Here I aim to flesh out the step between “you are traveling” and “you found a dungeon” in a hex- or pointcrawl, in a way that hopefully feels natural and like actual exploration. I’ve taken some inspiration from, yes, Skyrim. It aims to add a bit of risk-reward to the process: discovering new locations might require an investment of time and resources, and the final reward might be nothing, a welcome surprise, or a nasty encounter.
Image: Whiterun Hold by Michal Kus
The Things We Find Along The Way
Note: Tables are referenced in [bold brackets].
While traveling, you spot…
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1-2 | A [Point of Interest] |
| 3-4 | A [Vantage Point] |
| 5-6 | Approaching [People] |
…at a [Distance].
Distance
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1 | Closeby: easy to reach; short travel time |
| 2-5 | Not too far away: a short walk or small challenge |
| 6 | Quite far away: a long walk or difficult challenge |
Point of Interest
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1 | Plume of smoke, indicating a [Camp] |
| 2 | [Cave entrance] |
| 3 | [Ancient shrine] |
| 4 | [Crumbling ruin] |
| 5 | [Vantage Point] |
| 6 | Roll twice |
Vantage Point
| 1d4 | Result |
| 1 | Old watchtower |
| 2 | Small hill |
| 3 | Climbable tree |
| 4 | Big, jutting rock |
…from which you spot a [Point of Interest] at a [Distance].
People
Each group of people has a [Disposition].
| 1d10 | Result |
| 1 | Fellow travelers |
| 2 | Merchants |
| 3 | Monks |
| 4 | Pilgrims |
| 5 | Rangers |
| 6 | Hunters & trappers |
| 7-9 | Bandits |
| 10 | Bandits posing as Roll a d6 on this table |
Disposition
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1 | Hostile |
| 2-3 | Cautious |
| 4 | Indifferent |
| 5 | Curious |
| 6 | Friendly |
Beasts
Beasts also possess a [Disposition].
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1-2 | Bears |
| 3-4 | Wolves |
| 5 | Giant vultures |
| 6 | Trolls |
Camp
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1-2 | Recently abandoned. 1d6: (1-2) There are still some supplies (3-6) Nothing beside remains |
| 3-4 | In use by [People]. |
| 5-6 | Recently attacked by [Beasts]. |
Cave Entrance
The cave is…
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1 | Just one chamber big |
| 2-5 | 1d4+1 chambers big |
| 6 | 2d4+2 chambers big |
and occupied by…
Ancient Shrine
The shrine…
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1-3 | is unremarkable and mundane |
| 4-5 | aids the journey through supplies left here |
| 6 | aids the journey through some magical blessing |
Crumbling Ruin
This ruin is of a…
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1 | Temple |
| 2-3 | Outpost |
| 4-5 | Lodge |
| 6 | Castle |
and is occupied by…
and contains…
| 1d6 | Result |
| 1-3 | Nothing of note |
| 4-5 | A cache of hidden supplies and treasure |
| 6 | A dungeon |
Design Notes
There’s a chance of chains of events: lookout > another lookout > 2 locations, for instance.
The [Distance] table is an invitation to have the players invest resources, be it time (a longer detour), tools or equipment.
“Closeby” should mean there’s no challenge involved; “Not too far away” might involve a skill check (“Climb the crumbling tower with DEX”) or a tool (“Use the grapple hook to climb the tower”); “Quite far away” could involve a skill check and a tool.
I hope this document also encourages interesting choices – sure, you spotted a camp, but it might be occupied by bandits, so approach carefully.