Exploration Activities (Rules) (GM Core)

In exploration mode, each player who wants to do something beyond just traveling chooses an exploration activity for their character. The purpose of these activities within the game is to clarify what a PC focuses on as they explore rather than unrealistically allowing them to do everything simultaneously. This adds variety within the group's behavior and can show you where players want the story to go. For example, a player whose PC is Investigating wall carvings shows you that the player wants those to be informative. Exploration activities that happen continually as the group explores are meant to be narrative first and foremost, with the player describing to you what they're doing, and then you determining which activity applies and describing any details or alterations for the situation. If a player says, “I'm Avoiding Notice,” add more detail by asking what precautions they're taking or by telling them which passages they think are least guarded. Likewise, if a player says they're looking for traps and keeping their shield raised and covering the group's tracks, ask them which of these they're prioritizing to narrow down the activity. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of an activity given current circumstances. For instance, someone Scouting might trigger a laser turret before their group can reach them, or someone Investigating ancient alien carvings might critically fail and lead the party in the wrong direction. This doesn't apply for exploration activities that are discrete and occur when the group is taking a pause or zooming in on a particular action, such as Treat Wounds. Characters can always drop out of a continual exploration activity to perform a discrete one (even if they are fatigued and can't sustain an exploration activity as they travel), and they can change activities at any time. The main exploration activities described in Player Core and what PCs can accomplish with them are as follows. Analyze Environment: Check for hazards. Avoid Notice (Stealth): Sneak around undetected. Defend: Keep a shield raised. Detect Magic: Repeat the detect magic spell (advice under Detect Magic). Follow the Expert: Improve your bonus with another tactic by following an ally's example (advice under Follow the Expert). Hustle: Travel faster. Install Upgrade: Use a repair toolkit to upgrade items. Investigate: Recall Knowledge of your surroundings (advice under Investigate). Livestream: Broadcast or record footage. Recharge: Charge a battery. Repeat a Spell: Cast or sustain a spell over and over. Scout: Look ahead for danger. Search (Perception): Seek out hidden things as you travel (advice under Search). Skills also have exploration activities linked to them. Access Infosphere (Computers): Search local networks for information (advice under Access Infosphere). Borrow an Arcane Spell (Arcana): Prepare a spell from someone else's spellbook. Coerce (Intimidation): Threaten a creature so it does what you want. Cover Tracks (Survival): Obscure the PC's passing. Decipher Writing (Varies): Understand archaic, esoteric, or obscure texts. Gather Information (Diplomacy): Canvass the area to learn about a specific individual or topic (DCs listed here). Hack (Computers): Access, control, or make changes to a secure computer system. Identify Magic (Varies): Learn about a magic item, location, or ongoing effect (DCs listed here). Impersonate (Deception): Create a disguise. Implant Augmentation (Medicine): Use a medkit to implant augmentations. Learn a Spell (Varies): Use the skill corresponding to the spell's tradition to gain access to a new spell (Learn a Spell DCs). Make an Impression (Diplomacy): Make a good impression on someone. Navigate (Piloting): Plan a short journey overland or in space. Plot Course (Piloting): Plan a long journey in space. Repair (Crafting): Using a repair toolkit, fix a damaged item. Sense Direction (Survival): Get a sense of where the PC is or determine the cardinal directions. Squeeze (Acrobatics): Squeeze through very tight spaces. Track (Survival): Find and follow creatures' tracks (Tracking DCs). Treat Wounds (Medicine): Treat a living creature's wounds.