Travel, Falling, and Combat Rules for the White Jungle

Travel, Falling, and Combat Rules for the White Jungle

Movement

PCs can move in three dimensions in the White Jungle. They may travel up, down, or any of the eight normal hex directions. Moving any normal direction costs 1 hex of movement. Moving up a hex costs 2 hexes of movement. Moving down a hex costs 1 point of movement. (There are also some areas where travel in some directions is hampered by natural obstacles. In this case, it takes 2 hexes of movement to travel in the hampered direction.)

There are three levels of security that PCs can employ while traversing the White Jungle that affect their base movement rate: unsecured, lightly secured, and heavily secured.

Unsecured: When unsecured, the PCs are traveling without some system of ropes. They can travel more quickly this way, moving 5 hexes worth of movement a day. However, this is dangerous, so they must each make a falling check for each hex they move through as per the rules below.

Lightly Secured: PCs are traveling with some system of ropes, but are keeping it loose. They may travel 3 hexes a day. They do not have to make a falling check when moving through a hex and receive a +1 to their checks for falling when a situation that warrants a check does arise.

Heavily Secured: PCs are traveling with a system of ropes, and are playing it safe. They may travel 2 hexes a day. They do not have to make a falling check when moving through a hex, and receive a +2 to their checks for falling when a situation that warrants a check does arise.

Pushing it: The party may opt to move an additional hex without resting for the night. The first hex requires everyone to roll 4d6 under con. Those failing take -1 on all rolls, including falling checks, until they sleep. The second hex pushed, and every hex thereafter, requires 5d6 under con. A second failure means the person suffers -2 on all rolls. If a person fails three times, she cannot go further and simply must rest.

Camping

Without either finding a secure spot, or having proper gear, those sleeping amongst the branches must make a 3d6 under CON check to get a good night's rest. Failure means taking a -1 on checks, including fall checks, the next day. Spellcasters who fail cannot memorize new spells.

Getting Lost

When moving through an unexplored hexes without landmarks to navigate by, there is a 1 in 4 chance per day that the party will become lost. (If the party contains a ranger, the chance drops to 1 in 10.) The DM will dice randomly to see in what hex they became lost and move them from that point on in a random direction. On the following day a new check is made. Provided the party does not fail, they will then realize that they are lost, although will not know in what direction they have moved or how far. (They may then try to backtrack.) If they stumble upon an explored hex, they will also realize their error as well as their current location.

Encounter Checks and Combat

I usually roll a 1 in 6 encounter check for each hex you move through. I also roll a 1 in 6 nighttime encounter. So you will likely be facing 3 encounter checks minimum per day.

Combat

You will declare your marching order, which can up to two abreast. I will assume that in combat, unless you are surprised, you can confront a creature in your marching order. If characters in the back ranks want to move up to flank an enemy that is engaged with the front rank, they must go off the rope. Characters that flank an opponent get +1 to hit. [If there are more than two opponents, they may also flank you.]

This is also true for thieves who wish to sneak and backstab. They must detach themselves from the rope and spend one round getting in to position. The sneak roll here is interpreted less as melding into shadows and more as: looking for a vulnerability in an already engaged opponent you can exploit. If you fail the sneak roll you may still attack as normal on the next round with the +1 for flanking rather than the +4 for backstab. A thief may only sneak attack once per fight against intelligent opponents.

Unless you are surprised, something encountered will start 2d6x10 feet from the party. I will roll a 1d6 for elevation: 1-2 it is on a lower elevation, 3-4 the same elevation, 5-6 higher elevation. Assume that you can move 1/3 your normal move during a combat round, given the difficulty of the terrain. Attacking from above gives you a +1 to hit.

Falling Checks

A falling check is incurred if something happens that would be likely to make someone fall, for example, being pounced on by a tiger, or buffeted by sudden winds, or hit by a fireball. EVERY MELEE ATTACK DOING DAMAGE INCURS A FALLING CHECK. Falling checks are also incurred for each hex players travel unsecured.

Falling checks are made with climb skill rolls rolled on 1d6. Regular PCs have a base skill of 1. Thieves may have considerably higher base. If a player has a skill of 6 or higher, her fall check ascends the dice chain. 6=1 in 8; 7=1 in 10; 8=1 in 12; 9=1 in 20; 10=1 in 30.

For travel in the White Jungle we will be using the LOTFP rules on encumbrance with the following amendment: high strength (15+) allows you carry one more item at each encumbrance level. Low strength (6-) costs you one item at each encumbrance level.

Climb Skill Modifiers

Unencumbered +1
Lightly Encumbered +0
Heavily Encumbered -1
Seriously Encumbered -2
Unsecured +0
Lightly Secured +1
Heavily Secured +2
High Dex (15+) +1
Low Dex (6-) -1
Jungle Level 1 +1
Jungle Level 2 +2
Jungle Level 3 +0
Jungle Level 4 -1

Results of Falling Checks

There are 2 possible results of a falling check: success and falling.

Success: If someone rolls equal to or below her modified climb skill she simply succeeds in staying right where she is.

Falling: If someone fail a climb check, then she will begin falling. Someone falling will fall the entire distance she falls in one round. She must make a series of checks. For the first check she fails, she will fall 50’ and must make a saving throw vs. paralysis to avoid taking 1d6. She then gets a second climb check to stop their fall WITHOUT ANY BONUS FOR PREVIOUSLY BEING SECURED, since these are now irrelevant. If she fails this, she falls 100’ further and must save vs. paralysis or take 2d6 damage. For the third failure and every failure thereafter, she will fall 150’ and save vs. paralysis or take 3d6 damage. Note that a character may, under unusual circumstances, fall into a lower hex. In summary:

Summary of Falling Rules

First falling check failed: Fall 50’ and Save vs. Paralysis or take 1d6
Second fail: Fall 100’ and save vs. paralysis or take 2d6 damage
All further checks failed: Fall 150’ and save vs. paralysis or take 3d6

The second page of this character sheet has a full summary of encumbrance rules. You can use it to figure your character's encumbrance.

http://www.lotfp.com/RPG/uploads/pdf/CharacterSheetGrindhouse.pdf

Example of Rules in Action

Celwin the Conquerer (F2) is traveling in Level 1 of the white jungle. His strength is 16 and his Dex is 10. He is wearing chain armor, and carries 6 items. Normally this would make him lightly encumbered, but given his strength bonus he just squeaks by with being unencumbered. He is playing it safe and so is heavily secured with ropes. Given that he is a fighter, his base climb skill is 1. His total modifiers are: Normal Dex +0, jungle Level 1 +1, unencumbered +1, heavily secured +2. So to make a climb check he must roll 5 or under.

Celwin passes through two hexes without incident (no checks necessary), but in the third hex he is attacked by a green tiger. After striking some good blows, in the third round he takes damage, the tiger batting him around like a rag doll. He must now roll a falling check. Bad luck! He rolls a 6. He has now fallen 50' and must save vs. paralysis. He makes the save, managing not to take major damage on his plummet down. He now makes a second climb check without the bonus for being heavily secured. He still receives the bonus for being on Level 1 of the jungle and for being unencumbered. So he must now roll a 3 or under. His bad luck again, missing with a 4! Now he falls 100' meet and fails his save vs. paralysis this time, taking 2d6 damage (7 points of his 10 remaining hit points!) and makes a third falling check.

This time he just makes it with a 3! So, although his head is bloodied from a terrible blow against a tree, he is now clinging to a branch at 150' lower than he was originally. The tiger roars above him in frustration looking for a route down as Celwin shakily pulls himself to his feet, wiping blood from his eyes...
http://www.lotfp.com/RPG/uploads/pdf/CharacterSheetGrindhouse.pdf