Tactical Adventures is throwing out the old 2D travel map from Crown of the Magister and replacing it with something far more strategic for Solasta II. The latest dev update details a new 3D, hex-based world map that transforms travel from a simple point-to-point system into a core tactical layer of the game, complete with resource management and tangible risks.
Instead of clicking a destination, your party will now move freely across a hex grid. Each day, you get 4 Regular Move points, with different terrain types costing a certain amount to traverse. This alone makes planning your route more engaging, but the real game-changer is the new Forced March system.
Push Your Luck with Forced March
Once your Regular Move points are spent, you can dip into 4 additional Forced March points to cover more ground. It sounds great for reaching a town before nightfall, but it comes at a steep cost. Using these points means your party travels into the night, increasing the danger of encounters, and more importantly, it can inflict levels of Exhaustion.
How does Exhaustion work in Solasta II?
Exhaustion is a nasty status effect that directly impacts your party's performance. According to the developers, it will apply penalties to your D20 rolls and even reduce your movement speed in combat. In a game built on the SRD 5e ruleset, any penalty to a D20 roll is a serious disadvantage that can turn a manageable fight into a party wipe. This system forces a tough choice: do you risk arriving at the next dungeon already weakened, or do you play it safe and make camp?
What's different about world map events?
Travel isn't just about avoiding monsters anymore. The developers confirmed that World Map Events are no longer limited to combat. You might trigger unique, non-combat scenarios based on the biome you're in or the time of day. This promises to make exploration feel more dynamic and alive, adding role-playing opportunities and world-building moments between dungeon crawls.
This shift makes it clear that in Solasta II, the journey itself is a critical part of the adventure, demanding just as much strategic thought as the battles you'll face.