PCs getting lost? (Best Practices)

[Necrosnoop110]

DM here wanted to know how others handle the PCs getting lost. Anything more interesting than rolling a Survival check to go from lost to not lost? Ultimately, both DMs and PCs know that the PCs will not stay lost forever, so it seems like "being lost" has no meaningful consequence and is a boring waste of time.

Any interesting take or twist to PCs getting lost, staying lost, or finding their way out of being lost?

Thanks,
Necro

[JNAProductions]

DM here wanted to know how others handle the PCs getting lost. Anything more interesting than rolling a Survival check to go from lost to not lost? Ultimately, both DMs and PCs know that the PCs will not stay lost forever, so it seems like "being lost" has no meaningful consequence and is a boring waste of time.

Any interesting take or twist to PCs getting lost, staying lost, or finding their way out of being lost?

Thanks,
Necro

Encounter something they didn't expect.

Have something pressing on their time, so each hour/day spent lost means less time for their task.

Roll a Survival check for the entire travel, if it's not interesting, and just narrate through it. As an example, if they're cutting a path through the forest to go from Citytropolis to Townville, but there's not really any time pressure nor any real danger from the forest... Just have one check and speed through it, with a good check getting them there nice and fast, no issues; a moderate check getting them there in about the time they'd expect; and a poor check resulting in an extra day or two on the trip as they get lost. Couple minutes of table time, tops.

[Kurt Kurageous]

AFB, but pretty sure DMG has rules on this. Something like DCs based on terrain. Getting lost means the party loses 1d6 hours figuring it out.

Consequence? Time lost. If time has zero meaning in your game, then you are correct in assuming getting lost (and skill checks to avoid it) is pointless.

How to make time meaningful in your game? That's a good question. You are a good DM for even considering it.

The best way I know is about to be revealed by the AngryGM.com using something called a Tension Pool.

Essentially its a bowl into which you noisily plop up a d6 up to 6d6, one for each unit of time you are tracking (10 minutes in dungeon, a day in overland travel, etc) or one for each time the party does something that might draw attention. You roll all the dice when they do the attention seeking thing or when the pool hits 6d6. Any and all 1s count as "something bad happening." If you rolled with 6d6, remove all dice and consider an hour/day/whatever unit of time to have passed and apply logistical consequences (torch burns out, pay owed hirelings, sun begins to set, etc.).

If I write anything more, I'm going to be guilty (again) of a thread hijacking.

[Necrosnoop110]

If I write anything more, I'm going to be guilty (again) of a thread hijacking.

Thanks for the response. Feel free to write out a long post, just put in the spoiler so as not to anger anyone. :)

I like that dice idea.

[Demonslayer666]

If it's not important, keep it to a roll. Simple and short. Nothing has to happen when you get lost besides losing the time and some food and water.

If you want it more involved, use it as a plot hook to a side adventure. "Help me, and I'll guide you out of the jungle." Or maybe they stumble on an ancient dungeon.

[Necrosnoop110]

If it's not important, keep it to a roll. Simple and short. Nothing has to happen when you get lost besides losing the time and some food and water.

I agree and that's typically how things go at my tables. I was just seeing if there was anyone out there who had found a unique or interesting way to squeeze more out of the PCs getting/staying/moving beyond being lost.