Free Role Playing Game Supplement Review: Hexcrawl Basics

Hexcrawl Basics by Todd Leback is a role playing game supplement published by Third Kingdom Games. The supplement is aimed at Old School Essentials from Necrotic Gnome and, as such, is covered by the Open Game License with some parts considered to be Open Game Content as a result.

This is a 26-page PDF that is available for free from DriveThruRPG. One page is the front cover, one the Credits and Table of Contents and one the Open Game License.

The Introduction explains what hexcrawling is, that there is little information available on mechanically running a hexcrawl, how this supplement is meant to be used – with the Populated Hexes series – and that there are references to other OSR products as well as Old School Essentials.

Chapter 1: Hexes, starts by saying that hexes are assumed to be six-mile hexes, divided into 1-mile subhexes, and explains why these are useful. There are details on travel and exploration within a hex, including visibility and how matters are affected by different terrain types. Random encounters, clearing a hex and monsters restocking one are also here.

Chapter 2: Random Encounters has a sample encounter table and notes on how to use such. There are also optional rules on adding new sources of monsters, less common dragons and encounter distances.

Chapter 3: Features and Lairs is on the points of interest. There are details on what happens when a subhex with a lair is entered; the encounter can vary depending on the monsters and their numbers.

Chapter 4: Getting Lost covers how a party can get lost, how they can reduce their chances of being so and what happens when they are.

Chapter 5: Random Weather has some weather tables.

Chapter 6: Hexcrawling in Action has an example of a party exploring a hex, what will happen, weather and encounters, using the information from the previous chapters.

Hexcrawl Basics in Review

The PDF is bookmarked, but only the major sections are covered. The Table of Contents is more thorough. Navigation is okay, but it could be better. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of error. There are a number of stock black and white illustrations, up to about half a page in size, as well as several hex maps.

Throughout the text are various examples of the subjects covered being used in action, from short examples to more extended ones to the example that is Chapter 6. This is useful, as it shows how the various ideas work. This isn’t a supplement on creating hexes; it is on running hexcrawls. Some published hexes and hexcrawls may well have their own tables to use, but this still is useful to see how to use them. Hexcrawl Basics is a nice little supplement and it can be downloaded for free by clicking here.