Running a DnD Hexcrawl

[@kevinm3428]

Hex Crawl campaigns need to include a calendar, either real or fantasy, to mark the passage of time, as they travel around exploring. Great video!

[@nutherefurlong]

I think the most fun about these sorts of things is the juxtaposition of elements... it makes improvisation easier. Like when you talked about a wizard negotiating with ghouls, I thought of it more of a parley after a battle, with the wizard trying to make peace with them as long as they get to keep control of an abandoned graveyard, and the ghouls are hostile when they see the party thinking the wizard has betrayed them, while the wizard might want to de-escalate somehow. Lot more interpretations I'm sure, before it was a wizard I thought it might be a gravekeeper trying to get the ghouls agree to only robbing certain graves for food or something :)

[@Earthmote]

Yeah, there is a lot of ways to go with random encounters, that's why I love the "context/activity" tables too. Get lots of great ideas. I was genuinely surprised at the rolls as I made the, but the story just "makes sense" when the dice fall where they do!

[@Marcus-ki1en]

My initial thought was the three ghouls have chased the wizard up a tree. Perfect plot hook for ...

[@gettingalongiseasyifyoutry6354]

Well done dude! This is a very well presented and explained methodology behind hex crawls. Hexcrawling and overland travels in general have been sadly sidelined as the editions have gone on in my opinion. Reflecting on real world history and myths the journey is usually a harrowing experience. Using hex crawl methods to let the dice guide how events unfold in a less scripted way is a fun experience for all and can take some of the brain drain off dungeon mastering.

[@Earthmote]

Thanks! Yes, hexcrawls aren't as common in modern editions. But I think they are one of the most fun ways to play! Less reliant on traditional narrative story arcs and more focused on emergent storytelling from the dice rolls and procedurally generated ideas.

[@RobertWF42]

I can imagine the conversation between the ghouls and the magician. "We retrieved the item for you. Where is the warm meat you promised us? Deliver now or we feast on your flesh." Magician (very nervous): "Uhh, yes I did make that promise.... and... here comes your reward right now!" points to the party walking down the road & then runs the other way.

[@GooseHoly]

Awesome walkthru of a helpful mechanic not often detailed!!! Thanks a lot!

[@Earthmote]

Glad it helped!

[@Matt_in_TEXAS]

Thanks for the video- great information! Keep up the awesome work! Love from TEXAS!!!

[@Earthmote]

Thanks!

[@DungeonMasterQuest]

Dude, Dolmenwood is the best. I've been playing it for a while, had a blast yesterday running it to my players, so many unpredicted things happend because of the exploration aspect, nerd chiils here.

[@Earthmote]

Dolmenwood is awesome! Truly a labor of love by Gavin & the team. I've been reading through the materials and I'm gearing up for a campaign there soon.

[@RobertWF42]

Are there rules in Dolmenwood covering how the size of the party influences random encounters? Larger parties will attract more attention, which can be bad. At the same time, having more PCs in battle is good - is there an "optimal" party size? If the players have hired a bunch of NPCs, random monsters will likely clear out of the way. Unless we're talking Orc hordes or large creatures like dragons!

[@Earthmote]

Dolmenwood includes both mercenaries and retainers, so your overland party could get quite large if your group is inclined. There aren't any additional rules around large party sizes affecting encounter chances or evasion chances that I've seen (could be missing something). But, the Dolmenwood standard encounter chance is based on the terrain type. Roughly half the terrain types are standard 1 in 6 chance. And the rest are split between 2 in 6 and some are 3 in 6, so there is a higher natural encounter rate in Dolmenwood then your usual 1 in 6 as the standard. I'm not sure what the distribution of hexes fall under each category though (there are 200 hexes).

[@torinmccabe]

I think the "why" is critical in hex crawling. Is this just in-between time. Or like in forbidden lands are you exploring a new region and discovering new towns and dungeons

[@squidpope9344]

This is super important, not just for hexcrawls but for straight dungeon-diving as well. I tried to run Barrowmaze a while back but the group wasn't motivated by "graverobbing" as they put it, so I had to change up some things to give them a reason to repeatedly dive into this undead-infested hellmaze

[@Earthmote]

Well said, they need a plan! Generally, if I'm playing a hexcrawl with my players then that implies they are exploring the world around them. Of course that is discussed upfront with the group before the campaign gets underway. If you just plan to use a hexcrawl for between time, then I'd argue you don't really need a hex map. Your time is probably better spent focusing on the other elements of the type of campaign the group is interested in playing.

[@rooksgate5574]

Can I ask where you got the Dolmenwood campaign book from? I thought it had not yet been released....

[@Earthmote]

PDFs have been released to Kickstarter backers. The books are at the printers now, so I'd guess it should be available to the market in Q1 2025 or early Q2.