Wilderness Exploration

[MadGrady]

So I am currently running a level 5 Pirate campaign. Players have a ship, and are sailing the high seas and finding adventure. In one of my upcomming sessions, they will encounter a lost island that will require exploration.

My group hasn't really done the whole wilderness exploration deal, and, as DM, I find it a bit difficult to not just have them appear at the next important event - skipping the 2 mile journey it took to get there.

I would like to include some survival/exploration pieces to this game, but I can't think how to do it that keeps the players interest.

Obviously whatever I do will be tailored to the needs/preferences of my group, but my question to you wonderful people is how do you all typically plan/play an exploration piece of your game? How do you keep it engaging?

Thanks!

[Bubzors]

In your case I would suggest looking at the playtest release of Isle of Dread. It is an adventure set on a tropical island that includes a hex map of the island. Each hex has a terrain type, the packet outlays how long it takes to travel through the hexes, the random monsters you may find in the region, and important locations. You can straight up steal the map, or just use it for inspiration.

It even includes a rough outline map of the coast you can give the players so they can fill in the map as they explore the island while you have the completed map.

[Fwiffo86]

Also, be sure to track their food and water. They will start caring immediately when they start getting penalties for not eating or drinking enough.

[Spacehamster]

Could shipwreck them there to add seriousness to the situation, first part of it would be to try and salvage some supplies from the wreck, then in the exploration have them scavenge for food, search for fresh water. Maybe the come upon a savage village of cannibals that are too many to fight so they have to sneak around and fight them in skirmishes, ofc the island is monster infested, tropical with steaming heat and conveniently happen to have a functioning ship in a forgotten cove somewhere(ofc littered with zombie/ghost pirates).

[MadGrady]

All excellent ideas so far. Keep em coming!

[EvanescentHero]

Make sure to include a smoke monster that makes weird metallic and clicking noises, a group of antagonistic other people who kidnap members of the party, and polar bears.

...wait...

In all seriousness, if you have civilization here (currently, not in the past), include hints about that. Have animals as encounters, and traps for those animals that can catch a PC too. Maybe talk about trees that have been cut down and fruit that's been picked.

[Typewriter]

I had a campaign that involved a lot of overland travel so I created two copies of a hex map, one had icons for locations of interest and other tidbits and the other one didn't. The players used the 'blank' map to plan their route, and I used the 'master' map to see when they encountered something interesting. There were icons for monster dens, treasures, traps, interesting NPCs, towns, relics, etc. etc.

This link goes to the campaign documents I used, I can't view it at work, but the link should work for you. I think it has the maps and the encounters legend I used.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B64n2Zv8vmuyMl85U3ZOWEVLRXM&authuser=0

[Magic Myrmidon]

Yeah, after playing Kingmaker, I think the hex map might be the best way to do the travel/exploration thing.

[jkat718]

In your case I would suggest looking at the playtest release of Isle of Dread. It is an adventure set on a tropical island that includes a hex map of the island. Each hex has a terrain type, the packet outlays how long it takes to travel through the hexes, the random monsters you may find in the region, and important locations. You can straight up steal the map, or just use it for inspiration.

It even includes a rough outline map of the coast you can give the players so they can fill in the map as they explore the island while you have the completed map.

Are the playtest packets publicly released now? Or do you just mean download borrow a copy from the internet a friend?

Yeah, after playing Kingmaker, I think the hex map might be the best way to do the travel/exploration thing.

This is actually got the DMG recommends doing overland ("wilderness") travel.

[MadGrady]

Im definitely digging the hex map (never used one before, but understand the concept). I found the one for Isle of Dread, and I love it, it's almost perfect as is.

Also like the idea about animal traps and such. All excellent ideas. You guys rock!

[Gritmonger]

A lost island is a typical setup where you have some unusual feature of the island that means it is lost in time (dinosaurs as monsters) or lost in scale (giant or even lilliputian monsters) or is in some other way host to some element that makes the wildlife unusual in some respect. Maybe it is feytouched and dominated by warring groups of blink dogs and displacer beasts.

Then there is always the Isle of Dr. Moreau or any other island-owning doctor, who tend to be not very stable and end up hunting man for sport or otherwise experimenting with new arrivals. Owlbears have to come from somewhere after all.

[Spacehamster]

Im definitely digging the hex map (never used one before, but understand the concept). I found the one for Isle of Dread, and I love it, it's almost perfect as is.

Also like the idea about animal traps and such. All excellent ideas. You guys rock!

Also since it's a pirate campaign why not have the island have a perfect natural harbor ofc with a ****-ton of reefs around the island making it perfect for a hidden base. Would be a perfect spot for the pc's pirate stronghold to be built if you are interested in letting them have a stronghold. :)

[Naanomi]

Creates opportunities to put the party in conflict with other adventuring groups in ways besides combat... Do we take the short rest? That other group of explorers had totally looted the jungle temple we found just hours after they did!