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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Chapter 1: Running the Game / Running Exploration / Scenes within Exploration

Travel

Source GM Core pg. 36
Long journeys are staples of the fantasy genre, but they take work to be fun in play, especially if the timeline the PCs are on isn't urgent. Use encounters and special scenes only if there's something compelling to cover. It's perfectly fine to fast-forward through exploration to get to the next stage of an adventure. That said, you should keep in mind that if any players have invested in exploration-themed abilities for their characters, those abilities should still matter.

You can usually move through a travel scene pretty quickly. For a journey that takes multiple days, you might need to have the group Subsist if they run out of food.

Travel Speed

Source GM Core pg. 36
Depending on how you track movement, the adventuring party might track the distance they travel in feet or miles based on the characters' Speeds with the relevant movement type. Typical rates are shown on the Travel Speed table.

The rates on the Travel Speed table assume that the characters are traveling over flat and clear terrain at a determined pace, but one that's not exhausting. Moving through difficult terrain halves the listed movement rate. Greater difficult terrain reduces the distance traveled to one-third the listed amount. If the travel requires a skill check to accomplish, such as mountain climbing or swimming, you might call for a check once per hour, referencing the resulting distance on the Travel Speed table to determine the group's progress.

Travel Speed

SpeedFeet per MinuteMiles per HourMiles per Day
10 feet10018
15 feet1501-1/212
20 feet200216
25 feet2502-1/220
30 feet300324
35 feet3503-1/228
40 feet400432
50 feet500540
60 feet600648

Navigating

Source GM Core pg. 36
The Sense Direction activity uses Survival to find which way is north. You can combine this with Recalling Knowledge about the area—typically using Nature or Society—for the PCs to get their initial bearings. The DCs for these checks are normally trained or expert if the group is still fairly close to settlements or established nations but might be higher the deeper they are in the wilderness. As the PCs try to find their path forward, think of ways to include notable landmarks they can seek out or stumble upon. Some of these might be useful, such as a great tree off in the distance that they can climb to get a better vantage point or a mountain slope where multiple plumes of smoke billow up, which might lead them toward a settlement. Others might be mysterious or dangerous, such as haunted glades or an animal’s hunting grounds. When the PCs first look around or scout, pick two or three landmarks to point out. Let the group decide on their course from there.

Getting Lost

Source GM Core pg. 37
When PCs are exploring the wilderness or navigating twisting dungeon corridors, they might get lost. This is most likely as a consequence for failing at Survival or similar checks, but it can also happen based on the story, such as if they drop out of a portal in some strange land or come up from an underground passageway into a forest. Playing through the process of wandering in the wilderness and trying to find their way can be fun for a party, provided they do so for a fairly short interval. If a party is lost at the start of a session, they should usually have found their way and reached a significant destination by the end.

If the PCs get unlucky or are just awful at Survival, they might end up stuck with no way to reorient themselves. In these cases, have someone come to them! They might get captured by local humanoids or monsters or even stumble upon a dangerous location. They've figured out where they are, even if it's not where they wanted to be!

Encounters During Travel

Source GM Core pg. 37
You might want to include some encounters if the PCs are in a dangerous area, especially if they travel for a long time. For these encounters, choose creatures that live in that type of environment. Remember that not all creatures attack on sight. Friendly or cautious creatures might approach the characters, resulting in more interactive scenes that might even help the PCs.

Difficult Terrain

Source GM Core pg. 37
Difficult terrain such as thick undergrowth usually slows down progress. Unless it’s important how far the group gets in a particular time frame, this can be covered with a quick description of chopping through the vines or trudging through a bog. If the characters are on a deadline, adjust their progress on the Travel Speed table (page 36), typically by cutting it in half if almost all of the land is difficult terrain or to one-third for greater difficult terrain.

Hazardous Terrain

Source GM Core pg. 38
Hazardous terrain, such as the caldera of an active volcano, might physically harm the player characters. The group might have the option to travel directly through or to go around by spending more time. You can transition into a more detailed scene while the characters move through hazardous terrain and attempt to mitigate the damage with spells or skill checks. If they endure hazardous terrain, consider giving the PCs a minor or moderate XP reward at the end of their exploration, with slightly more XP if they took smart precautions to avoid damage.

Environmental Hazards

Source GM Core pg. 38
Dangerous crevasses, swampy bogs, quicksand, and similar dangers are environmental hazards, which are described beginning on page 90.