What should I do during an expedition, and when should I leave?

Pick one result you will recognize as success: learn the route between two landmarks, bring back one missing crafting material, finish one quest step, test a new weapon, or reach a named exit. If the goal cannot be said in one sentence, split it across two expeditions. A smaller goal makes it easier to decide which equipment deserves space and when the run is already complete.

Use the relevant database page before packing. A task page shows the required item and reward; an item page shows size, weight, recipes and known sources; a map page helps you recognize areas, doors and stairs. This turns a vague plan such as ‘find useful things’ into a route with a specific reason to enter and a specific reason to leave.

• Name one result for the run.
• Open the matching item, task or map page.
• Leave optional goals for the next run.

Start with a working weapon, a light source where the area needs one, healing supplies and enough free cells for the intended pickup. Add a key, rope or tool only when the planned route or interaction names it. Carrying every possible answer makes the character heavier and leaves no room for the object that was the reason for the run.

Prepare one margin for error instead of trying to cover every disaster. That may be one extra bandage, a backup light source, enough durability for the return journey or an empty inventory shape that fits the target item. The correct margin depends on the run, but it should protect the part of the plan that would otherwise force an early failure.

At the entrance, identify the area and one landmark. At every major door, stair or fork, decide what will tell you that you have returned to the same place. The Catacomb map pairs connected stairs by number, while area names and large room shapes are more dependable than a memory of repeated left and right turns.

Do not let an interesting container quietly replace the goal. If a detour is short and the route back remains clear, take it. If it introduces another locked door, floor change or unknown branch, mark the idea for another expedition. The run stays manageable when every extra choice is measured against the original purpose and the distance to safety.

Turn back when the main goal is complete, healing or light is running low, the primary weapon may not survive another fight, the target item fills the planned space, or you can no longer explain the route to a known exit. These are useful retreat triggers because they arrive before the character is trapped with no safe choice left.

Use the entrance as the dependable fallback if no closer exit is understood. Other exits may be faster, but some require an item or a precise interaction point. Once you extract, move the important gains to the camp stash and decide what the next expedition is for. The stash protects what has already been earned; carrying it into another run puts it at risk again.