Feng Shui is the action movie RPG of fast and furious combat inspired by the classic Hong Kong films of Jackie Chan, John Woo, Tsui Hark, Michelle Yeoh, and Jet Li. It uses a really cool initiative system featuring a shot counter:

• Your initiative check determines your initial shot count in the sequence.
• Each action is rated by the number of “shots” it will take to resolve.
• This shot cost is subtracted from your initial shot count to determine the next shot count on which you’ll be able to act.
• When everyone’s shot count hits 0, the current sequence ends and a new sequence begins with fresh initiative checks.

I describe this mostly to provide context for the cool new toy we’re talking about today: mission critical objectives.

Most fight scenes end when everybody on the opposing team is incapacitated. You stand triumphant with bruised knuckles over their unconscious, dead, or groaning forms.

But sometimes, that’s not the point.

Sometimes you’re fighting the bad guys because they’re trying to launch their hijacked nuclear missile or open the gates to the Mongol invaders. And sometimes they’re trying to stop YOU from uploading the virus to their computer network or destroying the Crystal of All-Knowledge.

One way to stop an opposing force, of course, is the aforementioned carpet of corpses. But often these goals can be logically achieved in the middle of the fight (“Hold off those Nazis while I disable the V-2’s fuel line!”), and ideally we’d like to capture the frenetic thrill of the struggle, creating fight scenes that are more varied than just punching hit point pinatas.

The problem is that these scenarios often become anti-climactic when combined with the turn-based nature of most RPG combat systems: On the hacker’s turn they make a Computer Systems check and… that’s it. The virus is uploaded. It’s over. There are ways to work around this, but they can be extremely situational and difficult to pull off.

Fortunately, the Feng Shui initiative system makes it easy to implement a solution.

MISSION CRITICAL OBJECTIVES

Attempting mission critical objective requires a 5-shot action, often accompanied by a skill check (i.e., a Sabotage check to cut the fuel lines). If successful, then the character can achieve the mission critical objective on their next action.

While a character is attempting a mission critical objective, however, other combatants can attempt to interrupt them as a 3-shot action.

If a hero is attempting to stop a GMC from achieving a mission critical objective, they can attempt either an attack stunt or an appropriate skill check (with the foe’s skill AV as the difficult). If they succeed, the GMC fails to achieve the mission critical objective (although they can try again later). If they fail, the GMC achieves the mission critical objective.

If a GMC is attempting to top a hero from achieving a mission critical objective, the hero must make an appropriate skill check (with the foe’s skill AV or Speed as the difficulty). On a success, the hero achieves the mission critical objective. On a failure, they’ve failed (although they can try again later).

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS

Multi-Step Objectives: It can often be satisfying to have multiple mission critical objectives that have to be achieved. (For example, you might need to shut down all three etheric turbines to prevent the Martian death laser from firing.)

Tug-of-War: As a variant of a multi-step objective, each mission critical objective might exist as a kind of “toggle” that can be swapped back and forth. For example, you might need to cut the three pirate harpoon lines to free your ship and sail away. While you can attempt mission critical objectives to cut a lines, the pirates can attempt one to resecure a line you’ve cut.

Mission Critical Boost: Characters can spend 1 Fortune to grant a +3 bonus or +1d6 (their choice) to a character attempting a mission critical objective.

Non-Critical Mission Objectives: For objectives that are involved but not the ultimate goal of the confrontation, you might choose to attempt them as 3-shot actions (instead of 5-shot actions).

Just One Chance: For some mission critical objectives, you might only get one chance. If the mission critical objective is attempted and fails, it cannot be attempted again.

ENDING THE FIGHT

Achieving the mission critical objective means that victory has been attained… but there may still be a bunch of bad guys. So what happens next?

One option, of course, is to just finish the fight – i.e., keep fighting until everyone on one side has been KOed. But this can be rather unsatisfying: Victory (or defeat), after all, has already been achieved.

Mission done? Time to leave! Feng Shui conveniently includes rules for doing that! (See the Cheesing It mechanics on p. 111 of the rulebook.)

Probably the key thing to keep in mind here is the central lesson of the Art of Pacing: The question we used to frame the fight scene (“Can we achieve the mission critical objective / prevent the bad guys from achieving the mission critical objective?”) has been answered. The scene is, therefore, functionally done. And when a scene is done, it’s okay to just wrap it up, cut away, and start the next scene.

CODA: IN OTHER SYSTEMS

Although well-suited to Feng Shui, this same basic concept can be hacked into other roleplaying games. In D&D, for example, mission critical objectives can be actions that take 1 round to complete, finishing on the character’s next turn and allowing other combatants to potentially interrupt them.

This is a useful cheat sheet I created for understanding what characters can see in the wilderness. In practice, sight lines will vary quite a bit (due to hills, forest canopies, atmospheric haze, and other obstructions), but I’ve found it’s useful to have some reference points and a few rules of thumb.

HORIZON: The horizon is 3 miles away at sea level.

NEIGHBORING HEXES: Passing through the center of a 12-mile hex, neighboring hexes cannot be seen. If the path is biased, the nearest hexes can usually be discerned (depending on the terrain).

Design Note: This is one of the reasons I prefer a 12-mile hex. Unless the PCs take special action to see farther, you’ll generally be able to focus exclusively on the hex they’re currently traveling through.

MOUNTAINS: Mountains can be seen from 6 hexes (72 miles) away.

Design Note: My research indicates that most mountain ranges have an average height of 3,000 feet. If you do the math, you can see an object 3,000 feet high from about 68 miles away, which I then rounded up to 6 hexes. Or, if you reverse the math, I’m saying that at 72 miles you can see the occasional peak that’s up to 3,500 feet high in that range or thereabouts. A very tall peak of 10,000 feet could theoretically be seen from 10 hexes away on a clear day.

ELEVATION: Distance to the horizon in miles is the square root of (feet above sea level x 1.5 feet). Add the height of tall objects to the viewer’s. Atmospheric haze will eliminate the ability to see even the largest objects more than 3-5 hexes away.

SIGHTING

Characters may seek out a good location for seeing long distances by taking the Sighting watch action. Height is obviously a factor here, but finding the right sight lines can be equally important. (Climbing a tree is all well and good, but if it’s at the bottom of a valley the effect will be mitigated.) This is also why simply being “on a mountain” doesn’t automatically translate to great sighting: you’re usually surrounded by other mountains.

As a general rule of thumb, assume that characters can find a location granting them 50 feet of height (or the equivalent thereof). This will allow them to see into neighboring hexes, and possibly even see notable locations within those hexes or their current hex (which may or may not require a Wisdom (Perception) check).

If you call for a skill check to find a sighting location, consider using a fail forward technique: On a success, the PCs get the normal benefits of sighting. On a failure, they might only be able to make out the terrain type of two or three of the nearby hexes (and no details thereof).

If circumstances suggest that the PCs would have great sight lines without needing to take special effort, that’s great. It might still be appropriate to allow them to take the Sighting action to improve their line of sight even more, extending their vision by another hex.

ENCOUNTER DISTANCE

When an encounter is generated, the distance at which the encounter may be detected will depend on the terrain in which it is occurring. (If the encounter is with a group of creatures and both sides are surprised – i.e., they do not detect each other – it’s technically possible they will pass each other without ever realizing it.)

The figures here represent typical circumstances on the ground. If the PCs are keeping watch from the top of a stone tower, for example, it’s quite possible for them to spot potential threats at much greater distances.

Back to 5E Hexcrawls

Go to Part 1

Characters can take watch actions to contribute to the expedition’s success or achieve other tasks while traveling. Some watch actions are limited to specific types of watch or travel pace.

Playtest Tip: It’s usually a good idea to get an expedition’s “standing orders” instead of asking everyone to declare their watch action during every single watch. An easy example is that if the ranger has been doing the navigating for the last eight days, he’s probably going to continue navigating for the next four hours and you don’t need to confirm that.

FORAGER

Characters can forage during an active watch or while traveling at a slow pace. Foragers make a Wisdom (Survival) check against the Forage DC of the terrain. On a success, the forager either gains 1 ration of food or finds a source of fresh water (allowing the expedition to drink their daily ration of water and for waterskins to be refilled). An additional ration of food or source of fresh water can be found for every 2 points by which the check result exceeds the DC.

Advanced Rule – Sparse Biome: At the GM’s discretion, a biome may be deemed sparse. In a sparse biome, each source of fresh water discovered only yields one gallon of water.

Advanced Rule – Grazing: Some animals (like horses) can simply graze for sustenance. In an appropriate biome (as determined by the GM), they will be fully fed as long as they are allowed to graze for one watch per day. In a sparse biome, they must graze for two watches per day and it may be necessary to also provide fresh water for them.

FOOD & WATER

Food: Small or Medium creatures require 1 ration of food per day. They can go without food for a number of days equal to 3 + their Constitution modifier (minimum 1) before suffering 1 exhaustion level per day thereafter. A normal day of eating resets the count of days without food to zero.

A creature on half rations counts as going a ½ day without food (and these half days accumulate until they can eat full rations).

Water: Small or Medium creatures require 1 gallon of water per day, or twice that in hot weather. A creature on a half ration of water must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution check at the end of each day or suffer a level of exhaustion. If they drink less water than that, they suffer a level of exhaustion automatically. If the character already has one or more levels of exhaustion, the character takes two levels instead of one level in either case.

Waterskins hold a half-ration of water.

Recovery: Any exhaustion suffered from lack of food or water cannot be removed until after a full day of normal consumption.

Large & Tiny Creatures: Tiny creatures require one-quarter ration of food and water per day. Large creatures (like horses) require four rations  of food and water per day.

NAVIGATOR

The expedition’s navigator is responsible for making navigation checks. A second navigator can assist, granting advantage to the navigation checks.

PACK-PULLER

A pack-puller is responsible for managing an expeditions pack animals. A pack-puller can lead a number of animals equal to their passive Wisdom (Animal Handling) score. (This number includes the pack-puller’s mount, if any.)

RESTING

A character must take the Resting watch action for two rest watches in a row in order to gain the benefits of a Long Rest. (See the rules for Long Rests regarding which types of interruptions are possible without disrupting the Resting action.)

Advanced Rule – Lack of Sleep: If a character does not spend at least one full watch per day resting, they must succeed at a Constitution saving throw (DC 16 – the number of hours they slept, if any) or suffer a level of exhaustion.

SCOUT

A scout can journey out from an expedition in an effort to chart a course or learn the lay of the land. When scouting, they can choose one of two actions:

• Reporting: If the navigator receives a scout’s report, they gain advantage on their navigation checks for the next travel watch.
• Pathfinding: The scout attempts a Wisdom (Survival) score using the area’s Navigation DC. On a success, the expedition can treat trackless terrain as if it had a trail for one watch.

A character can scout during a watch in which an expedition is traveling only if their speed is faster than the expedition’s. Alternatively, scouts can be sent out during watches in which the rest of the expedition are active or resting (but not traveling).

An additional encounter check is made for each scouting group. (They are effectively a separate expedition while engaged in scouting.)

SENTINEL

A member of an expedition acting as a sentinel can make Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect threats or notice anything else out of the ordinary.

Design Note: If you use passive Wisdom (Perception) scores, their use on journeys is also limited to sentinels. I do not.

Advanced Rule – Outrider: During a travel watch, a character can journey out in an effort to protect the expedition from detection or threats. Whenever an encounter is generated for the expedition, each outrider group can attempt a Wisdom (Perception) check (DC 15 or opposed by the encounter’s Stealth check) to detect the encounter before it’s encountered by the expedition.

However, an additional encounter check is also made for each outrider group at one-half the normal chance of an encounter. (It’s possible for outriders to discover locations or encounter creatures which would have otherwise been missed by the main expedition.)

SIGHTING

During an active watch, a character can take a watch action to find an outlook – a good sighting place which will allow the character to significantly extend the distance to which they can see the surrounding wilderness. (See Hexcrawl Tools: Spot Distances.)

At the GM’s discretion, a skill check may be required to identify or reach the outlook. (For example, a Strength (Athletics) check to reach the top of an appropriately positioned tree.)

TRACKER

Finding Tracks: Searching a significant wilderness area for tracks is an active watch action. The tracker makes a Wisdom (Perception) check against the appropriate Track DC.

Following Tracks: Once tracks have been found, a tracker can follow the trail during a travel watch by making a Wisdom (Survival) check against the appropriate Track DC. A new check must be made each time the trail enter a new hex.

If a trail is lost, it may be possible to reacquire it using the Finding Tracks action.

Design Note: Generally speaking, it’s appropriate to use let it ride techniques when tracking a quarry. In this case, however, navigation (and possibly getting lost) is a significant component of the hexcrawl structure and these additional checks are meaningful.

However, you could easily decide to go the other direction: A single successful Wisdom (Survival) check could follow the trail all the way to its end. Alternatively, you might only call for new checks when the terrain (the tracks enter the desert) or conditions (it starts raining) change, creating points of uncertainty.

TRACK DCs

Advanced Rule – Cover Your Tracks: As a watch action, a character can attempt to cover the expedition’s tracks. This is a stealth action, requiring the expedition to be moving at a slow pace. The character makes a Wisdom (Stealth) or Wisdom (Survival) check to set the Track DC for any pursuer attempting to find or follow their tracks. The check suffers disadvantage in very soft ground, but gains advantage on hard ground. Condition modifiers apply normally to the pursuer’s tracking check.

TRAILBLAZER

When an expedition is trailblazing (see Advanced Rule: Trailblazing), one member of the expedition must use their watch action to blaze the trail. If hidden signs are being employed, an additional character can assist the trailblazer on their Wisdom (Stealth) check.

Go to Part 4: Navigation

Go to Part 1

The rules for wilderness exploration can be broken down into four modules:

• Wilderness Travel, with rules for timekeeping and determining the distance traveled.
• Watch Actions, which allow characters traveling through the wilderness to do activities other than simply moving.
• Navigation, providing a structure for determining where the characters actually go.
• Encounter System, for determining what characters experience during their travels.

To some extent, each of these modules can be used independently of the others, either by simply ignoring a particular module or, in some cases, by assuming a basic default for the module.

For example, instead of using the rules for wilderness travel, you could simply assume that an expedition always moves 24 miles or 2 hexes per day, while still using the rules for navigation to determine where the PCs end up with that distance traveled. Conversely, you could use all the rules for wilderness travel to greatly vary and customize the distance traveled each day, but simultaneously ignore all the rules for navigation and simply checking off the distance traveled towards whatever destination was selected.

But, of course, the four modules are also designed to be used together, with the results produced by one module enhancing and informing the others.

WATCHES

A watch is the basic unit for tracking time. A watch is equal to 4 hours.

Determining Time Within a Watch: To randomly generate a particular time within a watch, use 1d8 to determine the half hour and 1d30 to determine the exact minute (if necessary).

WATCH TYPES

There are six watches per day and three types of watch:

• Active
• Rest
• Travel

While traveling, it is generally assumed that an expedition is spending two watches per day traveling, two watches per day resting, and two watches per day engaged in other activities.

Forced March: If a character spends more than two watches traveling in one day, they must make a Constitution check (DC 10 + 1 per hour of additional travel). On a failure, they suffer one level of exhaustion.

TRAVEL PACE

During each travel watch, the expedition determines their travel pace.

Normal: An expedition traveling at normal pace cannot use Stealth checks to avoid detection.

Slow: While moving at a slow pace, the expedition is purposely being careful. An expedition traveling at slow pace:

• Gains advantage on navigation checks.
• Can make Stealth checks to avoid detection.
• The chance for a non-exploratory encounter is halved. (If a non-exploratory encounter is generated, there is a 50% chance it doesn’t actually happen.)

Exploration: While exploring, an expedition is assumed to be trying out side trails, examining objects of interest, and so forth. While exploring, an expedition:

• Cannot use Stealth checks to avoid detection.
• Gains advantage on navigation checks.
• The chance for encounters is doubled.

Fast: While moving quickly through the wilderness, expeditions traveling at fast pace:

• Cannot use Stealth checks to avoid detection.
• Suffer disadvantage to Wisdom (Perception) checks.
• Suffer a -5 penalty to navigation checks.

BASIC TRAVEL DISTANCE

Note: Per Day on this table is based on traveling for two watches (8 hours); i.e., a full day of travel without a forced march.

ADVANCED RULE: MOUNTS & VEHICLES

Gallop: If riding a mount, you can gallop for 1 hour during a watch in which you are traveling at normal or fast pace. During that hour you travel at twice your fast pace speed. (This results in a total watch distance of 18 miles at normal pace or 22.5 miles at fast pace.)

If fresh mounts are available every 8 or 10 miles, characters can cover larger distances at this pace, but this is very rare except in densely populated areas.

Note: If you are using the advanced rules for party speed below, do not use the rule for galloping.

Land Vehicles: Choose pace normally.

Waterborne Vehicles: Distance is limited to the speed of the vessel. On some ships, characters may be able to take rest and active watches even while the ship is moving. This may also allow the ship to travel up to 24 hours a day if the crew can operate in multiple shifts.

Unsuitable Terrain: Most land vehicles are designed to be used on roads, although many will fair well in open terrain (like a prairie). At the GM’s discretion, in unsuitable terrain a vehicle may be limited to a slow pace and ability checks may be required each watch to make any progress at all.

ADVANCED RULE: EXPEDITION SPEED

An expedition’s speed is based on the speed of its slowest member.

• In 1 hour at normal pace, the expedition can travel a number of miles equal to its speed divided by 10.
• At a fast pace, the expedition can travel 150% of its normal speed.
• At a slow pace, the expedition can travel two-thirds of its normal speed.
• At an exploration pace, the expedition can travel one-half of its normal speed.
• Calculate distance per watch based on the expedition’s hourly speed.

On the tables below, distances have been rounded to the nearest half mile.

EXPEDITION SPEED – PER HOUR

EXPEDITION SPEED – PER WATCH

Note: You might also choose to generally use the basic travel distance for expeditions, but use the advanced rules for expedition speed for unusual means of conveyance (via magic, mechanism, or fantastical mount, for example).

ADVANCED RULE: TERRAIN

The type of terrain modifies the speed at which an expedition can travel.

• Highway: A highway is a straight, major, paved road.
• Road: A road is a dirt track or similar causeway.
• Trail: An irregular byway. Probably unsuitable for most vehicles and may only allow for single-file travel. Most off-road travel follows local trails. A known trail does not usually require navigation checks, although a known trail in poor repair requires a DC 10 navigation check to follow.
• Trackless: Trackless terrain is a wild area with no paths. +2 to navigation DCs.

ADVANCED RULE: CONDITIONS

Certain climate conditions and activities modify the speed at which an expedition can travel.

Leading Pack Animal: Under normal circumstances, a pack-puller can lead a file with a number of animals equal to their passive Wisdom (Animal Handling) skill.

Poor Visibility: This condition also gives disadvantage to navigation and forage checks.

River Crossing: This penalty applies to any watch during which a river must be crossed. This does not apply if the characters are following a road which has a bridge on it, but does apply if they’re traveling cross-country and must seek out a bridge.

ADVANCED RULE: ACTUAL DISTANCE TRAVELED

The distance cited on the travel tables is the average distance traveled. The actual distance traveled in a watch is 50% to 150% (2d6+3 x 10%) of that distance.

Characters can ascertain the actual distance traveled with a successful Wisdom (Survival) check made at the navigation DC of the terrain. On a failure, they assume the average value of the distance traveled.

Design Note: The purpose of this rule is to make accurate mapping more difficult. (You could hypothetically adapt a similar rule to dungeon exploration in order to make accurate mapping of the dungeon environment more difficult, too, although the resolution time involved would probably be prohibitive.)

ADVANCED RULE: TRAILBLAZING

Trailblazing is a special travel pace which can be taken in conjunction with other travel paces. It reduces the expedition’s speed by one-half, but also marks an efficient trail through the wilderness with some form of signs – paint, simple carvings, cloth flags, etc.

Once blazed, this is considered a known trail to the expedition.

Hidden Signs: The signs of a trail can be followed by any creature. When blazing a trail, however, the character making the signs can make a Wisdom (Stealth) check to disguise them so that they can only be noticed or found with a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check.

You don’t need to make a Wisdom (Perception) check to follow your own hidden signs (or the hidden signs of a known trail you’ve followed before). Those who are aware of the trail’s existence but who have not followed it before gain advantage on their Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check to find the trail sign.

Note: Trail signs – including hidden trail signs – may be encountered as an exploration encounter in a hex the trail passes through.

Optional Rule – Old Trails: Most trail signs are impermanent and likely to decay over time. There is a 1 in 6 chance per season that a trail will decay from good repair to weather worn; from weather worn to poor repair; or from poor repair to no longer existing.

Someone traveling along a weather worn trail can restore it to good repair as long as they are not traveling at fast pace. Trails in poor repair require someone to travel along them at the trailblazing travel pace to restore to good repair.

Note: Erecting more permanent trail signs – like cairns, stone carvings, etc. – is a significant and time-consuming activity, but may be worthwhile on well-traveled trails.

HEXES

1 Hex = 12 miles (center to center / side to side) = 7 mile sides = 124 square miles

Movement on the wilderness hex grid is abstracted. In order to determine if an expedition has left a hex, you must keep track of their progress within the hex.

Starting in a Hex: If an expedition starts movement within a hex, it requires 6 miles of progress to exit any face of the hex.

Optional Rule: You can choose to bias a starting position. For example, you might see that a river flows near the western edge of a hex. If the PCs start traveling from that river, you might decide it only takes 2 miles to exit through the hex’s western face and 10 miles to exit through its eastern face.

Crossing Hex to a Far Side: It requires 12 miles of progress to exit a hex through one of the three faces on the opposite side.

Crossing Hex to a Near Side: It requires 6 miles of progress to exit a hex through one of the two nearest faces.

Changing Direction: Changing direction more than once within a hex will result in the loss of 2 miles of progress each time direction is changed.

Back the Way We Came: If characters deliberately double back along their own trail, simply reduce their progress until they exit the hex. If they leave back through the face through which they entered the hex for any other reason (by getting lost, for example) it requires an additional 1d6-1 miles of progress to exit the hex (unless circumstances suggest some other figure).

Go to Part 3: Watch Actions

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden is designed as a sandbox. And not just in name only. It’s the real deal: A campaign where the players are empowered to either choose or define what their next scenario is going to be.

In the latest Advanced Gamemastery video, I simulate the opening sessions of a campaign in Icewind Dale, walking you through how a master GM brings the Forgotten Realms to life.

ICEWIND DALE ARTICLES
Review: Icewind Dale – Rime of the Frostmaiden
Icewind Dale: Running the Sandbox
Icewind Dale: Travel Times
Icewind Dale: Goat-Ball
Sandbox & Simulation

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