Mapping the Journey toward Exploration Procedures

 The First Steps

    In this essay [muffled catawampus] wilderness exploration procedure. I wanted to simulate the overland travel into a region and terrain that was foreign to the PCs, for the players to feel a sense of discovery and danger as they ventured into a wilderness that had been described as "everything outside the settlements is wild, but lately it's become deadly", and for the game to hold surprises for me as the DM. I wanted to do this while playing D&D 2024 Edition, which I assumed meant that I needed to go outside the game's core rules to find the system that achieved my goals (spoilers: I was wrong about this). So I spent hours and hours, over the course of multiple weeks, diving into blog posts, youtube videos, rules supplements, and core rulebooks trying to understand how this phase of gameplay is supposed to work because I just did not get it. 

    I knew that didn't need to do any of this, that I could just let the players choose a destination and then the PCs arrive there for The Adventure. I could throw a single-encounter situation in front of the characters to emulate the feeling of a random encounter as part of the travel. I could "just get to the good stuff," but none of that felt satisfying (even though I think it's all totally valid, fun, and something I have done before). I had a map of a valley flanked by mountains and forest, with a few landmarks roughly sketched, and the players knew they needed to venture out into this land to learn more about what was happening in the game. I was hell bent on turning the game into a hex crawl or overland journey, if only for a limited time, because I loved the idea of these hallmarks of classic RPG play even if they didn't really apply to a campaign that would work just as well as a plot driven experience. What I eventually found was a procedure that can be applied to almost any length of journey or exploration, and a deeper appreciation of simulation-like systems in my RPG. 

 The Map is not the Territory

    One thing I noticed throughout this experience was a commonality with my fellow GMs. A decent number of us among the Sly Flourish Discord community were searching for procedural elements to help us come to grips with various kinds of exploration in our fantasy RPGs. We could easily receive recommendations for procedural frameworks and tips for understanding how to build the underlying tools of a hex crawl or dungeon turn, but it always felt like I was (or we were) left asking "okay, but how does that work at the table?" As if there was some assumed knowledge that wasn't being communicated by our fellow community members or the blog posts and youtube videos they shared; not through some intentional effort to obfuscate, of course, but possibly a difference in perspective gained by experience.

    I could find any number of resources showing me how to make a hex map and fill it. How to use random encounters in OD&D, B/X, and their many OSR descendants. Shortcuts for "skipping to the good part" that people expect when playing 5E D&D. So many posts and discussions about why exploration in 5E is bad, broken, fundamentally unsupported by the system, or trivialized by Class Features. 

    Fortunately, I also found a lot of great resources that helped me to piece things together and better understand every step of this journey; some were the supporting systems to build a robust exploration pillar in my D&D campaign and illuminated the fun of the experience I wanted to bring to the table, others helped me to understand what I wasn't trying to do in the game.

    I started with a relatively basic and empty terrain map of the region, which was really just a zoom in on the starting region for the campaign, based on the Mike Schley map of northwestern Faerun. 
From this:

 To this: 

  

 

I also made an "in world" version of the map, which showed some landmarks carved into a table top at the local inn. I chose the landmark icons and locations arbitrarily as I drew the map using CC3+ (the software I use for my map making needs). I showed this map to the players early in the game, and it has continued to influence how I build the world:

    Having made this map and knowing that the next session of this campaign would see the PCs ready to set out into the wilderness to follow some vague clues and discover the dangers that awaited them, I needed to get to work on developing how this phase of the game would actually work at the table.

    The numerous posts, procedures, and supplements of noted hexploration sicko Patchwork Paladin were especially helpful and inspirational. In particular, her posts on writing interesting hexes and using the Lazy GM's 8 Steps for running outdoor exploration helped me to understand how a hex map translates to fun game play at the table; another major contribution from the Patchwork collection is her method for creating better encounters and filling our worlds with meaningful bits of story that the players may discover (pick up a downloadable copy of Better Encounters from her ko-fi page and buy Elizabeth a cup of coffee).

    Keeping these ideas in mind as I worked on the maps for my game were crucial in developing a full understanding of the phrase "the map is not the territory" (author's note: sometimes I really wish the word grok had not been ruined by the techno-fascist idiot, but Heinlein was problematic in his own right so maybe it was never okay). Seeing my maps take shape and then come to life as I filled them with landmarks and possible encounters, I came to realize that my players would need my help in seeing this world through their characters' eyes. I would be their senses in the world, and the wilderness exploration procedure would be the method I used to elucidate the fullness of the landscape the players could see on the map. 

     I decided that I needed to develop a hex map of the region, mostly because I wanted to systematize the way that I filled in the details of the map above. I felt stuck, or blocked, when it came to filling in the minutiae of terrain and further landmarks for the PCs to discover. I turned to this series on hex crawls from Web DM for help on understanding how a hex map is used in play and how to design it from scratch; although I didn't end up using many of their methods, I found the discussions and examples in the first three videos quite helpful and practically applicable. This video on making hex crawls fun using 3-mile hexes from Dadi at Mystic Arts was essential in coming to grips with the experience of the PCs as they explored an unknown wilderness. I don't run my exploration by showing my players a map with three mile hexes on it, but my map is built from three mile hexes so that I can more easily understand what the PCs can see while exploring. Then I used the excellent, Bloggie nominated, Wilderness Stocking post from ktrey at d4 Caltrops for the model of how to fill my terrain hexes and stock some remaining hexes where I hadn't already placed some features (check out all the amazing random tables on the full blog). 
A snippet of my DM facing map: 

 

I then made an updated version of the terrain map with more detail, so that the players could make informed decisions about which path they might like to take when searching for the landmarks depicted on the carved table top map. The hexes here are six miles, and the scale lines up almost perfectly with my three mile version. I also have a version of this map with the landmarks, so that I can reference it and add landmarks to the player facing version as it is explored.

    But enough about maps, even though I really love maps and have found making maps in Campaign Cartographer 3+ to be a fun sub-hobby of GMing. Hell, most of this post was born out the desire to make and use a hex map in my game, but I needed a structure to support that play time in the game. (Can we really ever say too much about maps?)

    Now came the time to combine all these elements into something playable at the table. What procedure could I use to prompt impactful choices for the players? How could I incorporate the features and equipment of the PCs? When do we add the variable and emergent aspect of rolling dice? Where do I find resilience in the procedure to allow for stages of failure and success?

    This is the point where I needed to really dig into the sources I had available for possible procedures, and the reading of those procedures finally crystallized what I was, and was not, trying to do in the game. I think the main sources I first tried to use all shared the quality that they were designed for overland travel, or a journey, and this led to a feeling of uncertainty in how they should be applied in my game. Mike Shea's The Lazy DM's Companion has a good, simple system for setting up overland/wilderness travel, but I think it works best for "the journey is the adventure" models. Meaghan J's The Last Travel Book You Will Ever Need is a solid and detailed system for longer journeys from a starting point to a known destination; I really like this supplement and plan to use it when the characters are going to be crossing much greater distances. The chapter on exploration, and rules for journeys, in Level Up Advanced 5E's Trials & Treasures is a trove of excellent resources and advice; the lists of environments, challenges, and encounters have become indispensable for my prep. 

    Still unsure of how to proceed, I went back to the 2024 DMG for D&D to see if it held something I had missed but not really expecting to find much because the book has been so widely criticized as being too shallow for any but the newest dungeon masters. I even held the same opinion after I read it the first time, it seemed to provide a great introduction for a novice GM but lacked real substance; however, my opinion has slowly been changing as I've continued to go back to it for advice, rules, and resources. The section on Travel is surprisingly robust, and the procedure model of Journey Stages was the missing piece that finally dropped everything into place for me. 

Journey Stages

It can be helpful to break up a journey into stages, with each stage representing anything from a few hours’ journey to ten days or so of travel. A journey might have only a single stage if the trip is a matter of following a clear path to a well-known destination. A journey consisting of three stages makes for a satisfying trek. For example, the characters might travel along a river to the forest’s edge (stage 1), follow a trail into the heart of the woods (stage 2), and then search the woods for an ancient ruin (stage 3). A long journey might involve even more stages and occupy several game sessions.

You decide how to break up the journey, though your decision can be shaped by the characters’ plan for navigating the journey. When the characters know the route they must take, the stages of the journey should correspond to the way you might give someone directions, as in the example above. 

Planning the Stages. You can use the accompanying Travel Planner sheet to plan the stages of a journey. (Use multiple copies of the Travel Planner for a journey with more than three stages.)

For each stage, note where it starts and ends, the distance covered, and the predominant terrain. Choose or randomly determine the weather on that stage (see “Weather” later in this chapter). Plan one or more challenges for each stage, such as an encounter, an obstacle, a search for something hidden, or a chance of getting lost, as described under “Journey Stage Challenges.”

Running the Stages. For each stage of the journey, follow these steps in order:

    Step 1: Set the Pace. Have the players choose their group’s travel pace for the stage: Slow, Normal, or Fast (see “Travel Pace”). Based on the length of the stage (in miles) and the group’s pace, determine how long this stage takes to complete.
    Step 2: Narrate the Travel. Describe what happens as the characters complete this stage of their journey. Introduce and resolve any challenges (see “Journey Stage Challenges”).
    Step 3: Track Food and Water Consumption. Each creature in the party expends the appropriate amount of food and water for the length of the stage. If the party lacks enough food or water, the characters risk dehydration and malnutrition.
    Step 4: Track Progress. Track the party’s progress at the end of the stage. You might mark their position on a map of the region and note the elapsed time on the Travel Planner.

(From the D&D 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide) 

I wasn't preparing to run a journey or overland travel, I was setting up a recurring element of wilderness exploration where the terrain, the location of the landmarks that serve as their destinations, and the situations they might encounter as they travel through the landscape are all only roughly sketched out for the characters (and players).

Primed for Procedure

    The realization that I could use the Journey Stages method outlined in the DMG for any length of overland travel or exploration was the galaxy brain moment for me. This approach feels like PROCEDURALISM that can be applied in a repeatable and consistent manner to meet all the goals I've stated previously. It is a procedure with its own set of rules which are further supported by substantive rules for specific situations. 

    This section of the 2024 DMG provides almost everything you need to run wilderness exploration or overland travel, but there are a few notable exclusions: rules (or mechanics) from the PHB such as travel pace, definition for types and statuses of vision, effects of dehydration and malnutrition (if those are a concern), and exhaustion immediately come to mind; relevant rules that are listed in other parts of the DMG such as outdoor visibility, using perception during exploration, extreme weather effects and other interesting environmental effects, and guidance for building encounters specific to travel. That said, I think this section offers tons of great material, with tables for multiple parts of this procedure that combine into a really solid system. Crucially, this is one of the areas where the book goes into greater detail when explaining how the rules combine to create a richer experience as a whole. It still takes a bit of work to pull together all the relevant rules, and the external resources I mentioned above are probably just as vital in creating the campaign or adventure wherein the exploration takes place, but the real core of the Journey Stages procedure is covered in less than six pages.

    There is one critical step that I think should be included in the Running the Stages section for any game where exploration is the goal - Navigation checks. 

Navigation
If the characters aren’t following an established path or traveling with a landmark in sight, they risk getting lost. Here are some circumstances that can cause a group to lose its way:

    Branching passages underground
    Horizon-obscuring terrain, such as dense forest
    Obscuring weather, such as heavy rain or fog
    Traveling at night
    Traveling at sea while unable to see the sky or any familiar land

Let the players know when the characters are at risk of getting lost, then have the characters choose one of their number to make a Wisdom (Survival) check against a DC appropriate to the terrain, as shown in the Navigation DC column of the Travel Terrain table. Another member of the group can take the Help action to assist this check as normal.

If the check fails, the party goes off course. You decide what this looks like: they might follow the wrong branch of a river, orient themselves to the wrong mountain peak on the horizon, or get turned around in the forest. As a baseline, assume that getting lost extends the length of the current journey stage by 1d6 × 10 percent. It might also affect subsequent stages of the journey. 

    I think this is the crucial component that ties all the other rules together and creates the challenge of exploration which leads to the satisfaction of discovery and success. As a newer GM, this explanation of how to make navigation checks impactful was perfect. 

You never know where your feet will take you

    Finally armed with an understanding of the experience I wanted to create in the game, and the procedure to make it happen, I was able to put together the remaining features on the map and a location based adventure without much difficulty. At the session where I rolled out this procedure, I explained it to my players as a new phase of the game which would function in a similar way to combat. Some other parts of the game would fade into the background as the characters set out into the wilderness and the passage of time was measured in chunks of hours or days. I think the players were able to grasp the procedure quickly and understood the intent behind the structure. An added benefit of embracing this phase of the game was how easy it became to show the players the importance of mundane equipment. Suddenly it really matters if they have tents to sleep in, because I'm remembering to bring weather in as something that can have a real effect on the characters. The Ranger's proficiency in cartographer's tools allows him to use and add details to the map provided in-world, which confers a bonus to his navigation checks. Once I had them looking at these obviously relevant pieces of equipment, they kept digging into the list and went on a bit of a shopping spree to fill out their kits and find some fun toys. In future sessions I plan to lean into some of the techniques covered in this great video from Bandit's Keep to highlight more types of equipment with real impact in the game.

    In the end, I know that I have a deeper understanding and greater appreciation for the role that proceduralism can have in my games. I don't know that I'll be searching high and low for procedures to cover every moment of my 5E games, but I hope I'll be able to better recognize when it might be helpful. I certainly have developed a better understanding of the prep that is valuable for the long term health of my campaigns. Next up, mastering the megadungeon for my other 5E campaign.

    I'd like to close by thanking everyone in the Lazy GM community who helped me along the way, and the bloggers whose posts elucidated these challenges. I won't remember all the individuals who chatted with me on this topic, or whose posts I read, but I will mention Patchwork Paladin, Scipio202, Arrowed, lazylich, amc, and Sly Flourish. I even had the privilege of holding a playtest session with lazylich and amc (Arrowed unfortunately had to cancel last minute), which turned into more of a GM roundtable than a real playtest and was a ton of fun in addition to being super helpful in resolving my lingering doubts.

    So yeah, step out that proverbial front door and see where the journey takes you...