Sparky McDibben
2020-03-12, 04:33 PM
Hey all,
I'm thinking of running a hexcrawl campaign. The fluff is this island (roughly the size of New Guinea) was ground zero in a bonkers magical meltdown. Picture Chernobyl meets the Mourning from Eberron. About three hundred years later, a church dedicated to law is trying to repopulate it by sending prisoners there to explore the demon-haunted jungles of the island, accompanied by their own clerics. So think Suicide Squad meets Apocalypse Now, in terms of game feel. Props to Ludic Savant for the idea.
Now, to my problem. I've never run a hexcrawl before. What resources give me the best mechanical options for running one in 5e? Should I pick up Tomb of Annihilation, or is there a better option? I'm looking for a system optimized for speed of use at the table, but that still gives the players interesting choices to make. If possible, it should give me a structure in which to build my own exploration encounters.
Also, if anyone has any fun ideas for exploration encounters, please let me know!
I'm thinking of running a hexcrawl campaign. The fluff is this island (roughly the size of New Guinea) was ground zero in a bonkers magical meltdown. Picture Chernobyl meets the Mourning from Eberron. About three hundred years later, a church dedicated to law is trying to repopulate it by sending prisoners there to explore the demon-haunted jungles of the island, accompanied by their own clerics. So think Suicide Squad meets Apocalypse Now, in terms of game feel. Props to Ludic Savant for the idea.
Now, to my problem. I've never run a hexcrawl before. What resources give me the best mechanical options for running one in 5e? Should I pick up Tomb of Annihilation, or is there a better option? I'm looking for a system optimized for speed of use at the table, but that still gives the players interesting choices to make. If possible, it should give me a structure in which to build my own exploration encounters.
Also, if anyone has any fun ideas for exploration encounters, please let me know!