Kinda curious how people have been enjoying the hexploration and camping rules. A few thoughts of my own.
--Special meals seem like you can prepare multiple servings of the same meal, but only a single type of meal, with one activity. Given camping activities increase encounter chances, I'm not sure it can be justified for everyone to have a different favorite meal.
--Random encounter checks are really common, and camping activities adding more feels odd. I also can't decide if I should want to avoid the encounters because they are an XP source.
--Time and distance abstraction is odd. Treating the hex as one abstracted whole means you can't Map while you Reconnoiter but you can fully Reconnoiter a square without having traveled it at all.
-- Activities are bottle necked at the Hexploration and Camp Activity phases, while the period for Preparing a Campsite is hard to fill for many PCs.
I have some rewrites I am tinkering with. Will post below.
You may perform a number of hexploration activities based on your speed as described on GMG page 172. This could allow you to perform more activities than your allies if your speed is faster. For example, if you have a speed of 45 feet (or can ignore difficult terrain somehow to allow you to effectively move faster than allies) you can both Scout and Avoid Notice while keeping up with allies whose 30 foot speed just allows them to Reconnoiter while traveling.
**Hexploration Activies**
Travel
Reconnoiter
Map the Area (Requirement: someone else must be using Reconnoiter or Scout; DC Reduction applies to Camp Prep as well as navigation until you travel into unmapped areas.)
Scout/Lookout Duty
Avoid Notice
Detect Magic
Defend
Forced March
Camp Prep Activities generally take place in a two hour period, and everyone in the party can take one. They involve the initial locating and setting up a campsite, and may involve the party spreading out a little in the process.
**Camp Prep Activities**
Prepare/Locate Campsite
Fortify Camp
CAMOUFLAGE CAMPSITE
HUNT AND GATHER
RELAX
PROVIDE AID
Influence
Campfire Activities are activities that happen around the campfire and usually involve a degree of socialization between party members. They take two hours by default.
**Campfire Activities**
COOK BASIC MEAL
COOK SPECIAL MEAL
DISCOVER SPECIAL MEAL
LEARN FROM A COMPANION
ORGANIZE WATCH
PROVIDE AID
TELL CAMPFIRE STORY
INFLUENCE
DOWNTIME Activities: A PC may may sacrifice their Hexploration, Camp Prep, and Camp Fire activities for the day to instead use a Downtime Activity from the CRB while traveling. This includes Craft an item, retraining, or using an appropriate lore to gather raw materials using Earn Income.