I talked a few days back about changing up outdoor exploration, here’s my first stab at it. Quick draft, concept is that the key is to make regions more interesting. Here’s reference sheet for the Moon Hills for my Nentir Vale campaign. Moon Hills Exploration
Wracked by energies from the Plane of Earth and dotted with crossings to the Feywild and Shadowfell the Moon Hills are surprisingly difficult to navigate away from the safety of Fallcrest and its immediate environs. The steep hills form a confusing mess of paths between their steep slopes.
Moon Hills Summary Navigation DC: 10; the steep hills and winding paths between them can be confusing, but the sparse vegetation allows a clear view of the sky. Evasion DC: 15; a party that fails to hide or that makes no attempt to faces a 5% chance of a monster encounter during the day, or a 25% chance at night. Forage DC: 10; water and light game are plentiful. Special Rules: If the characters take a long rest here, roll on the planar confluence table.
Navigation
A party traveling to a specific destination must make a Wisdom (Survival) check to find their way unless they have a map. A character proficient in Survival can return to a location they have visited without needing to make a check, unless they are lost. If the party attempts to find a specific location, using the following DCs. A party that becomes lost must make a check to navigate to a destination, even if they have a map or know the path from making a prior visit.
Moon Hills Navigation DCs DC Location 10 Fallcrest 10 Watcher’s Point 15 Bandit camp (common criminals, not yuan-ti) 15 Obsidian standing stones 15 Ruins of the Horned Tower 20 Dungeon of the Sleeping Titan 25 Yuan-ti fortress 30 Lost gate of the Laughing Path Lost in the Moon Hills d20 Result 1— 5 Wander in circles; no progress that day 6-10 Wander back to Fallcrest civilization civilization 11 — 15 Blunder into monster ambush; roll for a wandering encounter, monsters hide at +5
16 —19 Drakes on the prowl; double size random encounter begins to tail party, gathers another encounter per hour until three times party’s size, then attacks; if attacked before can be driven away if half are killed 20 Accidentally cross into the Shadowfell Planar Confluence
Owing to the magic of the minotaurs of ancient Saruun Khel the planar veil between this region and the Shadowfell Feywild, and Plane of Earth is weak. Parties that rest here risk exposure to planar magic. When the characters complete a long rest here, roll a d20 and consult the table below.
Moon Hills Planar Confluence d20 Result 1-16 No effect 17 — 18 Shadowfell influence causes nightmares or disturbing visions, regain only half HD. 19 Feywild influence grants vivid, exciting dreams or visions, gain inspiration. 20 Earth influence fortifies and strengthens flesh and bones, gain temp hp equal to level. Terrain
The Moon Hills are an ideal spot for ambushes, as the steep hills favor a well-planned attack. Bandits and intelligent prefer to open an assault with missile fire from atop a hill. Their prey can either slog up a hill, enduring attacks along the way, or move along the gullies between the hills. Of course, with the gully providing a predictable path smart attackers have ambushers in place just around the corner. Devious foes have a third group hiding to cut off a retreat back the way the travelers’ approached the ambush point.
Moon Hills Tactical Terrain % Description 100 1d3+1 steep hills, with gullies that serve as paths between them 50% Scattered trees, 2d4+2 total 25% Boulder field, rocks scattered along gullies and 1d3 still perched on hilltops, ready to be rolled (Dex save DC 10, 2d6 bludgeoning and knocked prone) 10% Ruined watchtower of Saruun Khel 5% Shadowfell influence, disadv. on death saves 5% Feywild influence, disadv. on Wisdom saves
pic.twitter.com/S9QWJZxyP1

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) December 28, 2017

Is there more to this section, or do you manage to fit everything for a location onto a single page?

— Mike Riverso (@MikeRiverso) December 29, 2017

Each section also has an overview that puts down my thoughts on a region’s mood and its key locations and monsters. I also have a one page random encounter table. Each encounter gets monsters and a quick description. So, three pages each. https://t.co/bxQgR5krTc

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) December 29, 2017

I really like this – the content and the template both work for me. Can you please explain the % values on the table in the bottom right as I don’t get those.

— Rich Green (@richgreen01) December 29, 2017

If I want to come up with a random location or terrain for a fight, I roll d100 for each entry, listed number or less means that the given feature is present. https://t.co/BBMrSOmyQ5

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) December 29, 2017

Follow-up to the outdoor exploration example from last night. Another region of the Nentir Vale, this one much more dangerous. Alterations I’ve made to the Vale poke through a bit more here.

And yes, have noticed the disclaimer. Word uses my work template by default. Witchlight Fens Exploration
Travel within the Witchlight Fens is its own adventure. The swamp’s natural dangers, compounded by the fiendish energies that course through the place, have claimed many travelers over the years.
VitcL&ili ht Fens Summary Navigation DC: 15; a thick forest canopy and treacherous currents within the swamp make keeping a path difficult. Evasion DC: 15; a party that fails to hide or that makes no attempt to faces a 25% chance of a monster encounter during the day, or a 50% chance at night. Forage DC: 25; few natural creatures are found here, and fresh water is almost impossible to find. On a failed check, the characters risk drinking water tainted by the River Styx.
Navigation
The swamp likes to keep its victims within its grasp. Navigation here is difficult, and a party that becomes lost risks death.
Moon Hills Navigation DCs DC Location 15 Caves of Chaos 15 Sister Grubb’s but 20 Escape the fens (random exit point) 20 Citadel of the Eye 25 Heart of the Swamp 30 Castle Venom Lost in the Fens d20 Result 1-15 Wander in circles; no progress that day 16 — 20 Swamp’s fury; the characters capture the swamp’s attention, increasing its hate score by 1d6 Hateful Mire
The Abyss has given the Witcjilight Fens a dim, hateful sentience. It seeks to devour non-fiends that enter its bounds. The yuan-ti thrive here because Queen Vaerlith’s illusions have beguiled its senses. In time, her magic will allow her to control the life force that festers here and turn it into a powerful weapon.
0111117 r
Each time the characters spend a full day here, the swamp’s dim sentience grows more and more enraged by their presence. Reflect this anger with a hate score, a rating that starts at 0 and increases by 1 for each day the characters spend here. It drops by 1 for each day the characters are away from the swamp. Time spent at Castle Venom and Sister Grubb’s but count as days away from this place. Each day at dawn, roll 1d20 + the current hate score. On a 10+ the swamp spawns vine blights equal to the hate score + 1 to attack the party. On a 15+ it spawns shambling mounds, and on a 20+ treants. Increase the hate score by 1 per each of these spawned creatures slain.
Waters of the Styx If the characters forage here and roll a 10 or less for their check, they accidentally drink water tainted with the River Styx. Each character must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or lose all memories and talents. Lose all proficiencies and class abilities. Characters recover after a long rest.
Biting Insects Each day in the swamp, characters are exposed to sewer plague as per the DMG and must save to resist it. Any effect that holds insects at bay, such as insect repellent, prevents this exposure.
Terrain
The Fens are a miserable place, and fighting here is a dangerous proposition at best.
Witcl_gight Fens Tactical Terrain Description 100% Dense trees, spares (1d4+1) stands of solid ground, water that ranges from ankle to knee high 50% Tainted water; any creature knocked prone in water takes 3 (or hate score for PCs, use higher) poison damage 50% Thick mist, line of sight blocked beyond 15 feet 25% Treacherous swamp water, anything that isn’t a fiend or plant monster that ends its turn in water must make a DC 10 Strength save or be moved up to 10 feet or knocked prone 5% Ruins of a Bael Turath outpost
pic.twitter.com/AXYSU1xMlT

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) December 29, 2017

Things you’re not seeing – monster encounter table, map, other general notes for the area. People I might recruit for the campaign follow me on Twitter, so I can’t reveal everything!

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) December 28, 2017

Basic goal is to make getting somewhere feel interesting, and each region in the Vale come with a unique character. In my version, the minotaurs of Saruun Khel used a lot of planar magic, so each region is attuned to a different set of planes.

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) December 28, 2017

These regions are fairly small, about one day’s march across. The tables I built for them drew from the dungeons in that region and surrounding ones. Each has its own table.

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) January 7, 2018

In play, I roll % chance for an encounter, once per day and once per night, then roll on table if necessary.

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) January 7, 2018

Interesting! How would you integrate this with region-specific random encounter charts? It also means that I can’t just throw in a random, mundane forest. Either history, strange magic, or the presence of a creature (dragon, angry treants, tribe of orcs with a thing for ice magic and taming and riding winter wolves) gives each region a distinct flavor.

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) December 28, 2017

I would REALLY like to use this type of stuff, specifically the terrain difficulties to give a region character, but I have a Ranger in the party with the revised Natural Explorer ability, so they can’t get lost except by magical means, or slowed down. How do I implement this? My philosophy is this – letting the party go where they want will likely get them in more trouble than could otherwise arrange for them. Let them find paths to weird, dangerous places – they will go there.

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) December 28, 2017

interesting! what about journey length? Is a 2 day journey just has hard or complex as a 2 week journey? that region is about a one day march across – would require a new set of rolls per day for bigger areas

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) December 28, 2017

In the campaign I’m working on, based on 4e’s Nentir Vale setting, I decided to make Lolth queen of the dark fey. That opened her up as a warlock patron, so, here’s what I cooked up this evening. First draft, un-edited/playtested/etc. pic.twitter.com/AsQChAtOtv

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) November 20, 2017