Dungeon Turns

While exploring some dungeons or hex-crawling wilderness out of combat, time will be measured in 10 minute increments called “stretches.”
At the start of a 10 minute turn, each player character starts an activity.
The DM asks each player what activity they’re taking, or uses a players description of their character’s action to approximate what activity they’re engaged in.

Example Activities

Example activities that can be completed in a 10 minute “stretch.” Player characters take one of the following activities while exploring. This is by no means a complete list. DMs and players should feel free to collaborate on new activities at the table.

1. Casting a Spell

prerequisite: You pick a spell you can cast as part of the activity.

You spend the next 10 minutes casting a spell that has a casting time of ten minutes, or a ritual spell that has a casting time of 11 minutes or less.

Longer casting times. You can do this activity multiple stretches in a row to cast spells with a longer duration.

Rolling initiative. If you roll initiative while engaged in this activity, you can continue to cast the spell in combat by taking the magic action on each of your turns to maintain your concentration on the spell being cast.

2. Helping Out

prerequisite: You have proficiency with a skill or tool relevant to the check being made.

Choose a creature within reach. You grant that creature advantage on ability checks made during these 10 minutes.

3. Interacting

prerequisite: None.

You interact with an object or part of the environment for the next 10 minutes. This includes, but not limited to:

Reading notes, tablets of instructions.
Moving rubble or clearing a path
Understanding an esoteric study, storage, or complicated device.

At the DM’s discretion, these interactions may also require a skill check to succeed.

4. Keeping Watch

prerequisite: You can see and hear clearly

You stand watch, preparing for any eventuality, avoiding surprise by enemies or effect you can see or hear. If you roll initiative, you can use a reaction before your first turn to take one of the following actions: Attack (once), Dash, Dodge, Hide, or use the Magic action to cast a cantrip or use a magic item.

5. Loot Everything!

Prerequisite: you can see and hear clearly

You spend the next 10 minutes collecting any adventuring gear and valuables that have already been discovered or weren’t hidden.

6. Move Quietly

prerequisite: None

For the next 10 minutes, a creature must succeed on a Wisdom (Perception) check to find you.

The DC is 8 + proficiency + stealth modifier.

7. Search Area

prerequisite: You can see and hear clearly

You spend 10 minutes searching a small room or an area no larger than 30 feet in any dimension.

Ability check. Make a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Success. You find EVERYTHING in this room hidden by a DC equal to or lower than the result of your check, such as traps, secret doors, concealed loot and valuables, and any other hidden items.

8. Take Your Time

prerequisite: proficiency relevant to the task being attempted.

You spend the next 10 minutes taking an action (skill check) as an activity. By doing so, you add +5 to your roll along with any other relevant modifiers and proficiency bonus.

This action may stack with “Helping Out” to also give advantage on the roll, providing another PC is taking that action during this stretch.

9. Breather