Hovitos.

Since it was apparently South America, I assumed the Spanish influence of the J being pronounced like H.

Let's compromise and call them Xovitos.

Aren't they Jibitos with a fake name anyway?

Quote from: Dumarest;998507Let's compromise and call them Xovitos.

Aren't they Jibitos with a fake name anyway?

The names sound similar, but the Hovitos are fictional (of course) and Wikipedia tells me the Hovitos were kind-of-sort-of based on the Chachapoya who appear to be located in a different part of Peru from the Jibitos.

Some additional thoughts.

In Dragon Storm there was the additional problem that some terrain had the fantasy equivalent of background radiation. For example the party might get lost in a pristine zone. This is wilderness so untouched by civilization that its generating more od than is healthty for the PCs. Getting lost meant you couldnt get out of the area.

But its best to never assume the PCs can forage wherever they go. Some places just arent viable for that. Or more likely. No one in the group knows how.

The main problem I've seen is getting lost just becomes boring or repetitive.

Choose your poison:

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Don't stray off the track!--if you do, it is a thousand to one you will never find it again and never get out of Mirkwood; and then I don't suppose I, or any one else, will ever see you again." - Gandalf the Grey

Quote from: Psikerlord;998308In a wilderness exploration game, does it matter if the PCs get lost?

Assuming they can forage for food/water, wont getting lost just mean it takes longer to reach their destination? So more random encounters perhaps?

Other than that, why does becoming lost while exploring a wilderness area matter?

In addition to what Bren wrote, I think that I organize my thinking about the game situation differently from how you seem to.

You seem to think of it as PCs are on their way to a destination, which takes some time, and getting lost may make it take more time before the eventual only outcome that they get where they meant to go, unless they die along the way. So the game situation is really:
PCs and their condition, handwaved supplies
X days of travel left to destination
PC destination.

In a detailed campaign, I think of it as the PCs are in the world which has a detailed map with terrain, many locations, things happening, and NPCs and groups/armies/etc also moving around and doing things. The PCs trying to get someplace is just an idea they have that could change at any point, so the situation is:
PCs at a specific location on map, and their condition and supplies
Detailed terrain map (which they don't have a fully accurate version of)
Many places they could go and people they could meet, including the one they're trying to get to

It seems an important part of play to me the world is much more than just "the" supposed intended adventure. Part of that is taking the details seriously, such as what supplies they have, whether they try to hunt or forage and how that actually goes (based on everything that affects that - skills, terrain, time spent, conditions, etc), the weather, the map, other nearby NPCs and situations, etc.

Of course, one doesn't have to do that at all - that's just my preferred mode for a full campaign.

What do y'all think of the following as an abstract "While you were lost" consequences table. The below assumes the party loses a day whilst lost, then regains its bearings and backtracks to where it was by the end of the day (so if they are on a clock, they lose a day).

Roll   While You Were Lost Event
1   Weather worsens by 1d2 steps.
2   The party loses another day whilst lost. Roll again.  
3   A random encounter occurs (roll on separate table for appropriate terrain - this table includes combat and non-combat/discovery entries)
4   1d4 horses or other animals are lost (not including Ranger pets, etc).
5   1d2 hirelings or NPCs are lost (not including major NPCs).
6   A random encounter occurs.
7   One PC loses/uses up a random mundane item or bundle of items (climbing gear, rope, torches, etc).
8   One PC suffers exhaustion, losing 1 point of Str, Dex or Con (random).
9   A random encounter occurs.
10   1d4 PCs' rations/water supplies are lost or used up (parasites, disease, etc).
11   One player regales the group with a travel montage.
12   A random encounter occurs, then roll again.

Quote from: Psikerlord;998673What do y'all think of the following as an abstract "While you were lost" consequences table.

You have some interesting ideas there. Generally speaking I'd assume that lost is a condition that does not automatically fix itself. The party needs to actively search about, look for landmarks, or find a guide to get unlost. Each day they are lost roll on the table.

   1) Being lost has no effect on the weather.

2) Party loses a day and remains lost.

3, 6, 9, and 12) I assume encounters occur regardless of whether a party is lost or not. So I wouldn't put an encounter on the "While You Were Lost Event" table. Though being lost might require a different encounter table. Often in Celtic and Celtic influenced stories heroes get lost before they find some magical person, place, or thing.

4 and 5) I'd change horses and hirelings lost to (i) ill or injured, (ii) ran away, or (iii) died.

7 and 10) In addition to any losses from normal usage if such things are tracked.

Presumably this is a temporary loss.

11) I'm not sure what you have in mind for this nor what the scope of the montage is supposed to be. Can you give us an example or two?

Quote from: Bren;998677You have some interesting ideas there. Generally speaking I'd assume that lost is a condition that does not automatically fix itself. The party needs to actively search about, look for landmarks, or find a guide to get unlost. Each day they are lost roll on the table.

   1) Being lost has no effect on the weather.

2) Party loses a day and remains lost.

3, 6, 9, and 12) I assume encounters occur regardless of whether a party is lost or not. So I wouldn't put an encounter on the "While You Were Lost Event" table. Though being lost might require a different encounter table. Often in Celtic and Celtic influenced stories heroes get lost before they find some magical person, place, or thing.

4 and 5) I'd change horses and hirelings lost to (i) ill or injured, (ii) ran away, or (iii) died.

7 and 10) In addition to any losses from normal usage if such things are tracked.

Presumably this is a temporary loss.

11) I'm not sure what you have in mind for this nor what the scope of the montage is supposed to be. Can you give us an example or two?

Oh yeah excellent I like that idea of injured/ill etc (I meant for lost to incorporates ran away, dead) etc, but having injured hirelings etc is even more interesting.

Ah the montage thing, just a chance for the players to let rip with a cool story or something, all subject to GM veto of course. You know maybe one player really likes elves and includes it the day's montage meeting some friendly elves or finding an elven obelisk or whatever. Bit of co-op world building or just RPing etc.

And yes of course being lost no connection to weather but I feel like being lost, and a downturn in weather, go together well re keeping things interesting/drama

Thanks for your input Bren, appreciate it very much

edit: oh yeah the random encounter occurance is in addition to whatever wandering monster checks were made that day. So effectively being lost means more chance of an encounter/additional attrition

Well, it it really is an "exploration" game, the biggest problem with getting lost is that your map won't make any sense afterwards.

Quote from: Psikerlord;998673What do y'all think of the following as an abstract "While you were lost" consequences table. ...

I think it's ok if your context is that travel is just an abstract prelude to one adventure, and if you like the "interesting/drama" reason for why things happen.

And I think your events are all interesting as individual things that could happen.

Personally though, in a campaign, I tend to want things to happen for logical and consistent reasons, so I wouldn't have a "while you were lost" table unless it was all things related only to being lost. That is, my usual consequences are that the group loses track of where they are and/or deviate course, may or may not realize they're lost, may backtrack or waste time, etc, and then there are just natural consequences of that. Only your #2 looks relevant to being lost, to me. The others (and even #2 too) could happen when the players are not lost, too. The ones about losing stuff I would tie to the skills of the characters and who was assigned what job and other instructions about how they were doing it and what else they were trying to do at the same time.

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;998520The main problem I've seen is getting lost just becomes boring or repetitive.

Only if the DM and/or players makes it boring and repetitive.

Quote from: Skarg;998697I think it's ok if your context is that travel is just an abstract prelude to one adventure, and if you like the "interesting/drama" reason for why things happen.

And I think your events are all interesting as individual things that could happen.

Personally though, in a campaign, I tend to want things to happen for logical and consistent reasons, so I wouldn't have a "while you were lost" table unless it was all things related only to being lost. That is, my usual consequences are that the group loses track of where they are and/or deviate course, may or may not realize they're lost, may backtrack or waste time, etc, and then there are just natural consequences of that. Only your #2 looks relevant to being lost, to me. The others (and even #2 too) could happen when the players are not lost, too. The ones about losing stuff I would tie to the skills of the characters and who was assigned what job and other instructions about how they were doing it and what else they were trying to do at the same time.

Yes I totally hear you on this. It is intended as a quick way to insert some adverse travel consequences on the way to an intended adventure site, nothing more than that.

edit - eg: party chooses site 7 days trek into jungle where they believe a certain ruin is located. Each day party makes some checks/RPs scouting, navigating etc, GM checks for weather changes, random encounters. If party gets lost that day, roll on the table.Then onto day 2, etc. Or at least that's how I'm imaging it would be used.