BoutsofInsanity
2021-10-01, 09:48 AM
You are running Exploration wrong, and it’s not your fault!
5e sucks at explaining what exploration is, much less providing a step by step framework to run it as a dungeon master. The rules are spread out across several different books and despite it being a third pillar of design, it's not even named correctly because exploration comes with connotative baggage. It should really be called discovery. Regardless, I’ve put together a practical, a 3 step guide to running exploration in 5e right here. With examples. Most of you already know how to do this anyway.
Important - Exploration is the feeling of players (not their characters) discovering something of their own volition.
It is NOT hex crawling, survival or travel. Those concepts are an amalgamation of all three pillars of D&D and exploration is a part of them. Not the other way around.
If you want to actually run Exploration in 5e do the following 3 things.
Step 1 - Determine your scope. How much prep work are you willing to throw away if the player’s don’t explore the discovery? Single secret room in a dungeon? An optional passageway? An altar with a boon? Or a complete side adventure like a new dungeon? It's your call. you are the DM you know your prep ability better than anyone.
The Secret Room - The player’s are assaulting a ruined keep home of the mad mummy Malchior. You, the DM, have placed a secret room that holds an altar to a long dead paladin. If a “pure of heart” (lawful good) character prays to the altar, a Holy Avenger sword will appear on it.
The Forgotten Cave - The players are travelling overland for the next two weeks. You have placed a forgotten cave system with an altar to a dark god nearby. It’s a complete dungeon that will have loot and treasure for those brave enough to explore it’s depths.
The Painted World - The PC’s are stealing a diamond out of a museum. There is a magical painting that, if touched, will transport the characters to a pocket dimension where they will have to complete the Curse of Straud module to escape.
Step 2 - Determine your triggers and cost - You need to have some sort of methodology on how players will determine that something interesting is over off the beaten path. I recommend using ability checks, description, and specific auto triggers to prompt interaction. This is the most important part.
The Secret Room - In order to detect the secret room a passive perception or active roll of 15 or higher will cause a character to note that something is off about the room. A 20 or higher passive perception or active roll will say that something weird is going on with the walls. An investigation of the walls equal to 15, or a player knocking on the wall will note that it’s empty on the other side. Destroying the wall (AC 12 HP 15) will open the secret room. (Conversely, dealing damage by AOE in the room will also damage the wall.) - No cost, just time.
The Forgotten Cave - As the PC’s travel overland, if they have a player scouting or foraging ahead they automatically will discover a separate game trail that has tracks denoting some manner of aberrant creature. Otherwise it’s a passive perception of 20 to notice the trail. If they follow the path it will take them to the cave. (Note how travel pace and actions taken during travel affect this.) - If they travel the path, they lose one day's worth of travel.
The Painted World - If the PC’s pass through the room of paintings on their way to steal the diamond they will automatically notice several paintings of great value on the walls. Rolling any kind of investigation, history, or arcana check DC 15 will denote that one painting is magical, either by the description card, general art knowledge, or arcana. If they choose to specifically investigate the magical painting and touch it it will draw them into the world. - The cost is a complete new adventure
Step 3 - Run those discoveries. DO NOT tell them what they are if they choose not to engage with the potential discoveries. DO NOT force them to engage. The entire point of exploration is the part of discovering something off the beaten path. Often there is a reward, but there doesn't have to be. Also, not telling them means you can reuse them later.
Lost Altar - Let the player’s interact with the altar or room. If they choose to move on, let them. This should not have any bearing on their ability to defeat the dungeon.
The Forgotten Cave - Have a dungeon prepared, or a random dungeon generated, and run the dungeon. Give out loot and experience at the end.
The Painted World - Run the module Curse of Straud but with some way of returning to the material world. Or a brief moment of having an escape hatch if the player’s don’t want to get drawn into an entire module.
You may have to train your players into this mindset. Start slow, small, and with very easy triggers so they know they can start looking for stuff. Exploration rewards engagement. If the players are engaging with your material, reward them with discoveries. Here are other examples of exploration. They don't have to always be a prepared thing, sometimes the best discoveries and exploration occur when the DM improvises something.
Chatting with random NPC’s can unlock a small quest line
Reading in the library could unlock the location of a lost dungeon with treasure.
Flirting with a barmaid could gain the animosity of a town guard.
Asking a magic school student what they are studying (While they are in the park reading) could open up an entire subplot of Hogwarts in D&D. Something they never would have dealt with had they not chatted up the random nerd on a park bench.
Just listening on a park bench and people watching could discover that two nobles are plotting against a third separate noble.
Old maps could showcase a new landmark to explore off the main quest line.
The list goes on and on. Exploration is rewarding player engagement with discovery. And discovery is the feeling that players get when they learn something new.
Ending
I hope this helps. Even prompting a discussion about it, with practical ideas on running exploration is great. Exploration is a key component of 5e and the designers didn’t do a good job for making exploration understood. Exploration at its core is discovering something new. Now I know that running hex crawls, survival and travel are what we typically think of as exploration. But it’s not. Exploration is a part of those things, that’s true. But those things also need the other pillars to really bring them alive. You should absolutely apply the techniques above to hex crawling, survival and travel. But those aren’t what exploration is. Instead they are vehicles to allow for exploration.
If you have some ideas on running exploration in your own game, your own systems and tricks, let me know. You more than likely have a better way to do it. And I want to steal it.
Thank you.
5e sucks at explaining what exploration is, much less providing a step by step framework to run it as a dungeon master. The rules are spread out across several different books and despite it being a third pillar of design, it's not even named correctly because exploration comes with connotative baggage. It should really be called discovery. Regardless, I’ve put together a practical, a 3 step guide to running exploration in 5e right here. With examples. Most of you already know how to do this anyway.
Important - Exploration is the feeling of players (not their characters) discovering something of their own volition.
It is NOT hex crawling, survival or travel. Those concepts are an amalgamation of all three pillars of D&D and exploration is a part of them. Not the other way around.
If you want to actually run Exploration in 5e do the following 3 things.
Step 1 - Determine your scope. How much prep work are you willing to throw away if the player’s don’t explore the discovery? Single secret room in a dungeon? An optional passageway? An altar with a boon? Or a complete side adventure like a new dungeon? It's your call. you are the DM you know your prep ability better than anyone.
The Secret Room - The player’s are assaulting a ruined keep home of the mad mummy Malchior. You, the DM, have placed a secret room that holds an altar to a long dead paladin. If a “pure of heart” (lawful good) character prays to the altar, a Holy Avenger sword will appear on it.
The Forgotten Cave - The players are travelling overland for the next two weeks. You have placed a forgotten cave system with an altar to a dark god nearby. It’s a complete dungeon that will have loot and treasure for those brave enough to explore it’s depths.
The Painted World - The PC’s are stealing a diamond out of a museum. There is a magical painting that, if touched, will transport the characters to a pocket dimension where they will have to complete the Curse of Straud module to escape.
Step 2 - Determine your triggers and cost - You need to have some sort of methodology on how players will determine that something interesting is over off the beaten path. I recommend using ability checks, description, and specific auto triggers to prompt interaction. This is the most important part.
The Secret Room - In order to detect the secret room a passive perception or active roll of 15 or higher will cause a character to note that something is off about the room. A 20 or higher passive perception or active roll will say that something weird is going on with the walls. An investigation of the walls equal to 15, or a player knocking on the wall will note that it’s empty on the other side. Destroying the wall (AC 12 HP 15) will open the secret room. (Conversely, dealing damage by AOE in the room will also damage the wall.) - No cost, just time.
The Forgotten Cave - As the PC’s travel overland, if they have a player scouting or foraging ahead they automatically will discover a separate game trail that has tracks denoting some manner of aberrant creature. Otherwise it’s a passive perception of 20 to notice the trail. If they follow the path it will take them to the cave. (Note how travel pace and actions taken during travel affect this.) - If they travel the path, they lose one day's worth of travel.
The Painted World - If the PC’s pass through the room of paintings on their way to steal the diamond they will automatically notice several paintings of great value on the walls. Rolling any kind of investigation, history, or arcana check DC 15 will denote that one painting is magical, either by the description card, general art knowledge, or arcana. If they choose to specifically investigate the magical painting and touch it it will draw them into the world. - The cost is a complete new adventure
Step 3 - Run those discoveries. DO NOT tell them what they are if they choose not to engage with the potential discoveries. DO NOT force them to engage. The entire point of exploration is the part of discovering something off the beaten path. Often there is a reward, but there doesn't have to be. Also, not telling them means you can reuse them later.
Lost Altar - Let the player’s interact with the altar or room. If they choose to move on, let them. This should not have any bearing on their ability to defeat the dungeon.
The Forgotten Cave - Have a dungeon prepared, or a random dungeon generated, and run the dungeon. Give out loot and experience at the end.
The Painted World - Run the module Curse of Straud but with some way of returning to the material world. Or a brief moment of having an escape hatch if the player’s don’t want to get drawn into an entire module.
You may have to train your players into this mindset. Start slow, small, and with very easy triggers so they know they can start looking for stuff. Exploration rewards engagement. If the players are engaging with your material, reward them with discoveries. Here are other examples of exploration. They don't have to always be a prepared thing, sometimes the best discoveries and exploration occur when the DM improvises something.
Chatting with random NPC’s can unlock a small quest line
Reading in the library could unlock the location of a lost dungeon with treasure.
Flirting with a barmaid could gain the animosity of a town guard.
Asking a magic school student what they are studying (While they are in the park reading) could open up an entire subplot of Hogwarts in D&D. Something they never would have dealt with had they not chatted up the random nerd on a park bench.
Just listening on a park bench and people watching could discover that two nobles are plotting against a third separate noble.
Old maps could showcase a new landmark to explore off the main quest line.
The list goes on and on. Exploration is rewarding player engagement with discovery. And discovery is the feeling that players get when they learn something new.
Ending
I hope this helps. Even prompting a discussion about it, with practical ideas on running exploration is great. Exploration is a key component of 5e and the designers didn’t do a good job for making exploration understood. Exploration at its core is discovering something new. Now I know that running hex crawls, survival and travel are what we typically think of as exploration. But it’s not. Exploration is a part of those things, that’s true. But those things also need the other pillars to really bring them alive. You should absolutely apply the techniques above to hex crawling, survival and travel. But those aren’t what exploration is. Instead they are vehicles to allow for exploration.
If you have some ideas on running exploration in your own game, your own systems and tricks, let me know. You more than likely have a better way to do it. And I want to steal it.
Thank you.