Reddit reviews Official Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Wilderness Survival Guide

> They know they're on a time limit because of the soldiers on their tail (and a dying familiar, unrelated) but i'm not sure how to keep them on their toes in this place other than throwing encounter after encounter at them with barely a chance for a long rest.


It sounds like that they are on a time limit so they won't have time for many long rests, especially if the mountains are as treacherous as they are claimed to be.


I'd have the bandits/criminals be based around the lower parts of the mountains with their hideouts in caves. As you travel further in/up trolls and other beasties prevent the bandits from making their hideouts there. The higher and further up you go, the more dangerous (and rare) the monsters become.


Use the terrain against them. Have them make skill checks to bridge a ravine or make it past a particularly nasty stretch of terrain. If they fail a check, instead of them falling and suffering damage, have them lose a piece of gear or some provisions. Speaking or provisions, start keeping track of their provisions -- it's going to be almost impossible to forage for food while being pursued and getting drinking water is going to be a challenge until they get to the snow line (and can presumably melt the snow for drinking water).


Don't forget that their movement rate over a mountain range with no real trails is going to be painfully slow and might result in backtracking if they choose a route poorly.


IMO, you should put terrain and weather as the main encounters over monsters.



At a certain point, won't the soldiers following them give up because of the terrain, monsters, and their own provisions being used up? If that happens, remember that there is no way the players would know that.


Finally, if you don't have it the Wilderness Survival Guide will have some great ideas in it.