Travel and Hexploration

Each day, the PCs decide how they plan on exploring, either learning more about their current hex or traversing a new hex. They do this by declaring one or more hexploration activities for the day. These activities take two forms: group or individual. The number of hexploration activities a group can accomplish each day is based on the Speed of their slowest member. If a group is willing to split up, faster members can perform more hexploration activities based on their own Speed, but such a decision may be deadly given the threat of random encounters. A group moving at a Speed of 15 feet or less is so slow it can’t even traverse an open hex in a single day; it takes such a group 2 days for each hexploration activity.
This rate assumes the PCs are taking time to camp and rest at healthy intervals. When a new day of hexploration begins, the group can decide to take a forced march as long as no one in the group is fatigued. Doing so allows them to gain an extra Travel activity (or perform a full Travel activity each day if their Speed is 15 feet or less), but this is the only activity they can perform that day. A character can participate in a forced march safely for a number of days equal to the character’s Constitution modifier (minimum 1 day). Any additional days of forced march make the character gain a level of exhaustion.

Marching Order:

The adventurers should establish a marching order. A marching order makes it easier to determine which characters are affected by traps, which ones can spot hidden enemies, and which ones are the closest to those enemies when a fight breaks out.
A character might occupy the front rank, one or more middle ranks, or the back rank. Characters in the front and back ranks need enough room to travel side by side with others in their rank. When space is too tight, the marching order must change, usually by moving characters to a middle rank.
Fewer Than Three Ranks. If an adventuring party arranges its marching order with only two ranks, they are a front rank and a back rank. If there’s only one rank, it’s considered a front rank.

• Front Rank: One character must roll survival to not get lost and make forward progress. Any additional characters can choose to aid the character making survival checks OR use their passive Perception to spot or avoid hidden threats to the front.
• Middle Rank: Characters in the middle rank can use their passive Perception with a -2 modifier to spot or avoid hidden threats from any direction OR participate in an individual activity if possible.
• Back Rank: Characters in the back rank can use their passive Perception to ensure they are not being followed and prevent surprise attacks from behind OR participate in an individual activity if possible.

GROUP ACTIVITIES:

Travel - Focus on moving through the hex to the next one. The character in the front rank must make a Survival check with a DC determined by the Travel DC table at the end of the day. On a success the party moves into the adjacent hex. Roll on the Becoming Lost table on a failure. If as a result of becoming lost you end up in a new hex, you must Reconnoiter to get back on course before you can Travel again.

Reconnoiter - You spend time surveying and exploring a specific area, getting the lay of the land and looking for unusual features and specific sites. You discover anything of note, though hidden sites will require an additional perception check as part of the activity.
You spend time surveying and exploring a specific area, getting the lay of the land and looking for unusual features and specific sites. Once the hex has been Reconnoitered, you can Map the Area to reduce your chance of getting lost in that hex (see below). You automatically find any special feature that doesn’t require a check to find, and you attempt the appropriate checks to find hidden special features. For instance, if you were looking for an obvious rock formation among some hills, you would spend 1 hexploration activity to Reconnoiter the hex, and you’d find the rock formation. But if you were looking for a hidden tengu monastery somewhere in some deep forests, after spending 1 activity to Reconnoiter the forest hex, you would have to succeed at a Perception check as part of your Reconnoiter activity to find the monastery.

Follow a Trail - Focus on moving through the hex while following a designated quarry. The party must be aware of the quarry's existence and have discovered evidence of their passing. The character in the front rank must make a Survival check at the end of the day with a DC determined by the Tracking DC table and any special precautions the quarry is taking. On a success the party either catches up with their quarry if it is in the same hex or moves into the correct adjacent hex.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES:

Map the Area - As long as your group has successfully Reconnoitered the hex, you can use this activity to create an accurate map of the hex with a successful Survival check based on the Travel DC -3. Proficiency with Cartographer's Tools removes the need to roll, you succeed automatically. When you have an accurate map of the hex, the DC of any check to navigate that hex or discover secrets is reduced by 2.

Fortify Camp - You can spend time fortifying your camp for defense with a successful DC 12 Survival check. Anyone keeping watch or defending the camp gains advantage on initiative rolls and Perception checks to see creatures attempting to sneak up on the camp.
Scout Ahead - Choose an adjacent hex to scout out ahead of the party. Then choose one of the following options to focus on while scouting. The DM may decide that an additional action's benefit is gained depending on the result or the chosen hex. When using Scout Ahead you must have enough Hexploration Activities to Travel to the desired hex you wish to scout.

• General Scouting: A successful Survival check determined by Travel DC table will aid the party in avoiding natural hazards and Reconnoiter and Mapping activities taken in the chosen hex. If either action is taken in the selected hex within two days 1d4 can be added to rolls made as part of those actions. If a hazard is encountered 1d4 can be added to required rolls due to advance knowledge of the hazard (if applicable). Your passive Perception to avoid ambushes in the selected hex gain a +2 modifier for the following two days.
• Search for Secrets- A successful Perception check may discover a secret or if unsuccessful 1d4 may be added to additional checks made to discover secrets in the selected hex within two days. This bonus is cumulative and will expire after the designated time or a secret is discovered. The DC for this roll is determined by the individual secret. No secrets can be discovered if none exist to find.
• Track a Target - A successful Survival check determined by the Tracking DCs table will aid the party in tracking targets. 1d4 will be added to survival checks to Track a designated quarry, and your passive Perception to avoid ambushes set by the quarry gains a +2 modifier.

Hexploration Activities Per Day

Speed	Activities Per Day
15 feet or less	1/2
20-30 feet	1
35-45 feet	2
50-60 feet	3
65 feet or more	4

Travel DCs

Terrain	DC
Forest, jungle, swamp, mountains, or open sea with overcast skies and no land in sight	15
Arctic, desert, hills, or open sea with clear skies and no land in sight	10
Grassland, meadow, farmland	5

Becoming Lost

2d4	Result
2	You move backwards to the most recently traversed hex.
3	You move backwards ending up one hex right of your previous hex.
4	You move forward one hex right of your intended hex.
5	You move in circles making no real progress, stay in the current hex.
6	You move forward one hex left of your intended hex.
7	You move backwards one hex left of your previous hex.
8	You accidentally proceed in the correct direction, treat as a success.

Tracking DCs

Ground Surface	DC
Soft surface such as snow or mud	10
Dirt or grass	15
Bare stone	20
Each day since the creature has passed	+5
Creature left a trail such as blood	-5