When a party explores a hex with a hidden encounter or location the module calls for a perception check to notice it. Does every PC get a perception check, or only the PC with the best perception? If everyone gets a perception check, do familiars and animal companions get one as well? Or cohorts or hirelings?
Also, when exploring or traveling through a forest, swamp or mountain hex while mounted, does the party still get the benefit of having a speed of 50 or is it impacted in any way? Do PCs ever have to dismount to travel through any kind of terrain hex?
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By the letter of the rule, all there should get a perecption check while truly exploring the region.
What I do however, to alleviate a bunch of rolls is this:
I have he or she with the highest modifier roll a die, and add +2 for each creature with Perception Trained with at least one rank, and +1 for any/all that do not.
That creates a healthy modifier and most things are spotted - but there's also a good chance that at least one person/creature if you make 8 rolls, too; so this just makes it just as likely with less rolls to adjudicate.
Robert
I'm kind of curious as well if we should be applying any of the modifiers from Exploration and Movement from the Core book. Such as the Terrain and Overland movement table.
My guess is using the table in the Into the Wild section would serve you just fine without adding anything else to it.
I like Roberts idea of having the party assist their main searcher. Gives the idea of having one person really investigating and coordinating everybody's efforts.
I'm kind of curious as well if we should be applying any of the modifiers from Exploration and Movement from the Core book. Such as the Terrain and Overland movement table.
My guess is using the table in the Into the Wild section would serve you just fine without adding anything else to it.
I like Roberts idea of having the party assist their main searcher. Gives the idea of having one person really investigating and coordinating everybody's efforts.
If you check the math using the Trackless column it should about the same. It's basically just pre-calculated. Trackless Plains is x3/4, 22.5 feet for a 30 feet moving party, going 12 miles across a hex (or center to center if you like) comes out to 5 and 1/3 hours. Basically what you have on the Exploring the Stolen Lands table.
I imagine in the next adventure when the PCs can build roads that table will have 4 hours for road and 5 hours for trackless on plains. On the other terrain types adding road and highways will become a big deal and dramatically improve travel.
Creative Director
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When a party explores a hex with a hidden encounter or location the module calls for a perception check to notice it. Does every PC get a perception check, or only the PC with the best perception? If everyone gets a perception check, do familiars and animal companions get one as well? Or cohorts or hirelings?
All PCs involved in the exploration get a Perception check. Including cohorts and familiars and hirelings, provided they're part of the investigation. Animal companions too, if the hidden thing is something an animal would notice or care about.
This does mean there's a lot of die rolls... but since players LOVE rolling dice, this is a good thing.
Do PCs ever have to dismount to travel through any kind of terrain hex?
I'm still a little confused. Can a party explore a swamp or a mountain from horseback.
I also have a new question.
When it says on the chart on page 57 that exploration takes X many days, does that mean a full 24 hours of traveling around for each day? or does it mean a full day as per the pfsrd on Overland Travel.
In a day of normal walking, a character walks for 8 hours. The rest of the daylight time is spent making and breaking camp, resting, and eating.
if this were the case, could the party could continue to explore at a forced march pace, incurring the appropriate penalties?
or am I just looking to make this all too complicated James?
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Creative Director
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Do PCs ever have to dismount to travel through any kind of terrain hex?I'm still a little confused. Can a party explore a swamp or a mountain from horseback.
I also have a new question.
When it says on the chart on page 57 that exploration takes X many days, does that mean a full 24 hours of traveling around for each day? or does it mean a full day as per the pfsrd on Overland Travel.
In a day of normal walking, a character walks for 8 hours. The rest of the daylight time is spent making and breaking camp, resting, and eating.
if this were the case, could the party could continue to explore at a forced march pace, incurring the appropriate penalties?
or am I just looking to make this all too complicated James?
The charts on page 57 assume a normal 8 hour day of exploring, just like the movement rules in the core rules. You could certainly explore longer but that would indeed make things more uncomfortable, similar to a forced march. Of course, the adventures and campaign aren't on timers, so there's not really compelling reason to rush through the exploring.
And you can certainly explore a swamp or mountain on horseback.
Wouldn't want to explore at night unless your primary surveyor had low-light vision (elf, half-elf, or gnome).
Advantage of having everybody roll: Characters can enjoy being the one to find something cool, instead of the same person always getting the credit. I know my group likes to keep track of that kinda stuff and incorporate it into the role-play. This also lets you add racial predilections (ie an elf might be more apt to notice something in the trees than a dwarf).
I also like to use Perception rolls like a sorta "awareness initiative". Everyone might beat the DC, but the highest roller saw it first. Again, stuff like that is important to my group.