TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
    
   
  By Mattia Salvetti 
   
  
   
  Survival and Travel 
   
  The Rules 
   
   
  2 
   
   
  INTRODUCTION 
   
  The Cypher System shines for its flexibility and adaptability, but it lacks an important element to 
  any setting which includes adventure and exploration: rules to determine the outcome of overland 
  travel and tables listing the dangers lurking in the untamed wilderness. In this document I propose 
  a new approach to step-by-step overland travel, mostly inspired by the “hex-crawling” campaigns 
  common in the older days of the hobby.  
   
  WHAT YOU NEED 
  To properly utilize this document, you’ll need some sheets of hex paper and two copies of the map 
  you want your PCs to explore: one is yours and contains the position of settlements and dangers in 
  the area, the other is blank except for the outline of the coastal areas and is to be given to the PCs. 
  I suggest using hexes with a radius of roughly 4 to 5 millimeters. 
   
  Chapters: 
   
  -1 Terrain Hostility 
  -2 Overland Travel 
  -3 Actions in Travel 
  -4 Ambient Damage 
  -5 Diseases 
  -6 Buildings And Vehicles 
  -7 Random Encounters 
    
   
   
  This product was created under license. CYPHER SYSTEM and its logo, and CYPHER SYSTEM CREATOR and its 
  logo, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games 
  characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook 
  Games, LLC. www.montecookgames.com 
   
  This work contains material that is copyright Monte Cook Games, LLC and/or other authors. Such material is 
  used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Cypher System Creator. 
   
  All other original material in this work is copyright [2016] by [your legal name or company name] and 
  published under the Community Content Agreement for Cypher System Creator. 
  
  Survival and Travel 
   
  The Rules 
   
  3 
   
  1 – TERRAIN HOSTILITY  
  Hostility is a measure of the peril posed by a 
  terrain or area, a quantification of its capability 
  of hurting, stopping or maiming the PCs. 
  Terrain hostility is assigned by the GM however 
  they see fit and ranges from 0 to 4:  
   
  0. The area is safe guarded or protected 
  and poses no life-threatening risk. 
  1. The area is safer than most and life-
  ending threats are rare. 
  2. The area is unexplored, populated by 
  hostile creatures or simply dangerous. 
  3. The area is actively hostile and most of 
  those who venture there perish. 
  4. The area is a death trap, the pinnacle of 
  lethality for those unaware. 
  Hostility influences many factors, to name a 
  few the speed the terrain can be traversed at 
  and the average level of the creatures lurking 
  there. Firstly, however, a good GM should learn 
  how to assign terrain hostility based on a 
  series of questions:  
  - 
  Is the terrain populated by hostiles? 
  - 
  Does the area house a powerful foe? 
  - 
  How is the geology? 
  - 
  How is the climate? 
  - 
  Who lives here, if anyone? 
  - 
  Are there fortifications or roads? 
  - 
  Are there societies nearby? 
   
  Once these answers have been answered, you 
  can evaluate the approximate hostility of the 
  terrain in a scale from 0 to 4. Remember that 
  this distinction is not set in stone and can be 
  twisted to either suit your needs or 
  compensate for an error: one point more or 
  less is not game-changing. To have a better 
  grasp on the concept of hostility, consider the 
  following examples: 
  A hamlet has a hostility of zero, as the local 
  militia keeps most of the townsfolk in check 
  and guarantees order and safety. 
  The nearby hills have a hostility of one: 
  the occasional dangerous beast is sure to roam 
  by, but such an occurrence is improbable. 
  The dark forest has a hostility of two: 
  mysterious creatures lurk in the dark…  
  The mountain range has a hostility of 
  three: many who venture there don’t return. 
  The forbidden shrine of Ashaok has a 
  hostility of four: certain death. 
   
  When in doubt, consider how close the nearby 
  inhabited or civilized area is and behave 
  accordingly. Also, some civilized areas have a 
  higher hostility such as cities and metropolis.  
   
   
  2 – OVERLAND TRAVEL 
  To properly track the movement of 
  characters on a map, the first step is to divide 
  said map into equal hexagons. Each of those 
  represents an area with a diameter of roughly 
  6 miles, or 10 kilometers. A group of fit 
  individuals can, on roads, travel for up to four 
  of those hexes (for a total of 24 miles, or 40 
  Km) in the span of an adventuring day. Each 
  hex is large enough to house various points of 
  interest, which you can list on a reference 
  sheet and localize on the map via a set of 
  coordinates. As hexes don’t fare well in an 
  orthogonal coordinate system, it’s better to use 
  a distorted one (if you are using one at all): 
   
   
  But how does this relate to the concept of 
  terrain hostility? Simply put, to each hex 
  corresponds a hostility level from 0 to 4, 
  assigned in relation to the danger posed by 
  natural (or supernatural) forces in the area. 
  When mapping hostility you have two choices: 
  make it known to the players or not. In the 
  former case, they can perform better-informed 
  choices regarding which path to take to a 
  specific destination, in the latter you have a 
  higher degree of control over the narrative and 
  you can force the party into dangerous areas 
  they would have otherwise avoided.  
   
  Characters move across the map following a 
  sub-set of specific travelling rules, the most 
  important of which is the travelling day. Each 
  day of travel is divided into 5 discrete blocks: 
  morning, noon, afternoon, evening and night. 
  The PCs can “spend” one or more of their 
  collective travel time to perform a set of large-
  scale “actions”, much like a turn in combat, the 
  simplest of which is movement. These actions 
  shall be examined in the next chapter.   
   
  Each day of travel forces the PCs to consume 
  two complete meals, which are tracked in 
  the form of rations. Failure to do so causes 
  ambient damage to them, as explained in the 
  relative chapter.  
   
   
  
   
  Survival and Travel 
   
  The Rules 
   
   
  4 
   
  3 – ACTIONS IN TRAVEL 
  The PCs can spend their travelling day 
  performing a variety of actions, aimed towards 
  survival or exploration. Each action “costs” the 
  group a certain amount of collective time, 
  specified in the list below in brackets. Note 
  that, normally, nighttime is devoted to resting 
  and standing guard, but it, too, can be “spent”. 
  If one or more PCs don’t sleep, they suffer 
  ambient damage and don’t recover any spent 
  recovery roll, as usual. In the following list, the 
  term H indicates the terrain hostility. The 
  actions one can perform are: 
  Foraging (1). Foraging provides a number 
  of rations equal to the result of a Survival or 
  Hunting check minus the terrain hostility, times 
  the number of people who are foraging. For 
  instance, a trained individual who scores a 13 
  on the d20 could succeed on a level 5 check, 
  meaning they will find 5 rations worth of food 
  for each member of the hunting expedition. If 
  the terrain has a hostility of 2, the amount of 
  food rations per individual is reduced by 2. 
  Travelling (H). Travelling to a nearby area 
  requires to spend a number of time slots equal 
  to the hostility of the hex of destination 
  (minimum 1). Moving within the same hex 
  doesn’t require any consistent time. 
  Attempting to travel while in hostile weather, 
  such as a thunderstorm or sandstorm, requires 
  a Survival check, whose difficulty is the lowest 
  of 2d6 plus the terrain hostility. If the check is 
  failed, the group becomes lost.  
  Exploring (1). Exploring a hex requires a 
  Survival or Cartography skill check, the 
  difficulty of which is determined by the GM. 
  The difficulty can also be determined by rolling 
  2d6 and adding the lowest to the terrain 
  hostility, to provide more dynamic challenges. 
  If the exploration is successful, the group find 
  one or more places of interest (if any) present 
  in the hex. If they fail, they become lost. 
  Building (1). By making a Masonry or 
  Construction skill check with difficulty equal to 
  the terrain hostility, you can create a level 1 
  shelter for the group. The shelter can house an 
  amount of people equal to the number of 
  builders. Rules regarding buildings and vehicles 
  are presented later in this document.  
  Reinforce (𝟐𝑳𝑽). Reinforcing a building takes 
  a number of time slots equal to 2 to the power 
  to the level of the building, meaning a level 2 
  building takes 2 time slots and the time needed 
  doubles for each level. A building needs to be 
  improved step by step, one level at a time. 
  Each time a building is improved, a member of 
  the group must make a Masonry or 
  Construction skill check with difficulty equal to 
  the terrain hostility, plus the level of the 
  building. This means a level 10 building 
  requires 511 days of work to build from 
  scratch. 
  4 – AMBIENT DAMAGE 
  Ambient damage is caused by environmental 
  sources. As such, it ignores armor and it 
  represents the effects of a long exposure to the 
  elements. Ambient damage is usually might-
  based, but extreme cold or starvation could 
  also be represented by a loss of Speed. 
  Whenever a character takes ambient 
  damage, roll 2d6 and pick the lowest, then 
  add it to the terrain hostility. Sources of 
  protection, like some cyphers or powers, may 
  offer protection against ambient damage. 
   
  Sources of ambient damage: 
  • 
  Skipping a meal; 
  • 
  A night without sleep; 
  • 
  Staying in a cold or hot environment 
  without countermeasures for more than 
  one time slot; 
  • 
  Being lost and failing to find the way. 
  • 
  Hailstorms, sandstorms etc… 
   
     Being lost, in particular, is caused by 
  external factors (such as failing to explore a 
  hex) and causes the group to be lost within the 
  hex they are currently residing in. A lost group 
  cannot explore the current hex nor travel to 
  another one willingly. The group may attempt 
  to find the way with a special action: 
  Finding the Way (H). By using a number of 
  time slots equal to the hostility of the current 
  hex, the leader may attempt a Survival check 
  against a difficulty equal to the lowest of 2d6 
  plus the terrain hostility. On a success, the 
  group is no longer lost. On a failure, they take 
  ambient damage. 
   
  5 – DISEASES 
  Diseases are a common enemy of explorers 
  and the Cypher System allows for enough 
  flexibility to create them quickly and easily. 
  Whenever a character would contract a disease 
  (because of questionable hygiene or a GM 
  intrusion), assign a level to the disease as if it 
  were a creature. The character must make a 
  might-defense roll against contagion first. 
  Then, after each night, they must repeat the 
  roll against the disease.  
  On a success, the disease looses potency 
  (and one level). On a failure, the character 
  takes might or speed damage equal to the 
  level of the disease and it increases by 1 level. 
  If the disease level reaches level zero, the 
  character is healed. If it reaches level 10, the 
  character falls one step on the damage track 
  for each subsequent failure. 
  Feel free to apply further penalties to 
  characters who fail a roll against a disease, 
  such as blindness or nausea, as you see fit. 
   
   
   
  
  Survival and Travel 
   
  The Rules 
   
  5 
   
  6 – BIULDINGS AND 
  VEHICLES 
  Buildings and Vehicles work in a very similar 
  manner, as their primary purpose is to shield 
  or shelter the crew or inhabitants from harm. 
  As such, the rules regarding their creation and 
  utilization are fairly similar. 
  Firstly, all buildings have a level from 1 to 
  10, which influences their resistance to harm 
  and the degree of protection they offer to their 
  inhabitants. Rules for creating buildings also 
  apply to vehicles and are explained in chapter 
  3, under “building” and “reinforce”.  
   
  Acting while inside a building grants a series 
  of benefits and liabilities: 
  Defense: all characters inside buildings or 
  vehicles gain armor against all outside sources 
  equal to the structure’s level. This includes 
  ambient damage caused by the environment, 
  such as extreme cold or a hailstorm. 
  Offense: many buildings and vehicles are 
  equipped with implemented weaponry, which 
  are always classified as heavy. These weapons 
  deal damage equal to the level of the 
  structure. NPCs may use the building’s 
  weapons too, provided they are proficient in 
  their utilization.  
   
  Movement: Vehicles can move up to a short 
  range each round, or a long range if travelling 
  on a straight line and on even terrain. Some 
  vehicles may be capable of flight or other 
  forms of peculiar movement, depending on the 
  materials available to the group and their 
  crafting ability. Vehicles need fuel to function, 
  which can be provided by any source 
  compatible with the engine. When in doubt, 
  assign a level to the fuel found by the 
  characters and decrease it by 1 for each time 
  slot used for travel. 
   
  Damaging building an vehicles is as easy as 
  making an attack roll against them. Attacks 
  against immobile buildings always hit, those 
  against vehicles must be compared to the level 
  of the pilot. When a structure reaches 0 health, 
  its level decreases by 1, it gains health as 
  appropriate for its new level and it ceases 
  granting all its bonuses, including protection 
  and movement. A damaged structure can be 
  restored to its former level by repairing it, 
  which takes a number of time slots equal to 
  half the time needed to upgrade it. You may 
  assign armor to a building depending on the 
  hardness of the materials employed to build it, 
  from 0 (wood) to 3 (steel). 
   
  Breaching may happen when a creature 
  forces their way inside an occupied building. If 
  they do so, they choose whether to take 
  ambient damage equal to the level of the 
  building or attempt a skill check against the 
  same difficulty. Creatures inside a building 
  ignore its defensive properties and can’t be 
  targeted by its implemented weapons. 
   
   
  
   
  Survival and Travel 
   
  The Rules 
   
   
  6 
   
  As an example, a level 4 structure (be it a 
  vehicle or a building) takes 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 = 15 
  time slots to complete and 4 checks whose 
  difficulty depends on the environment and level 
  of the building. Once completed, it provides 4 
  armor to those inside against all external 
  sources of damage. The structure also has 3 ∙
  4 = 12 health, meaning it can take 12 points of 
  damage before being breached and ceasing to 
  give any protection. Now, an attacking creature 
  may decide to enter the structure forcibly 
  (taking either 4 damage or making a level 4 
  ability check), in which case they may ignore 
  the defensive bonusses of the structure. On the 
  other hand, they may opt to attack it directly. 
  If the structure takes 12 damage, it becomes a 
  level 3 structure, gains 9 health and is 
  considered breached. Repairing a breach 
  requires restoring the structure’s original level 
  by means of re-upgrading it. A structure is 
  completely destroyed only when it reaches 
  level 0, meaning it must take  12 + 9 + 6 + 3 =
  30 points of damage. 
   
  7 – RANDOM ENCOUNTERS 
     Random encounters are usually frowned 
  upon by the role-playing enthusiast, but that’s 
  just because most GMs fail to recognize them 
  for what they are: story elements, like any 
  other. Random encounters should never be 
  used to just prolong a session or give the 
  characters something to do: they must provide 
  a form of emergent narrative which makes the 
  PCs question and fear the environment they 
  find themselves in. In this chapter, I’ll explain 
  how to create a dynamic random encounter 
  table and how to make use of such to expand, 
  rather than slow down, the story. 
     Firstly, one needs to keep in mind the 
  following points to create a good encounter: 
     Not all encounters are combat: this 
  seems obvious, but a random encounter table 
  should include also positive and neutral 
  outcomes for exploration. Meeting new NPCs, 
  finding lost equipment or simply spotting an 
  interesting natural landmark helps immersion. 
     Use random encounters only when 
  necessary: don’t feel the need to use random 
  encounters at every step of the journey, but 
  limit them to one per adventuring day or even 
  less. Random encounters are particularly good 
  when used to make a situation worse: stom 
  the PCs from sleeping with one, or make a 
  pack of rapacious abominations attack the 
  group while they are scaling a cliffside. 
    Build up to the encounter properly: no 
  one wants to hear “a bear appears”. Describe 
  the dark, looming shadows of an immense 
  mammal in the forest and tease your players 
  with it. This will also give them a chance to 
  prepare for a fight. 
     Use GM intrusions when you need things 
  to really go south: a well-placed GM intrusion 
  means you can literally throw your PCs from a 
  bad situation to a desperate one. A random 
  encounter happening at the worst possible time 
  is a great wake-up call for bored players. 
   
     Second, but just as important, you must 
  create a solid encounter table filled with 
  interesting events. To do so: 
     Rely on multiple die rolls, such as 2d12, 
  instead of a single d20 roll. This way, the 
  events in the “middle” of the table will be far 
  more probable and you can place properly 
  dangerous encounters on its edges. 
     Create interconnected encounters: when 
  writing about a creature the PCs can find, it’s 
  usually a good idea to add an element of 
  dynamism by linking it to another encounter on 
  the same table. For instance, don’t just write 
  “A pack of wolves”, but “a pack of wolves 
  stalking a wounded […]”, where […] is another 
  creature rolled randomly on the table or 
  chosen by you. 
     Create both positive and negative 
  encounters, possibly devoting the upper half 
  of the table to positive ones and the lower half 
  to harmful ones. Even better, use “neutral” 
  encounters when possible and allow the actions 
  of the PCs to dictate whether they end up as a 
  boon or a bane for the group. 
     Tie the encounters with the story you 
  are trying to tell: no one wants to fight giant 
  rats while traversing the land of Sorrowfalls to 
  slay the Giant King of Abaltha. Use creatures 
  and NPCs linked to the story, character 
  background or subplots.  
     Use random encounters as seeds for 
  side-quests and subplots: don’t just throw a 
  couple of bandits at the PCs, but give one of 
  the bandits a letter signed by an old enemy of 
  the party who commissioned the cutthroats to 
  slay them for a discrete sum of money. What if 
  the animals attacking the group all have a 
  strange tattoo? What if the goblin pit trap 
  contains the remains of a nobleman from a 
  nearby town, whose body was never found? 
     When in doubt, roll: sometimes the PCs 
  need to be kept on their toes. Sometimes you 
  want things to go south without using an 
  intrusion. If you are desperate, roll and come 
  up with something. This way, the PCs may 
  think they are facing a random occurrence, 
  when in reality you are guiding the plot 
  forward.  
   
  That being said, in the next page you’ll find an 
  example of what I use as a random encounter 
  table in one of my campaigns. When in doubt 
  about a creature level, consider using the 
  lowest of 2d6 plus the environmental hostility. 
   
   
  
  Survival and Travel 
   
  The Rules 
   
  7 
   
  2d12 
  Table 1 
  2 
  A small river glows with soothing light. Drinking from it restores the damage track. 
  3 
  Two humanoids are arguing over a recently dug grave. 
  4 
  A unicorn is bleeding to death, its hooves stuck in a large hunter’s trap. 
  5 
  An emissary reaches the group, informing them they are wanted in a nearby city. 
  6 
  A large pile of gold is abandoned on the road. It may be cursed, or not. 
  7 
  A strange letter hangs by a tree. It recites “I CAN SEE YOU” in red letters. 
  8 
  The cry of a lost child is heard by the group, but also by a […]. 
  9 
  A hunter is following a […], but the PCs are in the way of his job. 
  10 
  From a tree hang large, purple fruits. The ones on the ground are not poisonous.  
  11 
  A wild animal beacons the group to follow it to a ruined temple, where […]. 
  12 
  A pack of wild animals is following a […]. Some stop to observe the group. 
  13 
  A recently slain carcass is being devoured by a large predator, who ignores the group. 
  14 
  A small river is polluted by a reddish substance, which the animals tend to avoid. 
  15 
  A roaming party of inquisitors approaches from the opposite side of the road. 
  16 
  From a large tree hang the corpses of dozens of humans, equipped for battle. 
  17 
  A toxic cloud of reddish gas fills the area. From it, a […] appears. 
  18 
  A travelling merchant stops by, willing to barter if the PCs slay the […] further ahead. 
  19 
  A giant is sleeping on a makeshift bed, obstructing the only passage. 
  20 
  A small regiment of soldiers is escorting a local lord to a nearby hamlet. […] appears! 
  21 
  A large Demon is hunched over a wooden passageway, demanding tribute. 
  22 
  A man is fleeing its suitors and promises eternal gratitude in exchange for help. 
  23 
  A young Dragon is following a […] from the sky, and spots the group.  
  24 
  A ghostly apparition warns the PCs about an ancient prophecy and then disappears.  
  Use this table to keep track of days and weeks during exploration
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Cypher System/3rd Party/Overland Travel Variant Rules.pdf