Outdoor Adventures in D&D | Hex Crawls, Point Crawls, and Big Journeys | Wandering DMs S08 E07

Dan and Paul discuss techniques for running tabletop RPG adventures that span large outdoor regions and long journeys. From classic hex crawls and wilderness exploration to point crawls and node-based travel, outdoor campaigns present unique challenges for pacing, mapping, and meaningful player choice across wide geographic areas.

How do different RPG traditions handle wilderness adventure? Why did early D&D split dungeon and wilderness play between the Basic and Expert sets? Join us as we explore frameworks for large-scale adventure design, including hex-based exploration, point-crawl structures, and hybrids that combine open wilderness with structured travel routes, plus practical techniques for keeping long overland journeys engaging at the table.