Adventurers sometimes choose their path by following the tracks of other creatures-or other creatures might track the adventurers! To track, one or more creatures must succeed on a Wisdom (Survival) check. You might require trackers to make a new check in any of the following circumstances:
The DC for the check depends on how well the ground shows signs of a creature's passage. No roll is necessary in situations where the tracks are obvious. For example, no check is needed to track an army advancing along a muddy road. Spotting tracks on a bare stone floor is more challenging, unless the creature being tracked leaves a distinct trail. Additionally, the passage of time often makes tracks harder to follow. In a situation where there is no trail to follow, you can rule that tracking is impossible.
The Tracking DCs table offers guidelines for setting the DC or, if you prefer, you can choose a DC based on your assessment of the difficulty. You can also grant advantage on the check if there's more than one set of tracks to follow, or disadvantage if the trail being followed passes through a well-trafficked area.
Another player that is proficient in Survival can assist a character tracking, granting them advantage on the roll. If a character has some other means of tracking a creature, such as by magic, they may also assist a tracking character.
On a failed check, the character loses the trail but can attempt to find it again by making a careful search of the area.
It takes 10 minutes to find a trail in a confined area such as a dungeon, or 1 hour outdoors.
| Tracking DCs | |
| Ground Surface | DC |
| Soft surface (Mud or Snow) | 10 |
| Dirt or grass | 15 |
| Bare stone | 20 |
| Each day since the creature passed | +5 |
| Creature leaves obvious trail (blood, slime, etc) | -5 |
| Tracker is travelling at a slow pace | -5 |
| Tracker is travelling at a fast pace | +5 |