Scenes within Exploration
Source GM Core pg. 34
It can help you to think of exploration as a series of scenes, where encounters break up exploration and function as subsections within it. Many of these are based on geography; for example, exploring a starship's corridors is one scene, and entering the starship's bridge begins another. Other times, you'll break out of a scene at a point of interest. If the PCs decide to stop their travels and investigate a computer terminal, that's a new scene.
When you transition between scenes, describe what was happening to reinforce where the group was, then describe what they now face to show the change. For example, “You've been making your way through the dark corridors of the abandoned starship, but after a moment of debate, you stop, your footsteps and voices still echoing down the corridor. The computer terminal before you is five feet wide and built into the wall. It has a touchscreen interface, but the screen is cracked, and the text it displays is garbled and difficult to discern. What do you do?”
When playing out a scene, your initial description should set the expectation of what level of detail the scene might go into, with you and the players adjusting as needed during play. Since players aren't bound in a strict initiative order in exploration mode, it can be useful to proactively call on PCs to avoid everybody talking at once. If possible, start with someone who instigated the scene change, or perhaps with the PC using the most relevant exploration activity, like a PC Hacking, Investigating, or Repairing the terminal, Deciphering the text, or Searching for secrets in the example above.
When you transition between scenes, describe what was happening to reinforce where the group was, then describe what they now face to show the change. For example, “You've been making your way through the dark corridors of the abandoned starship, but after a moment of debate, you stop, your footsteps and voices still echoing down the corridor. The computer terminal before you is five feet wide and built into the wall. It has a touchscreen interface, but the screen is cracked, and the text it displays is garbled and difficult to discern. What do you do?”
When playing out a scene, your initial description should set the expectation of what level of detail the scene might go into, with you and the players adjusting as needed during play. Since players aren't bound in a strict initiative order in exploration mode, it can be useful to proactively call on PCs to avoid everybody talking at once. If possible, start with someone who instigated the scene change, or perhaps with the PC using the most relevant exploration activity, like a PC Hacking, Investigating, or Repairing the terminal, Deciphering the text, or Searching for secrets in the example above.
Daily Preparations
Source GM Core pg. 35
Before setting out to explore, or after a night's rest, the PCs spend time to prepare for the adventuring day. This typically happens over the span of 30 minutes to an hour upon awakening, but only after 8 full hours of rest. Daily preparations include the following.
Daily preparations are also a good time to ask how players think their characters are feeling. The twentieth morning of a long voyage through the Drift might see the characters wearily strapping on their boots and armor as listlessness sets in, but the sky being blacked out by hundreds of enemy starships could have a tense air of fear. Use this time to set the stage for the adventuring day to come!
- Spellcasters who Focus Points and other abilities that reset during daily preparations refresh. This includes abilities that can be used only a certain number of times per day.
- Each character equips their gear.
- Characters invest up to 10 worn magic items to gain their benefits for the day.
Daily preparations are also a good time to ask how players think their characters are feeling. The twentieth morning of a long voyage through the Drift might see the characters wearily strapping on their boots and armor as listlessness sets in, but the sky being blacked out by hundreds of enemy starships could have a tense air of fear. Use this time to set the stage for the adventuring day to come!
Hazards
Source GM Core pg. 35
Looking for and disarming hazards is a common exploration scene. Hazards shouldn't appear out of nowhere. A trap might be on a door's lock, a security checkpoint, or so on. Foreshadow traps with environmental clues, suspicious architecture, signs of the trap's past activations, and other signs. Remember that a surprise that's entirely unexpected is often very unsatisfying.
Simple hazards occur in exploration mode, but when a complex hazard triggers, move to exploration mode. When any hazard triggers, clearly depict what action by a PC set off the hazard, what happens as the hazard activates, and illustrate any aftereffects. Remember that a damaging hazard won't always have a huge effect. They tend to work best if their activation might alert creatures in the area, lock the PCs out of an area, or cause a similar narrative setback beyond just damage or another easily removed condition.
Simple hazards occur in exploration mode, but when a complex hazard triggers, move to exploration mode. When any hazard triggers, clearly depict what action by a PC set off the hazard, what happens as the hazard activates, and illustrate any aftereffects. Remember that a damaging hazard won't always have a huge effect. They tend to work best if their activation might alert creatures in the area, lock the PCs out of an area, or cause a similar narrative setback beyond just damage or another easily removed condition.
Searching for Traps
Source GM Core pg. 35
PCs have a better chance to detect hazards while exploring if they're using the Search activity (and the Detect Magic activity, in the case of some magic traps). If a PC detects a hazard and wants to disable it, slow down. Ask the player to describe what the PC is doing, and provide concrete details about how their efforts pan out to ramp up tension. If a hazard requires multiple checks to disable, describe what happens with each success to show incremental progress.
Investigations
Source GM Core pg. 35
Investigating and searching for clues is another common exploration scene. Lead with a definite clue that has details but clearly isn't the whole picture. For example, you might say: “This vidgame console looks similar to the ones commonly available for purchase, but it's clearly been modified for some kind of additional purpose,” or “This biotech laboratory has a dozen specimen cells lining the walls, each shut with heavy steel doors and an electronic lock that glows with a steady green light. One of the cell doors is ajar, and its lock flashes red.”
If these details pique a player's interest, transition to a more detailed investigation. They might look at the vidgame console more closely or search the ajar specimen cell. Avoid calling for checks if it isn't necessary. In the last example, you'd likely tell them the specimen cell is empty without another Perception check, and if the missing specimen left a trail you want the PCs to follow, asking for a Perception check to find it might stall the investigation in an uninteresting way. Discerning information about the missing specimen from clues in the cell or a nearby computer console could require a skill check, as lacking this additional information won't stop the investigation.
Though one person starts the investigation, getting others involved can help them become more interested and bring different skills to bear to get other types of information. Reward collaboration and clever ideas.
If these details pique a player's interest, transition to a more detailed investigation. They might look at the vidgame console more closely or search the ajar specimen cell. Avoid calling for checks if it isn't necessary. In the last example, you'd likely tell them the specimen cell is empty without another Perception check, and if the missing specimen left a trail you want the PCs to follow, asking for a Perception check to find it might stall the investigation in an uninteresting way. Discerning information about the missing specimen from clues in the cell or a nearby computer console could require a skill check, as lacking this additional information won't stop the investigation.
Though one person starts the investigation, getting others involved can help them become more interested and bring different skills to bear to get other types of information. Reward collaboration and clever ideas.
Roleplaying Investigations
Source GM Core pg. 36
To make the investigation feel real, it helps to talk a player through their character's thought processes by saying what clue inspired them to think of an important detail, explaining what the detail is, and possibly mentioning further questions that this detail raises. Let the player extrapolate their own conclusion rather than giving them the answers outright. Even if the investigation doesn't lead to an unambiguous conclusion, the players should feel they're more informed than when they started.
Travel
Source GM Core pg. 36
Long journeys are staples of both the sci-fi and fantasy genres, but they take work to be fun in play, especially if the timeline the PCs are on isn't urgent. Vehicles, public transportation, and starships are all commonplace throughout the galaxy, making the physical act of travel simple, reliable, and quick. If the PCs oversee their own journey, you might want to ask for a quick check at the start of the trip to Navigate, Plot Course, or Sense Direction. Use encounters and special scenes only if there's something compelling to cover. It's perfectly fine to fast-forward through exploration to get to the next stage of an adventure. That said, if any players have invested in exploration-themed abilities for their characters, those abilities should still matter.
For survival-themed adventures, or for adventures that focus on exploring newly discovered planets or low-tech worlds, you can lean heavier into the details of overland trips. You might want to have the group Analyze their Environment, Navigate or Sense Direction daily, or Subsist if they run out of food or water.
For survival-themed adventures, or for adventures that focus on exploring newly discovered planets or low-tech worlds, you can lean heavier into the details of overland trips. You might want to have the group Analyze their Environment, Navigate or Sense Direction daily, or Subsist if they run out of food or water.
Starship Travel Times
Source GM Core pg. 36
Starship travel is measured in hours or days. Standard starship engines can be used to go into orbit or land, travel point-to-point on a planet, travel to a planet's satellites and moons, and travel within a system. Drift engines enable hyperspace travel via the plane of the Drift and are used to travel within a system, or between distant systems. Using Drift engines, travel time is based on the region of space you wish to travel to: Near Space or the Vast. A planet is classified into these interstellar regions not by location, but by the number of Drift beacons in the vicinity. Thanks to the Starstone, Drift travel to Absalom Station is always swift, making it a galactic hub. While other galaxies exist, the distances between them and the galaxy of the Pact Worlds— known as Desna's Path—are so incredibly large that there have yet to be any confirmed instances of intergalactic travel.
Drift lanes first appeared in the aftermath of the Drift Crisis, a year during which the Drift was dangerously unstable. Drift lanes are essentially hyperspace highways through the Drift with consistent end points. They connect two locations in a chain and can't be used to rapidly reach other regions of space not on the chain, nor can they be entered at other locations. Some Drift lanes have one or more nodes along their route, which are early exits, similar to a highway's off-ramp. Like the Drift lane itself, these stops are consistent and don't change. Exiting at a node along a Drift lane shortens the overall travel time by an amount determined by you, likely by half or a third depending upon how many nodes are along a Drift lane's route. A starship that purposefully flies out of, or is knocked out of, a Drift lane is deposited in a random location in the Drift and must begin to Plot a Course through the Drift, as normal.
Typical travel times using standard engines, Drift engines, and Drift lanes are noted on the Starship Travel Time table below. These travel times are further modified by the result of a PC's check to Plot Course.
Drift lanes first appeared in the aftermath of the Drift Crisis, a year during which the Drift was dangerously unstable. Drift lanes are essentially hyperspace highways through the Drift with consistent end points. They connect two locations in a chain and can't be used to rapidly reach other regions of space not on the chain, nor can they be entered at other locations. Some Drift lanes have one or more nodes along their route, which are early exits, similar to a highway's off-ramp. Like the Drift lane itself, these stops are consistent and don't change. Exiting at a node along a Drift lane shortens the overall travel time by an amount determined by you, likely by half or a third depending upon how many nodes are along a Drift lane's route. A starship that purposefully flies out of, or is knocked out of, a Drift lane is deposited in a random location in the Drift and must begin to Plot a Course through the Drift, as normal.
Typical travel times using standard engines, Drift engines, and Drift lanes are noted on the Starship Travel Time table below. These travel times are further modified by the result of a PC's check to Plot Course.
Starship Travel Time
| Destination | Standard Engines | DriftEngines |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Point-to-Point on Planet | 1d4 Hours | N/A |
| Go Into Orbit or Land | 1 Hours | N/A |
| Reach Satellite from Orbit | 1 Hours | N/A |
| Travel In-System | 1d6+2 Days | 1d6 Days |
| Travel to Absalom Station | N/A | 1d6 Days |
| Travel to Near Space | N/A | 3d6 Days |
| Travel to the Vast | N/A | 5d6 Days |
| Travel a Drift Lane | N/A | 7 Days |
| Travel Between Galaxies | Unknown | Unknown |
Overland Travel Speed
Source GM Core pg. 36
Depending on how you track movement, the adventuring party might track the overland distance they travel in feet or miles based on the characters' Speeds with the relevant movement type. Typical rates are shown on the Travel Speed table. Groups traveling in vehicles instead use their vehicle's Speed, as noted in that vehicle's entry.
The rates on the Travel Speed table assume that the characters are traveling over flat and clear terrain at a determined pace, but one that's not exhausting. Moving through difficult terrain halves the listed movement rate. Greater difficult terrain reduces the distance traveled to one-third the listed amount. If the travel requires a skill check to accomplish, such as mountain climbing or swimming, you might call for a check once per hour, referencing the resulting distance on the Travel Speed table to determine the group's progress.
The rates on the Travel Speed table assume that the characters are traveling over flat and clear terrain at a determined pace, but one that's not exhausting. Moving through difficult terrain halves the listed movement rate. Greater difficult terrain reduces the distance traveled to one-third the listed amount. If the travel requires a skill check to accomplish, such as mountain climbing or swimming, you might call for a check once per hour, referencing the resulting distance on the Travel Speed table to determine the group's progress.
Travel Speed
| Speed | Feet per Minute | Miles per Hour | Miles per Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 feet | 100 | 1 | 8 |
| 15 feet | 150 | 1-1/2 | 12 |
| 20 feet | 200 | 2 | 16 |
| 25 feet | 250 | 2-1/2 | 20 |
| 30 feet | 300 | 3 | 24 |
| 35 feet | 350 | 3-1/2 | 28 |
| 40 feet | 400 | 4 | 32 |
| 50 feet | 500 | 5 | 40 |
| 60 feet | 600 | 6 | 48 |
Navigating
Source GM Core pg. 37
The Navigate and Sense Direction activities enable characters to detect north, navigate complex paths, and plan a short journey. To plan an interstellar journey, characters instead Plot Course. You can combine these checks with Recalling Knowledge about the area—typically using Nature or Society—for the PCs to get their initial bearings or learn about important locations along their route. The DC for these checks is usually trained or expert but can be more challenging for unexplored or remote regions. Some of these locations might be useful, such as a transmission tower, a fruit tree, or a space station. Others might be mysterious or dangerous, such as an alien's hunting grounds, an asteroid, or an abandoned laboratory. It's best to point out two or three landmarks and let the group decide on their course from there.
Getting Lost
Source GM Core pg. 37
When PCs are traveling through space, exploring the wilderness, or navigating twisting city streets and space stations, they might get lost. This is usually a consequence for failing at checks to Navigate or Sense Direction, or critically failing at a check to Plot Course, but it can also happen based on the story, such as if they crash-land on an undiscovered planet, pass through an interstellar portal, or emerge from an underground passageway into a forest. Playing through the process of trying to find their way can be fun for a party, provided they do so for a short interval. If a party is lost at the start of a session, they should usually have found their way and reached a significant destination by the end.
If the PCs get unlucky or are just awful at Piloting and Survival, they might end up stuck with no way to reorient themselves. In these cases, have someone come to them! They might meet some locals, get captured by predators, or even stumble upon a dangerous location. They've figured out where they are, even if it's not where they wanted to be!
If the PCs get unlucky or are just awful at Piloting and Survival, they might end up stuck with no way to reorient themselves. In these cases, have someone come to them! They might meet some locals, get captured by predators, or even stumble upon a dangerous location. They've figured out where they are, even if it's not where they wanted to be!
Encounters During Travel
Source GM Core pg. 37
You might want to include some encounters if the PCs are in a dangerous area, especially if they travel for a long time. For these encounters, choose creatures and characters that live in that type of environment. Remember that not all creatures attack on sight. An interactive scene with curious creatures, friendly travelers, or cautious locals all work well as travel encounters.
Adverse Weather and Terrain
Source GM Core pg. 37
Exploration gets slower when the party faces dense jungles, deep snow, sandstorms, extreme heat, gravity wells, asteroid belts, or similar difficult conditions. You decide how much these factors impact the characters' progress. The specific effects of certain types of terrain and weather are described in Environment.
Difficult Terrain
Source GM Core pg. 38
Difficult terrain can slow progress during overland journeys but rarely lasts long enough to impact interstellar voyages. Unless it's important how far the group gets in a particular time frame, this can be covered with a quick description of chopping through the vines, trudging through a bog, or piloting through prolonged turbulence or a Drift storm. If the characters are on a deadline, adjust their speed on the Travel Speed table (Travel), typically by cutting it in half if almost all the land is difficult terrain or to one-third for greater difficult terrain.
Hazardous Terrain
Source GM Core pg. 38
Hazardous terrain, such as the caldera of an active volcano, might physically harm the PCs or their vehicles. The group might have the option to travel directly through or to go around by spending more time. You can transition into a more detailed scene while the characters move through hazardous terrain and attempt to mitigate the damage with spells or skill checks. If they endure hazardous terrain, consider giving the PCs a minor or moderate XP reward at the end of their exploration, with slightly more XP if they took smart precautions to avoid damage.
Environmental Hazards
Source GM Core pg. 38
Dangerous crevasses, quicksand, and similar dangers are environmental hazards. Hazards that affect a starship instead use the cinematic starship combat system.
Surprise Attacks
Source GM Core pg. 38
Surprise attacks should be used sparingly, even in dangerous areas. The fact that PCs are usually in a group scares away most animals, and setting a watch can deter even more attackers. Surprise attacks are most likely if the PCs did something in advance that would lead to the ambush. For instance, they might be ambushed by mercenaries if they were flaunting their wealth earlier in the session, or they might be counterattacked by enemies if they attack the enemies first, only to retreat to rest. If the PCs set up camp hastily and decide not to set a watch, they might be in trouble if they're attacked. This should happen only in cases of extreme sloppiness, since if you take advantage of minor lapses, you might end up with a group that repeatedly spends an inordinate amount of time describing all their camping preparation to keep it from happening again. It's usually better to ask the PCs if they're setting up watches, rather than assume that their silence on the issue means they aren't.
Starting Encounters
Source GM Core pg. 38
If an encounter begins, shift to encounter mode by having everyone roll initiative, as described in Starting the Encounter. Call for initiative once a trap is triggered, as soon as two opposing groups come into contact, or when a creature on one side decides to take action against the other. In some cases, a trap or a foe has a reaction that tells you to roll initiative. For instance, a complex trap that's triggered might make an attack with its reaction before the initiative order begins. In these cases, resolve all the results of the reaction before calling for initiative rolls.