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Hexcrawl Stocking and Content Methods

Overview

Stocking hexes is the hardest part of hexcrawl design. The map exists; encounter tables exist; but what actually goes in each hex? Three approaches, from granular (individual hex) to structural (content network).

Method 1: Creating Hex Content — Two (and a Half) Methods

Source: Psionic Blast from the Past.

Method A: The Blank Hex (No Prior Context)

When you have an empty hex and no established context for what belongs in it:

  1. Assign terrain (if not already mapped)
  2. Roll a content type: is this a landmark, a monster lair, a ruin, a mystery, a resource?
  3. Generate a seed from your tables: a creature type, a structural concept, or an evocative phrase
  4. Ask why it's there: the "why" connects it to region history and generates hooks automatically

The "why" test is load-bearing. A goblin camp exists because goblins are migrating from somewhere, or hunting something, or were pushed out. Each answer implies adjacent content.

Method B: The Contextualized Hex (Map Already Established)

When surrounding hexes have existing content, new content should respond to context:

  1. What factions control adjacent hexes? Their presence bleeds into this hex (patrol routes, resource extraction)
  2. What terrain connects to this hex? Rivers, passes, roads create natural content (bandits on the road, hermit at the ford)
  3. What's the history of the region? Prior civilization creates ruins; conflicts create battlefields

The contextualized method produces a more internally consistent world. Spend more time on context derivation and less time on pure generation.

Method C (the Half-Method): Reactive Stocking

Don't stock every hex before play. Stock only what characters can reach in the next session. After each session, extend stocking one hex-ring outward from current player position. This keeps prep tractable and produces content responsive to actual play.

Method 2: Hierarchical Graph Design

Source: Psionic Blast from the Past.

A hexcrawl's content forms a network with implicit hierarchy. Making the hierarchy explicit produces better design:

The Hierarchy

Macro Node (Region / Major Faction Hub)
    ├── Mezzo Node (Sub-region / Supporting Location)
    │       ├── Micro Node (Individual hex content)
    │       └── Micro Node
    └── Mezzo Node
            └── Micro Node

Macro Nodes: The dominant feature of the region — the major dungeon, the city, the monster lord's stronghold. These are the "final" content players work toward.

Mezzo Nodes: Supporting structures that point players toward the macro node and contain interesting content in their own right. A lair that provides information about the macro node; a ruin that rewards exploration and contains a clue.

Micro Nodes: Individual hex content — the encounter, the landmark, the cache of supplies. These support the mezzo node.

Why This Matters

Without hierarchical thinking, hexes become a flat collection of unrelated content. With it: - Every piece of content points somewhere: micro → mezzo → macro - Players who follow one type of content (rumors, factions, landmarks) naturally progress toward the macro nodes - The referee can improvise micro nodes on the fly because the mezzo/macro structure provides context

Applying the Graph

  1. Establish your macro nodes first (what's the big thing in each region?)
  2. For each macro node, design 3–5 mezzo nodes that support or surround it
  3. Stock micro content reactively (see Method C above)

Use pointcrawl notation for the graph — nodes are locations, edges are paths. Visible from adjacent hexes = edge; requires exploration to discover = hidden edge.

Method 3: Fantasy Sandbox Creation (Rob Conley)

Source: Bat in the Attic, "How to Make a Fantasy Sandbox."

A comprehensive top-down method for full sandbox creation:

Step-by-Step Framework

  1. Pick a milieu: your setting concept — what's the dominant culture, what's the background event that shapes the present
  2. Draw the map: rough terrain overview; mark major geographic features
  3. Design settlements: start with the main hub (the players' home base); branch to surrounding towns; mark roads
  4. Identify notable locations: for each region, 3–5 notable sites (dungeon entrances, ruins, shrines, wilderness features)
  5. Design factions: 3–5 factions per region; map their territory and goals
  6. Populate with inhabitants: assign creature types to terrain zones; create encounter tables
  7. Seed rumors and hooks: 10–20 rumors pointing players at notable locations, faction activities, and mysteries

The Crucial Principle

Start with what the players will interact with in session one and expand outward. A complete sandbox doesn't need to exist at session one — it needs to exist wherever players are going.

Comparison of Approaches

Approach When to Use Strength
Blank hex method Improvised, during-session stocking Speed
Contextualized hex Pre-session prep with established map Coherence
Reactive stocking Ongoing campaign management Sustainability
Hierarchical graph Campaign architecture design Structural integrity
Conley's full sandbox Complete campaign startup Comprehensive scope

For most campaigns: use hierarchical graph for architecture, reactive stocking for management, contextualized hex for deliberate prep sessions, blank hex method for improvised extension.

See Also

Sources

  • https://psionicblastfromthepast.blogspot.com/2019/08/creating-hex-in-hexcrawl-two-and-half.html
  • https://psionicblastfromthepast.blogspot.com/2020/11/designing-content-with-hierarchical.html
  • https://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-make-fantasy-sandbox.html