Travel

To make travel a bit more engaging and balanced, the rules listed in this section can be added to your game.

Determining Distance
Comfortable Long Rests
Exhaustion
Travel Events
Roles of Travel
See Also

Determining Distance

Determining how to get from A to B can be done in one of two ways: You can use hexes or use a more vague travel distance method. In either case, travel time assumes the party only spends 8 hours a day travelling. The other 16 hours are split equally between resting and for setting up camp, foraging, or other downtime activities.

Hex exploration. If you like hex crawlers, this is the best way for you to determine distance. It is recommended to make one hex signify one or half a day's worth of travel on even terrain. When climbing mountains, going through dense forests, or crossing a river, the hex should be considered difficult terrain, therefore taking twice as long to move to the next hex.When the party moves at a fast pace, they spend half the normal time traversing one hex. If they have a slow pace, they spend double the normal time traversing one hex. A mount or vehicle will only decrease the time if it is at least twice as fast as the party's normal walking speed.
Near, Far, and Far Far Away. If you prefer using theatre of mind to determine distance, you can use the Near, Far, and Far Far Away system. When travelling to a location that is "Near" it should take at most 3 days. A "Far" location is at most 2 weeks away. A "Far Far Away" location is any location further away that 2 weeks travel time.

Comfortable Long Rests

Long rests reset all the PC's abilities, when DnD is balanced around multiple encounters in a single day. This rule attempts to rebalance the number of long rests a party can take during travel, without needing to use Gritty Resting rules.

Long Rests. A party can only take a long rest when they are in a place that can offer them comfort and safety. This is usually in cities and towns, but not on the road or in a dungeon. However, certain locations, such as a cabin in the woods, can offer a comfortable and safe environment to rest in. Alternatively, the party can spend one full day setting up a comfortable and safe environment to get the benefits of a long rest.When using this rule, it is recommended to always give the party a comfortable and safe environment to take a long rest in the day before entering a new area, such as a dungeon.
Short Rests. When it is not possible to take a long rest once every 16 hours, the party may only benefit from one short rest each day, which takes 8 hours instead of 1.

Exhaustion

Travelling is always exhausting, which is easiest to represent using exhaustion. This rule will create a method in which you can easily represent this, without forcing the players to roll a Constitution save every in game day.

Exhaustion Save DC Tracker. Every time the party is involved in doing something strenuous, it will make it more likely that they will become exhausted. When travel starts, the Exhaustion save DC starts at 0, which increases by a certain amount for each strenuous activity undertaken or from weather effects, as listed in the Sources of Exhaustion table.
Making an Exhaustion Save. fter every week of travel, when travel has ended, or the combined DC is 15 or more, let all players roll a Constitution or Wisdom saving throw, depending on which one is worse. Players cannot use actions or reaction to improve the result of this roll. On a failure, they get a level of exhaustion. This roll should always be made after they finish a short or long rest. After they made the roll, reset the Exhaustion Save DC Tracker to 0.
Sources of Exhaustion. Various things increase the Exhaustion Save DC, from combat to weather. All these sources and their amounts, apart from weather, are listed in the table below. If you use the Weather System, its DCs are listed in that section.

Sources of Exhaustion
Source	Effect on Exhaustion DC Tracker
1 Day Travel	+1 to save DC.
Combat	+3 to save DC.
Environmental Effect	+0 to +5 to save DC.
Foraging, Hunting, or Mining	+2 to save DC.
Forced March	+1 to save DC for each additional hour of travel.
Relaxing for a Day	-2 to save DC.
Skipping a Day's Rest	+5 to save DC.
Weather	+0 to +7 to save DC.

Reducing Exhaustion Levels. You can only reduce a level of exhaustion by spending a long rest. Alternatively, if you don't use the Comfortable Long Rest rule, you can instead choose to only allow long rests in settlements to reduce levels of exhaustion.

Travel Events

There is always a chance of a random event happening, which should be no more than once per day. These random events should be specific to the area you are travelling in. Using smaller random event tables allows for a more narrative focussed travel and prevents a PC dying to a random wolf.

In the Travel Events table, the travel event types you could use are shown. For more fun, you should make a player roll on this table, each time you want a random event.

Travel Events
D20	Travel Event
1-3	Combat
4-6	Environmental Effect/Weather Change
7-9	Landmark
10-12	Nothing or DM's Choice
13-15	Social Encounter
16-18	Forage, Hunt, Mine
19-20	Player's Choice

Combat Encounter

A Random Combat Encounter is exactly what you expect, the travelling party walks directly into combat. Don't use the big roll tables. Instead, create one of your own with at most 6 different encounters that are relevant to the story or the area. For instance, if the party is travelling in a jungle of a warring nation, they could be attacked by a man-eating snake or by soldiers of that nation.

Initiating Combat. One of the members of the travelling party initiates the combat, usually the scout/lookout of the group. After deciding which character would be the most likely to trigger the combat, ask them or let them make a check to determine whether they provoke the fight or are unaware of the threat. If they provoke the fight, the rest of the travelling party is surprised. If they are unaware, only they are surprised. Alternatively, the threat could be so obvious or hidden that the entire party gets surprised or not.
Starts as Combat. Combat encounters will always start by rolling initiative. However, if the travelling party finds other ways to diffuse the situation, while in combat, allow it to happen. A combat encounter doesn't always have to end with one of the two parties being knocked out. Sometimes a combat may even evolve into a Chase Sequence.

DM's Choice

Sometimes the DM has that one random encounter they really want to happen, instead of describing how nothing happens. When this is the case, the DM chooses one other Random Encounter they had prepared.

Environmental Effect

When this travel event is rolled, the weather might suddenly change or the environment might interact with the party in an unusual or dangerous manner. A few examples for these types of events are shown in the table below, for a fungal biome.

Fungal Environmental Effects
D6	Environmental Effect
1	Mushroom spores float around that cause the party to hallucinate (DC15 Wisdom save).
2	The party steps on shrieker mushroom (DC18 Perception), causing all creatures within a mile to be alerted to their presence.
3	Hyphae attempts to drag a member of the party underground (DC15 Dexterity save).
4	Mushroom overgrowth blocks out the sky entirely and the gills of the mushroom emit light in a strange hue.
5	In the distance faeries can be seen visiting and harvesting mushroom spores.
6	Hyphae have grown so dense that it creates difficult terrain.

After describing and resolving the effect, an environmental effect can be ignored or turn into a social event, combat encounter, or be used for mining, foraging, and hunting What it turns into depends on the party's actions.

Forage, Hunt, Mine

When this travel event is rolled, the travelling party crosses paths with something valuable enough to halt their travels momentarily. This can be in the form of a chunk of ore, plant matter, or wildlife. Decide on which of the three categories you want them to cross paths with and then decide on the rarity of the material (Common, Precious, Mythical).

After deciding on the exact nature of the material, let one or more players roll a Investigation, Nature, Perception, or Survival check to find the material or creature. Usually a tracker/hunter makes this check. Common materials and creatures require a DC12 check to be found. Precious materials and creatures require a DC17 check to be found. Mythical items require a DC23 check to be found. Hunts might require an additional attack roll of ability check to kill or catch the creature (as shown in the table). After a successful check, they obtain 1d4+1 of the material, doubled on a natural 20. For Hunts, the roll determines the number of creatures you find. If you use the Special Rations rule, consider all food obtained in this manner to be a Hearty Ration.

If the material obtained can be used to craft, refer to the Crafting Requirements to determined how many materials you need to use to craft specific items.

Examples for material gathered, from foraging, hunting, and mining, and their potential uses can be found in the tables below.

Common Foragables
D6	Foragable Found	Usage
1	Bluecap	Potential ingredient for a Potion of Healing. Eating it raw deals 1d4 poison damage.
2	Sunlily	When crushed can be used as a source of 30 feet bright light and an additional 30 feet dim light for 1 day.
3	Quiet Moss	As a Utilise action, you can use this moss to padd the soles boots or shoes with this moss. The wearer gets a 1d4 bonus to Stealth checks. After 1 day, it dries out and loses this effect.
4	Heal Leaf	Potential Ingredient for a Potion of Healing. As a Utilise action, it can be rubbed on wounds to heal 1d4 hit points. Using it more than a certain amount of times in a day causes the creature to poisoned until finishing a Long Rest. The amount of times you can use it on a creature is equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).

Precious Foragables
D6	Foragable Found	Usage
1	Dust Bloom	Powdery flowers that sell for 25gp each. As a Utilise action, the flower can be crushed to create an effect like the Faerie Fire spell, using either your Dexterity or spellcasting ability for the save DC.
2	Gem Flower	Gem-like flowers that sell for 50gp each. As an Attack action, the flower can be thrown up to 30 feet (Strength ranged attack roll) to deal 2d6 (Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Radiant, or Thunder) damage to the target. On a hit or miss, the flower is destroyed. The damage is determined by the gem type.
3	Rusted Wood	Rust Wood can be used to create heavy armour. Rust Wood armour is jagged, dealing 1d4 piercing damage to attackers, who hit with a melee attack within 5 feet of you.
4	Golden Fruit	A golden variety of normal fruit, which sells for its weight in gold. As a Utilise action, the fruit can be eaten to give temporary hit points, equal to your level.

Mythical Foragables
D6	Foragable Found	Usage
1	Mandrake	Once harvested, immediately put in a flask of oil to keep it silent. Once removed from the ground or flask of oil (as an Utilise action), all creatures within 30 feet must succeed a DC 12 Constitution save or be stunned until the end of the next turn. On a failure and a success the creature is deafened for 1 minute. After screaming the mandrake dies and becomes a mundane root vegetable.
2	Revival Bud	A flower bud in a sturdy bubble, which sells for 1000gp. As a Utilise action, you can Pop the bubble over the mouth of a creature that died within the last minute. The creature is revived as if the Revivify spell was cast on them. The bulb can also be used for a poison that deals 10d6 poison damage (DC 17).
3	Sleeper's Berry	A purple berry, which sells for 500gp. When eaten the berry gives the effect of a long rest. Only one berry can be used a day
4	Heaven's Grace	A frilled lace-like spectral flower, which sells for 100gp. Dissolving it in water or alcohol creates a potion that provides the effect of the Greater Restoration spell.

Common Hunts
D6	Creature Found	Additional Test DC	Ration Amount	Usage
1	Owlbear Egg	-	5	Upon consumption, gain a 1d4 bonus to Strength checks for 24 hours.
2	Rainbow Carp	8	3	As a Utilise action (replacing one Attack), Armour, Weapons, or Items coated in Rainbow Carp scales, can be used to blind a target within 5 feet. The target must succeed on a Constitution save (DC 10 + proficiency bonus + Strength or Dexterity modifier) or become blinded until the end of your next turn. You can only use this feature while within Bright Light.
3	Hearty Boar	10	7	Boar leather can be obtained, which can be used for leather clothing and armour.
4	Big Bird	12	3	The soft feathers of these birds can added onto armour to remove Dexterity (stealth) disadvantage from armour. At least 4 feathers need to be used for 1 armour piece.

Precious Hunts
D6	Creature Found	Additional Test DC	Ration Amount	Usage
1	Gemback	17	3	A jewel encrusted armadillo-like creature, with gem-like scales worth 150gp.
2	Golden Fleece Goat	18	5	Large goats with fur made of gold fibres. Its fleece can be sold for 200gp
3	Arcane Angler	15	2	A strange and mysterious angler fish, which has magic boosting properties. After eating it, you gain one additional spell slot of level 3 or lower (depending on your highest spell slot level) for 24 hours. As a Utilise action, you can crush its teeth and spread the powder over a magic item, making it regain 1d4 used charges.
4	Sheepwolf	17	5	A wolf that can magically shapeshift into sheep. Their fur can be used in a potion which gives the effects of the Polymorph spell. Armour made entirely out of sheepwolf leather will allow the wearer to shapeshift into a sheep once per day.

Mythical Hunts
D6	Creature Found	Additional Test DC	Ration Amount	Usage
1	Dragon Egg	-	-	Only 1 can be obained. Can be sold for 5000gp. If kept in a warm place for 1 month, the egg hatches into a dragon wyrmling. It will bond with the first creature it sees. The bonded creature can treat it as a companion. The egg's mother will try to hunt you down.
2	Baby Phoenix	20	-	A maximum of 4 can be found. Drops ash, which sells for 500gp.As a Utilise action, the ash can sprinkled over a creature that died within the last minute. The creature is revived as if the Revivify) spell was cast on them. As a Utilise action, you can put the ash in fire, creating a phoenix familiar. This familiar acts as if you cast the {@i Find Familiar spell, with the exception of them being able to use their attack action and permanently dying if they are reduced to 0 hit points. You need 2 handfuls of ash to create a new phoenix.
3	Soul Prancer	22	-	Only 1 can be found. Killing this small blue translucent bunny will award you translucent dust, which can be sold for 500gp. As a Utilise action, the duct can be sprinkled over a target to grant it the effects of the Greater Invisibility spell. Not killing it and following it will lead you to corpses with valuables (use the material roll to determine amount), each worth 250gp.
4	Dying Kirin	-	-	Only 1 can be found. A dying Kirin seeks to be killed by a skilled hunter. If killed it explodes and leaves behind only one horn. This horn can be sold for 5000gp. As a Utilise action a creature can give up their life to blow on the horn, casting the True Resurrection spell on a target within 30 feet.

Common Ores
D6	Ore Found	Usage
1	Coal & Iron	Can be used to make steel bar weighing 1 lb.
2	Copper & Tin	Can be used to make a bronze bar weighing 1 lb. Bronze weapons lose light property or gain the heavy property. Bronze armour reduces magical damage taken equal to half your level (rounded up) but reduces speed by 10 feet.
3	Copper	Can be refined into a copper bar weighing 1 lb.
4	Lead	Can be refined into a lead bar weighing 1 lb. Lead weapons lose the light property, must be wielded with two hands, and gain the heavy property. Creatures struck by a lead weapon dealing slashing or piercing damage must succeed a Constitution save (DC equal to 10 + proficiency bonus + the ability modifier used by the weapon) or be poisoned until the end of their turn. On a success they are immune to this effect for 24 hours. Objects covered in a thin layer of lead prevents magic from going through it.

Precious Ores
D6	Ores Found	Usage
1	Silver	Can be refined into a silver bar weighing 1 lb.
2	Gold	Can be refined into a gold bar weighing 1 lb.
3	Platinum	Can be refined into a platinum bar weighing 1 lb. Platinum armour can't lose AC from magical and non-magical effects.
4	Sky Iron	Can be refined into a sky iron bar weighing 1 lb. Sky Iron weapons use damage die of one tier higher (1d4 becomes 1d6). Sky Iron Armour reduces all damage taken equal to half your level (rounded up).

Mythical Ores
D6	Ores Found	Usage
1	Adamantine	Can be refined into a adamantine bar weighing 1 lb., which is worth 750gp. Adamantine weapons always deal critical damage to objects. Adamantine armour prevents critical hits from counting as such.
2	Fellite	Can be refined into a fellite bar weighing 1 lb., which is worth 500gp. Fellite weapons force creatures you hit to make Concentration saving throws with disadvantage.
3	Chaosium	Can be refined into a chaosium bar weighing 1 lb., which is worth 600gp. Chaosium weapons deal an extra 1d4 damage, of a random elemental type (acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder). Chaosium armour reduces damage taken of one of those elemental damage types, equal to your level.
4	Mithril	Can be refined into a mithril bar weighing 1 lb., which is worth 600gp. Mithril armour doesn't impose disadvantage on Dexterity (stealth) checks if it normally imposes it.

Landmark

When the Landmark travel event is rolled, describe an important environmental feature or man-made structure the party crosses paths with. This landmark could be considered a safe place to rest at or a place for interesting opportunities. These opportunity could allow for a quick exploration intermission or allow you to give the players more background to the world they are currently residing in.

Player's Choice

Sometimes the most fun comes from having the player who rolls the travel event decide what should happen, within reason. They could choose one of the other events, or maybe even decide that the travelling party needs a beach day.

Social Encounter

When the Social Encounter event is rolled, pick an NPC in or outside the travelling party who crosses paths with them. This other NPC can be a travelling trader, a wandering soldier, or even someone one of the PCs know.

This event is mainly here to form bonds, meet people significant to the party, or even give them the opportunity to buy rare items. Therefore, if you don't know which NPC should be used for the social encounter, ask the player who rolled who they want to meet. This doesn't even have to be a living individual or a conversation that happened right now. If the player wants, they can choose it to be a flashback to further flesh out character relations.

If you decide to give the social encounter stakes, you might want to consider using the Conversations.

Roles of Travel

Sometimes you don't want to arbitrarily decide who should be the one triggering a travel event or who keeps track of the party's items. For that purpose, roles of travel can be introduced. With these roles, you can easily determine who should be the one to trigger the travel event.

Roles of Travel. Listed in the table below you can find all the roles that can be assigned during travel.

Roles of Travel
Role	Description	Related Skills
Leader	Makes decisions and makes sure morals stay high among members of a large travelling party.	Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and Persuasion.
Communicator	The face of the travelling party. They know how to interact as strangers and often function as a translator.	Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion.
Guide	The individual who knows the area and can lead a travelling party safely through it.	Skills related to Cartography Supplies, Nature, Perception, and Survival.
Historian/Cultural Expert	The individual who has lots of knowledge of specific cultural practices and historical sites.	Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion
Lookout/Scout	An individual who makes sure the travelling party isn't in danger of being attacked or potentially getting themselves into trouble another way. These individuals tend to be further ahead or back compared to the rest of the party.	Perception, Stealth, and Survival.
Passenger Prince(ss)	An individual who does not do anything beneficial for the travelling party, unless they want to.	-
Quartermaster	The individual who makes sure all animals and members of the travelling party are fed and well. They also keep stock of the survival supplies.	Skills related to tools used for repair, Animal Handling, Insight, Investigation, and Medicine.
Tracker/Hunter	An individual who is skilled at following tracks and the one who usually forages or hunts for food.	Investigation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Survival.

Determining Roles. You can have each member of the travelling party decide what role(s) they wish to be responsible for, allowing them to play to their strength. If you instead want them to act according to their character, on the first day of travel, instead of rolling for a travel event, ask how they pull their weight for the travelling party, for that day. Based on their answers you can assign the role(s) you think fit the best.Additionally, a party might want to hire an NPC to fill a specific role in the party. This NPC should at least have expertise in one of the skills related to their role, as well as proficiency in the others. Unless they are lying about their skills, of course.