated from the hex's Danger Level, Tension Pool, and Analyst's results.
Biome Types and Base DCs
Base DCs per Biome
- Good Roads: DC 5, Max Speed: Fast
- Bad Roads: DC 10, Max Speed: Fast
- Grassland: DC 12, Max Speed: Fast
- Forest: DC 15, Max Speed: Normal
- Swamp: DC 20, Max Speed: Slow
- Mountain: DC 20, Max Speed: Normal
- Desert: DC 25, Max Speed: Normal
- Arctic: DC 20, Max Speed: Medium
- Blighted: DC 15, Max Speed: Fast
- Fey: DC 19, Max Speed: Fast
- Underground: DC 25, Max Speed: Medium
Note: DCs can be adjusted based on circumstantial factors like enemy presence.
Example Scenario: Verdant Thicket Journey
The Party:
- Aldric, the Ranger (Tracker, Survival)
- Lysandra, the Rogue (Lookout, Perception)
- Kael, the Paladin (Coordinator, Planning + Analyst, Investigation)
- Thorne, the Druid (Scout, Nature)
The Scenario:
The party is traveling through a dense forest known as the Verdant Thicket, aiming to reach an ancient ruin hidden deep within. The journey requires them to cross three hexes, with each hex taking 4 days of travel at a normal pace. They must navigate the dangers of the forest, including potential encounters with wild creatures, difficult terrain, and unpredictable weather.
Hex Attributes:
- Hex 1 (Dense Forest)
- Difficulty Class: 15
- Danger Level: 3/1
- Weather Table: Moderate (Rain, Fog)
- Points of Interest (POI): An old hunter’s cabin
- Food Level: Abundant
- Stability Label: Predictable
Step 1: Assign Roles & Determine Speed
The group decides to travel at a Normal speed (4 days per hex, no bonuses or penalties).
They assign roles as follows:
- Kael (Coordinator + Analyst)
- Aldric (Tracker)
- Lysandra (Lookout)
- Thorne (Scout)
Step 2: Planning (Kael)
Kael makes a Planning check to assess the group’s readiness and coordination.
- Roll: 16 (against DC 10, due to the group's recent harmony)
- Result: Success. Kael grants two rerolls on subsequent rolls for this hex.
Step 3: Scout the Hex (Thorne)
Thorne makes a Nature check to reveal the Danger Level of the hex.
- Roll: 14 (against DC 15)
- Result: Failure. The group is unaware of the full extent of the dangers in this hex. They cannot backtrack if they encounter trouble.
Step 4: Track & Forage (Aldric)
Aldric makes a Survival check to forage food and water.
- Roll: 18 (against DC 15, with the Food Level bonus)
- Result: Success. The group finds enough food and water in the forest to sustain them without using their own supplies.
Aldric then makes a second Survival check to find a safe resting spot or the hunter’s cabin (POI).
- Roll: 12 (against DC 15)
- Result: Failure by 0-5. Aldric finds neither the POI nor a particularly safe spot to rest. The Coordinator, Kael, decides to use one of the rerolls.
- Reroll: 17 (Success by 0-5). The group finds a small clearing suitable for a short rest, but not the cabin.
Step 5: Watch for Threats (Lysandra)
Lysandra makes a Perception check to detect any threats in the area.
- Roll: 19 (against DC 15)
- Result: Success by 6 or more. She spots signs of a large predator’s territory markers nearby. Lysandra adds 2 Tension Dice (half the days spent inside the hex, rounded down).
Step 6: Analyze Threats (Kael)
Kael makes an Investigation check to assess the potential severity of any upcoming threats.
- Roll: 20 (against DC 15)
- Result: Success by 0-5. The severity of the next complication is reduced by 1 level (!).
Step 7: Add Tension Dice
The hex’s Danger Level starts at 3/1. The group spends 4 days in the hex, adding 4 more Tension Dice, plus the 2 from Lysandra’s results, totaling 6 Tension Dice.
Result: With the Tension Pool now filled, it triggers a roll for complications.
Step 8: Resolve Complications
Tension Pool Roll: The DM rolls 6 Tension Dice.
- Results: 6, 4, 5, 6, 2, 3 (Two 6s rolled).
- Complication: A dangerous predator is lurking nearby, ready to attack.
- However, due to Kael’s successful Investigation check, the severity is reduced by 1 (!), making this a low-level encounter rather than a deadly ambush.
- The group faces off against a large wolf pack that attempts to encircle their camp, but thanks to Lysandra’s earlier observation, they’re prepared and can fend off the attack with minimal injuries.
Conclusion:
The group successfully navigates through the first hex of the Verdant Thicket, securing enough food and water, avoiding major threats, and handling a wolf encounter with relative ease. The journey continues into the next hex, where new challenges and dangers await.