Encountering Creatures. If the DM determines
that the adventurers eneounter other ereatures while
they're traveling, it's up to both groups to decide what
happens next. Either group might decide to attaek,
initiate a eonversation, run away, or wait to see what the
other group does.
Surprising Foes. If the adventurers eneounter a
hostile ereature or group, the DM determines whether
the adventurers or their foes might be surprised when
eombat erupts. See ehapter 9 for more about surprise.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Charaeters who turn their attention to other tasks as the
group travels are not foeused on watehing for danger.
These eharaeters don't eontribute their passive Wisdom
(Pereeption) seores to the group's chance of noticing
hidden threats. However, a eharaeter not watehing for
danger ean do one of the following aetivities instead, or
some other aetivity with the DM's permission.
Navigate. The eharaeter ean try to prevent the group
from beeoming 10st, making a Wisdom (Survival) eheek
when the DM ealls for it. (TheDungeon Master's Cuide
has rules to determine whether the group gets lost.)
Drawa Map.The eharaeter ean draw a map
that reeords the group's progress and helps the
eharaeters get baek on eourse if they get 10st. No ability
eheek is required.
Track.A eharaeter ean follow the traeks of another
ereature, making a Wisdom (Survival) eheek when the
DM ealls for it. (TheDungeon Master's Cuidehas rules
for traeking.)
Forage.The eharaeter ean keep an eye out for ready
sourees of food and water, making a Wisdom (Survival)
eheek when the DM ealls for it. (TheDungeon Master's
Cuidehas rules for foraging.)
The Environment
By its nature, adventuring involves delving into plaees
that are dark, dangerous, and full of mysteries to be
explored. The rules in this seetion eover some of the
most important ways in whieh adventurers interaet with
the environment in sueh plaees. TheDungeon Master's
Cuidehas rules eovering more unusual situations.
FALLING
A fali from a great height is one of the most eommon
hazards facing an adventurer.
At the end of a fali, a ereature takes Id6 bludgeoning
damage for every 10 feet it fell, to a maximum of 20d6.
The ereature lands prone, unless it avoids taking
damage from the fali.
SUFFOCATING
A ereature ean hold its breath for a number of minutes
equal to I+its Constitution modifier (minimum
of 30 seeonds).
When a ereature runs out of breath, it ean survive for
a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier
(minimum I round). At the start of its next turn, it drops
to O hit points and is dying.
4 •
SPLITTING UpTHE PARTY
Sometimes, it makes sense to split an adventuring party,
espeeially if you wanl one or more eharaelers lo seoul ahead.
You ean form mulliple parties, eaeh moving at a different speed.
Eaeh group has ils own fronl, middle, and baek ranks.
lhe drawbaek lo lhis approaeh is lhal lhe party will be splil
inlo several smaller groups in lhe evenl of an allack. lhe
advanlage is lhal a small group of sleallhy eharaelers moving
slowly mighl be able lO sneak pasl enemies lhal c1umsier
eharaelers would alerl. A rogue and a monk moving at a slow
paee are mueh harder to deteel when lhey leave lheir dwarf
paladin friend behind.
...•--------------------- ..•.
For example, a ereature with a Constitution of 14 ean
hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffoeating. it
has 2 rounds to reaeh air before it drops to O hit points.VISION AND LIGHT
The most fundamental tasks of adventuring-noticing
danger, finding hidden objeets, hitting an enemy in
eombat, and targeting a spell, to name just a few-
rely heavily on a eharaeter's ability to see. Darkness
and other effeets that obseure vision can prove a
signifieant hindranee.
A given area might be Iightly or heavily obseured. In
a Iightly obscured area, sueh as dim light, patehy fog,
or moderate foliage, ereatures have disadvantage on
Wisdom (Pereeption) eheeks that rely on sight.
A heavi1y obscured area-sueh as darkness, opaque
fog, or dense foliage-bloeks vision entireIy. A ereature
in a heavily obseured area effeetively suffers from the
blinded eondition (see appendix A).
The presenee or absenee of Iight in an environment
ereates three eategories of illumination: bright Iight, dim
Iight, and darkness.
Bright Iight lets most ereatures see normally. Even
gloomy days provide bright light, as do torehes, lanterns,
fires, and other sourees of illumination within a
specifie radius.
Dim Iight, also ealled shadows, ereates a Iightly
obseured area. An area of dim Iight is usually a
boundary between a souree of bright Iight, sueh as
a toreh, and surrounding darkness. The soft Iight
of twilight and dawn also eounts as dim Iight. A
particularly brilliant full moon might bathe the land
in dim Iight.
Darkness ereates a heavily obseured area. Charaeters
face darkness outdoors at night (even most moonlit
nights). within the confines of an unlit dungeon or a
subterranean vault, or in an area of magieal darkness.BLlNDSIGHT
A ereature with blindsight ean pereeive its surroundings
without relying on sight, within a specifie radius.
Creatures without eyes, sue h as oozes, and ereatures
with eeholoeation or heightened senses, sueh as bats
and true dragons, have this sense.DARKVISION
Many ereatures in the worlds ofO&D,espeeially those
that dwell underground. have darkvision. Within a
specified range, a ereature with darkvision ean see inPART 2 IADVEN""l URING