Characters adventuring in the wilds or the underworld must traverse all manner of environmental features: trees to climb, chasms to bridge, floors and walls to probe, mysterious statues and altars to examine, and so forth. This section presents guidelines for handling the most common types of environmental features, hazards, and challenges.

The basic game procedure of the Referee describing the scene and players deciding what to do serves as the fundamental means of interacting with hazards and challenges. The environment is described and clarified with questions from the group, then the characters act and the Referee judges what happens. Sometimes a die roll is required—putting a character’s fate in the hands of chance—but it is often possible to bypass hazards using ingenuity, without any kind of random roll.

Example: Exploring a cave system of crystal-encrusted grottoes, the party comes across a 10′ wide chasm blocking their path. The players ask the Referee if they can jump across. Consulting the rules for Jumping, the Referee says that a Strength Check is required. Not liking the odds, the players discuss other approaches. Could the large statue they previously encountered be dragged here and tipped across the chasm as a bridge? Could they attach a rope and grappling hook to rocks on the other side and swing across?

When dealing with hazards and challenges, it is useful to recall that all PCs, no matter their Class, are professional adventurers. Even the most bookish magician has chosen to leave the safety of their master’s tower and take up a life of adventure. Such a lifestyle brings with it the following basic competencies. Adventurers can perform these tasks under normal conditions without a roll or check.

Camping: Finding campsites, setting up tents, gathering firewood, lighting fires.

Horse riding: Basic riding and care of horses.

Mapping: Pacing out and estimating distances, basic mapping symbols.

Rope use: Throwing, grappling, climbing, common knots.

Swimming: Treading water, swimming short distances.

Travelling: Packing gear, route planning, basic navigation.

Valuing treasure: Identifying gems, valuing trade goods and art objects.

Characters can make trivial climbs in non-pressured situations without a roll (e.g. climbing into the lower branches of a tree). In more difficult or tense situations, the Referee may require a Dexterity Check. If the check fails, the character falls at the halfway point, suffering 1d6 damage per 10′ of the fall.

Characters travelling in extremely cold weather without adequate protection (e.g. a winter cloak—see Adventuring Gear) lose 1d4 Hit Points per day.

Wise characters carry illumination—magical or mundane—when exploring at night or underground. Typical light sources enable normal vision within a 30′ radius.

Low light: In low light conditions (e.g. at night without a light source), characters suffer a –2 penalty to Attack Rolls and move at half Speed.

Pitch darkness or blindness: Characters plunged into darkness or suddenly blinded suffer a –4 penalty to Attack Rolls, Armour Class, and Saving Throws and have Speed 10.

Doors are a common obstacle in dungeons and indoor spaces, restricting vision and access. Furthermore, doors may be locked, stuck, or hidden from plain sight.

Whether cunningly integrated into stonework or concealed beneath a blanket of moss, some doors cannot be seen by casual observation. Searching for secret doors is discussed under Hidden Features.

If the correct key cannot be located, a locked door may be broken open, opened by magic (e.g. the Knock spell), or picked by a Thief.

Breaking open: A successful Strength Check, the use of a tool (e.g. an axe or a crowbar), and 1 Turn of effort are usually enough to smash or pry open a typical wooden door. At the Referee’s discretion, the noise produced may trigger an additional check for Wandering Monsters.

A stuck door is unlocked but so obstructed that it cannot be opened without force (for example, due to being swollen or blocked by roots).

Forcing: Characters can attempt to shoulder barge a stuck door with a Strength Check. If successful, the door is rapidly forced open. A failed attempt eliminates any possibility of surprising (see Encounters) any creatures on the other side of the door.

Most doors do not block obvious, loud noises, but characters may attempt to detect the presence of monsters waiting quietly beyond a closed door by pressing an ear against it to listen. The Referee then rolls a Listen Check.

Time: Each listening attempt takes 1 Turn.

Multiple characters: If space permits, multiple characters may listen at the same door. Up to 2 characters can simultaneously listen at a typical door.

Retrying: Characters may listen at the same door as often as they wish, each attempt requiring an additional Turn.

Referee rolls: The Referee rolls all Listen Checks, so that players do not know if the roll failed or if there is simply no sound to be heard.

Silent monsters: Some monsters (e.g. undead) cannot be detected by listening.

When adventuring, characters must rest at intervals to avoid exhaustion. See Travel and Dungeons.

Effects of exhaustion: Character who fail to rest suffer a –1 penalty to Attack and Damage Rolls until they rest.

Cumulative: Multiple sources of exhaustion are cumulative (to a maximum penalty of –4). For example, a party that slept poorly and has not rested while exploring a dungeon suffers a –2 penalty.

Falling from a height onto a hard surface inflicts 1d6 damage per 10′ fallen.

Dolmenwood is rich in tasty plants, fish, and game animals. When on a long journey, a party may try to find food in the wilds, rather than relying on rations purchased in a settlement. The party may choose to fish, forage, or hunt—all handled by rolling a Survival Check for the day.

Time: If characters devote a whole day exclusively to finding food, without travelling, they gain a +2 bonus to the Survival Check. Otherwise, it is assumed they are looking for food during rest periods throughout the day.

Multiple characters: A single Survival Check is made for each group of characters travelling together, using the best Skill Target of all characters.

Splitting up: Characters may split into smaller groups to improve their chances of finding food, making one Survival Check per group, but this is dangerous: each group has a separate chance of Losing Direction and encountering Wandering Monsters.

Using a fishing rod and tackle (see Adventuring Gear), fishing is possible in any hex on the Dolmenwood map which contains a lake or river. The DCB lists the kinds of fish that can be caught.

Yield: Successful fishing provides 2d6 fresh rations.

The DCB lists the kinds of plants and mushrooms that can be found.

Yield: Successful foraging provides 1d6 fresh rations (1d4 in winter, 1d8 in autumn). Rare and magical herbs—only found in certain areas of Dolmenwood—may also turn up in the harvest.

Successful hunting means that characters have crept up on game animals. The DCB lists the kinds of game animals that can be hunted.

Combat: The party must then attempt to kill the game animals. This is handled as a normal combat encounter. The party has surprise (see Surprise) and begins the encounter 1d4 × 30′ away from the quarry. Yield: The party gains fresh rations based on the Hit Points of game animals killed: 1 ration per HP for Small animals, 2 rations per HP for Medium, and 4 rations per HP for Large (or more for extremely large creatures, per the Referee’s judgement).

When exploring tangled woods, forsaken moors, or benighted ruins, not all is always as it seems. Fairy doors linger in secluded glades, forgotten towers lurk in lost dells, and hidden doors lie concealed behind fronds of moss. Adventurers with the persistence to look more deeply may discover all manner of secrets.

Some areas of the Dolmenwood campaign map contain hidden features which go unnoticed by a party simply wandering past. Hidden features can be found by searching—see Searching Hexes.

In enclosed spaces, hidden features can often be located by Narrative Interaction. Alternatively, players may declare that they are searching a certain object or 10′ × 10′ area for hidden features (e.g. traps, secret doors, hidden compartments, etc.). The Referee rolls a Search Check.

Time: Each search takes 1 Turn.

Multiple characters: If space permits, multiple characters may search the same object or area. Up to 3 characters can simultaneously search a 10′ × 10′ area.

Retrying: Characters may search the same object or area again as often as they wish, each attempt requiring an additional Turn.

Referee rolls: The Referee rolls all Search Checks, so that players do not know if the roll failed or if there are simply no hidden features present.

Hunger: Adventurers must be careful to pack provisions sufficient for their journey, or be prepared to Find Food in the Wild. Characters who go without food for a whole day or longer begin to suffer deleterious effects as indicated in the Effects of Hunger table.

Thirst: Water is easy to find throughout Dolmenwood, in pools and little streams. Characters without access to water suffer the effects of going without food (see the Effects of Hunger table) and lose 3 Constitution per day. Death results if Constitution is reduced to 0.

Speed reductions: Speed is never reduced below 10.

Wisdom reductions: Wisdom is never reduced below 3.

Long jumps: Characters can jump across a stream, chasm, or pit of up to 5′ wide with a 20′ run-up—no roll is required. For longer jumps of up to 10′, a Strength Check is required.

High jumps: Characters can jump over obstacles of up to 3′ high with a 20′ run-up—no roll is required. For higher jumps of up to 5′, a Strength Check is required.

Modifiers: –1 if wearing Medium armour, –2 if wearing Heavy armour.

Overland travel is described at an abstract level, without detailing the minutiae of winding paths and minor terrain obstacles the party navigates. When travelling with a reliable guide, following a road or river, or heading towards an obvious landmark, there is no risk of getting lost. Otherwise, the Referee rolls for a chance that the party gets lost each travel day.

Chance: The chance of the party becoming lost depends on the type of terrain being explored—see Travel. Inclement weather conditions (e.g. fog, blizzard) may also increase the chance of getting lost.

When to roll: Typically, the roll for getting lost is made at the start of the travel day. If the party starts the day travelling along a road (no chance of getting lost), the roll for getting lost is made when they leave the road.

Getting lost: The effects of becoming lost are described in the Dolmenwood Campaign Book.

Dungeon exploration focuses on the precise details of rooms and passages the party traverses. There is no roll to check for getting lost, but players should carefully map dungeon areas explored. The players’ map and memories are their sole means to maintain orientation and recall safe routes out of the dungeon.

Getting lost: Characters who are captured, magically transported, or who lose their map may no longer know where they are in relation to previously explored areas. Characters in this situation should start a new map and attempt to find their way back to a known area. The old and new maps can then be connected.

When two groups approach each other, there is a chance that one or both is unaware of the other’s presence. This is handled by a Surprise Roll (see [Encounters#[Surprise]]).

Movement and encumbrance: Exploration movement (see Time and Movement) is careful and stealthy, so as not to automatically give away a group’s presence. Heavily laden characters must move especially slowly, to avoid armour or other gear making noise. This is handled by the Encumbrance rules reducing laden characters’ Speed.

When attempting to sneak up on or sneak past a creature, a Surprise Roll is made each Round. If the roll indicates surprise, the sneaking party may move for 1 Round without being detected. Otherwise, the sneaking party is spotted.

Vigilance: If creatures are actively watching (e.g. a guard staring fixedly down a corridor, without moving), the Referee may rule that sneaking is impossible. Most creatures cannot maintain this level of vigilance for long.

Distractions: If creatures are engaged in some activity (e.g. feeding, conversation) or distracted by a noise elsewhere, the Referee may rule that their chance of being surprised is increased.

Lone characters: Sometimes a single character (e.g. a thief or hunter) splits off from the main party to scout ahead. In this case, treat the character as a separate party with their own Surprise Rolls.

A common tactic is to hide behind some kind of cover in order to evade detection or to surprise foes. The chance of being spotted by casual passersby is determined by the density of cover available, as judged by the Referee.

Complete cover: A creature fully concealed from view (e.g. behind a wall, inside a coffer, etc.) automatically goes undetected.

Partial cover: The Referee should judge the chance of the creature being spotted based on the density of cover, for example as an X-in-6 roll.

Searching: The above assumes enemies casually wandering past the location where a creature is hidden. If an enemy is actively searching, it is only a matter of time before the hiding place is uncovered.

Ambushing: When creatures attack from hiding, the opposing side’s chance of being surprised is increased by 1. For example, the standard 2-in-6 chance of being surprised increases to 3-in-6.

Example: Hearing the echoing footsteps of castle guards approaching, a gang of burglars quickly dives behind cover. One character jumps inside a closet and shuts the door, another hides behind a curtain, and the third crouches behind a statue in a corner. The Referee rules that the character in the closet automatically goes undetected, the character behind the curtain has a 1-in-6 chance of being spotted (their feet are sticking out at the bottom), and the character behind the statue has a 3-in-6 chance.

A character can survive for up to 1 Round (10 seconds) per point of Constitution before suffocating to death. For example, a character with Constitution 12 can survive without breath for at most 2 minutes.

All characters can swim, unless there is an obvious reason why a character could not have learned.

Speed: Characters can swim at half their normal Speed.

Attempting to swim while wearing armour is perilous in the extreme. Characters must make a Strength Check to avoid going under, modified as follows.

Light armour: No modifier.

Medium armour: –2 penalty.

Heavy armour: –4 penalty.

Rough waters: –1 or –2 penalty, as judged by the Referee.

A character forced underwater can hold their breath for a short time before drowning. See Suffocation.

Intelligent creatures often protect their lairs and treasures with traps to deter intruders. Concealed pits may drop the unwary into captivity or onto deadly spikes. Envenomed needles may be concealed in locks, ready to spring out and poison would-be thieves. Adventurers should be wary of such hazards and act with care.

Each trap has a trigger—an action which causes it to spring (e.g. turning a door handle, walking into a specific area).

Chance of triggering: Many traps have unreliable mechanisms, due to shoddy construction, lack of maintenance, or poor environmental conditions. When a character performs the action that triggers a trap, there is a 2-in-6 chance of the trap being sprung. Better maintained traps may have a higher chance of springing, if the Referee wishes.

Failing to trigger: When a trap fails to spring, the Referee may optionally give players a clue as to its presence. For example, the character may hear a click or feel the movement of a pressure plate, as the trap is almost but not quite fully triggered.

Monsters and traps: Monsters often know how to safely bypass traps in the area where they live.

Searching for traps is discussed under Hidden Features.

Many traps can be disarmed or bypassed by Narrative Interaction. See Tips for Handling Traps. Thieves additionally have the ability to disarm fiddly, mechanical traps (e.g. trapped locks).

The following tricks are often useful when dealing with traps.

Force: Smashing the lock of a chest with a hammer may destroy a delicate poison dart trap without triggering it.

Jamming: A judiciously placed rock or flagstone may be able to jam the mechanism of a trap, preventing it from triggering.

Liquids: Water poured over a floor may trickle down cracks, revealing a secret trapdoor or hidden pit.

Probing: Tapping ahead with a pole may trigger a tripwire.

Tapping: Tapping along walls listening for a hollow sound may reveal hidden compartments.

Weight: A heavy object thrown onto a section of floor may trigger a pressure plate.

Besides the monsters noted as inhabiting specific areas of a dungeon or outdoor region, PCs may randomly encounter monsters on the move between areas. These are known as wandering monsters. See Travel and Dungeons for specific details.

Frequency: The Referee rolls periodically to determine whether a wandering monster is encountered. The frequency of checks depends on the type of area being explored.

Chance: When a wandering monster check is made, the chance of a random encounter depends on the type of area being explored (e.g. dungeon region or level, type of outdoor terrain).

Monster type: Each area has its own table of wandering monsters, found in the DCB or the adventure scenario being run. The Referee rolls on the appropriate table when an encounter takes place.

Attracting attention: If the party is making a lot of noise or carrying bright light sources in a dark environment, the Referee may increase the chance of wandering monsters being encountered.

Hiding: If the party rests quietly in an out-of-the-way location, the Referee may decrease the chance of wandering monsters being encountered.