Blog (A5E) Level Up: Exploration Challenges, Boons, & Monster Signs

We looked at exploration in Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition in a previous article about how we’re expanding the exploration pillar of the game. In that article we talked about Supplies, Safe Havens, and we introduced the concept of Exploration Challenges. This article talks about three of the tools that GMs have available to create a rich and vibrant environment:

• Exploration Challenges
• Boons & Discoveries
• Monster Signs

Exploration as a ‘pillar’ of the game includes underground as well as the wilderness. When you’re searching a dungeon, you’re exploring. When you’re trekking across hill and shire, you’re exploring. When you’re navigating a dense fantasy city, you’re exploring. When you’re flying through an elemental plane of air, you’re exploring.

Exploration Challenges, Boons, & Monster Signs — Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)

This article talks about three of the tools that GMs have available to create a rich and vibrant environment.

www.levelup5e.com

 

[EthanSental]

I’m enjoying the updates and look forward as it gets ready for print. What kind of timeframe (rough estimate) before we could get this book in our hands/table?

 

[Minigiant]

Boom Sold.
Tier 3 and 4 exploration challenges.

Can't believe I never thought of god corpse.

 

[Strider1973]

Great Work! The more I read about it, the more I am intrigued and thrilled by Level Up: Advanced 5th edition!

 

[Morrus]

I’m enjoying the updates and look forward as it gets ready for print. What kind of timeframe (rough estimate) before we could get this book in our hands/table?

Months yet. It's a BIG job! Biggest project we've ever done.

 

[Horwath]

 

[tetrasodium]

It’s also an area of design space that we imagine fans and third party publishers might enjoy expanding. You can never have too many Exploration Challenges to choose (or roll) from!

An area that looks a little unrepresented in the challenges are manifest zones or to put it in terms of anime/urban fiction/maybe even myth "areas where the border between this world/plane & another world/plane are weak & bleeding through." They make for good excuses to introduce elements of other planes without needing to actually go planehopping

 

[maceochaid]

Looks great, can't wait!

In the Tornado example I like having the guide to "automatic success" spells. But some guidance for lower level spells would be helpful too. For Instance "Spells might help the characters, although the howling winds scatter material components and stagger spellcasters making ritual casting impossible. At your discretion, another appropriate spell of 2-4 level (like Gust of Wind) might give advantage on the Athletics check to one party member per level of spell slot spent. Similarly appropriate spells of 5th level or above may halve the damage of a failed Strength save" (I have no idea of the balance I'm just trying to think of ways to help inspire DMs on how to adjudicate corner cases and reward clever spell use that still reminds DMs it is up to them)

 

[Morrus]

Looks great, can't wait!

In the Tornado example I like having the guide to "automatic success" spells. But some guidance for lower level spells would be helpful too. For Instance "Spells might help the characters, although the howling winds scatter material components and stagger spellcasters making ritual casting impossible. At your discretion, another appropriate spell of 2-4 level (like Gust of Wind) might give advantage on the Athletics check to one party member per level of spell slot spent. Similarly appropriate spells of 5th level or above may halve the damage of a failed Strength save" (I have no idea of the balance I'm just trying to think of ways to help inspire DMs on how to adjudicate corner cases and reward clever spell use that still reminds DMs it is up to them)

So the entire concept of Exploration Challenges is introduced with (paraphrased) -- 'this is freeform. do what you want. if your players come up with a cool idea that's the thing you should do. all we're doing is giving some suggestions, but we can't suggest everything.'

 

[maceochaid]

So the entire concept of Exploration Challenges is introduced with (paraphrased) -- 'this is freeform. do what you want. if your players come up with a cool idea that's the thing you should do. all we're doing is giving some suggestions, but we can't suggest everything.'

Totally got that! But I saved myself a ton of headache when one day I sketched out what level spells would roughly correspond to what kind of effects in exploration mode. It wasn't perfect (and there is a reason I don't want to suggest I belong on the team) but giving myself an idea of what level of resource needs to be expended for what kind of effect on the game helped me and my players feel like there was at least some kind of baseline understanding of how to spend resources to see effects.

I think that is what I feel most uncomfortable about DMing exploration. It just comes down to me saying "yes" or "no" to player ideas and can get really unfun when a player feels that Gust of Wind should have had some effect on the Tornado, but in the moment I can only say "tornado is too strong you waste your spell slot" because I don't feel a 2nd level spell should totally erase the threat altogether.

I guess maybe a bank of "great but half-baked" idea boons to help a DM out (especially us better at fluff but lousy at crunch Dms). It's just an idea, I'll quiet if I'm being a jerk.

 

[Morrus]

Totally got that! But I saved myself a ton of headache when one day I sketched out what level spells would roughly correspond to what kind of effects in exploration mode. It wasn't perfect (and there is a reason I don't want to suggest I belong on the team) but giving myself an idea of what level of resource needs to be expended for what kind of effect on the game helped me and my players feel like there was at least some kind of baseline understanding of how to spend resources to see effects.

I think that is what I feel most uncomfortable about DMing exploration. It just comes down to me saying "yes" or "no" to player ideas and can get really unfun when a player feels that Gust of Wind should have had some effect on the Tornado, but in the moment I can only say "tornado is too strong you waste your spell slot" because I don't feel a 2nd level spell should totally erase the threat altogether.

I guess maybe a bank of "great but half-baked" idea boons to help a DM out. It's just an idea, I'll quiet if I'm being a jerk.

The tiers will help with that (a tier 2 spell won't help with a tier 3 challenge, and a tier 4 party can ignore a tier 2 challenge). You can assume that a spell-caster will know that.