Ohh the Nentir Vale - Moon Hills example that Mearls had showed a screenshot of before. Nice.
Agreed, but isn’t a consequence for trying again exactly what the risk of random encounters provides?
The issue, of course, is what those consequences should be...This is somewhat interesting, but in my Planescape campaign I'm adapting the 5E Middle Earth rules, and I'm infinitely more excited for it. I appreciate how they come up with a much more interesting understanding of how to make the failure of the DC do something other than "they don't reach the Dungeon that is the whole point of my adventure so I'm going to wind up fudging that DC because otherwise I have no game to run"
here are (or should be) consequences for trying again. Time and resources are limited. If the tax to find or reach the destination is negligible, there shouldn't be any checks involved. Just let the party fast forward to their destination and ignore these types of mechanics.
Food, water, and exhaustion are built into the current adventuring rules regarding travel. I think this UA simply seeks to make them more prominent and more easily utilized in the game.The issue, of course, is what those consequences should be...
Right now, exploration is mostly a breezed over concept as there is few resources to track. In theory, food and water are resources to track (as being lost or waylaid could cost you both) but few DMs worry about tracking the minutiae of rations (hell, most don't track arrows). Besides, an outlander makes automatic food recovery and hunting or foraging is a survival check away.
So the only cost to failing a check is time; either as players (going through random encounters that might not further the plot) a characters, or both.
Perhaps some form of stamina mechanic (combining exhaustion and hp loss from environmental hazards) that measured your ability to withstand travel might work. That way, the effect of things like being lost, starved, caught in the rain, attacked by mosquitos, or chilled to the bone) could sap your strength. Resting at a non-dangerous place (like an inn or residence) could recover them. Seems like it would be another complicated system to track.
It's sorta realized in the game; but right now it's a mix of the exhaustion rules and hp loss, with some things (like inclement weather) not doing much at all. It's a hodgepodge of systems and could use a tad more tightening and consequence so that it becomes akin to how hp is tracked though combat...Food, water, and exhaustion are built into the current adventuring rules regarding travel. I think this UA simply seeks to make them more prominent and more easily utilized in the game.
Exploration is my favorite pillar!
Never underestimate the crushing, destructive power of inclement weather!It's sorta realized in the game; but right now it's a mix of the exhaustion rules and hp loss, with some things (like inclement weather) not doing much at all. It's a hodgepodge of systems and could use a tad more tightening and consequence so that it becomes akin to how hp is tracked though combat...
That said, the article starts with a good idea and if I'd love to see more sample terrains done...