Is adventuring in the Forest Sauvage supposed to be as difficult as it reads to me?

It looks like as soon as the Player Knights enter the forest, they're very likely to get lost pretty quickly. Is that the intent?

If you enter along one of the paths, do you still need to make Hunting rolls at -15? I think the PK in our group with the highest Hunting skill is about 17 or so, so they'll have a 10% chance of making any progress whatsoever and a 5% chance of getting lost.

I had one of their sons replaced with a Changeling, so we're heading into the Forest, but I don't want them to be completely unable to even make progress through the woods.

Yes, I think that is the intent.

The forest - most of the forests, but especially sauvage - are mysterious, magical places.

I generally have players use the penalty even along paths, till they have reached a village or town or other place - at which point, they (that particular group of knights only) now know that route and don't have to roll again, this year at least.

For situations like the changeling quest, someone ought to be able to get inspired on their hunting with love family - shame if that's not the guy with hunting 17!

That is certainly how I read it too. In my campaign I had the paths through the forest seeming to change continuously - even those living in hamlets in the forest would find that if they went too far out they would get lost. The players hated it - but they still found themselves being drawn back again and again...

For situations like the changeling quest, someone ought to be able to get inspired on their hunting with love family - shame if that's not the guy with hunting 17!

That's a good point...unfortunately, it's not the guy with Hunting 17.

I don't remember if he has around a 15 or around a 5.

My PCs certainly get lost all the time, and one of them has Hunting 20.

Unless one is familiar with the area, or the modifiers are low (rare) then getting lost seems to be inevitable...depending on how often the GM makes the characters roll.

If daily then there is really no chance of navigating the forest. If the GM just lets the characters get by with fewer rolls then they might get lucky.

This weekend we played out the expedition into the Forest. It actually went pretty well. They got lost a few times, but ended up making it to Castle Sauvage within a month (I did the Nineve adventure to get them a few days into the Forest). They ended up having to roll a 3 or less to make any progress in the forest, and got lost twice (three times if you count the knight who lost the race in the Castle of the Race adventure).

Everyone had a good time and the knight with the Changeling was able to recover his son the same year he was taken (the boy is now 4 years old though, as it took them until September to retrieve him).

My players are fast approaching the period for adventuring in the forest. I would greatly appreciate any advice you (and everyone else) would have for this section of the GPC.

My players are fast approaching the period for adventuring in the forest. I would greatly appreciate any advice you (and everyone else) would have for this section of the GPC.


Russ, I'd say sock it to 'em. :) Make it hard. Make it colorful.

My players are fast approaching the period for adventuring in the forest. I would greatly appreciate any advice you (and everyone else) would have for this section of the GPC.


If you got a copy of Boy King, swipe the map. Greg has mentioned that the final map in the GPC was not the one he submitted, and it is easy for the GM to get lost. The map from BK is much easier to follow.

As far as running goes, look through the set location adventures a couple of time in advance, and then let the inevitable "lost in the forest" stuff take it's course.

And if one or more of the PCs end up with manors in the Forest, you'll have an excuse to send them back into Sauvage whenever you want.

This weekend we played out the expedition into the Forest. It actually went pretty well. They got lost a few times, but ended up making it to Castle Sauvage within a month (I did the Nineve adventure to get them a few days into the Forest). They ended up having to roll a 3 or less to make any progress in the forest, and got lost twice (three times if you count the knight who lost the race in the Castle of the Race adventure).

Everyone had a good time and the knight with the Changeling was able to recover his son the same year he was taken (the boy is now 4 years old though, as it took them until September to retrieve him).


My players went to the Forest Sauvage from 497 (the adventure with Gordobuc and the Changeling) to 502 (when they finally can meet King Sauvage).