探索（Exploration）
探索是缩略版的冒险。探险家会踏入还未有人探寻过的荒野寻求财富与荣耀，并且随时都有可能被未知危险所笼罩。在离开文明的庇护之后，死亡便会伴随左右，它可能来自强盗的攻击、与猛兽的遭遇或者无常而又冷酷的大自然。探险自身会赋予这些足够勇敢的人们某种奖励：在漫长的旅途中寻得归乡之路的能力，正确估测自身实力的智慧并将冒险旅途上的发现留作自己成就的标记。每一座亲身攀上的山峦顶峰、每一条艰苦开辟的道路都是这些远行之人的胜利——是一次俯视她正在征服的世界的机会。
后述内容描述的规则用于指导你如何作为DM，并且运行含有探索大片荒野地区的战役。你可以运用这些规则来做一场探索主题的战役，或者将探索内容添加到战役中，比如寻找资源、为王国的扩张探索疆土或者建立一条贸易路线。
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沙盘探索（Sandbox Exploration）
这些规则在一场沙盘式的游戏中会运作良好。本质上来说，沙盘战役能够在地图上提供多种不同的地点，而这些地方可以为玩家提供各种需要解决的任务，也可以供DM设计任务。（每个任务都可以设置在相同或不同的地点。）这些任务可能简单得就是清理某个森林道路中的邪恶怪物，也可能比较复杂，比如帮助一个新生王国，在其国境的边远地区寻找资源。
当你为了沙盘游戏设计任务时，需要将任务设置为可供队伍选择进行，而非强制性的。通过交由玩家自身选择承担何种任务，你可以使PC成为流浪的英雄——这些主宰自身命运的人会在这片土地上行侠仗义。
这种非线性的游戏会鼓励玩家走入这个世界、寻找新的任务并索取他们的奖赏。你也可以通过这些任务介绍这个世界中的新地点，比如提供给玩家运送货物的工作、护送要人等等。
移动（Movement）
每个地图上的六边形地块的对角长度是12英里，代表着95平方英里的一片地区。这些六边形地块用于跟进队伍在探索时的移动轨迹，并且可以帮助你划分不同种类地形的范围。本规则中所使用的探索速度与核心规则中的移动速度有所不同，这是由于规则中默认玩家们会花时间全面探索它们所进入的区域，而这比单纯地一条路走到死所消耗的时间要多得多。
要确定玩家们穿过一个六边形地块或者对其进行全面的探索所花费的时间，需要首先判断队伍的基本速度（由队伍中速度最慢的成员决定），之后查阅旅行时间（1地块）表格或者探索时间（1地块）表格。这些时间代表在某种类型的地形中，通过或探索一个标准地块所需的时间；本章规则的后述段落会具体介绍对通过或探索一个地块所需时间的修正。
一个典型的野外六边形地块并没有道路（见地形与陆上移动表格）。尽管其中没有人造的道路或者小径，不过兽道却有可能存在。若一个六边形地块内包含多种地形，那么在判断旅行时间时，以该地块内最常见的地形为准。
旅行时间（1 地块）
| 队伍速度 | 平原 | 其他地形 |
| 15尺 | 11小时 | 16小时 |
| 20尺 | 8小时 | 12小时 |
| 30尺 | 5小时 | 8小时 |
| 40尺 | 4小时 | 6小时 |
| 50尺 | 3小时 | 5小时 |
探索时间（1 地块）
| 队伍速度 | 平原或丘陵 | 荒漠、森林或沼泽 | 山脉 |
| 15尺 | 3天 | 4天 | 5天 |
| 20尺 | 2天 | 3天 | 4天 |
| 30尺 | 1天 | 2天 | 3天 |
| 40尺 | 1天 | 1天 | 2天 |
| 50尺 | 1天 | 1天 | 1天 |
跟进旅程（Tracking Travel）
最简单跟进玩家脚步的方法，便是在她们通过并调查荒野时同时在印有六边形格子的纸张上进行记录。随着玩家们探索六边形地块，她们应该记录自己的进度，比如在格子上画个叉子。跟进哪些地块经过完全探索对于确定探索的奖励十分重要。
探索奖励（Exploration Rewards）
每当充分探索一个六边形地块之后，队伍会由于这份努力获得100XP。你可以对这个数额进行调整。队伍会在充分探索一个具有困难地形或危险的六边形地块后额外获得25XP。你也可以判断某些六边形地块更为危险，尤其是在高等级的战役中，每个六边形体块会提供队伍更多XP（在明显敌对的地区可能会提升至500XP）。
保持趣味性（Keep Things Interesting）
当玩家们询问探索六边形地块之后能找到什么的时候，回答绝对不能是“无”。即使是在最朴素的小麦田中，也要提供一些细节——某些有助于充实这个世界的东西。一个被世人遗忘的村庄遗址，或者一组用于荣耀失落之神的石造物，这些能够用于提示本区域的历史。你可以在GMG224页的路旁（Roadside）以及GMG225页的表格7-58：景点（Scenic Spots）中列出的诸多范例中找到能够用于填充细节的内容。
除了十分罕见的村落，进行探索的玩家们很少有机会能够进行补给。获取食物以及寻找能够遮风挡雨的庇护所是至关重要的，失去补给品会给队伍带来严重的影响，因此她们不得不仅仅为了多活一天而去狩猎并搜寻足够的食物与水。一个探索遭遇可以由类似这样的困难开启，每顿果腹之餐均是一场胜利。
请记住冒险更多是关于值得自夸的荣誉而非艰苦的生存，因此最好保持拟真的探索问题（比如获取新鲜的食物与水）与有趣、刺激的怪物遭遇之间的平衡。如果你能设计出危险而又具有合适奖励的探索，那么玩家们便会保持踏入未知领域的热情。
迷路（Getting Lost）
在旷野中旅行时，冒险者有可能会迷失她们前进的方向。由于没有明晰的道路、外加地形或天气造成的低能见度，这可能会将探索者引至错误的方向。无论角色们在任何时候通过沼泽或森林、或者由于任何修正的效果造成能见度降低时，她们都有概率会迷路。
迷路的影响与正常的规则相同，不过DM要随机决定迷路的队伍会接下来会进入哪个六边形地块，并且不会将这结果告诉队伍。一旦玩家们重新找到方向，DM应该在地图上揭示她们所在的真正方位。
随机遭遇（Random Encounters）
天灾可能发生在任何地方。蛮荒地区通常是各种怪物的家园。你能够通过纳入随机遭遇来使你的探索聚会增加一些额外的危险，无论是以自然灾害还是居住在当地的怪物的形式。
每天按照下表进行一次检定（或者当玩家们一天内进入多个六边形地块时，则每个六边形地块一次）。对于危害，请详见本书158页关于危害的部分。而对于怪物遭遇，大多数情况下玩家们都需要面对适合当时所处地形的怪物，但是周边的干旱、饥荒、战争或者瘟疫可能会迫使怪物离开它们正常的领地并进入陌生的环境。
| d% | 结果 |
| 01 - 50 | 无遭遇 |
| 51 - 60 | 危害 |
| 61 - 100 | 怪物 |
设计遭遇（Planned Encounters）
在某个六边形地块中，一场特殊设计的遭遇并不需要特别复杂。它可以十分简单，诸如见到能够卖给玩家一些必需品的探险家，或者发现暗示着某种凶兆的怪物巢穴。在判断设计多少个遭遇时，你需要至少为队伍中的每个角色准备一个遭遇才算好的设计。这样的话，你能够为每个聚光灯下的角色量身定做遭遇，而不需要为了地图上的每个六边形地块进行填充。
在创造这些遭遇之后，在地图上选择一个六边形地块并标注会有遭遇在此发生。当队伍靠近带有设计好遭遇的六边形地块时，你可以提供一些适当的细节作为预示。比如若你想计划队伍发现两支军队间的战斗，周边的六边形地块中应该具有某支军队曾经通过的迹象——熄灭的炊火、成堆的垃圾、甚至是沿途由于病痛而死亡的士兵坟墓，这些都会给你的玩家提供关于即将到来的遭遇的线索。
少数遭遇可以设置在十分明显或者只需要简单搜寻、查看便能发现的地标上。进入六边形地块的玩家会自动发现地标。若处于相邻的六边形地块的玩家花费1小时调查地标所在的六边形地块、并通过DC为10的生存检定，也能够发现地标。当玩家们发现地标时，请将其备注到地标所在的六边形地块中。
许多遭遇会被设置好，并且保持未被发现，直至玩家们决定探索某个六边形地块而非单纯地通过它。通过探索这个六边形地块，玩家们会自动发现你所设置的遭遇。有的设计可能是隐藏的，需要玩家们在探索中进行合适的技能检定。需要的技能与DC取决于设计本身。
六边形地块的地形种类（Hex Terrain Types）
为了进行简化，六边形地块会按照它所包含的主要地形进行分类：荒漠（desert）、森林（forest）、丘陵（hill）、沼泽（marsh）、山脉（mountain）、平原（plain）、定居点（settlement）或水域（water）。你并不需要将某个六边形地块内的地形进行统一——森林地块与平原地块之间的边界可能是逐渐浓密的树木，也可能是黑白分明的界线。一个六边形地块内可能会有河流经过、有巨大的岩石裸露在地表之上、由山火烧出的焦痕等等。地块将抽象化的旅行与遭遇变的更易于接受，而不是一种将战役地图简化为纯粹版图游戏的方式。
后述每种地形条目都包括对于地形的描述以及该类地形中可能存在的规则影响。此外每类地形条目中还会包括范例的地形要素，这些都可能在此类地形的地块中找到。地形要素可能是使得穿越六边形地块变得更加困难的某种障碍、六边形地块中的独有特征、把这个地块作为狩猎场的人类或肉食动物的遭遇、能够帮助冒险者们探索地块的资源或者藏匿于地块中的秘境。
即便是“标准”的六边形地块（也就是并不具有任何地形要素），也应该有什么东西让人对它留下印象。探索六边形地块的玩家们会至少在此消耗1天的时间，平淡无奇地度过一天会使得探索战役变得无聊（见154页的保持趣味性）。
荒漠（Desert）
荒漠可以是任何极其缺乏降雨的地形。它可能会很炎热、温暖、或者寒冷。
本部分主要赘述的是炎热以及温暖的荒漠。在寒冷环境中，荒漠通常是冻土带，它会根据当前的季节而视作其他种类的地形。在一年中的大多数时节，寒冷的荒漠会覆盖着一层冻土，形成坚硬而又稳定的地形（此时被视作平原）。而在温暖的季节，冻土会融化并将整个地区变得泥泞不堪（此时被视作沼泽）。
危境（Difficult）：危险的荒漠是艰险的地方，在这里遍布着沙丘、落水洞、碎石、沙暴或者无数的深谷。罕见的季节性降雨可能会导致骤发洪水，扫荡并淹没任何在其行进路径上的生物。在这类六边形地块中，避免迷路（avoid getting lost）或者重新找到正确方位（become un-lost）的生存检定获得+1加值，荒野求生（get along in the wild）的生存检定DC增加5点。
将骤发洪水视作山崩（avalanche），不过用窒息来取代被岩石掩埋，被淹没的生物必须屏息，否则会开始窒息。
特殊（Feature）：荒漠地块的特殊地形元素可能是长埋于黄沙之下的城市或古墓、一个或多个地画（geoglyph）、不同寻常的台地、雄伟的峡谷、焦油坑或者沙漠绿洲。高大的构造——比如台地或者破败的高塔——可以作为用于导向的地标，或者用于获得更好视野以观察周边地区的侦查点。其他特殊地形元素也可以成为隐藏宝藏、灵脉或者天界结合点的地点。
狩猎场（Hunting Ground）：这类地块会成为一或多种飞行掠食者的家园（通常为龙以及斯芬克斯），带毒的怪物能够长距离追踪受伤的猎物，地下生物则会使用掘地以及类似的战术进行伏击。荒漠还可能是游牧掠夺者、巨灵或者符合荒漠环境的元素生物的家园。在这些荒漠中的随机遭遇的概率提高10%。
资源（Resource）：这类地块可能会含有贵重的矿石、水（比如沙漠绿洲）、或者罕见但是却十分有用的植物（比如用于医学或者饮品的仙人掌）。
秘境（Secret）：荒漠地块中可能有流动沙丘、腥风、有毒地带、元素传送门、或者其他奇异的特征掩藏着秘密。
荒漠中被半埋的废墟可能仍旧存有失落的宝藏，也可能已经被人洗劫一空。无论何种情况，废墟均可以被作为躲避风暴的庇护所或者怪物的巢穴。在这些废墟中避难的玩家们不会受到风暴或者同类危害的影响，但是随机遭遇的概率提高25%。
森林（Forest）
通常的森林地块可能是任何种类的常见森林：在低地中的稀疏树木、茂密得扎人的针叶林、葱翠的热带雨林、或者有可能是远古的果园在荒废后变成的杂草丛生的园林。
危境（Difficult）：危险的森林充满了阻碍，腐朽的树木会毫无预警地倒下、扭曲得如同镰刀一般的树木会刺向途径的生物、而女巫灯则会将探险家们误导到错误的道路上。在穿越危险的森林时，每个小时都有5%的概率遭受树木倒塌的危害。避免迷路的生存检定DC增加5点。
特殊（Feature）：特殊的森林地块可能是一簇巨大的古树，也可能是某种在该地区极为罕见的树木。在古老的森林中，树冠层决定了地面上的亮度，因此地面上倾向于生长一些低矮、坚韧的蕨类或苔藓植物。
狩猎场（Hunting Ground）：此类森林地块通常会被当地人所敬畏，它是数量庞大的树栖生物的狩猎场。在这些森林中的随机遭遇的概率提高10%。
资源（Resource）：这类地块中包含贵重的木材、草药或者丰富的野味资源。荒野求生的生存检定获得+5加值。
秘境（Secret）：此类森林地块中通常具有浓雾或者深幽的黑暗，这使得充分对其进行探索是一场耗时费力的工作。探索时间增加50%。
丘陵（Hill）
相比山脉地形，丘陵更为平缓低矮。丘陵通常是山脉与平原地形中的过度地形。
危境（Difficult）：危险的丘陵充满了低矮的峭壁和锯齿状的岩石，在这样的六边形地块中需要格外小心地避开危险的瀑布。在判断旅行与探索时间时，队伍速度视为比正常慢一阶。
特殊（Feature）：这个地块可能是历史悠久的古战场，或者酋长的古老坟墓。这里能够提供俯瞰周边地区的地点，同时还是一处有用的路标。避免迷路（avoid getting lost）或者重新找到正确方位（become un-lost）的生存检定获得+1加值。
狩猎场（Hunting Ground）：这个地块被山谷和深沟所分割，在这里有许多善于躲在视野盲区内的掠食者。随机遭遇的概率提高25%。
资源（Resource）：这个地块中蕴藏着诸如优质石材、煤炭、贵金属或者宝石之类的资源。
秘境（Secret）：隐藏的洞穴既可能是怪物的巢穴，也可以作为庇护所使用。找出这些洞穴需要成功进行DC为10的察觉或生存检定。玩家们在此处安身不会受到风暴以及类似危害的影响，但是随机遭遇的概率提高10%。
沼泽（Marsh）
穿越湿地、沼泽与泥沼具有相当的挑战性。在沼泽地块中，避免迷路的生存检定DC提高1点。
危境（Difficult）：危险的沼泽地块是一片死地，充满了流沙、有毒植物以及具变化无常的水流。荒野求生的生存检定DC提高5点。在判断旅行与探索时间时，队伍速度视为比正常慢一阶。
特殊（Feature）：这个地块可能是某个沼泽生物的巢穴（比如鬼婆）、沉没的遗迹、大型水堤或者浅水湖的所在之地。
狩猎场（Hunting Ground）：在这个地块中，来自水下的攻击与来自地表的攻击均有可能发生。随机遭遇的概率提高25%。
资源（Resource）：沼泽资源主要为医用的植物与药草。
秘境（Secret）：死于沼泽中的不幸探险家会留下所有装备。成功通过DC25的生存检定，玩家们每人能够回收价值为每角色等级10gp的装备。
山脉（Mountain）
山脉构成横跨天际的屏障，严重阻碍旅者的前行。
危境（Difficult）：危险山脉地块之内的所有攀爬DC增加2点。在判断旅行与探索时间时，队伍速度视为比正常慢一阶。
特殊（Feature）：此处的山脉为周边最高峰，或者具有不同寻常的形状，很可能形似人面或者某种生物。此外也可以使用丘陵地块的特殊地形元素。
狩猎场（Hunting Ground）：强盗与怪物经常出没在这些地块中袭击疲惫的旅行者。随机遭遇的概率提高10%。
资源（Resource）：这个地块中蕴藏着诸如优质石材、煤炭、贵金属或者宝石之类的资源。
秘境（Secret）：隐藏的通路镌刻在山脉之中，它能够提供快速行进的路径。如果玩家成功进行DC20的察觉检定便能发现通路，他们能够忽略山脉地块中默认增加的旅行时间。
平原（Plain）
平原可能是浓密的草地、冻土苔原或者平坦的荒地。
危境（Difficult）：危险的平原往往遍布着小型的坑洞，这能够扭伤甚至弄断粗心大意之人的腿脚。在判断旅行与探索时间时，队伍速度视为比正常慢一阶。
特殊（Feature）：这片平原可能是古战场的遗址，具有一些防御工事与壕沟的遗迹。
狩猎场（Hunting Ground）：这些平原地块中有大量潜伏着的食肉动物，它们使用高茎草作为掩护进行迂回并袭击猎物。在苔原与荒原地形中，食肉动物会挖掘钱坑躲藏其中，或者使用掘地之类的能力潜伏在地下。随机遭遇的概率提高25%。
资源（Resource）：这个地块中有可食用的植物（比如小麦或仙人掌）或者有用的植物性物质（比如亚麻或棉花）。
秘境（Secret）：这个地块中埋藏着被窃的货物，用于标识这些宝藏的标记尽是些平常的事物，比如小溪中突出的岩石。成功通过DC为25的察觉检定，玩家们能够注意到这些标记，并且每人能够找到价值为每角色等级10gp的宝藏或非魔法装备。
定居点（Settlement）
通常的定居点地块是小型的村庄或者军队营地。定居点通常建立在其他地形之上。频繁使用小径或者单纯使用道路会降低通过地块的旅行时间，按照这个地块本身的地形种类可以降低25~50%的时间。
危境（Difficult）：危险的定居点地块被视为遭到遗弃的城镇废墟，也可能是一座由于饥荒、疾病或者其他毁灭性事件所扰的村落。破败的建筑随时都可能倒塌（将其视为洞窟塌陷）。
特殊（Feature）：定居点地块中的社区具有悠久的历史或者有着极高的声誉。
狩猎场（Hunting Ground）：这个定居点是无主之地、频繁受到强盗或海贼的攻击、或者正在被居民动乱所扰。随机遭遇的概率提高25%。
资源（Resource）：这个定居点是一个交易站、商业营地或者位于重要的河流交界处（道路交接处）的小型要塞，许多种类的货物（特别是交易货物与附近地块中的自然资源）会通过这里。
秘境（Secret）：此处定居点是一个强盗营地、海贼之镇、栖息着怪兽的村庄、或者某些想要避开正常文明社会之人的隐蔽居所。这个地块类似于相邻的地块类型，进入定居点的入口通常是隐蔽的。
水域（Water）
无论是河流、湖泊还是海洋，此类地块主要由水组成。如果玩家们没有游泳速度或者船只，最好将湖泊与海洋视为玩家需要绕行的障碍而非笔直通过。水域地块的海岸视为与相邻的地形种类相同。
危境（Difficult）：激流、汹涌的潮水、或者水下的漩涡意味着穿过此片水域更具挑战性。在这些水域进行的游泳DC提高5点。
特殊（Feature）：一条大型或者知名的河流流经这个六边形地块，可能有一座坚固的桥梁便于他人通过。
狩猎场（Hunting Ground）：这个地块可能是某种掠食性水生动物的家园、也可能是投机主义的猎手设伏袭击饮水生物的地点。随机遭遇的概率提高10%，若玩家们花费大量时间在水中则提高25%。
资源（Resource）：这个地块蕴含着丰富的鱼类、贝类与珍珠。在某些情况下，资源的优势可能体现在淡水资源上，而非附近地块中可以找到的受污染的水或者咸水。
秘境（Secret）：这个地块内可能拥有一片绿洲、一个通向水位面的入口或者魔力之泉。
生成随机地图（Random Map Generation）
并不是任何人都有时间去创造一张细致的地图在游戏中使用。你可以和你的玩家们按照后述规则在游戏的同时创造一张全新的随机地图。这可以使你的玩家们发现环绕在她们身边的未知世界。后述选项为故意设置为温暖种类的地形；你需要为自己的游戏而对其进行调整。在冰冻的荒原中，平原地块可能代表着广阔的冻土，而在干燥气候中，平原则可能代表着一望无际的盐碱地。请使用这些例子作为踏板制作属于你自己的探险战役。
要生成一张新地图，首先要在你的空白地图上选择一个六边形地块作为起点。之后决定起点的地形类型（比如森林地块中的定居点）。从这个起点开始，探索的方向就交由你的玩家之手。让她们决定向哪个方向旅行，并且让每个玩家轮流进行连续两次的d20检定，使用后述表格判断下一个六边形地块的地形种类以及地形元素的类型。
| d20 | 地形种类 | | 1 - 3 | 森林 | | 4 - 6 | 丘陵 | | 7 - 8 | 沼泽 | | 9 - 10 | 山脉 | | 11 - 13 | 平原 | | 14 | 定居点 | | 15 - 16 | 水域 | | 17 - 20 | 与前一次地形相同 |
| | d20 | 地形元素 | | 1 - 3 | 危境 | | 4 - 6 | 特殊 | | 7 - 10 | 狩猎场 | | 11 - 12 | 资源 | | 13 - 14 | 秘境 | | 15 - 20 | 标准 |
|
危害（Hazards）
危害是与六边形地块之地形种类相关的危险障碍或事件。它们代表了自然灾害、恶劣的天气以及降临在探险队头上的厄运，这些内容的加入会使得玩家们在探索世界的冒险变得更加栩栩如生。出了这些危害之外，你也可以使用适用于当前地形的环境威胁。在危害的影响被处理之后，则将该六边形地块视为‘标准’地形元素的该类地形。
坏天气（任意）
坏天气的范围可能从微弱的降雨到严重的风暴不等。天气可能伴随着雷击、洪水、滑坡以及其他自然灾害。
疾病（任意）
无论是由于无法补充水分、瘟疫、还是敌人的法术，地块中的动植物都在遭受着折磨。疾病会影响六边形地块以及其周边所有未经探索的地块，并且会持续1d4 + 2个星期。在疾病存续期间，荒野求生（get along in the wild）的生存检定DC增加5点。
致命气体（荒漠，沼泽）
在沼泽中，一团可燃气体会在猛烈喷发之前聚集在地表之下，它会使得岩石、淤泥与锋利的碎片以惊人的力量向四处爆发。而在荒漠，有毒气体会通过天然的通风洞、破败的矿洞、或者超自然灾难泄漏到空气中，毒害或转化周边的生物。
在沼泽，玩家能够尝试DC15的察觉检定来注意到爆发之前的气味或者鼓起。喷发会对20尺半径范围内造成2d6点钝击伤害，若范围内有明火的话则造成4d6点火焰伤害。
在荒漠，玩家能够尝试DC15的察觉检定来注意到异味，并在受到伤害之前绕开有毒气体。否则她们则必须成功进行DC为15的强韧豁免，失败会受到1d4点体质伤害，并且会反胃10分钟。
沙旋（荒漠，丘陵，平原）
沙旋是一种与风暴无关的旋风，主要发生在缺乏或没有表层土壤的地区。将沙旋视为沙暴、尘暴或者龙卷风。
草地火灾（丘陵，平原）
草地火灾通常由闪电或处理不当的营火引起。草地火灾类似于森林火灾，不过它会在两倍于正常距离的位置停止，并且陷入草地火灾范围的玩家只需要每10轮进行一次豁免对抗热害。
火山脉动（丘陵，山脉）
虽然活火山比较罕见，但是休眠的火山也会产生震颤。震颤会在任何位置持续1d4轮至2d6分钟，并使攀爬DC增加2点。震颤可能会引发山崩或者洞穴以及悬崖的塌陷（类似于地震术法术[earthquake]）。
原文
Exploration
Exploration is the epitome of adventuring. An explorer strikes out into the uncharted wild to pursue fortune and glory, facing off against a world of unknown perils that can strike at any time. Beyond the protection of civilization, death can come at the hands of bandit attacks, encounters with feral beasts, and the uncaring whims of the environment. For those brave enough, exploration offers its own kind of reward: the ability to look back on the long road traveled, to recount the many obstacles that were struggled through, and to mark the discoveries made along the way as yours. The summit of every mountain climbed and the length of every trail forged is a victory for the traveler—a chance to look at the world she is conquering.
The following pages present rules for how you as a GM can include exploring large regions of wilderness in your campaign. You can use these rules to run an exploration-themed campaign or to add an exploration component to a campaign, such as searching for resources, scouting territory for the expansion of a kingdom, or establishing trade routes.
Sandbox Exploration
These exploration rules can work well in a sandbox-style game. Essentially, a sandbox campaign provides many different locations on the map where the PCs are offered tasks to resolve, and locations where the tasks can be executed. (Each task might or might not take place in the same locations it was offered.) A task can be as simple as clearing evil monsters from a patch of forest or as complicated as helping a fledgling kingdom acquire resources in its back country.
When designing tasks for sandbox gaming, have them be things the party can choose to do, not that they must do. By leaving the choice of which tasks to undertake up to them, you allow the PCs to be wandering heroes—masters of their own fate who travel the land setting things right.
This kind of nonlinear play encourages PCs to move out into the world, search for new tasks, and claim their rewards. You can also use these tasks to introduce new sites in the world by offering the characters jobs delivering goods, escorting travelers, and the like.
Movement
Each hex on the map is 12 miles across from corner to corner, representing an area just under 95 square miles. The hexes are used to track the party's movement while exploring, and as a means to help define the extent of different types of terrain. The exploration rates presented in these rules differ from the travel rates found in the Core Rulebook, since characters are also assumed to be taking time to fully explore each area they enter, which takes a great deal longer than simply walking through it.
To determine how long it takes the PCs to travel through a hex or fully explore it, determine the group's base speed (set by the slowest member of the group) and consult the Travel Time (1 Hex) table or Exploration Time (1 Hex) table. These times represent the movement and exploration of a normal hex of the specified terrain type; rules presented later in this section modify the amount of time it takes to travel through or fully explore a hex.
A typical wilderness hex is trackless (see the Terrain and Overland Movement table). Though no humanoid-created roads or trails pass through it, trails by game animals might. If a hex contains more than one terrain type, treat it as the most prevalent terrain for the purpose of travel times.
Travel Time (1 Hex) Party Speed Plain All Other Terrain
15 feet 11 hours 16 hours
20 feet 8 hours 12 hours
30 feet 5 hours 8 hours
40 feet 4 hours 6 hours
50 feet 3 hours 5 hours
Exploration Time (1 Hex) Party Speed Plain or Hill Desert, Forest, or Marsh Mountain
15 feet 3 days 4 days 5 days
20 feet 2 days 3 days 4 days
30 feet 1 day 2 days 3 days
40 feet 1 day 1 day 2 days
50 feet 1 day 1 day 1 day
Tracking Travel
The simplest method of tracking the PCs' progress as they travel and survey the wilderness is to do so on hex paper. As the PCs explore a hex, the players should note their progress by placing a small "X" in the hex. Tracking which hexes are fully explored is important for determining exploration rewards.
Exploration Rewards
Whenever a hex is explored fully, the party earns 100 XP for the effort. Some modifiers can add to this amount. The party gains an additional 25 XP after fully exploring a hex that contains either difficult terrain or a hazard. You might decide that some hexes are more dangerous, especially in a higher-level campaign, and award the party more XP per hex (perhaps up to 500 XP for especially hostile areas).
Keep Things Interesting
When the players ask what they find while exploring a hex, the answer should never be "nothing." Even in the simplest field of wheat, offer a bit of detail—something compelling to help flesh out the world. The foundation of a long-forgotten village or a set of standing stones built to honor a lost god can be hints about that area's history. The Things Found on the Roadside (GameMastery Guide 224) and Table 7—58: Scenic Spots (GameMastery Guide 225) list many examples of interesting features you can use to fill in details.
Other than in the rare village, exploring PCs have very few opportunities to resupply. Acquiring food and finding shelter against the elements is paramount, and losing supplies has a crippling effect on the party, as they have to hunt and forage just to acquire enough food and water to survive another day. An exploration encounter can be driven by complications like these, where every meal foraged is a victory in itself.
Remember that adventuring is more about glory than grim survival, so it's best to keep a balance between realistic exploration issues (such as obtaining fresh food and water) and fun, exciting monster encounters. If you make exploration both dangerous and rewarding, the players will remain eager to keep striking out into the great unknown.
Getting Lost
While moving through the wilderness, there is the possibility of adventurers losing track of where they're going. The lack of a clear path, coupled with low visibility due to terrain or weather, can cause explorers to head in the wrong direction. Anytime the characters move through marshes or forests, or have reduced visibility from the effects of any modifiers, they have a chance of becoming lost.
The effect of getting lost is the same as in the normal rules, except the GM randomly determines the next hex the lost party moves into, and does not reveal this misdirection to the party. Once the PCs have regained their bearings, the GM reveals their true location on the map.
Random Encounters
Natural disasters can occur anywhere. Untamed regions are often home to a wide variety of monsters. You can instill a bit of additional danger into your exploration sessions by including random encounters, whether they take the form of natural hazards or monsters that dwell in the terrain.
Roll on the following table once per day (or once per hex, if the PCs enter multiple hexes in a single day). For hazards, see the Hazards section on page 158. For monster encounters, in most cases the PCs face off against a creature appropriate to the terrain, but a nearby famine, drought, war, or plague may force a monster out of its normal territory and into a strange environment.
d% Result
01—50 No encounter
51—60 Hazard
61—100 Monster
Planned Encounters
A specific, planned encounter for a hex does not have to be especially complicated. It can be as simple as a quick meeting with an explorer who can sell the PCs some necessary supplies or the discovery of a monster lair that hints at a greater threat. A good rule when determining the number of planned encounters to prepare is to have at least one for each character in the party. That way, you can tailor encounters to allow each character to take the spotlight without having to populate every single hex on the map one by one.
After creating these encounters, choose a hex on the map and note that an encounter occurs there. When the party draws closer to a hex with a planned encounter, foreshadow it with appropriate details. For example, if you plan to have the party discover a battle between two armies, the nearby hexes should contain signs of an army's passage—old cooking fires, piles of refuse, and even the graves of soldiers who fell to illness along the way give your players clues about the impending encounter.
A few encounter sites are landmarks immediately obvious or visible with just a little bit of looking or scouting. A PC who enters the hex automatically discovers the landmark. If a PC in an adjacent hex spends an hour studying the landmark's hex and succeeds at a DC 10 Survival check, he discovers the landmark. When the PCs discover a landmark, note it on the landmark's hex.
Many encounter sites remain undiscovered unless the PCs decide to explore a hex rather than just travel through it. By exploring the hex, the PCs discover the site automatically. Some sites are hidden, requiring the PCs to make an appropriate skill check as they explore. The skill and its DC depend on the nature of the site.
Hex Terrain Types
For simplicity's sake, a hex is categorized by its primary terrain: desert, forest, hill, marsh, mountain, plain, settlement, or water. The terrain doesn't have to be uniform within that hex—the border between a forest hex and plain hex might be a gradual thinning of the trees or the sudden edge of a heavy forest. A hex might have a river running through it, a large rock outcropping, a barren patch from a fire, and so on. The hexes are abstractions to make travel and encounters easier, not a way to reduce the campaign map to a simple board game.
Each of the following terrain type entries includes a description of the terrain and any rules effects the terrain type might implicate. In addition, each terrain type entry includes example terrain elements that might be found in a particular hex of that terrain type. A terrain element could be some obstacle or hindrance that makes a hex more difficult to pass through, a unique feature within the hex, an encounter with the predators or people who use this hex as their hunting ground, resources that could aid adventurers exploring the hex, or a secret location hidden somewhere in the hex.
Even a "standard" hex (that is, one without a terrain element), should have something to make it memorable. PCs who explore that hex are spending at least a day there, and an exploration campaign grows boring if days pass uneventfully (see Keep Things Interesting on page 154).
Desert
A desert is any sort of terrain that receives very little rainfall. It can be warm, temperate, or cold.
This section pertains mostly to warm and temperate deserts. In cold environments, a desert is usually tundra, which acts like another terrain category depending on the current season. During most of the year, a cold desert is covered in a layer of permafrost, creating hard, stable terrain (which is treated as plains). During the warm season, the permafrost thaws and turns the area into mud (which is treated as marsh).
Difficult: A difficult desert is a treacherous place, full of sand dunes, sinkholes, rubble, sandstorms, or numerous ravines. Rare seasonal rains might cause flash floods, sweeping away or drowning any creature in their path. Survival checks to avoid getting lost or to become un-lost in this hex gain a +1 bonus. Survival checks to get along in the wild increase by 5.
Treat a flash flood as an avalanche, except instead of suffocating from being buried under rock, creatures who are buried must hold their breaths or start drowning.
Feature: A desert hex feature might be a city or tomb long buried under the sands, one or more geoglyphs, an unusual mesa, a majestic canyon, a tar pit, or an oasis. A tall structure—such as a mesa or ruined tower—can be used as a landmark for navigation or an observation point to get a better view of the surrounding area. Other features might point to hidden treasures, ley lines, or celestial conjunctions.
Hunting Ground: The hex might be home to one or more kinds of flying predators (typically dragons and sphinxes), poisonous monsters capable of tracking wounded prey over long distances, or subterranean creatures that use burrowing and similar tactics to make ambush attacks. The desert might also be home to nomadic raiders, genies, or elementals of a type fitting the desert's environment. The chance of random encounters within these deserts increases by 10%.
Resource: This hex might contain valuable ore, water (such as an oasis), or a rare but useful plant (such as a cactus used for medicine or exotic beverages).
Secret: A secret desert hex might have shifting sand dunes, acrid winds, poisonous terrain, elemental portals, or some other strange feature that hides its secrets.
Ruins half-buried in the desert could still contain lost treasures or might already be looted. In either case, the ruins can be used as a place to take shelter from storms or as a lair for monsters. PCs who take shelter in these ruins suffer no effect from storms and similar hazards, but the chance of random encounters increases by 25%.
Forest
A normal forest hex can be any sort of common forest: sparse patches of trees in the lowlands, thickly needled pines of the taiga, a lush tropical jungle, or even an ancient fruit tree grove turned overgrown and wild.
Difficult: A difficult forest is a treacherous place, full of rotting trees that can fall without warning, twisted scythe trees that lunge at their victims, or witch-lights that lead expeditions off the path. For each hour spent traveling through a difficult forest, there is a 5% chance of a falling tree hazard. Survival check DCs to avoid getting lost increase by 5.
Feature: A forest hex feature could be either a cluster of massive old-growth trees or some type of tree that is unique to that region. In an old-growth forest, the canopy limits how much light reaches the ground, so undergrowth tends to be low-lying, tough plants like mosses and ferns.
Hunting Ground: This kind of forest hex is often treated with awe by local people, as hunting grounds are full of a terrifying array of arboreal creatures. The chance of random encounters within these forests increases by 10%.
Resource: This hex contains valuable lumber, medicinal herbs, or plentiful sources of game meat. Survival checks to get along in the wild gain a +5 bonus.
Secret: A secret forest hex has thick mists or deep shadows that make fully exploring it a time-consuming prospect. Exploration time increases by 50%.
Hill
A hill is lower and less steep than a mountain. Hills are often transitional terrain between mountains and plains.
Difficult: Full of short cliffs and jagged stones, a difficult hill hex requires extra caution to avoid dangerous falls. For the purposes of travel and exploration times, treat the party's speed as one category slower.
Feature: The hex might be the site of a famous historical battle or the burial mound of long-dead chieftains. It provides a commanding view of the surrounding region and is useful as a waypoint. Survival checks to avoid getting lost or to become un-lost in this hex gain a +1 bonus.
Hunting Ground: The hex is cut with valleys and trenches that obscure predators from view. The chance of random encounters increases by 25%.
Resource: The hex contains resources such as quality stone, coal, precious metals, or gems.
Secret: Hidden caverns provide shelter and lairs for monsters. Locating these caverns requires a successful DC 10 Perception or Survival check. PCs who take shelter here suffer no effect from storms and similar hazards, but the chance of random encounters increases by 10%.
Marsh
Marshes, swamps, and bogs are challenging ground to traverse. Survival check DCs to avoid getting lost increase by 1 in a marsh hex.
Difficult: A difficult marsh hex is a deadly place, replete with quicksand, poisonous plants, and treacherous water. The DCs for Survival checks to get along in the wild increase by 5. For the purposes of travel and exploration times, treat the party's speed as one category slower.
Feature: The hex might be the location of a marsh creature's den (such as a hag), a sunken ruin, a large water causeway, or a shallow lake.
Hunting Ground: Attacks in this hex are equally likely to come from underwater as from the surface. The chance of random encounters increases by 25%.
Resource: Marsh resources primarily come in the form of medicinal plants and herbs.
Secret: Unfortunate explorers died in the marsh and left behind all their gear. With a successful DC 25 Survival check, the PCs can each salvage equipment worth 10 gp per character level.
Mountain
Mountains form long barriers across the landscape that greatly impede the movement of travelers.
Difficult: All Climb DCs in a difficult mountain hex increase by 2. For the purposes of travel and exploration times, treat the party's speed as one category slower.
Feature: The mountain is the highest in the vicinity or has an unusual shape, perhaps resembling a face or creature. Alternatively, use a feature from the Feature section of the hill hex terrain type.
Hunting Ground: Bandits and monsters frequent these hexes, falling upon weary travelers. The chance of random encounters increases by 10%.
Resource: The hex contains resources such as quality stone, coal, precious metals, or gems.
Secret: Hidden pathways carved through the mountains offer speedier paths. If the PCs succeed at a DC 20 Perception check to find the pathways, they can ignore the default travel time increase for the mountain hex.
Plain
Plains can be fields of high grasses, permanently frozen tundra, or flat badlands.
Difficult: Dangerous plains tend to be filled with small sinkholes and pits that can twist or break the legs of the unwary. For the purposes of travel and exploration times, treat the party's speed as one category slower.
Feature: The plain might be the site of an old battlefield, with the remnants of earthwork defenses and trenches.
Hunting Ground: Ambush predators abound in these plains hexes, using the cover of tall grass to outflank and strike surprised prey. In tundra and badlands terrain, predators lie in wait underground using abilities such as burrow, or by digging shallow pits to hide in. The chance of random encounters increases by 25%.
Resource: The hex has edible plants (such as wheat or cacti) or useful vegetable matter (such as flax or cotton).
Secret: Stolen goods are buried in the hex and marked with an innocuous sign, such as an out-of-place river rock. With a successful DC 25 Perception check, the PCs recognize the marker and can each salvage treasure or nonmagical gear worth 10 gp per character level.
Settlement
Normal settlement hexes are small villages or military encampments. Settlements usually appear with another terrain type they're built upon. Frequently used trails or even simple roads reduce travel time through the hex by 25—50% depending on the terrain type for that hex.
Difficult: A difficult settlement hex holds the ruins of an abandoned town or one full of the victims of famine, plague, or another devastating event. Decrepit buildings might collapse at any moment (treat as a cave-in or collapse; ).
Feature: The settlement hex has a community with a well-known reputation or historical significance.
Hunting Ground: This settlement is lawless, frequently attacked by brigands or pirates, or plagued by civil unrest. The chance of random encounters increases by 25%.
Resource: The settlement is a trading post, merchant camp, or small fort on a crucial crossroad or river crossing, and goods of many types (particularly trade goods and natural resources from nearby hexes) pass through the area.
Secret: A secret settlement is a bandit fort, pirate town, village inhabited by monsters, or secret home of someone trying to avoid normal civilization. The hex primarily resembles an adjacent hex type, and access to the settlement is usually hidden.
Water
Whether a river, lake, or ocean, this type of hex is predominantly water. If the PCs lack swim speeds or boats, it is best to treat lakes and oceans as obstacles for the PCs to travel around rather than through. Treat the shores of the water hex as the adjacent terrain type.
Difficult: Whitewater rapids, strong tides, or underwater vortexes mean this water is more challenging to cross. The Swim DCs to cross these waters increase by 5.
Feature: The hex is part of a large or well-known river's course, or has a sturdy bridge that facilitates easy crossing.
Hunting Ground: The hex might be home to predatory aquatic creatures or opportunistic hunters waiting to strike prey that comes to drink. The chance of random encounters increases by 10%, or 25% if the PCs spend most of their time in the water.
Resource: Fish, shellfish, and pearls are plentiful in the hex. In some situations, the benefit of this resource is the availability of fresh water rather than the contaminated water or salt water available in nearby hexes.
Secret: The hex might contain an oasis, a connection to the Plane of Water, or a spring with magical powers.
Random Map Generation
Not everyone has the time to create a detailed map to use in-game. You and your players can also use the following rules to create a whole new map randomly during play. This can empower your players to discover the unexplored world around them. The options presented below are intentionally designed to be generic types of temperate terrain; adjust them for your own game. In a frozen wasteland, plain hexes could represent great expanses of icy ground, while in an arid climate they could represent massive alkali flats. Use these examples as a springboard to create a unique campaign of exploration.
To generate a new map, begin by selecting a hex on your blank map as the starting point. Then decide the type of terrain for that starting point (such as a settlement in a forest hex). From that point onward, the reins of exploration are in your players' hands. Let them decide which direction they travel, and let each player take a turn generating the next hex by rolling 1d20 twice to determine the terrain type and terrain element for that hex using the tables below.
d20 Terrain Type
1—3 Forest
4—6 Hill
7—8 Marsh
9—10 Mountain
11—13 Plain
14 Settlement
15—16 Water
17—20 As previous terrain type
d20 Terrain Element
1—3 Difficult
4—6 Feature
7—10 Hunting Ground
11—12 Resource
13—14 Secret
15—20 Standard
Hazards
Hazards are dangerous obstacles or events relevant to a hex's terrain type. They represent the natural disasters, harsh weather, and bad luck that can befall an expedition, and are included to liven up the PCs' journey as they explore the world. In addition to these hazards, you might use an environmental danger that's suitable to the current terrain (—433). After the effects of a hazard have been resolved, treat the hex as a standard example of that terrain.
Bad Weather (Any)
Bad weather can range from minor precipitation to a serious storm. The weather can include lightning strikes and cause floods, landslides, and other natural hazards.
Blight (Any)
Whether from a lack of water, a plague, or hostile magic, the plants and wildlife in the hex are suffering. A blight affects the hex and all adjacent unexplored hexes, and lasts for 1d4+2 weeks. During a blight, Survival DCs to get along in the wild increase by 5.
Deadly Gas (Desert, Marsh)
In a marsh, pockets of flammable gas can build up under the surface before violently erupting, throwing rocks, mud, and debris in all directions with startling force. In a desert, toxic fumes from a natural vent, old mine, or magical disaster might leak into the air, poisoning or mutating nearby creatures.
In a marsh, PCs can attempt a DC 15 Perception check to notice the smell and swelling before it erupts. The eruption deals 2d6 points of bludgeoning damage in a 20-foot radius, or 4d6 points of fire damage if the area contains open flame.
In a desert, PCs can attempt a DC 15 Perception check to notice the fumes and get out of their path before coming to harm. Otherwise, they must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of Constitution damage and be nauseated for 10 minutes.
Dust Devil (Desert, Hill, Plain)
A dust devil is a whirlwind not associated with a storm, particularly in a region with little or no topsoil. Treat a dust devil as a duststorm, sandstorm, or tornado.
Grass Fire (Hill, Plain)
Grass fires are often caused by lightning or careless camp fires. A grass fire is similar to a forest fire, except it can be spotted at twice the normal distance, and a PC caught in its area saves against heat damage only every 10 rounds.
Volcanic Tremor (Hill, Mountain)
Though active volcanoes are rare, even dormant volcanoes can produce tremors. Tremors last anywhere from 1d4 rounds to 2d6 minutes and increase Climb DCs by 2. The tremors might start an avalanche or collapse a cave or cliff (similar to an earthquake spell).