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
SURFACE | DC |
---|---|
Very soft ground (snow, wet mud) | 5 |
Soft ground (sand) | 10 |
Firm ground (fields, woods, thick rugs, dusty floors) | 15 |
Hard ground (bare rock, indoor floor, streambeds) | 20 |
CONDITION | MODIFIER |
Multiple people | -2 |
Large group | -4 |
Very large group | -8 |
Creature is bleeding | -4 |
Every day since the trail was made | +1 per day |
Every hour of rain since the trail was made | +1 per hour |
Fresh snow cover since the trail was made | +10 |
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.