Day 11 of #RPGaDay of the almighty list provides one of the staples from the golden days of RPGs: "WILDERNESS."
From the moment I cracked open the D&D Expert Set and viewed the maps of the Known World, as well as the Isle of Dread, the idea of the ever-developing, ever-expanding wilderness for the heroes to explore was always on my mind (even if the group never left the general confines of the village). I can't be the only one to view the Broken Lands (and the northern Darokin territories between Alfheim and the Ethengar Khanate) and thought "Here's where my character will set up his independent domain."
Even with a great deal of love and imagination for a wilderness campaign, I've only had the chance to experience one as a player. Twenty years ago, I ran an infamous halfling wizard (see #1) in a hexcrawl, and I have to admit, it was less than stellar. It's a bit easier to do SWAT-style tactics in a dungeon, versus an adventuring party maintaining military discipline 24/7 while traveling through a 24-mile hex.
For my own campaigns, I like to rely on the old school concepts of random generation and wandering monsters. Both can add some spice to the hand-waving "travel by map," and an interesting roll can flesh out a region. "Why are there bugbears in area? Is the war-party weak or strong? What are they looking for? Why is there a dragon flying in the air (and where can the PCs hide)," are all big questions that can alter the direction of a game.
The ultimate in the hexcrawl campaign, of course, is Judges Guild. Between the various City-States and the Wilderlands of High Fantasy setting and sourcebooks, A small region is just as diverse as a cluttered neighborhood. In some areas, the party wouldn't need to leave a small area, just with the cool encounters, NPCs, and monsters described within. The maps are nearly overwhelming, and the guidebook listed is worth its price. You may "get lost in it" the pdf by itself.
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