Exploration involves delving into places that are dangerous and full of mystery. The rules in this section detail some of the ways adventurers interact with the environment in such places.
As adventurers explore, their equipment can help them in many ways. For example, they can reach out-of-the-way places with a Ladder, perceive things they wouldn’t otherwise notice with a Torch or another light source, bypass locked doors and containers with Thieves’ Tools, and create obstacles for pursuers with Caltrops.
See chapter 6 for rules on many items that are useful on adventures. The items in that chapter’s “Tools” and “Adventuring Gear” sections are especially useful. The weapons in that chapter can also be used for more than battle; you could use a Quarterstaff, for example, to push a sinister-looking button that you’re reluctant to touch.
Some adventuring tasks—such as noticing danger, hitting an enemy, and targeting certain spells—are affected by sight, so effects that obscure vision can hinder you, as explained below.
An area might be Lightly or Heavily Obscured. In a Lightly Obscured area—such as an area with Dim Light, patchy fog, or moderate foliage—you have Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
A Heavily Obscured area—such as an area with Darkness, heavy fog, or dense foliage—is opaque. You have the Blinded condition (see "Rules Definitions") when trying to see something there.
The presence or absence of light determines the category of illumination in an area, as defined below.
Bright Light. Bright Light lets most creatures see normally. Even gloomy days provide Bright Light, as do torches, lanterns, fires, and other sources of illumination within a specific radius.
Dim Light. Dim Light, also called shadows, creates a Lightly Obscured area. An area of Dim Light is usually a boundary between Bright Light and surrounding Darkness. The soft light of twilight and dawn also counts as Dim Light. A full moon might bathe the land in Dim Light.
Darkness. Darkness creates a Heavily Obscured area. Characters face Darkness outdoors at night (even most moonlit nights), within the confines of an unlit dungeon, or in an area of magical Darkness.
Some creatures have special senses that help them perceive things in certain situations. The rules glossary defines the following special senses:
Adventurers and monsters often hide, whether to spy on one another, sneak past a guardian, or set an ambush. The Dungeon Master decides when circumstances are appropriate for hiding. When you try to hide, you take the Hide action.
Interacting with objects is often simple to resolve. The player tells the DM that their character is doing something, such as moving a lever or opening a door, and the DM describes what happens. Sometimes, however, rules govern what you can do with an object, as detailed in the following sections.
For the purpose of the rules, an object is a discrete, inanimate item like a window, door, sword, book, table, chair, or stone. It isn’t a building or a vehicle, which are composed of many objects.
When time is short, such as in combat, interactions with objects are limited: one free interaction per turn. That interaction must occur during a creature’s movement or action. Any additional interactions require the Utilize action, as explained in “Combat” later in this chapter.
When your character searches for hidden things, such as a secret door or a trap, the DM typically asks you to make a Wisdom (Perception) check, provided you describe the character searching in the hidden object’s vicinity. On a success, you find the object, other important details, or both.
If you describe your character searching nowhere near a hidden object, a Wisdom (Perception) check won’t reveal the object, no matter the check’s total.
You can usually carry your gear and treasure without worrying about the weight of those objects. If you try to haul an unusually heavy object or a massive number of lighter objects, the DM might require you to abide by the rules for carrying capacity in the rules glossary.
As an action, you can automatically break or otherwise destroy a fragile, nonmagical object, such as a glass container or a piece of paper. If you try to damage something more resilient, the DM might use the rules on breaking objects in the rules glossary.
Monsters are the main perils characters face, but other dangers await. The rules glossary defines the following hazards:
During an adventure, the characters might travel long distances on trips that could take hours or days. The DM can summarize this travel without calculating exact distances or travel times, or the DM might have you use the travel pace rules below.
If you need to know how fast you can move when every second matters, see the movement rules in “Combat” later in this chapter.
While traveling outside combat, a group can move at a Fast, Normal, or Slow pace, as shown on the Travel Pace table. The table states how far the party can move in a period of time; if riding horses or other mounts, the group can move twice that distance for 1 hour, after which the mounts need a Short or Long Rest before they can move at that increased pace again (see chapter 6 for a selection of mounts for sale). The Dungeon Master’s Guide has rules that affect which pace you can choose in certain types of terrain.
Marching Order
The adventurers should establish a marching order while they travel, whether indoors or outdoors. A marching order makes it easier to determine which characters are affected by traps, which ones can spot hidden enemies, and which ones are the closest to those enemies if a fight breaks out. You can change your marching order outside combat and record the order any way you like: write it down, for example, or arrange miniatures to show it.
| Pace | Distance Traveled Per Minute | Distance Traveled Per Hour | Distance Traveled Per Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast | 400 feet | 4 miles | 30 miles |
| Normal | 300 feet | 3 miles | 24 miles |
| Slow | 200 feet | 2 miles | 18 miles |
Each travel pace has a game effect, as defined below.
Fast. Traveling at a Fast pace imposes Disadvantage on a traveler’s Wisdom (Perception or Survival) and Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Normal. Traveling at a Normal pace imposes Disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Slow. Traveling at a Slow pace grants Advantage on Wisdom (Perception or Survival) checks.
Travelers in wagons, carriages, or other land vehicles choose a pace as normal. Characters in a waterborne vessel are limited to the speed of the vessel, and they don’t choose a travel pace. Depending on the vessel and the size of the crew, ships might be able to travel for up to 24 hours per day. Chapter 6 includes vehicles for sale.