Exploration Mechanics

Exploration Rules

Exploration mechanics focus on traveling, resting, and dungeon delving.

Traveling Rolls

A full day of traveling includes:

  • Weather Roll at the start of the day

  • Encounter Roll during travel and again during rest at night

  • Behavioral Roll for each encounter

  • Disease Roll at the end of the day if difficult weather or terrain applies

Hex Crawling

  • Travel moves characters through hexes on a map.

  • World Hexes: for large maps

  • Region Hexes: for smaller areas

Traveling

Travel time considers distance, terrain, and cautious pace.

Travel Modes

  1. Standard Travel

    • Balanced movement and rest

    • Uses Effective Hours

    • Disease Rolls made during Camping

  2. Forced Travel

    • Doubles distance

    • Causes Fatigue next day, removing Effective Hours

    • Repeating leads to Exhaustion

    • Disease Rolls made during Traveling

Resting

  • Resting triggers an additional Encounter Roll

  • Activities like fires or noise increase encounter chances

  • Allows use of Effective Hours

  • Common activities: Food Gathering, Crafting, Healing, Training

  • Minimum Rest: 6 hours/day to avoid Fatigue

  • Rations: 1 daily protects against Starvation

  • Sleeping in heavy armor costs 1 Effective Hour the next day

Encounter Table (D20)

Environment

Target

Terrain

Roll Modifier

Settled Lands

20

Forest

+1

Borderlands

15

Swamp

+1

Wilderness

10

Snow

+1

Hazard Zones

5

Mountain

+1

Hostile Sites

2

Road/Trail

-1

Guarding

+1

Bad Weather

-1

Camouflage

+1

River

-2

Training

-1

Sea

-2

Fire

-1

Night

+1

Training

  • Provides general Experience Points and attracts monsters

  • Studying/Practicing: grants XP for specific Skills

    • Studying requires a Book

  • Each character gains 3 Effective Hours daily

  • Use Effective Hours in settlements for Tutors or Libraries

Camping

  • Provides Insulation benefits by setting up tents or fires

  • Takes 1 Effective Hour

  • Camouflaging and Guarding reduce Encounter chances

Weather Effects

  • Daily Weather Roll determines type

  • Weather imposes Cold/Heat Factors, may trigger Disease Rolls

  • Clothes and equipment protect against adverse effects

  • Nature Skill: predicts next day’s weather

Diseases

  • Flu, Heatstroke, Mire Spike, Night Blight occur in challenging conditions

Weather Protection & Insulation Table

Item

IL

Weather

CF

Terrain

CF

Leather

1

Windy

1

Hill

+1

Blanket

1

Drizzle

2

Mountain

+2

Bedroll

1

Rain

3

Forest

-1

Cloak

1

Storm

4

Plain

+1

Clothes

1

Snow

5

Desert

+1

Fire

1

Blizzard

6

Shelter

-2*

Tent

1

Sunny

2

Swamp

+1

Vehicle

1

Heatwave

1

River

+1

*Not regarded for warm climates

Darkness & Illumination

  • Darkness dynamically affects Grit Levels

  • Candles, Torches, Lanterns provide Illumination

  • Illumination is measured in real-time in dungeons

  • Grit penalties apply outside illumination radius

Darkness Table

Type

Grit Adjustment

Normal

  •

Dim Light

-1 Grit Level

Darkness

-2 Grit Levels

Doors

  • Dungeon doors can be locked, trapped, or forced

  • Unlock with Mechanics Skill

  • Detect traps with Observation Skill

  • Max 3 attempts against a locked door; extra efforts cost 1 Grit Point each

  • Group Effort: +1D10 Bonus Die for Force

Doors Table

Type

Force Open

Lock

Wooden

10

4

Iron

15

8

Steel

19

12

Stone

N/A

16

Scouting

  • Uses Tracking Skill

  • Successful roll reveals potential encounters before being noticed

Encounter Behaviors Table

Roll

Type

Effect

1-5

Hostile

Immediate Attack

6-7

Vigilant

Malleable

8

Flexible

Bribe/Intimidation

9

Neutral

Easily Distracted

10

Friendly

Non-Aggressive

Extra Activities

  • Use Effective Hours for skill progression, crafting, or research

  • Options expand as characters gain experience

Urban Environments

  • Resting in Inns → Well Rested Condition

  • Spending nights in taverns → Spirited Condition

  • Libraries provide Books for Skills or Spells for a fee

Rations from Creatures

  • Food Gathering produces Rations based on creature size

Rations Table

Creature

Rations

Small

2

Medium

3

Large

4

Huge

5

Gigantic

6

Harvesting Organs

  • Requires Necropsy and Monster Skills

  • Blood collected instantly; organs require 1 Effective Hour

  • Details in the Book of Monsters