I'll be posting explanations here of mechanics that you might not be familiar with, particularly when you start building your new realm. But there might be a few that come up even before then!

Influence encounters take place in rounds, similar to combat. Each round of a social encounter may represent anything from 10 minutes to an hour of chatting, schmoozing, playing drinking games, and otherwise interacting with the other characters in the scene. The party can accumulate Influence Points with each NPC in the scene. (It's assumed that the NPCs know that the PCs are acting as a team, so anyone impressed by one PC will look favorably on the others.) Most NPCs become more cooperative or more informative with higher Influence Points.

Every round, each PC has an opportunity to either Influence an NPC, or Discover something about an NPC.

If you wish to Influence an NPC, describe your approach and I'll roll an appropriate skill check for you. Diplomacy, Deception, and Intimidation are usually among the useful options if you're extremely good at them, but there are often more effective methods; trying other things might lead to surprising results. Success at the skill roll grants an Influence Point with the given NPC; critical success gains 2 Influence Points, while a critical failure loses 1 Influence Point from embarrassment. Any abilities that affect Diplomacy to Make an Impression, Deception to Lie, Intimidation to Coerce, or any skill to Earn Income (or similar actions at my discretion) also affect Influencing. Any given NPC can only be Influenced by a maximum of two PCs in the same round.

If you want to spend a round Discovering things about an NPC, tell me which NPC you want to observe, and roll an appropriate skill. Perception is always allowed but it's usually the least effective; you can try to call out other skills that you think might work better, but if you're wrong I'll interpret your roll as Perception. (Equally, if there's another skill that you ought to know would work better, and that you're good at, I'll interpret whatever you roll as though that's what you were trying to think about.) Additionally, tell me what you want to learn about this NPC: either which skill they're easiest to Influence with (this is the default if you ask for something that doesn't apply), one of their personal biases, or a particular topic that they're especially interested or uninterested in. If you succeed at this roll, I'll tell you what you wanted to know. A critical success additionally gains another piece of information of my choosing (I'll try to choose something useful), while a critical failure gives you false information (even though you probably know you blew the roll badly, you're expected to role-play as though you believe it!). Abilities that affect Recall Knowledge or Sense Motive also affect Discovery.

As you reach certain Influence Point thresholds with an NPC, they may give you useful information or even items! I'll let you know if you've impressed a particular NPC as much as they're going to get, so you don't waste time.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:19, Sat 21 Oct 2023.

As you wander the Stolen Lands, you may discover various problems, merchants, monsters, curses, or other points of interest. This process is called hexploration, because the map is divided into hexes and you're exploring it. Each hex on the world map is roughly 12 miles from corner to corner, or a bit over 10 miles from edge to edge, to give you a sense of scale; but overland distances will pretty much always be measured in hexes rather than miles. The rules presented here are adapted from those given in the Gamemastery Guide, narrowed to your specific situation. You can check there for clarifications, but hopefully you won't need to. Additionally, I've made a few minor changes where I just couldn't figure out how Paizo intended for something to work, or I felt it was just way too punishing.

Every day of hexploration, the party or each individual member may perform hexploration activities. If the entire party is mounted (or otherwise has at least 30 speed), you can perform 2 activities per day; otherwise any slower characters may only perform 1 (fast characters may perform an extra individual activity or use an exploration mode such as Defend or Scout while keeping up with the slower characters). The most important group activities are Travel and Reconnoiter; individual activities include some of the exploration activities given in the CRB such as Searching or Detecting Magic. When used as individual hexploration activities, these are assumed to take effect across the hex in question. In general, the party is assumed to be "in a hex" but the exact location within the hex doesn't matter. The main exception is that if a river cuts through the hex, the party is only on one side or the other, unless there's a bridge or other crossing.

Every hex has a main terrain type. In the Stolen Lands, these include plains (pale green on the map, most of the west half), hills (brighter green, most of the east half), mountains (white and gray), forest (dark mottled green), and swamp (gray-blue). Hills and forest are considered difficult terrain, while mountains and swamps are greater difficult terrain.

Moving from hex to hex in the Stolen Lands requires the party to undertake the Travel activity. One Travel activity is enough to move into a plains hex, but it takes two to enter difficult terrain and three for greater difficult terrain. Travelling along a road improves the terrain by one step, or allows one additional hex per day of movement in clear terrain (the same advantage as a forced march, but without the penalty). For example, a mounted party can get to Nivakta's Crossing from Restov in one day of riding (two Travel activities along a road through the hills), and one more day would get you to Fort Serenko, where the Kiravoy River meets the Shrike River (and the road turns to the west). Additionally, you can take an extra Travel activity to cross a river even if there's no bridge or crossing. Floating down a navigable river (on a raft or small boat) is equivalent to traveling through clear terrain (regardless of the surrounding hex), while traveling upriver is always considered difficult terrain except in mountains, where it's not possible. If you encounter falls or major rapids during a river journey, you can take an extra Travel activity to portage around them, or abandon your water vessel and resume your journey overland.

Reconnoitering a hex as a group allows you to find any points of interest; this generally includes the Search, Detect Magic, and Investigate exploration activities (performed as a group, in case you discover something dangerous), but you can also Defend, Avoid Notice, or Scout during Reconnaissance while more observant characters are looking for things (if you do, you take a -5 circumstance penalty on your roll to find any secret encounters). Obvious major landmarks will be discovered as soon as you enter the hex (or even sometimes from neighboring hexes in clear terrain). Standard encounters are found automatically during Reconnaissance, while secret encounters are only found with a successful check or if someone has told you exactly where to look. Like Travelling, it takes one Reconnoiter activity to search a clear hex, two for difficult terrain, and three for greater difficult terrain; roads don't help with Reconnaissance.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:44, Fri 09 Dec 2022.

The Kingmaker Companion Guide provides a detailed, intricate camping system. Unfortunately, it doesn't work; because of a total misunderstanding of probability, it nearly guarantees a random encounter (or often two) every single evening. Whoever wrote this clearly cared more about camp cuisine than mathematics. Obviously we're not doing this, but I've tried to extract the feel while keeping the nonsense to a reasonable level. I may adjust these rules in the future if they don't seem to be working the way I wanted them to.

Step 1: Preparing a Campsite
After a day of hexploration, the party should usually find a place to settle down and make camp. If there is a Refuge in the hex that you know about, you can use this automatically with no roll or time spent; this gives you an automatic success on Preparing the Campsite and leaves time for an extra camping activity before bed. Otherwise, one character should use the Prepare Campsite activity. Other characters can attempt to Aid the camp captain, or perform other stationary activities such as Identifying items, Treating Wounds, Repairing equipment, Influencing any NPC companions who might be along, or other activities at my discretion.

PREPARE CAMPSITE (concentrate, exploration, move)
You spend 2 hours searching the area for a safe and secure location to make camp. Make a Survival check against the Zone DC (this is always a Standard DC for the Zone's level; I'll let you know). If you've previously prepared a campsite in this hex in the last month, you can clean it up and use it again to automatically achieve the same level of success with only an hour of work; this doesn't leave enough time for an extra camping activity, but does leave an extra hour for other personal activities.
Critical Success You find the perfect spot for a camp. Wandering interlopers are less likely to find you tonight, and the first 2 hours of camping activities do not increase this chance.
Success You find a serviceable spot for a camp.
Failure You find a mediocre campsite: it's cramped, uneven, or otherwise not entirely suitable. You take a -2 penalty on all camping activities.
Critical Failure The campsite is a total mess. You can't perform camping activities at all, and the noise you made trying to fix it may have attracted additional attention: make an extra random encounter check immediately.

Step 2: Camping Activities
After you've found a campsite and set up your camp, each character usually has time for one 2-hour camping activity before bed. If you used Forced March today, you don't have this time; if you performed fewer than your full allotment of hexploration activities today, each unused activity leaves time for one extra camping activity, to a maximum of four. Most camping activities improve the campsite in some way. Multiple characters can attempt each of these activities, but not at the same time, and once someone has achieved at least a Success, no further attempts can be made at that activity. Again, you may use this time to perform other exploration activities rather than improving your campsite. Every two hours in which anyone performs a camping activity (other than Camouflage Campsite and Relax) slightly increases the chance of attracting attention tonight. The following activities can be attempted by anyone. Additionally, there may be secret or unique camping activities, which you can learn from your companions.

CAMOUFLAGE CAMPSITE (camping, manipulate, secret)
You spend two hours concealing the camp from potential threats by covering tents with branches, ensuring the campfire minimizes scent and smoke, reminding others to stay quiet, and so on. If you are camping in a Refuge, the site is already as camouflaged as it's going to get; you can't improve it further. Attempt a Stealth check against the Zone DC. Only one attempt to Camouflage a Campsite can be made per camping session, regardless of the result.
Critical Success You make the camp effectively invisible. Wandering interlopers are much less likely to find you tonight.
Success Your work helps hide the camp from detection. Wandering interlopers are less likely to find you tonight.
Critical Failure You believe you've done well at your camouflage attempt, but you've actually forgotten something important or accidentally did something to make the campsite more noticeable. Your camp is more likely to attract attention tonight.

CONVERSE WITH A COMPANION (camping, auditory, concentrate, linguistic, visual)
You spend two hours getting to know one of your companions. Describe your conversation, and make a skill check of your choice. Treat this as two rounds of a social encounter to Influence or Discover the companion. If you have Group Impression or a similar ability, you may converse with two companions at once using the appropriate skill.

COOK BASIC MEAL (camping, manipulate)
You spend two hours preparing a meal. For each serving you intend to create, expend one day's rations (or provisions found by Subsisting) plus 2 basic ingredients. After everyone has decided which meals they wish to eat tonight, attempt a DC 22 Survival check or DC 18 Cooking Lore check to determine the meal's effectiveness.
Critical Success The meal was delicious! Any character who ate this meal regains twice the normal amount of Hit Points while resting tonight, and they gain a +1 status bonus to all saving throws until they make their daily preparations in the morning.
Success The meal was just fine. Any character who ate it gains a +1 status bonus to all saving throws until they make their daily preparations in the morning.
Failure The meal was filling, but nothing special.
Critical Failure Your meal wreaks havoc on digestion. Any character who ate this meal becomes sickened 1 until they make their daily preparations in the morning.

COOK SPECIAL MEAL (camping, manipulate)
You spend two hours preparing a special meal whose recipe you know. Choose a special meal from your recipe book. For each serving you intend to create, expend one day's rations (or provisions found by Subsisting) plus the ingredients listed in the recipe. A character who is sickened can't eat a special meal or gain its benefits. After everyone has decided which meals they wish to eat tonight, attempt a Survival check against the meal's listed DC, or a Cooking Lore check against the listed DC - 2. Anyone who ate the meal gains the effects listed in the meal's description according to the result of your check, although any result is enough to stave off starvation unless the meal's effects say otherwise. If the meal is the character's Favorite Meal and the check was at least a Success, they additionally gain the effects in the Favorite Meal section. Unless the meal's description says otherwise, its effects last for 24 hours or until the next time the party prepares a camp.

HUNT AND GATHER (camping, move)
You spend two hours gathering unique ingredients, which you can use later to jazz up rations or provisions found by Subsisting. Attempt a Hunting Lore or Survival check against the Zone DC.
Critical Success You find a number of basic ingredients equal to 12 plus twice the Zone's level, plus 4 special ingredients. If you're Hunting and Gathering in a high-level zone (I'll let you know), increase the number of special ingredients.
Success You find a number of basic ingredients equal to 6 plus the Zone's level, plus 1d4 special ingredients. If you're Hunting and Gathering in a high-level zone, increase the number of special ingredients.
Failure You find a number of basic ingredients equal to 4 plus the Zone's level.
Critical Failure You find 1d4 basic ingredients (maximum equal to the Zone's level). Additionally, you may have attracted attention with your bumbling around: the probability of a random encounter tonight increases immediately (this is in addition to the normal increase for performing any camping activity).
(GM's note: I changed the yield on this significantly from Paizo's original, which didn't make sense at all. If it ends up very far off, I'll adjust it. My intent is that one Hunt and Gather activity should generally provide enough ingredients for two or maybe three servings of an equal-level meal.)

INVENT SPECIAL MEAL (camping, manipulate)
Requirements trained in Cooking Lore
You spend two hours experimenting and attempting to come up with a new unique recipe. Expend one day of rations (or provisions from Subsisting), plus any number of basic and/or special ingredients (but you should always include at least 4 basic ingredients as there are only a handful of recipes that require fewer than two), then attempt a Cooking Lore check. The GM secretly chooses a random unknown recipe from those whose level is equal to or lower than the Zone's level, and for which you spent at least twice the required number of ingredients, and compares your Cooking Lore check to its preparation DC.
Critical Success You invent an amazing recipe on the first try. You create one serving of the meal, and expend only the listed number of ingredients.
Success You invent the recipe and create one serving, expending all of the ingredients you declared.
Failure Your culinary invention is inedible, expending all of the declared ingredients.
Critical Failure As failure, but you also inflict the chosen recipe's critical failure effect on yourself as a result of an unwise taste test.

LEARN FROM A COMPANION (camping, concentrate)
Requirements the companion must be at least Friendly and willing to teach you
Each companion knows a unique specialized camping technique. You spend two hours watching them as they perform this activity. You may perform one round of a social encounter against that companion (even if you have abilities that would ordinarily allow you to Influence multiple targets), then attempt a DC 20 Perception check.
Critical Success You learn the companion's special activity. Any PC who meets that activity's requirements can now perform that activity.
Success You make progress in learning the special activity, but you haven't quite mastered it. If you attempt to Learn from this companion the next time you camp, the result of that check is improved by one degree of success.
Failure You fail to learn anything from the companion.
Critical Failure You fail to learn anything from the companion, and they grow frustrated with your obtuseness. No further attempts may be made to Learn from this companion for 3 days.

ORGANIZE WATCH (camping)
Requirements expert in Perception
You spend two hours scouting the area in detail to determine the best approaches for hypothetical enemies, and arrange blinds and other places for watchstanders to wait. Attempt a Perception check against the Zone DC, and treat the result as an attempt to Aid all characters on all Perception checks made during their shift on watch tonight.

RELAX (camping)
You spend two hours listening to campfire stories, tending the fire, chatting, reading, meditating, and just generally chilling out. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the next check you make for a camping activity, provided that happens during this camping session. Any number of characters may Relax any number of times during the evening. Relaxing does not, by itself, increase the chance of a random encounter tonight.

TELL CAMPFIRE STORY (camping, concentrate, emotion, linguistic, mental)
You spend 2 hours telling a rousing story, perhaps one of your previous adventures or something that was in turn told to you around a campfire. Attempt a Performance check against a Standard DC of your own level. All allies in your camp can potentially gain benefits from your stories, but those who spend the time Relaxing gain the greatest benefits. Any ally who spends the time Hunting and Gathering or otherwise outside the camp's immediate area is not affected by your story.
Critical Success You inspire your allies dramatically. Until they perform their daily preparations in the morning, your allies gain a +2 status bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks during any combat at the campsite. If an ally spent the time Relaxing and listening avidly to your tale, they can also choose to reroll one failed roll at any time while this status bonus persists; this is a fortune effect.
Success You inspire your allies. As critical success, but the status bonus is +1. An ally who spent the time Relaxing receives a +2 status bonus but not the reroll effect granted by a critical success.
Failure Your story was boring and provides no benefits.
Critical Failure Your story was deeply unsettling or distracting. All allies take a -1 status penalty to skill checks until they Relax to recenter themselves or begin their daily preparations.

Step 3: Dinnertime
After all camping activities are completed, each character chooses their meal for the evening. This can be either unadorned rations (or provisions from Subsisting, or create food or other similar effects), or one serving of any meal created by Cook Basic Meal or Cook Special meal. You can only gain benefits from a single meal per camping session.

Step 4: Resting
It's bedtime. The default assumption is that all characters present rotate a watch schedule, so the total time resting is 8 hours plus one watch, where a watch is 8 hours divided by one fewer than the number of characters. For example, with 5 characters on the rotation, each watch is 2 hours, and you spend 10 hours resting in total. You should decide in what order characters take their watches, but unless there are fewer than 4 characters participating, the exact length of the rest period doesn't matter. (Parties of only 2 or 3 people should probably not bother with this style of watch rotation; if they do, they lose either one camping activity tonight or one hexploration activity the next day.)

During this time, the GM makes a check for random encounters. The base probability generally depends on the terrain, modified by the results of camping activities. If something finds your camp and decides to trouble you, it will happen at a random time during the night, which is why it's important to know what in what order the characters are on watch.

Step 5: Daily Preparations
Once everyone is awake, you may perform your daily preparations, refreshing spells or other daily resources, while cleaning up your campsite and making ready to move on. This normally takes 30 minutes.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:04, Sat 21 Oct 2023.