Travel - Roads vs Hexcrawl Rules:

Roads - Following the Yellow Brick Road:

When traveling across an established route, such as a well-worn trail/road, or following a known previously chartered trade route when travelling in terrain such as the sea via sailing ship, there is no need for laborious hex crawls.

Instead, once a day, every few days or a week, a PC rolls on a small pre-prepared table for that route for if there is a complication that day. This could be an extra day added to the journey due to a storm or broken bridge etc. They might cover an extra days’ worth of travel because they found a shortcut, they might encounter a place of interest, they might have an encounter during the day or an encounter during the night, or nothing may happen at all.

Depending on travel speed the dice rolled might be changed to reflect.
I.e a on a table where low roll results might be a Random encounter if you were travelling slowly you might roll with advantage and if travelling fast would roll with disadvantage.

Example:
Roll 1d12

1: Major inconvenience (Lose a day’s travel and gain a point of exhaustion)
2: Minor inconvenience (Lose a day’s travel)
3: A Night Encounter
4-5: A Day Encounter
6-8: Travel with no issue
9-10: Encounter an interesting/friendly NPC/creature or Landmark
11: Minor boon (Cover an extra day’s travel)
12: Major Boon (Cover an extra day’s travel, and all PCs gain a point of inspiration or lose a point of exhaustion)

Wilderness Travel: Hexcrawl
This is when PCs travel through unfamiliar off-road terrain with a lack of chaining Landmarks. Such as a Forest, Canyon, Tundra, or a Mountain range.

1. DIRECTION & TRAVEL PACE.

• Determine if the Party is taking a Preparation Watch or a Travel Watch.
  In a full day’s travel there are 6 watches. Typically:
  1-2 Preparation Watches, 2 Travel Watches, and 2 Rest Watches.
• Determine the expedition’s navigator, and other player’s watch actions.
• The Navigator decides the intended direction of travel and the travel pace: Normal, Slow, Exploratory or Fast.
• Normally Players do not know their exact spot on the Map unless near a Landmark.
• Also, at the beginning and end of each watch players gain a rough idea of the type of land within the smaller 6-mile sized hexes they are adjacent to. Additionally, if they are familiar with a landmark within their current/adjacent 6-mile hex, they can navigate to it without a check.

TRAVEL PACE (1)

During each travel watch, the expedition determines their travel pace.

Normal Pace: An expedition traveling at normal pace cannot use Stealth checks to avoid detection.
Travels across one 12-mile Hex (or Two 6-mile Hexes) over 4 hours.

Slow Pace: While moving at a slow pace, the expedition is purposely being careful. An expedition traveling at slow pace:

• Gains advantage to navigation checks.
• Can make Stealth checks to avoid detection.
•  If a non-exploratory encounter is generated, there is a 50% chance it doesn’t actually happen. (Essentially chances of generation is halved)
• Moves 3/4 of a HC Hex instead of 1.

Exploration Pace: While exploring, an expedition is assumed to be trying out side trails, examining objects of interest, and so forth. While exploring, an expedition:

• Cannot use Stealth checks to avoid detection.
• Gains +5 on navigation checks.
• The chance for encounters is doubled. If Player's are looking for something specific, that they have good reason to suspect is in the area; instead of making any progress to exiting the Hex, the chance of any generated encounters to be the keyed location for that hex are multiplied by x1.5. However, if it is not actually in that hex, then there is no effect.
• Moves 1/2 HC Hex instead of 1.

Fast Pace: While moving quickly through the wilderness, expeditions traveling at fast pace:

• Cannot use Stealth checks to avoid detection.
• Suffer disadvantage to Wisdom (Perception) checks (-5 to Passive)
• Suffer a -5 penalty to navigation checks.
• Moves 1.25 (1.5 if that seems too slow) HC Hexes Instead of 1.

Vehicles can affect pace options:
Gallop: If riding a mount, you can gallop for 1 hour during a watch in which you are traveling at normal or fast pace. During that hour you travel at twice your fast pace speed.
Land Vehicles: Choose pace normally.
Waterborne Vehicles: Distance is limited to the speed of the vessel. On some ships, PCs may be able to take rest and active watches even while the ship is moving. This may also allow the ship to travel up to 24 hours a day if the crew can operate in multiple shifts.
Unsuitable Terrain: Most land vehicles are designed to be used on roads, although many will fare well in open terrain (like a prairie). At the GM’s discretion, in unsuitable terrain a vehicle may be limited to a slow pace and ability checks may be required for each watch to make any progress at all.

2. ENCOUNTER CHECK.
 This is just the generation of the encounter. It does not occur until other watch actions are resolved. To determine time encounters to randomly occur during a watch.

• Random Encounters:
  DM rolls once every 4 hours of travel/once a long Rest: Roll a d100.
• Exploratory Encounters:
   Exploration encounters are encounters that occur during watches where PCs are traveling or are otherwise exploring the area.
  They do not occur during watches where the PCs are resting or otherwise stationary.
   An exploratory encounter has a 50% chance of being the location where the specific “keyed location” for that Hex is discovered.
  A keyed location is a location unique and localised to that hex.

However, the chance of finding the keyed location is affected by a few factors.

• Road/River/Trail: If players are following a Road, River, or Trail that the keyed location is on, then the exploratory encounter is automatically the keyed location. But if the expedition is not following this path, then encounter's generated could be considered non-exploratory, but there is a 25% chance they may still find evidence (tracks for example) towards a keyed location. 
• Visibility: The location is large enough or tall enough (100+feet for instance) to be seen anywhere within the hex. Parties entering the hex automatically spot the location. Larger locations might be spotted from even further away, such as during a "Sighting" Watch (i.e a 400ft structure from 24 miles away).
• Hidden: The location is difficult to spot. The chance of finding the keyed location decreases to 25%.
• Familiar: PCs that are not lost and have already been to the location before, or otherwise know exactly where it is due to a map or similar resource, can choose to automatically find or avoid the Keyed Location.

3. WATCH ACTIONS

Resolve all watch Actions & Encounters.

WATCH TYPES:

A watch is the basic unit for tracking time. A watch is equal to 4 hours.

There are six watches per day and three types of watch:

• Preparation (usually prep for/breaks in the travel, but not sleeping)
• Rest (Typically party take turns as 2 hour long sentinel) A roll is made for a single random encounter, and a 1d8 is rolled to determine which hour it occurs.
• Travel

While traveling, it is generally assumed that an expedition is spending two watches per day traveling, two watches per day resting, and two watches per day engaged in other activities.

Forced March: If a character spends more than two watches traveling in one day, they must make a Constitution check (DC 10 + 1 per hour of additional travel). On a failure, they suffer one level of exhaustion.

WATCH ACTION ORDER: If it is a travel watch resolve them in the following Order:

• Sighting (Preparation Watch)
• Pack Puller (Preparation Watch: Grazing) or (Travel Watch: Coaching)
• Forager (Preparation Watch or a Slow Pace Travel Watch)
• Tracker (Preparation Watch: Find Tracks) or (Travel Watch: Follow Tracks)
• Outrider (Travel Watch)
• Scout (Preparation or Travel Watch: Reporting)
• Scout (Preparation or Travel Watch: Pathfinding)
• Cartographer (Travel Watch: Read Map)
• Navigator (Travel Watch)
• Sentinel (Preparation, Travel or Rest Watch).
  (Sentinel & Initial Exploratory Encounters are triggered at a set time, provided the encounter is not already discovered by an outrider or similar).
• Cartographer (Travel Watch: Draw Map)

Determining Time Within a Watch: To randomly generate a particular time within a watch, use 1d8 to determine the half hour, just hours on a long rest.

WATCH ACTIONS
Characters can take watch actions to contribute to the expedition’s success or achieve other tasks while traveling. (Best to create a standing order instead of asking each Watch).
Some watch actions are limited to specific types of watch or travel pace. 
PCs cannot provide the help action to give advantage on watches, but they can pick the same watch action and see if they succeed as a backup.
However, some roles can only have one person filling it while staying with the same group, such as Navigator or Pack Puller. Additionally, the same tracks cannot be tracked by a tracker in the same group.

NAVIGATOR *Essential*
The expedition’s navigator is responsible for making navigation checks (A Wisdom (Survival) check to determine if the party becomes lost).
When traveling by Sea/Air the Navigator can roll with Adv if they are proficient with Navigator's Tools, and  Veer automatically resets when entering a new Hex.

SIGHTING
During a Preparation watch, a character can take a watch action to find an outlook – a good sighting place (Typically 50ft up) which will allow the character to significantly extend the distance to which they can see the surrounding wilderness.
*See Hexcrawl Tools: Spot Distances.

At the GM’s discretion, a skill check may be required to identify or reach the outlook.
(I.e a Strength (Athletics) check to reach the top of an appropriately positioned tree.)

General Benefits: successfully reaching a sighting point allows the PC to see into neighboring hexes, and possibly even see notable locations within those hexes or their current hex. This may or may not still require a Wisdom (Perception) check at Advantage.
On a success veer is reset, and during the current or subsequent watch, they can grant one ally Forager, Scout, Outrider, or Cartographer’s advantage on their watch action check.

PACK-PULLER
A pack-puller is essential for managing an expedition's pack animals and keeping them fed.

• Coaching: A pack-puller can lead a number of animals equal to their passive Wisdom (Animal Handling) score. This number includes the pack-puller’s mount, if any.
• Grazing: Some animals (like horses) can simply graze for sustenance without a roll.
  In an appropriate biome (as determined by the GM), they will be fully fed as long as they are allowed to graze for one watch per day. In a sparse biome, they must graze for two watches per day and it may be necessary to also provide fresh water for them. You may also roll a forager check to cover both in one watch.

FORAGER
Characters can forage during a preparation watch or while traveling at a slow pace. 
Foragers make a Wisdom (Survival) check against the Forage DC of the terrain.
On a success, the forager either gains 2 rations of food or finds a source of freshwater. Allowing the expedition to drink their daily ration of water and for waterskins to be refilled.
An additional 2 rations of food or source of fresh water can be found for every 2 points by which the check result exceeds the DC.
A PC with the Wanderer Background Feature automatically finds enough for 5 people (provided the resources are abundant), but can also choose to roll for additional rations.
However, if resources are not abundant, then the Wanderer must still roll for foraging but the DC is decreased by 5.

VARIANT FORAGER: Herbalist/Alchemist.
If a forager is proficient in Herbalism Kit or Alchemist Supplies, they may forage for ingredients to use for Herbalism/Alchemy instead of food and water.

TRACKER
A tracker can take one of two actions depending on if it is a preparation or travel watch:

• Finding Tracks: During a Preperation Watch, the tracker can search a significant area of wilderness to find tracks by making a Wisdom (Perception) check against the appropriate Track DC.
• Following Tracks: Once tracks have been found, during a Travel Watch, the tracker can follow its trail by making a Wisdom (Survival) check against the Track DC.
  A new check must be made each time the trail enters a new hex.
  If the trail is lost, it may be possible to reacquire it using the Finding Tracks action.

OUTRIDER
During a travel watch, a character can journey out in an effort to protect the expedition from detection or threats. Whenever an encounter is generated for the expedition, each outrider group can attempt a Wisdom (Perception) check (DC 15 or opposed by the encounter’s Stealth check) to detect the encounter before it’s encountered by the expedition.

However, an additional encounter check is also made for each outrider group at half the normal chance of an encounter. This makes it possible for outriders to discover locations or encounter creatures which would have otherwise been missed by the main expedition.

SCOUT
A scout can journey out from an expedition in an effort to chart a course or learn the lay of the land. When scouting, they can choose one of two actions:

• Reporting: If the navigator receives a scout’s report, they gain advantage on their navigation checks for the next travel watch.
• Pathfinding: The scout attempts a Wisdom (Survival) score using the area’s Navigation DC. On a success, the expedition can treat trackless terrain as if it had a faded trail for one watch (changes navigation check base to DC10).

A character can scout during a travel watch in which an expedition is traveling only if their speed is faster than the expedition’s. Alternatively, scouts can be sent out during watches in which the rest of the expedition are preparing or resting, but not traveling.

An additional encounter check is made for each scouting group. (They are effectively a separate expedition while engaged in scouting.)

CARTOGRAPHER
A Cartographer reads out & records the routes of the party’s travels, they can choose to perform one of the following two actions:

• Craft a Map: If the expedition lacks a map, you may Attempt to draw a Map of the area you Travel through with a Dexterity Check, adding proficiency bonus if proficient with Cartographer's tools. The DC is equal to the area's Navigation DC.
  You gain Bonuses to your check when travelling at a Pace other than Normal:

• Slow:            +2
• Exploration:  +4
• Fast              -2
  

• Map Reading: Provided the expedition has a Map of the Area, a member proficient with Cartographers Tools (When on Land) can precisely read the map to assist the Navigator and grant them Advantage.
  While Map reading, Veer automatically resets to the intended location when entering a new Hex. To do so only requires a Compass, a map is not required.

SENTINEL
A member of an expedition acting as a sentinel can make active Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect threats or notice anything else out of the ordinary, instead of relying on the group's passive perception.
This can be done on any type of watch, but on rest watches it can be shortened to two hours instead of 4.
In addition, should the expedition be ambushed, the Sentinel cannot be surprised.

4. ARE THEY LOST?

• If the players are not following a landmark or trail, but wish to travel in an intended direction, they must make a Navigation check once per Travel Watch.
• If they are lost, the DM determines a Veer.
  
• Characters who are already lost, remain lost in the next hex. Their intended direction of travel nor their veer will change. Although certain watch actions, or obvious signs can cause veer to reset when entering a new 12-mile Hex.
• If characters who are already lost fail subsequent navigation check, their veer can increase, but not decrease.
  If the lost Navigator's next navigation check is successful, they realize they are no longer certain their direction of travel is correct and may have made a wrong turn.
• Navigators who encounter a clear landmark or unexpectedly enter a distinctly new type of terrain before the next watch may make another navigation check to find out if they have lost their direction (if they do not immediately realize it).

REORIENTING: A navigator who realizes that they’ve become lost has several options for reorienting themselves.

• Backtracking
  A lost character can follow their own tracks using the Tracking watch action.
  While tracking allows them to retrace their steps, they must still recognize the point at which they went off-track.
  A successful backtracking player may make a navigation check for each watch of backtracking to correctly recognize if the hex they are in is the one they became lost and the precise point it happened. DC is the navigation DC for that terrain.
  On a failure, they reach the wrong conclusion.
• Compass Direction:
  It requires a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check to determine true north without a compass or similar device.
  On a failed check, randomly determine the direction the navigator thinks is true north.
• Setting a New Course:
  A lost navigator can attempt to determine the direction they should be traveling in order to reach a known objective by making a navigation check at the Navigation DC of the terrain + 1d6. If the navigator fails the check, they unknowingly become lost again. The DM determines their new veer again from being lost.
• 5. HEX PROGRESS
  Hexcrawl, will normally use 12 mile Hexes (filled with 6 mile hexes), and allows the party to move 1 hexcrawl hex (HC Hex) increments receptively, every 4 hours of normal pace travel.

ENTERING A NEW HEX:

• The DM determines the new hex by applying the party’s current veer to the expedition’s direction of travel.
• If the party were lost, the DM can request (or roll on their behalf) a Navigation check, when entering the new hex, to see if they recognize they’re lost.
  If they succeed, they can attempt to reorient. On a failure, veer accumulates.
• Note: Using a compass (Such as a Cartographer taking the Map Reading Watch Action) automatically resets veer at the hex border, even if they never recognize they were off course.

MOVING ACROSS A HEX (For Dm to log miles)

• Starting in a Hex: If an expedition starts from the centre of a hex, it requires 6 miles of progress to exit any face of the hex.
• Crossing Hex to a Far Side: It requires 12 miles of progress to exit a hex through one of the three faces on the opposite side.
• Crossing Hex to a Near Side: It requires 6 miles of progress to exit a hex through one of the two nearest faces.
• Changing Direction: Changing direction more than once within a hex will result in the loss of 2 miles of progress each time direction is changed.
• Back the Way We Came: If characters deliberately double back along their own trail, simply reduce their progress until they exit the hex.

GM ONLY REFERENCE MATERIAL

Random Encounters:Roll once every 4 hours of travel/ once a long Rest: Roll a d100, 16% (Standard Path, can be modified based on the area type) there's an encounter.

Expanded Encounter rules: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/17333/roleplaying-games/hexcrawl-part-4-encounter-tables For filling Hexes with creature lairs, & Tracks.

If you (the DM) roll only 5% under the DC for causing a random encounter you can instead give players a warning of it:
The players see a creature flying overhead, hear shouting/roars, find tracks leading to a lair ect. Then let the players choose if they want to engage it. If they choose not to engage, then it can be easily avoided.
Use judgement to decide range, not every fight needs be a confrontation, it can sometimes be parlayed or avoided altogether.

Variant Rule: Monster Reactions:
Roll 2d6 plus the lead player’s Charisma modifier, and the result determines how the monster reacts to the party:

You can also shorten encounters by having monsters flee when they lose the tactical advantage or most of their hit points.

Navigation/Mapping and Foraging

At the start of each Travel Watch/day let the players choose a navigator, then make a Wisdom (Survival) check on the navigator's behalf to determine if the party becomes lost. The DC of the check is based on the day's most common terrain:
Remember, Navigators and Cartographers may have bonus depending on certain factors.

+5 Bonus to check:         If the group sets an exploration pace.
-5 Penalty to check:        If the group is moving at a fast pace.
Advantage to check:       If moving at a slow pace.

Tracking DC

Credits: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/46020/roleplaying-games/5e-hexcrawl