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Message: <blockquote data-quote="fba827" data-source="post: 4381669" data-attributes="member: 807">Just because it's unchartered by known society, doesn't mean it isn't mapped out by some unknown source   (maybe a humanoid city at the other side of the land - all the words on the map are written in another language, etc) or maybe they find a map in the rubble from the first colony (like a crude starter map)The PCs may not know who made the map, and, yes, they may wonder where it came from, but you'll know a reason/excuse as to where it came from. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Looking over your list of things they can do/explore, you seem to be missing one angle from your original scenario description ---- finding out what happened to the original colony.  Do you already have something in mind?  (don't post it if your players check this site)   * something political (maybe something to do with someone in one of the Houses that funded the original colony)  * a monster still on the land and can be encountered eventually by the PCs.... (or could eventually go to "the main land" and so will have to be stopped)  * a natural disaster that may happen again ...  (or a natural force that will eventually also happen to the "main land")But once you have some vague idea of what happened, you may get some ideas or seeds for adventures.  The political angel may have them visiting the main land to investigate something or other, etc.Other stuff they can do :  * after dealing with local tribes (as enemies) maybe they eventually meet a tribe that they can forge an alliance with, or have to perform as moderator between two tribes.  It would just allow for some more social encounters to mix up the wilderness exploring, dungeon running, and tribe warfare.  * (this is a spin on the stasis idea you said), maybe there is a mystical cave near the site of the original colony.  After exploring that cave, after they exit, they find themselves a year in the past at the original colony before it's descruction.  Of course, you'll have to decide how much they will be able to affect historical events (or else "pull them back out of the past before any major historical event).   And if this is an idea you want to play with over a couple sessions, then maybe they travel back a few tmes, each time they travel back, they are put "in time" closer and closer to the disaster (1 month before the disatser, then 15 days before the disaster, then the day of ...)  Or the opposite, it sends them to the future of the colony site... or alternating between past and future, etc.   So they can spend part of a session interacting with the past, maybe picking up clues as to what was happening.  Or a 100 years in the past and see another civilization there ... -- but never tell them what "time" they are in, or that it even is a different time, let them figure it out from clues..  * and why can't there be pirates?  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  it IS away from civilization, but that would make it a perfect hiding place for the pirates to get away or for them to hide their treasures -- won't they be pissed at the PCs when they find the PCs on the beach near the buried treasure...  * Also, maybe they find ruins from _another_ colony that was there decades before... it was also destroyed....   by the same source? or a different source...   but that would give you the excuse to have some more ruins to explore and possibly another place they could find a map.anyway, just rambling incoherent thoughts.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />But, yeah, to avoid railroading, I'd say pick up on some way to work a map in early on so that the PCs have sites they can use as goals to explore.  Or, depending on the tactics of your players, they may capture one of the humanoid tribes and get info on the local landmarks.</blockquote>

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