It's A Great Big World Out There

The first volume of the Horizons of the Vast Adventure Path, “Planetfall,” is out now, but whenever your group plans on jumping into this campaign, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared for whatever the planet of New Harmony throws at you! And there’s no better resource for that than the Galaxy Exploration Manual.

With hexploration rules used to survey the land (and which are summarized in the adventure) and deep dives on individual biomes, the Galaxy Exploration Manual is a treasure trove of information for Game Masters about to run Horizons of the Vast. For example, GMs can find advice and tables galore that will aid them in creating engaging NPCs and settlements that will help the PCs’ new home come to life. And if the characters decide to go exploring beyond the boundaries of their charter, there are plenty of random threat tables to keep them busy!

But the Galaxy Exploration Manual isn’t only for GMs! Players about to take on the monumental task of exploring a new world and maintaining a thriving settlement there will find plenty of exciting tidbits in this book. In addition to a wealth of options for every class (as discussed in this previous blog), there are also dozens of items that will help burgeoning explorers tame and survive just about any wilderness. Here’s one example:

Energel Food Pellet

Energel food pellets are easy-to-swallow meals in pill form, capable of staving off starvation, though they lack the appropriate nutrient profile needed for long-term sustenance. You can substitute one pack of food pellets for a day’s food. If you’re already starving when you consume energel food pellets, you automatically succeed at your Constitution check to avoid nonlethal damage that day, but the effects of starvation resume the following day. You cannot benefit from consuming more than two packs of energel food pellets per week.

New Harmony is in a system in the Vast and, as such, regular supply runs from the Pact Worlds will be few and far between. A canny survivalist will want to have some energel food pellets on hand in case they end up stranded far from the nearest settlement after running out of rations. Sure, they don’t replace regular meals, but staving off starvation for a day or two could give a character the time to hunt down a wild beast or determine which alien berries are safe to consume.

So, as you’re packing to begin your new life on New Harmony, don’t forget your Galaxy Exploration Manual. It could mean the difference between life and death!