In another short trip to the countryside of my state in Brazil, I was lucky enough to visit one of the most beautiful and isolated waterfalls I have ever seen. In my perspective, the reason for its isolation is that it is very, very hard to reach there.
Of course, my RPG mind made some parallels and tried to figure how to transfer the challenge/adventure I have lived, to a game mechanic. Most wilderness encounters in d&d-like games are monsters, some modules have some odd places, climate challenges, and of course they all make a lot of sense.
But if we consider the OS/OSR paradigm that the characters are not heroes but common people, as I indeed am, I can tell that a trail like this can be very difficult and challenging, it surely can cost the characters lives.
All I am asking is for any wilderness random encounter table to have a 10% chance of A WILDERNESS CHALLENGE, and, of course, I will describe below a proto rule for it. (Yes, I am aware of the cool 4e rule of skill challenge that fits this quite well).
The Wilderness challenge rule:
There is a 10% chance that the PCs encounter a challenge in the wild that is very hard, and clearly they have to go through it if they want to reach the place they are going for whatever reason.
It is also clear that, if it is a hexcrawl/sandbox game, PCs can avoid going through this challenge by just taking another way/hex. But they will never know what is in this place, and being a very difficult place to reach, as I witnessed, they can hide wonders, treasures and things never seen before.
Suggestions by biome (this is a widely used term in roleplaying that I completely disagree with, the most biologically correct term would actually be phytophysiognomy, but that's a subject for another topic):
So how do I suggest this rule/mechanic?
I will assume a 3d6 stat/ability system with d20 roll under ability check, we all also know how to convert this to a roll over DC system if necessary.
First, get some examples of beautiful landscape photos according to each biome, try to choose 5 with obvious challenges, and it would be better for them to be in an increasing degree of difficulty. If you don't find the photos, describe them.
According to the photos or descriptions add a grade of accumulated difficulty to the total challenge (AC), which can range from 10 (easy) to 25 (very hard) points.
Every step any ability check (according to the GM) is needed by all characters, the GM divides or arbitrates according to the description/photo the difficulty points appropriate to the step, originally 5 (SC), and taking into account the total number of steps of the challenge.
In each step of the challenge the GM takes notes of the difference between the check and the SC. Example: This step has a difficulty of 5, Dex is the ability needed to overcome; the first character has 12 Dex and rolled an 8 in a d20 a 4 (12-8) is taken note by the GM at this step; the other character has 8 Dex, rolled a 10, so a -2 is recorded; the last one has 14 dex, and rolled 8, thus a 6 is taken into account. The total for this SC is 4,-2 and 6, giving a total of 8, exceeding the SC by 3 points.
I suggest that the GM reveals all SC, AC and notes to the players.
In the end, if the sum of the points of each individual step exceeds the total (AC), the characters went through the challenge very well, and still found something significant for the campaign or adventure (treasures, magic items, this topic can still be updated here).
If the group failed to surpass the necessary (AC) or (SC), these points can be spent, with their respective cost, at each step of the challenge, or it can be accumulated (or not if in the next steps there are very successful tests) towards the end of the challenge. Finally, the characters always get through the whole challenge at a cost according to the table below, they can choose between what will be lost and HP cost (HP cost can be divided by how many characters are there in the group).
Very important aspect: The GM can add +s and -s for all tests of all characters, and also Advantage/Disadvantage, according to the group's creative narrative solutions.
The tension of the choice of catching a consequence early on on the table due to a deficit against SC, or accumulating that deficit towards a larger final AC deficit; against having a smaller accumulated deficit for the final AC, or even an accumulated surplus, is all a feature and something desirable in this humble mechanic, trying to highlight that taking chances and choices are very important here.
Because it is a cumulative mechanic, and also HP loss can be divided by characters, it is easier to overcome this challenge with larger groups.
Edited by C.A. Berlitz.
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