Current hexcrawl procedure:

1. Roll for weather (2d6 reaction roll with cosmos)

2. Move or search?
3. Day encounter check
4. Lost?
5. Describe travel, note obvious sites and landmarks
6. Resolve any day encounters
7. Camp procedures? (establishing default procedures is reasonable)
8. Mark off rations (I always forget to do this bad referee!)
9. Night encounter check
10. Resolve nocturnal encounters

1.

Determine Weather Ill be using Pathfinders Weather Generator for this.

2.

Roll for Random Encounter This will occur in two stages. First roll on the appropriate
table to determine whether or not an encounter occurs. Second, roll 1d4 to determine which
hour of the watch the encounter occurs in.

3.

Determine Navigation If the party does not move during this watch (e.g. because they
are camping) this step is skipped. Otherwise the party tells me what direction they would like to

go.

If they are following a road, a clear trail, a river or are using clear

landmarks then no check is needed. Otherwise Ill ask the party which direction they want to go
and will then make a hidden navigation check (using the highest relevant ability in the group) to
see whether or not the party moves in the correct direction or veers slightly to the left or right. If
the party fails this roll they become lost. If a party was lost during the previous watch then
during this step I will make a secret navigation roll to determine if they recognize that they are
lost.
4.

Determine Movement If the party is traveling they must select a mode of movement.
They may move normally, they may forage or they may explore. If the party is foraging they
move at half speed but are allowed to make a single survival check to attempt to find food and
water. If the party is exploring they move at half speed and they get a +5 to the d20 roll to
determine if they locate any hidden or hard to find keyed locations. I then apply any conditional
modifiers to determine how many miles the party travels during the watch.

5.

Determine if Keyed Encounter is Triggered This step only occurs if the party is
traveling. First I determine if the encounter is triggered. If the encounter involves a clearly
visible terrain feature then the encounter is automatic. Otherwise I roll a d20 against a DC of 15
(or 20 for difficult to locate encounters) to determine if the encounter occurs. If the encounter
does occur, I roll a 1d4 to determine which hour of the watch it occurs in. It is possible that a
keyed encounter occurs simultaneously with a random encounter.

And thats basically it. I tried to keep this procedure fairly simple and straight forward.
Well see how well it actually works when its play-tested in my campaign. Im open to
constructive criticism if anyone has any advice to offer.
1

This is a slightly expanded version of Justin Alexanders proposed structure.

Here is the procedure I use for hexcrawl exploration. This procedure can word equally
well with solo play as well as with actual games with other people. This system is
collaged from several peoples procedures, including:
http://alexschroeder.ch/wiki/2012-0620_Hexcrawl_Procedurehttp://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/17320/roleplayinggames/hexcrawl-part-2-wilderness-travel http://arsphantasia.wordpress.com/2014/02/22
/hexcrawl-procedures/
http://louisvillednd.com/archives/359

http://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/140154/wilderness-hexplore-revised
I use encounter charts collaged from the ACKS corebook and Kellris Old School
Encounters Reference which contains encounter charts that include events like finding a
town, natural disasters, etc. in addition to standard monster encounters.
WILDERNESS EXPLORATION There are 2 watches in the daytime and 4
watches night, 4 hours each. Forced march allows additional watch of daytime
exploration but party takes 1d6 subdual damage.
0) If using a randomly determined map rather than a premade one, determine
terrain by looking at the previous hex (Primary) and rolling a d20. The result
determines the new terrain. This system is based on Welshpipers system of hex
generation but adapted for more on the fly random use.
1-10 Primary (50%)
11-15 Secondary (25%)
16-18 Tertiary (15%)
19-20 Wildcard (10%)
Primary Secondary Tertiary Wildcard
Water Plains Forest Swamp/Desert/Hills
Swamp Plains Forest Water
Desert Hills Plains Water/Mountains
Plains Forest Hills Water/Swamp/Desert
Forest Plains Hills Water/Swamp/Mountains
Hills Mountains Plains Water/Desert
Mountains Hills Forest Desert
1) Determine weather. This is pathfinders random weather chart, from the SRD.
d% Weather
01-70 Normal
71-80 Heat wave/cold snap
81-90 Precipitation
91-99 Thunderstorm/snowstorm/sandstorm
100 Blizzard/hurricane/tornado

2) Determine activity: There are 3 basic moves the characters can make during a
watch: travel normally, forage/hunt, or explore.
Traveling Normally Move full speed (as determined by terrain, below).
Terrain Movement Multiplier
Desert, hills, wooded areas x2/3
Thick jungle, swamps, mountains x1/2
Road travel, clear wide trails x3/2
Forage/Hunt Stay in the same hex, make a proficiency throw 14+ to gather enough
food to feed 1d6 people. The proficiency throw increases to 18+ in a desert or similarly
barren location.
Explore Stay in the same hex, make 14+ proficiency throw to find a feature; roll d6 if
succesful 1=ruins, 2=lair, 3=dungeon, 4=settlement, 5=river/road/island,
6=temple/monastery
3) Determine navigation by rolling d20 if in a new hex and not following a road, river, or
landmark. If the navigation throw fails, the party veers.
Terrain / Navigation
Plains / 4+
Mountains or Hills / 7+
Forest or Coast / 7+
Open Sea / 11+
Desert / 11+
Jungle or Swamp / 11+
4) Determine encounters/events by rolling d6. Do this for both watches in the daytime,
but only once at night. If a night encounter is rolled, roll 1d4 to determine which watch it
occurs during.
Terrain / Encounter Roll
City, Plains, or Settled / 6+
Aerial, Forest, Hills, Water / 5+
Desert, Jungle, Mountains, Swamp / 4+

If a monster encounter happens, use this Welshpiper chart to determine where its lair is,
after rolling 1d6 for direction:
Monster is smaller than Small: 0-3 (1d4-1) hexes
Monster is Small, Medium, or Large: 0-7 (1d8-1) hexes
Monster is bigger than Large: 0-11 (1d12-1) hexes
Monster is especially territorial or an apex predator: +1 hex
Monster is a flyer or can travel great distances with ease: +2 hexes
Monster is solitary: -1 hex
Monster is unintelligent: -1 hex
Monster is subterranean: -2 hexes
5) Making camp: After the 2nd daytime watch, but before the nighttime encounter roll,
use the Louisville D&D procedure to make camp.
Basically: Make a proficiency throw of 7+. If you have Survival as a proficiency, you get
+4. If you succeed, everyone consumes a ration. If you fail, everyone suffers a penalty
of some kind. If you succeed with 18+, everyone receives a benefit of some kind.

Making Camp in the Wilderness

Sometimes youll need to remain stationary. Most of the time, this will be when you break for camp each
day. Camp assumes 8 or 9 hours of rest and prayer/study. We are introducing a custom rule for making
camp: the Make Camp throw.
The Make Camp throw integrates normal rules for foraging and using up rations and incorporates other
aspects of adventuring, such as gear maintenance and setting up camp.
When you make camp, make an Adventuring throw.
o

Add +4 if you have the Survival proficiency.

The DM may impose penalties if you do not possess adventuring gear suitable to the
environment or for other circumstances as they see fit.
If you score 11+ 7+, mark off a ration. You make camp with a functioning fire and relative security.
If you score an 18+, mark off a ration. In addition, you may choose one thing from the following list:

You successfully foraged for fruits/nuts/vegetables throughout the day. You feed 1d6 people.
Those people do not need to mark off a ration.

You helped to build camp in a safer location. The odds of a random encounter decrease by 1-

o
step.

You found a comfy area to sleep. You recover 1 hit point despite not having a full day of rest in

reasonably sanitary conditions. This option may only be selected if there is a campfire.
You found a good perch to keep an eye out for anything moving near your camp. Gain a +1 to

any surprise rolls during your watch.

If you score 6-, mark off a ration. You make a functioning fire and relative security. In addition, the DM
may choose one thing from the following list:
You are famished. You must mark off two rations. If youve been fed by foraging, you require

enough food for two people. If you do not have enough rations, take -1 to attack and damage rolls until
you eat enough.
o

Youve made camp unsecure. The odds of a random encounter increase by 1-step.

You are distracted or falling asleep on your watch. You get a -1 to any surprise rolls during your
watch.

While maintaining your gear (sharpening blades, patching armor, organizing things, etc.), you
notice something damaged or destroyed. The DM will tell you what. If its a weapon or armor, itll be
something from the scavenged equipment list on page 210.