How to properly roleplay being lost in a jungle

[RealMarkP]

I will be delving into the first book of the Serpent's Skull adventure path (Pathfinder) and from a quick glance, it appears that there will be lots of wandering. Wandering is boring; walking from one encounter to another can get old. I'd like to add a sense of realism to being lost in a jungle, but I'm finding it difficult on how to roleplay such an environment. What kind of advice could you give me for this adventure?

If the characters want chart to the jungle island, I'll be helping them do that.

I'm currently looking into random events that might occur during the trip. Such as, a snake bite while they are resting or a mosquito bite during travel. Each will carry some sort of toxin that may weaken them. Maybe while resting, they get overrun by a swarm of rats (Maybe they are being chased by something)? I'd love to see a table of such events if one exists somewhere...

[dream]

Disease-carrying mosquitoes
quicksand
stinging-insect swarm (bees/wasps/hornets)
jaguars/leopards
crocodiles
anaconda (giant snakes)
fog
dense vegetation
traps (set by locals)
hard rain
getting lost
dinosaurs
carnivorous plants
rapids/waterfalls
cliffs/ravines
hunters
mistaking poisonous plants for edible ones
army ants
heat

How's that?

[Beta Centauri]

Ask the players what they think would make it "realistic" for them.

Constant random animal encounters are not only not that "realistic," but will also slow the pace of the game to a crawl if they're actually played out.

Generally, when there's no significant event (which there usually wouldn't be during such travels), focus on effects. In a jungle, the heat and humidity would be oppressive, there would be clouds of insects, and movement would be slowed to an arduous crawl. I'm not a fan of tracking resources, but you could, for instance, tell them that after an exhausting day of hacking their way through the jungle, they find that they've barely traveled a mile. The next day, weakened by the heat, they only make a half-mile.

Even without looking at their supplies, they're likely to reach the conclusion that it seems hopeless, which is the exact idea. I would then expect them to break out spells or other resources that shorten or simplify the whole trip. If they don't have anything like that, then I'd skip ahead and tell them that they arrive at their destination starving and weak. I wouldn't find that fun myself, but it's generically realistic.

[Admiral Squish]

I imagine it would vary by character, but I suspect most would have a reasonably similar reaction to being lost in bug-infested sweltering jungle: Lots of swearing.

For serious, though, I think you wouldn't want to throw extra encounters in the mix, you'd just want to gloss over it with stuff like 'after hacking your way through miles of vines, snakes, and more insects than you could ever hope to count...'

[Mr Beer]

Realistically unpleasant animal encounters are more mosquitos/leeches/intestinal parasites/army ants/candiru fish and less ravening jaguars and anacondas.

Actually, now I think of it, I'm definitely using the candiru fish for the next time my PCs are in the jungle.

[LibraryOgre]

A method I was introduced to a few years ago, that I great enjoyed, was to use a memory game to represent exploration. Lay out an 8*8 grid of cards, each with a specific event listed on them. Matching the cards gets the event and represents as success. Each attempt takes time. A certain number of successes is necessary to finish. Every so often, the GM gets to reshuffle a given row or column. You might toss in skill checks to add a bonus of some sort... maybe pick three cards and if two match, you win, or a skill check to force you to pick a certain row or column to reshuffle (i.e. "We can't get lost on this part.")

So, for a "map a jungle island", you might have each check represent a half day or a day. They spend a large amount of time wandering around, but navigation or cartography skills might help make it go more quickly.

[TheCountAlucard]

Give them malaria. Give the players malaria.

It'll make one hell of a roleplaying aid.

[LibraryOgre]

Give them malaria. Give the players malaria.

It'll make one hell of a roleplaying aid.

And war crimes conviction! :smallbiggrin:

[goto124]

Keep telling the players about the mosquitos. Play in an area with a lot of mosquitos, so they get to feel the itches for real! :smalltongue:

[Mr Beer]

Give them malaria. Give the players malaria.

It'll make one hell of a roleplaying aid.

"Well I happen to think that chronic recurrent fever is a small price to pay for a quality roleplaying experience, but I suppose that we shall have to differ on that, good day sir. I said good day!"