D&D 5E Desert of Desolation map scale confusion

[fil512]

So I’m preparing to DM Desert of Desolation (adapted for 5e) but I’m confused by the exploration random encounters.

Chapter 5 p. 19 says:

“While the PCs are in this area, roll 1d6 every turn. On a roll of 1, there will be a random encounter.”

My understanding is that in the edition this adventure was written, a “turn” corresponds to ten minutes.

Looking at the map, the players will need to traverse about 50 hexes. On page 8 it says it will take the players approximately 3.5 hours to cross each hex.

This means there will be 3.5 * 6 * 50 = 1050 random encounter dice rolls to cross this area. What am I missing?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Ten-minute turns are the time frame used in dungeon adventures. Wilderness adventures use different time frames. If the module doesn't indicate how often to check for random encounters then I would default to one hexagon equals one chance for a random encounter.

 

[ccs]

Yeah, you'll find that (absurd amounts of random encounter checks) in old adventures.
Played as written? You won't make it out of a hex without a TPK....

I'd recommend substituting hours in place of turns.

 

[Helldritch]

If I remember correctly, one of the maps was inverted. It led to some inconsistencies.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Once per hour is too frequent. Remember you will be checking during resting as well, which means there would be an average of 1.3 encounters every night - so long resting would be impossible. A typical adventuring group sets 2 hour watches during a long rest, so 1 check every two hours works well for night time. Although on this occasion, the party will need around 10-11 nights, so once per night seems enough to me.

For traveling once per hex would yield around 8 encounters, which I would consider a bit on the high side, but acceptable.

Note that some of the encounters in Desert of Desolation aren't particularly balanced, that purple worm could easily TPK if you don't give the party the opportunity to detect and avoid it.

 

[Mirador7]

I am currently running Desert of Desolation and I roll for random encounters 3 times per day using the 1on a D6 method. Nothing too drastic so far, seems about right.

 

[jasper]

I had the individual modules. But nice I would use Mirador method. I would roll per hex. And have at least 10 encounters already stat and mapped out.

 

[fil512]

I am currently running Desert of Desolation and I roll for random encounters 3 times per day using the 1on a D6 method. Nothing too drastic so far, seems about right.

I wonder if the scale of the north knife pass map is different from the other maps. Is it possible one hex is not five miles on that map?

 

[Hriston]

I can’t find an explicit statement of what constitutes a wilderness exploration turn in 1E, although counting time in days is implied in the DMG.

If we’re talking about Pharaoh, however, which was originally created in 1977, before the rules for 1E were complete, then I think reference to the “OD&D” rules are certainly in order. Volume 3, Underworld & Wilderness Adventures has an explicit statement that a wilderness exploration turn equals one day, which is what I’d use in this case, given that 1E doesn’t seem to contain any statement that overrides this.

This will yield about four encounters over the course of a roughly 22 day journey.

 

[ccs]

Once per hour is too frequent. Remember you will be checking during resting as well, which means there would be an average of 1.3 encounters every night - so long resting would be impossible. A typical adventuring group sets 2 hour watches during a long rest, so 1 check every two hours works well for night time. Although on this occasion, the party will need around 10-11 nights, so once per night seems enough to me.

For traveling once per hex would yield around 8 encounters, which I would consider a bit on the high side, but acceptable.

Note that some of the encounters in Desert of Desolation aren't particularly balanced, that purple worm could easily TPK if you don't give the party the opportunity to detect and avoid it.

Well, I've been running this series (either the individual modules or the compilation) every few years since the mid 80s, & checking 1/HR has always worked well enough.
But hey, maybe it's just how the dice have rolled & the next time I run it the curve will catch up & things'll go south via constant random encounter.....
(In my games The random encounter dice are rolled by the players. I don't tell them the trigger range & I change the exact #s daily. It's written down. So if you figure out encounters happen 1/6 or whatever? , you won't know wich # triggers it - in case you want to try & avoid stuff by telling me the wrong #, knowing I'm not going to come over & look at what you rolled)

And not everything on the charts is (or has to be) a combat/rest interrupting encounter. Additionally I've had encounters where the distance between the party & the ? Put them on opposite sides of a dune.
The most amusing of those:
One 3x play through saw an ongoing joke develop as multiple nights running the dice gave one particular player a herd of donkeys passing the camp on thier watch - on the other side of the dune. The player never made a single perception check to notice them. The dice indicated the donkeys travel direction wich never crossed into the camp.
It became a joke - "HOW do you not ever notice these donkeys that are trailing us???"
No combat occured, no rest was interrupted. It was just something going on near the party.