Travel Rules

Travel Rules: Expanding on The Standard Rules for Exploring

“Hell yeah! I love a good shopping spree before a long journey. I’m going to the buy some maps and some new weapons, and maybe a new cape! Meet me at the gate in uuh… 3 hours?” - Nala of Nasalin, the warrior running to the nearby magic shop

Introduction

Traveling through the wilderness can be a significant part of an adventure, requiring time, resources, and careful planning. The following rules provide guidelines for tracking travel time, rations, water, and encounters during overland travel. These rules are designed to enhance the exploration aspect of the game and provide additional challenges and opportunities for the party as they journey through the world.

Step by step

Here is a step-by-step guide to using these rules during a travel sequence:

Shorter Trips (less than 25 km/15.5 Mi)

1. Determine the distance and terrain to be traveled.
2. Choose the pace for the journey (fast, normal, slow).
3. Determine the travel time based on the chosen pace and terrain
4. Ask if the party wants to force the pace.
5. Calculate the number of rations and water required for the journey.
6. Roll for encounter frequency and type.
7. Ask for a Wisdom (Survival) check to avoid becoming lost if the party doesn’t have a guide or a well-marked trail.

Short Scale Trips (25 km/15.5 Mi Hex)

1. Determine the distance and terrain to be traveled.
2. Choose the pace for the journey (fast, normal, slow).
3. Determine the travel time based on the chosen pace and terrain.
4. Calculate the number of rations and water required for the journey.
5. Roll for encounter frequency and type.
6. Ask for a Wisdom (Survival) check to avoid becoming lost if the party doesn’t have a guide or a well-marked trail.

Big Scale Trips (100 km/62 Mi Hex)

1. Determine the distance and terrain to be traveled.
2. Choose the pace for the journey (fast, normal, slow).
3. Determine the travel time based on the chosen pace and terrain.
4. Calculate the number of rations and water required for the journey.
5. Roll for encounter frequency and type.
6. Ask for a Wisdom (Survival) check to avoid becoming lost if the party doesn’t have a guide or a well-marked trail.

Terrain Characteristic Descriptions

During the next sections, you will find a list of terrain characteristics that can be used to describe the terrain the party is traveling through. These characteristics can be used to determine the difficulty of navigation, the presence of obstacles, and the overall conditions of the terrain. Here are some examples of terrain characteristics that can be used to describe the terrain:

Ground Terrain

• Regular:

  • Typical, unobstructed terrain such as open plains or gentle hills.
  • Easy to navigate with minimal hindrances.
  • Examples: Grasslands, meadows, farmlands.

• Dense:

  • Terrain with heavy vegetation, such as thick forests or jungles.
  • Movement is impeded by undergrowth and obstacles.
  • Examples: Forests, jungles, swamps.

• Steep:

  • Terrain with significant elevation changes, such as mountains or cliffs.
  • Requires careful navigation and climbing.
  • Examples: Mountains, cliffs, hills, canyons.

• Rough:

  • Uneven or rugged terrain, such as rocky ground or areas with frequent obstacles.
  • Movement is slowed by the need to navigate around or over obstacles.
  • Examples: Rocky terrain, badlands, wastelands.

• Wet:

  • Terrain characterized by water or swampy conditions.
  • Movement is slowed by mud, water, or slippery surfaces.
  • Examples: Marshes, bogs, wetlands.

• Sandy:

  • Loose, shifting terrain such as deserts or beaches.
  • Movement is impeded by the effort needed to traverse loose sand.
  • Examples: Deserts, dunes, beaches.

• Rocky:

  • Terrain with abundant rocks and boulders.
  • Movement is slowed by the need to climb or maneuver around rocky obstacles.
  • Examples: Rock fields, scree slopes, cliffs.

• Clear:

  • Open and unobstructed terrain, such as well-maintained roads or clear fields.
  • Easy to navigate with minimal effort.
  • Examples: Roads, fields, plains.

Water Terrain

• Open Sea:

  • Vast, unobstructed waters ideal for large ships.
  • Allows for rapid travel with favorable winds and currents.

• Coastal Waters:

  • Near the shore, with potential hazards such as reefs and islands.
  • Requires navigation but generally good for travel.

• River (Downstream):

  • Moving with the current, allowing for faster travel.
  • Suitable for all ship sizes, with speed advantage downstream.

• River (Upstream):

  • Moving against the current, slowing travel.
  • More challenging and slower, especially for larger ships.

• Rough Waters:

  • Turbulent seas with high waves and strong winds.
  • Slows travel and can be dangerous, requiring careful navigation.

• Shallow Waters:

  • Areas with low water depth, potentially hazardous for larger ships.
  • Requires caution and reduces speed, especially for big ships.

• Calm Water:

  • Still and peaceful waters, ideal for smooth sailing.
  • Allows for efficient travel for all ship sizes.

• Swamp:

  • Dense, marshy areas with difficult navigation.
  • Slow and challenging travel for all ship sizes, especially big ships.

Travel Time

Traveling from one location to another can be a significant part of an adventure, requiring time, resources, and careful planning. The following rules provide guidelines for determining travel times based on various factors such as terrain, pace, and mode of travel.

Pace

When traveling, characters can choose from different paces based on their preferred speed and level of alertness. The following pacing descriptions provide guidelines for different travel speeds:

• Fast Pace:

  • Increased travel speed at the cost of reduced alertness.
  • Perception checks are made at disadvantage, suitable for urgent travel.
  • -5 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) scores.
  • Can be maintained for 6 hours before requiring rest or causing exhaustion.
  • This pacing can be doubled for 1 hour but requires a rest afterwards or causes a immediate level of exhaustion.

• Normal Pace:

  • Standard rate of travel with balanced alertness and speed.
  • Allows for normal perception checks and covers a typical distance in a day.
  • Can be maintained for 8 hours without the need for rest or exhaustion.

• Slow Pace:

  • Careful and cautious travel allowing for thorough exploration.
  • Advantage on perception checks, suitable for activities like foraging.
  • This pace allows for the use of stealth.
  • Can be maintained for 12 hours before requiring rest or causing exhaustion.

Pacing Limitations, Forced March and Exhaustion

Only use for short trips (less than 25 km/15.5 Mi) or if the party specifically wants to push themselves to the limit.

When characters are traveling, they can only maintain a pace for a certain amount of time before they must take a long or short rest. If the party continues to travel without resting, they risk gaining levels of exhaustion.

The party can choose to only take a short rest after the maximum travel time, but they must take a long rest after a certain amount of hours or risk gaining levels of exhaustion.

The following table provides guidelines for pacing limitations, rest requirements, and exhaustion DCs based on the chosen pace:

Pacing Type	Maximum Travel Time	Rest Required	Maximum Before Long Rest	Exhaustion DC
Doubled Fast	1 hour	Long	None	None
Fast	6 hours	Short or Long	3 hours (9 hours in total)	15 + 1 per hour forced
Normal	8 hours	Short or Long	8 hours (16 hours in total)	10 + 1 per hour forced
Slow	12 hours	Short or Long	12 hours (24 hours in total)	10 + 1 per hour forced

Mounts and Vehicles

When traveling overland, characters can use mounts or vehicles to increase their speed and carry additional supplies. The following guidelines provide rules for using mounts and vehicles during travel:

When characters are traveling mounted, the rules for pacing and rest are similar but adjusted for the endurance of mounts. The following table provides guidelines for mounted pacing limitations, rest requirements, and DCs (animal handling) for mounts becoming uncooperative due to fatigue based on the chosen pace. If the mount becomes uncooperative, it refuses to travel further and requires a rest period equivalent to a long rest to recover.

Pacing Type	Maximum Travel Time	Rest Required	Maximum Before Long Rest	Uncooperative DC
Doubled Fast	2 hours	Long	None	None
Fast	8 hours	Short or Long	4 hours (12 hours in total)	DC 15 + 1 per hour forced
Normal	10 hours	Short or Long	10 hours (20 hours in total)	DC 10 + 1 per hour forced
Slow	14 hours	Short or Long	14 hours (28 hours in total)	DC 10 + 1 per hour forced

Doubled Fast Pace: For short spans of time (up to 2 hours), many animals move much faster than humanoids. A mounted character can ride at a gallop for about an hour, covering twice the usual distance for a fast pace.

Land Vehicles Paces: Characters in wagons, carriages, or other land vehicles choose a pace as normal.

Handling Uncooperative Mounts: A successful Animal Handling check (DC equal to the Uncooperative DC) can calm the mount temporarily, allowing for up to an additional hour of travel before another check is needed. Repeated forced travel increases the DC by 5 each hour.

Ship Travel

Waterborne vessels are limited to the speed of the vessel (during trips over short distances, otherwise check the Travel Time Tables), and they don’t suffer penalties for a fast pace or gain benefits from a slow pace. Depending on the vessel and the size of the crew, ships might be able to travel for up to 24 hours per day.

The type of ship used can significantly impact travel times and efficiency. The following ship types provide guidelines for different water vessels:

• Small Ship:

  • Typically nimble and able to navigate tighter spaces.
  • Suitable for rivers, coastal waters, and swamps.

• Medium Ship:

  • Balanced size, providing good speed and cargo capacity.
  • Versatile for various water terrains but limited in shallow waters.

• Big Ship:

  • Large vessels with significant cargo and passenger capacity.
  • Best for open sea and calm water, but limited in swamps and shallow waters.

Special Mounts and Vehicles

A character bestride a phantom steed, soaring through the air on a carpet of flying, or riding a sailboat or a steam-powered gnomish contraption doesn’t travel at a normal rate, since the magic, engine, or wind doesn’t tire the way a creature does and the air doesn’t contain the types of obstructions found on land. When a creature is traveling with a flying speed or with a speed granted by magic, an engine, or a natural force (such as wind or a water current), translate that speed into travel rates using the following rules:

• In 1 minute, you can move a number of feet equal to your speed times 10.
• In 1 hour, you can move a number of miles equal to your speed divided by 10.
• For daily travel, multiply your hourly rate of travel by the number of hours traveled (typically 8 hours).
• For a fast pace, increase the rate of travel by one-third.
• For a slow pace, multiply the rate by two-thirds.

Additional Modifiers

Consider the following modifiers to adjust travel times based on specific conditions:

• Weather Conditions:

  • Adverse weather can reduce travel speed (e.g., +1 day/hex).
  • Favorable weather might increase travel speed (e.g., -1 day/hex).

• Roads and Trails:

  • Well-maintained roads can increase travel speed (e.g., -1 day/hex).
  • Difficult or dangerous trails might decrease speed (e.g., +1 day/hex).

• Encumbrance:

  • Carrying heavy loads can slow the party down, increasing travel time.

• Currents and Tides:

  • Favorable currents and tides can increase travel speed (e.g., -0.5 days/hex).
  • Unfavorable currents and tides can decrease travel speed (e.g., +0.5 days/hex).

• Ship Condition and Crew:

  • Well-maintained ships and experienced crew can increase travel speed. (e.g., -1 days/hex)
  • Poor ship condition and inexperienced crew can decrease travel speed. (e.g., +1 days/hex)

• Mounts and Vehicles:

  • Using horses or vehicles can increase travel speed, especially on suitable terrain. Check the rules for special travel pace below.

Travel Time Tables

Shorter Trips (less than 25 km / 15.5 Mi)

Walking Travel

Pace	Distance per Minute	Distance per Hour	Distance per Day	Effect
Doubled Fast	244 m / 800 ft	13 Km / 48 Mi	-	Maximum of 1 hour, requires a long rest afterwards
Fast	122 m / 400 ft	6.5 Km / 4 Mi	48 Km / 30 Mi	-5 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) scores
Normal	91.5 m / 300 ft	5 Km / 3 Mi	38.5 Km / 24 Mi	-
Slow	61 m / 200 ft	3 Km / 2 Mi	29 Km / 18 Mi	Able to use stealth

Mounted Travel

Pace	Distance per Minute	Distance per Hour	Distance per Day	Effect
Doubled Fast	488 m / 1600 ft	26 Km / 96 Mi	-	Maximum of 2 hours, requires a long rest afterwards
Fast	244 m / 800 ft	13 Km / 8 Mi	96 Km / 60 Mi	-5 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) scores
Normal	183 m / 600 ft	10 Km / 6 Mi	77 Km / 48 Mi	-
Slow	122 m / 400 ft	6 Km / 4 Mi	58 Km / 36 Mi	Able to use stealth

Sailing Travel

When traveling over short distances (less than 25 km / 15.5 Mi), use the ship’s speed to determine the travel time.

Hex Travel Time Table (Short scale, 25 km / 15.5 Mi Hex)

Walking Travel

Terrain Characteristics	Fast Pace	Normal Pace	Slow Pace
Regular	12 hours/hex	1 days/hex	2 days/hex
Dense	1 days/hex	2 days/hex	3 days/hex
Steep	1.5 days/hex	3 days/hex	4 days/hex
Rough	1 days/hex	2 days/hex	3 days/hex
Wet	1 days/hex	2 days/hex	3 days/hex
Sandy	1 days/hex	2 days/hex	3 days/hex
Rocky	1 days/hex	2 days/hex	3 days/hex
Clear	6 hours/hex	12 hours/hex	1 days/hex

Mounted Travel

Terrain Characteristics	Fast Pace	Normal Pace	Slow Pace
Regular	6 hours/hex	12 hours/hex	1 days/hex
Dense	12 hours/hex	1 days/hex	18 hours/hex
Steep	18 hours/hex	1.5 days/hex	2 days/hex
Rough	12 hours/hex	1 days/hex	18 hours/hex
Wet	12 hours/hex	1 days/hex	18 hours/hex
Sandy	12 hours/hex	1 days/hex	18 hours/hex
Rocky	12 hours/hex	1 days/hex	18 hours/hex
Clear	2 hours/hex	6 hours/hex	12 hours/hex

Sailing Travel

Water Terrain Characteristics	Small Ships	Medium Ships	Big Ships
Open Sea	12 hours/hex	9 hours/hex	6 hours/hex
Coastal Waters	15 hours/hex	12 hours/hex	9 hours/hex
River (Downstream)	9 hours/hex	6 hours/hex	4.5 hours/hex
River (Upstream)	18 hours/hex	15 hours/hex	21 hour/hex
Rough Waters	1 day/hex	18 hours/hex	12 hours/hex
Shallow Waters	12 hours/hex	15 hours/hex	18 hours/hex
Calm Water	6 hours/hex	4.5 hours/hex	3 hours/hex
Swamp	21 hour/hex	18 hours/hex	1 day/hex

Hex Travel Time Table (Big scale, 100 km / 62 Mi Hex)

Walking Travel

Terrain Characteristics	Fast Pace	Normal Pace	Slow Pace
Regular	3 days/hex	4 days/hex	6 days/hex
Dense	4 days/hex	6 days/hex	8 days/hex
Steep	6 days/hex	8 days/hex	12 days/hex
Rough	4 days/hex	6 days/hex	8 days/hex
Wet	4 days/hex	6 days/hex	8 days/hex
Sandy	4 days/hex	6 days/hex	8 days/hex
Rocky	4 days/hex	6 days/hex	8 days/hex
Clear	2 days/hex	3 days/hex	4 days/hex

Mounted Travel

Terrain Characteristics	Fast Pace	Normal Pace	Slow Pace
Regular	1.5 days/hex	2 days/hex	3 days/hex
Dense	3 days/hex	4 days/hex	5 days/hex
Steep	4 days/hex	5 days/hex	7 days/hex
Rough	3 days/hex	4 days/hex	5 days/hex
Wet	3 days/hex	4 days/hex	5 days/hex
Sandy	3 days/hex	4 days/hex	5 days/hex
Rocky	3 days/hex	4 days/hex	5 days/hex
Clear	1 day/hex	1.5 days/hex	2 days/hex

Sailing Travel

Water Terrain Characteristics	Small Ships	Medium Ships	Big Ships
Open Sea	2 days/hex	1.5 days/hex	1 day/hex
Coastal Waters	2.5 days/hex	2 days/hex	1.5 days/hex
River (Downstream)	1.5 days/hex	1 day/hex	18 hours/hex
River (Upstream)	3 days/hex	2.5 days/hex	3.5 days/hex
Rough Waters	4 days/hex	3 days/hex	2 days/hex
Shallow Waters	2 days/hex	2.5 days/hex	3 days/hex
Calm Water	1 days/hex	18 hours/hex	12 hours/hex
Swamp	3.5 days/hex	3 days/hex	4 days/hex

Rations and Water

Rations and water are essential for survival during long journeys. The following rules provide guidelines for tracking rations and water consumption during travel.

Rations and Water Requirements

The rule for minimum rations and water required for travel is as follows:

A creature consumes 1 ration(5 sp) per day of travel

Be aware that this is the minimum amount of rations required for the long rests made at the end of day of travel. Aditional long rests will require additional rations.

Rations contain enough food and water to sustain a Medium creature for one day. Creatures above or below Medium size require different amounts of food and water per day.

The table below shows the number of rations required per day for creatures of different sizes:

Size	Rations/Day
Tiny	0.25
Small	0.5
Medium	1
Large	2
Huge	3
Gargantuan	4+

Foraging for Food and Water

If a creature is unable to find or purchase rations for any reason, it can attempt to forage for food and water during travel. If the group is traveling in a slow pace, they can forage for food and water for the entire group during the travel by making a Wisdom (Survival) check.

If the check is successful, the creature finds enough food and water to sustain their party for one day. If the check fails, the creature doesn’t find enough food or water, and the party must rely on their remaining rations, if any.

The DC for the check is determined by the availability of resources in their current terrain:

Food and Water Availability	DC
Abundant food and water sources	10
Limited food and water sources	15
Very little, if any, food and water sources	20

If the party is traveling at a normal or fast pace, they can’t forage for food and water during travel. But they can spend time foraging during a break of their travel, during a short or long rest.

The amount of food and water found by searching for resources during a rest is enough to sustain the creature searching for one day. If the creature is searching for food and water for more than one creature, the creature must make a separate check for each creature and search in different locations.

Travelling Without Food or Water

If a creature doesn’t have enough food or water, it must roll a Constitution saving throw at the end of the day. The DC is 10 + 1 for each day without food or water. On a failed save, the creature suffers one level of exhaustion.

Events and Encounters

Traveling through the wilderness can be dangerous and unpredictable, but it can also be an opportunity for exploration and discovery. The following rules provide guidelines for generating events and encounters during travel.

Encounter Frequency

The frequency of encounters during travel can vary based on the distance traveled and the scale of the journey. Use the following guidelines to determine the frequency of encounters:

Scale	Small Trip (1-3 Hexes)	Medium Trip (4-6 Hexes)	Long Trip (7+ Hexes)
Smaller Scale	1d4-3 (Minimum 0) or pick 0-1	-	-
Small Scale	1d4-2 (Minimum 0) or pick 0-2	1d4-1 (Minimum 2) or pick 2-3	1d6 (Minimum 3) or pick 3-6
Big Scale	1d4-1 (Minimum 1) or pick 1-3	1d4 (Minimum 3) or pick 3-4	1d6 (Minimum 4) or pick 4-6

Encounter Types

To add variety to the journey, encounters can be categorized into different types based on their nature and focus. Use the following color code to categorize encounters:

• Red (Combat): These encounters involve battles with monsters or hostile NPCs that appear during the journey.
• Blue (Roleplay): These encounters involve interactions with friendly NPCs, encounters with merchants, or events between party members.
• Green (Exploration): These encounters involve discovering points of interest, uncovering hidden secrets, finding resources, landmarks, lore or ruins.

Examples of encounters by type:

• Red (Combat): A group of bandits ambushes the party on the road; a bear attacks the camp at night looking for food; a hired assassin tries to kill one of the party members for a bounty; a rival adventuring party challenges the group to settle a dispute.
• Blue (Roleplay): A traveling merchant offers to sell rare items to the party; a local farmer asks for help dealing with a pest problem; a mysterious stranger approaches the party with a cryptic message; a bard performs a song about the party and asks to tag along.
• Green (Exploration): The party discovers an ancient ruin hidden in the forest; the group finds a hidden cave beneath a fallen tree; a strange monolith appears in the distance; the party stumbles upon a group of small hovering mushrooms that seem to travel in their own journey.

Selecting Encounter Colors

When generating encounters, roll a d12 to determine the color of the encounter. Use the following table to determine the color based on the roll:

1d12	Color
1-3	Red (Combat)
4-7	Blue (Roleplay)
7-9	Green (Exploration)
10-12	Roll again and mix the results

Encounter Resolution

When an encounter occurs, the party must decide how to handle the situation. The following guidelines provide options for resolving encounters:

• Combat Encounters: If the encounter is a combat encounter, the party must defeat the enemies to resolve the encounter. Use the standard combat rules to determine the outcome of the battle. After the encounter, the party can search the area for loot, gather information or even find shelter.
• Roleplay Encounters: If the encounter is a roleplay encounter, the party can interact with the NPCs or creatures they encounter. Use the social interaction rules to determine the outcome of the encounter. After the encounter, the party can gain information, make deals, or form alliances with the NPCs, start combat and so on.
• Exploration Encounters: If the encounter is an exploration encounter, the party can explore the area, search for hidden secrets, or uncover lore and history. Use the exploration rules to determine the outcome of the encounter. After the encounter, the party can find resources, uncover lore, or discover hidden locations or shortcuts.

Becoming Lost

Under certain conditions, characters might become lost while traveling through the wilderness. They might lose their way due to poor visibility, confusing terrain, or other factors. Unless they have a reliable guide or are following a well-marked trail, characters can become lost, as described in the following rules.

The party’s navigator must make a Wisdom (Survival) check when they attempt to navigate through unfamiliar terrain for the first time or whenever the DM calls for one, which may be when the party resumes traveling after a long rest or when they change direction. The DC for this check is determined by the terrain and the prevailing conditions.

How to determine the DC for the Wisdom (Survival) check:

1. Terrain Difficulty: The DC is based on the difficulty of the terrain, as shown in the table below.
2. Modifiers: Apply modifiers based on the prevailing conditions, such as poor visibility, confusing landmarks, or other factors.
3. Help: If the another party member is proficient in the Survival skill, they can assist the navigator, granting advantage on the check. An additional party member can also assist the navigator even if they are not proficient in the Survival skill, adding their wisdom modifier to the check.
4. Results: If the check succeeds, the party continues on its way without getting lost. If the check fails, the party becomes lost and must roll again to find its way back after a certain amount of time.

Terrain Difficulty

How difficult it is to navigate through the terrain can affect the DC of the Wisdom (Survival) check. The following table provides guidelines for determining the Base DC of the check based:

Ground Terrain	Base DC
Regular	10
Dense	15
Steep	20
Rough	15
Wet	15
Sandy	15
Rocky	12
Clear	5

Water Terrain	Base DC
Open Sea	12
Coastal Waters	12
River (Downstream)	8
River (Upstream)	8
Rough Waters	16
Shallow Waters	10
Calm Water	10
Swamp	20

Modifiers

These factors can affect the DC of the Wisdom (Survival) check to avoid becoming lost:

Condition	Modifier
Using a map	-5
Clear weather	-2
Bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)	+5
Night travel	+5
Traveling at a fast pace	+5
Traveling at a slow pace	-3
Party has a skilled navigator (proficient in Survival)	-3
Previous experience in the area	-2
Traveling through unmapped wilderness	+5
Each time this check is made after the first	-1

Results of the Check

The outcome of the Wisdom (Survival) check to avoid becoming lost is determined by the result of the roll:

Natural 20: If the check is a natural 20, the party not only avoids becoming lost but also is able to find a hidden path or shortcut that reduces the travel time by 1d8 hours and triggers a green encounter. Success: If the check succeeds, the party continues on its way without getting lost. Failure by 5 or less: If the check fails by 5 or less, the party becomes lost but can attempt to find its way back after 1d4 hours. Failure by more than 5: If the check fails by more than 5, the party becomes lost and must attempt to find its way back after 1d6 hours. Natural 1: If the check is a natural 1, the party becomes lost and must attempt to find its way back after 1d8 hours and trigger a red encounter.