Hey all, I’ve done a lot that I’m proud with in the past for random tables while traveling. Weather, encounters, and even the environment are all dynamic and changing in ways that my players enjoy.
What I feel like is missing is a fun way for the players to feel like they are plotting a course through my hexcrawl. They have a mostly blank map with points of interest that get added days or even weeks from their central location. While my players enjoy roleplaying around the fire, fighting monsters, and filling in the map as they go, a train ride could accomplish the same result.
Does anyone know an RPG system, or have some mechanics that facilitate the PC’s trailblazing a path? Using their survival skills to find a safe way forward, that kind of thing. Thanks!
See if you can track down a PDF of the old AD&D Wilderness Survival Guide. It might give you some ideas, even if you have to update the systems.
Yep! That’s the one.
First D&D book I ever owned. Still have it. So much great info in it.
You can also use the 4e skill challenge format for navigation. For example, I had my party engage in a skill challenge to find a secret enemy fortress, requiring five success before three failures. They rolled initiative and then took turns describing which skill their character would like to use to assist the party on the journey. One used Arcana to detect divination magic emanating from a clockwork ornithopter, allowing the party to hide from its view. Another used Athletics to scale the cliff of the canyon they were in to scout the path ahead. Everyone got to participate and they had the opportunity to be creative with some rarely used skills.
This is an interesting question, and I will probably think on it to create some sort of flexible framework.
Off the top of my head perhaps something like this: for every ‘x’ amount of distance traveled across the world, the party rolls 2D6. On any double they get a worldmap encounter. You can make any kind of chart you like but I think “1=social encounter/merchant” and 2-6= increasingly difficult combat encounters” feels right.
You may privately split the world into zones so you can have some appropriate combat encounters already written up. So that a combat encounter in snowy mountains will be different than one on a tropical beach. You won’t be making up area appropriate encounters on the fly that way.
Difficultly may also scale in zones. In the area near the BBEG castle the result of a “2” will be more dangerous than elsewhere for example. You might roughly communicate this to players so guide/motivate them as needed.
Perhaps allow a perception or survival roll for them to either start with advantage in the encounter or even be able to avoid it if they wish.
Thats a very rough off the top of my head idea though.
for every ‘x’ amount of distance traveled across the world, the party rolls 2D6. On any double they get a worldmap encounter. You can make any kind of chart you like but I think “1=social encounter/merchant” and 2-6= increasingly difficult combat encounters” feels right.
I’ve always done a d12 for every day of travel. A 1 is some sort of non-combat encounter, an 11 is a roll on an easier encounter table, and a 12 is a roll on a harder encounter table- I let the players roll everything, usually. They like the click clacks.
It’s always worked decently well for me.
