Exploring Thorougly?

[Red Metal]

I've just started running Horizons of the Vast for my group, and we've recently come into conflict over the meaning over part of the hexploration rules. Specifically, how exploring thoroughly while performing recon works.

Quote:

You carefully explore and map a single hex, gaining as much information as you can. This activity requires a number of hexploration activities equal to the hex in which you’re performing recon, and you choose whether to be more careful or more thorough. If you choose to be more careful, the encounter DC (see Random Encounters below) increases by 2; if you choose to be more thorough, it decreases by 2.

Upon successfully performing recon in a hex, you discover all the hex’s major features that don’t require a check (at the GM’s discretion), and you learn the biome of each hex adjacent to that hex. In addition, if you chose to be more thorough, you find the fastest way through the terrain; reduce the number of activities required to travel in or through that hex by 1 (to a minimum of 1). [u]This reduction can apply only once per hex.[/u]

I'm of the opinion that the underlined bit means that the activity cost reduction only ever applies once. However, my players think that it means you get the benefit every time you travel through the hex, and that the underlined but just means you can't explore thoroughly multiple times to increase the activity cost reduction.

Which of us is right?

[Loreguard]

It seems clear to me, that it is intended to grant the characters the knowledge of the 'fastest route' through the hex. That knowledge seems like it should be persistent. It however makes perfect sense that one might attempt to fine an even faster route by making multiple thorough investigation attempts if it were allowed, which the last part seems clear is saying it is not allowed.

Although your interpretation is perhaps not syntactically improper, it doesn't seem to really make sense based on the description of the reason for the bonus.

It doesn't make sense that knowing the 'best route' would help you once, and then subsequent attempts to travel the space would take as long as someone who had never been there before.

It seems to me that it actually is changing the value of (number of activities to travel the hex value. This value is intrinsic to the nature of the hex, and once it is known/mapped it is easier to traverse. It however can't be further mapped to become even easier to map. Does that make sense? So it only applies once, but it applies to the actual value held by the hex. IT doesn't seem intended to modify individual traversals of the hex.

Hope that helps.

[Garretmander]

I agree. I think your player's are correct. They find the fastest way through the hex and they remember it for when they return to the hex.

[TRDG]

Yep, reconn in downtime is the way to go, thats what our party does, reconn as much as possible during downtime til we get shredded up with set and random encounters then head back to base.

Then see what disaster might have been befallen it while we were out exploring (keeping the native and non native fauna and bug population down as well as discoveries)

Tom