D&D 5E Exploration Rules You'd Like To See

[Primitive Screwhead]

Here, though, I think you're missing out another area that can be simplified. The whole "miles per day" thing is traditional, but for streamlined play there are other options that I like better. The way that some strategy games handle this is to divide the map into "areas" that take one "turn" (8 game hours?) to cross in any direction. The shape of the area is a function of the terrain:
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In 4e I started using 'Zone Combat' rules to make high level play faster and more entertaining. The basic concept is as you describe, with areas that take a move action to enter. The areas are linked by 'pathways' and 'stuntways'. Pathways are like the bridge over the river, an obvious chokepoint. Crossing a pathway grants advantage to the enemy on the other side. Stuntways are alternate ways of getting into the next zone, swinging on a vine or swimming across the rapids. These require skill checks and can be hazardous, but can get you safely into the next zone.. and possibly grant you advantage.

We could do area travel in much the same way, and have the advantage of using similar mechanics from the high level adventuring down into the combat level.

Funnily enough, I was thinking the other day about how "skill" is often manifest in "perception" - basically, someone trained and experienced in a skill will "see" a situation or problem very much differently than someone without the skill.
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Link this with the above idea of zones or areas and training could reveal stuntways. A group without any mountain climbing skill won't even see the possibility of climbing the cliffs of insanity as a way to cross into the next area. You could give a listing to the player of the sorts of stuntways they know about and have them suggest them during play.

 

[Frostmarrow]

With a graspable scale (mentioned above) I could see something like this:

Sheer effort 1d4
Trained skill and basic tool 1d6
Trained skill and silver standard tool 1d8
Trained skill and gold standard tool 1d10
Trained skill and platinum standard tool 1d12

Now, we can easily adjudicate any situation. -Healing a wounded friend: Sheer effort represents bringing blankets and hot water, and trained skill and gold standard tool might represent medical training and surgeon's tools. -Traversing the wilderness: Sheer effort represents trodding along, trained skill and silver standard tools represents Wilderness Lore and tried proven wilderness gear. -Persuading the king: Sheer effort is begging and pleading while 1d12 can be rolled while employing diplomacy wearing ermine cloak and sporting a golden scepter.

Feel free to add your ability score modifier to the roll. Don't necessarily bother rolling checks. The backlash of the challenge takes care of failure in its own way.

A lot of interesting situations can be created. Take a locked door for instance: A simple lock requires 5 progression points to open. Each round not opened the lock snaps back at a rate of four points. This means sheer effort never will be enough and that trained use of a basic tool will still take quite awhile to open.

 

[Libramarian]

Here, though, I think you're missing out another area that can be simplified. The whole "miles per day" thing is traditional, but for streamlined play there are other options that I like better. The way that some strategy games handle this is to divide the map into "areas" that take one "turn" (8 game hours?) to cross in any direction. The shape of the area is a function of the terrain: for example, a n area with a major road in it would be long and thin - if you traverse it along the road, you travel a long way in a single turn, but if you cross it from side to side it doesn't help you much (other than maybe letting you know where you are). Likewise, hill ridges are a bit longer along the ridgeline so that crossing from one side to the other is slower than running along the tops (or even along the lower slopes on either side).

This is pretty cool, but I see two problems: how to model different movement rates, and the fact that I'd want to have some sites of interest that are initially hidden from the player's map and are not necessarily at a fault line between these zones.

To capture what I would want I don't think it gets any simpler than a system where different hexes of terrain cost different movement points, and parties have a pool of movement points per day based on their movement rate.

 

[Zustiur]

You can gather more food, but you can't necessarily manufacture new iron nails out on the road. Representing both of those concepts with one overarching number seems to ignore that separation.

That is precisely why I decided on 'Consumable supplies' rather than just 'supplies'. Perhaps 'perishable supplies' would have been a more appropriate name. Essentially food + water, with an extra 1/2 lb or 1 lb thrown in for good measure. I'd prefer non-perishable items to be listed explicitly, to avoid the potential arguments when a new situation crops up. e.g. claiming that blankets fall under the broad title of 'supplies' when the book doesn't explicitly state one way or the other.
I don't want 'supplies' to become 'any tool I need at a given moment'. If the character has a hammer, I want that noted. If he just has supplies, he doesn't get to say he has a hammer when there's a sudden need to put some nails into a plank.

I guess what I'm saying is, the item 'daily supplies' needs to be clearly defined in the book.

 

[Derren]

I guess what I'm saying is, the item 'daily supplies' needs to be clearly defined in the book.

So in the end you mean trail rations like in 3E.

 

[Balesir]

This is pretty cool, but I see two problems: how to model different movement rates, and the fact that I'd want to have some sites of interest that are initially hidden from the player's map and are not necessarily at a fault line between these zones.

Areas within other areas is quite possible - if there is a dungeon entrance in an area, just entering the area doesn't mean you'll find it.

For movement rates, if you are travelling by air or water you are using completely different areas anyway - as you are if going "via the underdark". Other than that, there really isn't much difference between movement rates (prior to motor transport) in the longer term. Mounted movement (on horseback, at least) can be faster in the short term, but without a full "post" system with regular remounts a day or two of hard riding is the maximum you'll get before needing to rest up (or bury your horse). Overall, I think just banning some types of transport from some terrain (no waggons in thick woods) and the occasional special case would cover it.

 

[Frostmarrow]

How to travel through a woodland hex:

Assign a number representing the difficulty travelling through the hex. Say 20 is appropriate. Determine what ill can befall parties travelling in these woods. Say the only penalty is the passing of time. That is every round the party has not reached 20 progress points every participant must consume one trail ration. Or suffer fatigue according to the rules.

The penalty could be something else or something else too. Say brigands attack parties who are stuck.

What can the characters of the party use? Assume four characters; Adam, Bertil, Caesar and David.

Adam is a slayer fighter. He owns are common horse so rolls 1d6+Con (+2).
Bertil is a cleric. He is not used to travelling and moves by foot. 1d4.
Caesar is a wizard. He travels on a phantom steed. 1d8.
David is a ranger. He is skilled in Survival and can run for days. 1d8+Con (+2).

After rolling the party racks up 19 progress points. Accordingly they each lose one trail ration and are attacked by brigands. After the fight the party cannot fail in adding one measly progress point to the total. The party reaches their destination.

 

[Frostmarrow]

More examples (I'm in love with this idea):

Find the entrance to the thieves' guild secret tunnels (20pp):
1. Secretly add 10 to guild awareness in the next challenge (infiltrating the tunnels).
2. Suffer insults from locals. "Hey, you don't belong here! Adventurers go home!"

Adam: Brings nothing to the table. Covers ground. 1d4.
Bertil: Knows how to persuade people but is dressed all wrong. 1d6+Cha (+2).
Caesar: Looks like a fish out of water. 1d4.
David: Can track. 1d6+Int (+3).

17.

The characters look around and talk to people looking for odd tracks. The locals become aware of their nosy presence and silently alerts the guild. They throw insults at the investigators in a passive aggressive manner. DM role-playing opportunity.

***

Opening an autumn twilight portal to Gloomwrought. (60pp).
1. Lose one spell slot per party. Highest slot is lost first. Arcane slots are lost before Divine if tied.
2. Each participant takes 1d4 temporary damage the first round, 1d6 damage the second round, and so on increasing every following round. Temporary damage is automatically healed when the portal is opened.

Adam: Shouts encouraging words. 1d4.
Bertil: Knows how to channel divinity. 1d6+Wis (+4).
Caesar: Is trained in ritual magic and carries moonstones. 1d12+Int (+3).
David: Knows a secret druidic language chiseled onto the dolmen. 1d8+Int (+0).

24.

After approximately 3 rounds the party has lost two spell slots (One from Caesar and one from Bertil). They have also taken 6 points of temporary damage. The damage is fully healed by the power of the portal but the spells are lost for the day.

 

[ren1999]

I was a fan of 4th edition outcomes based on your skill check roll. A failed skill check doesn't have to result in death. As the other commenter said, an anchored rope can allow for another skill check before falling and taking damage. Caltrops can slow pursuers allowing the rouge to escape. The DM and players can help with the descriptions of what happens when a skill check is failed by only 2, or when a skill check overwhelmingly succeeds by the highest score. Punish a lot for low numbers, reward a lot for high numbers.

 

[Frostmarrow]

A cool feature of using progression points (described above) is that you can run multiple challenges at the same time without too much hassle.

Say for instance that you are chasing a cart loaded with treasure (20 pp) all the while being chased by guards on horseback (20 pp). It could look like this:

Cart:
1. A round passes.
2. The cart driver jettisons 1d10 gp from the total treasure of 100 gp. [____]

Guards:
1. Unless 5 pp are made this round a random party member becomes the target from one of the guards ranged attack.
2. The guards advance 1d6 pp towards capturing the cart first. [___]

This can lead to some pretty interesting tactical descisions. Even though not every eventuality is described in the challenge its clear enough for a DM to follow events and extrapolate from that, and ultimately know what will happen once the challenge has been resolved one way or another.