Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 8723994" data-attributes="member: 97077">Here's something I wrote up, chiefly for explaining to players new to a focus on exploration how things work. It's based on 10-minute increments which I feel fits better in the game. In this particular game, I have random encounters checks every 2 hours, often I'll change that to 10 minutes or an hour in other adventure locations. I also separated keeping watch for monsters and staying alert for traps, which in some games I lump together into on ongoing task.Moving AroundAs you travel about the dungeon, you can choose to engage in an ongoing task. You cease to engage in this task when you stop to explore a given area more thoroughly. Common travel tasks include, but are not limited to the below. The associated passive check is provided, if there is a check at all.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Keep watch for lurking monsters (passive Perception)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Stay alert for signs of traps (passive Investigation or Perception)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Search for secret doors (passive Perception)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Draw a map (proficiency with cartographer's tools)</li> </ul>To have a chance to notice lurking monsters or signs of traps at the front of the party, you must be in the front rank of the marching order.To draw a map, you must have both hands free and the appropriate tools. A map of an entire floor of the dungeon can be used to deduce the location of secret doors and chambers. There is no associated check to draw a map.If you engage in any task other than keeping watch for lurking monsters, you are automatically surprised if a lurking monster is trying to sneak up on you.Thorough ExplorationWhen you decide to stop traveling and explore a given area, the exploration phase begins. An area of 1000 square feet or smaller can be explored in 10 minutes by one person.After the DM describes the environment, take turns describing what you want to do for the next 10 minutes. Common tasks and associated skills include, but are not limited to the below. An ability check is not required to resolve every task.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Check for Traps (Investigation or Perception)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Figure Out a Trap* (Investigation)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Disable a Trap* **(Thieves' Tools)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Keep Watch (Perception)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Forage (Survival)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Loot (Perception)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Perform a Ritual</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pick a Lock** (Thieves' Tools)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Search for Clues (Investigation)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Search for Secret Doors (Perception)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Figure Out a Secret Door* (Investigation)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Track (Survival)</li> </ul>Working Together. Instead of performing a task by yourself, you can work together with someone else. By working together, you grant advantage to the character leading the effort. You can only provide help if the task is one that you could attempt alone and when working together would actually be productive.* The task preceding this task must be successfully completed before you can undertake this task.** A character with Fast Hands can perform this task as well as another task of their choosing.</blockquote>

Verification