Getting lost?

[galaga88]

What would be a good way to handle PC parties getting lost in the wilderness? I was looking through my old D&D, AD&D, and HackMaster stuff, and it seems all of them have mechanics for them getting lost, except for 3rd edition. The real shame of this is, 3rd edition has the wilderness lore skill which getting lost could be tied intimately around.

Wilderness Lore mentions that the DC to avoid getting lost is 15. How about using the AD&D 1st edition method (Die rolls based on terrain type) then if a 'lost' result shows up, roll a Wilderness Lore check for the PC's leader to avoid it? Anybody see any problems with this?

 

[Tom McCafferty]

As I recall from 1st ed there was a 1 in 6 chance of getting lost without a ranger in the party. I guess you could apply that rule, but use wilderness lore to get them back on track. Having done a good bit of hiking through forest in my younger days there was always occasions when we would have to completely double back on our tracks. I would make a check every hour to see if the party have to go back on their trail and try another path.

 

[Darklone]

If I want my players to get lost, I give them a ranger and a barbarian with horrible good wilderness skills and then the wizard in the group buys a map

Ten days later on a two day walk they find mountains where a lake is supposed to be

 

[mikebr99]

There's a skill called Intuit Direction also...

 

[Spove]

What exactly is

horrible good wilderness skills

?