⚔️ Dungeon Hours

Travel

19 min read

Travel 🛠️

DRAFT STATUS

  • Our campaign uses a homebrew system of travel using travel movement points instead of calculating miles per day.
  • These rules combine elements from AD&D, Dolmenwood, Outdoor Survival, and other systems (see notes).
  • Abstract travel: Travel is handled abstractly without detailing the minutia of every forking path or minor obstacle that the party traverses along the way.
  • Challenges: The potential for significant challenges while traveling are represented by rolls for getting lost and encounters.
  • Discoveries: The party may discover interesting features along the way, either by passing through a hex or actively searching.
  • Other activities: A traveling party may engage in various activities along the way, including camping, hunting, and foraging.
  • Mapping: A party may automatically map the areas they traverse provided that they have the appropriate supplies to do so.

Travel Rule Details:

Travel Procedure Per Day🚧

Start of the Day

  1. Weather: The referee rolls to determine weather. See Weather
  2. Decide course: The players decide on their course of travel for the day. See Travel Day.
  3. Determine travel movement points: Refer to Travel Movement Points.
  4. Losing direction: The Referee determines whether the party gets lost that day, depending on the terrain. See Getting Lost
    Ongoing
  5. Encounters: The Referee makes a check for Encounters.
    Hex by Hex
  6. Expend travel movement points: The party pays the required travel movement points to enter the next hex.
  7. Description: The referee describes the terrain that the party passes through as they travel, including any unhidden and prominent features they perceive.
  8. Searching: The party decides if they wish to search the hex they entered for hidden features. See** Searching Hexes.
  9. Continuing onward: If the party has enough travel movement points, they may decide to continue onward. Repeat the steps in this section.
    End of Day
  • If still in the wilds, the party sets camp (see Camping, p158).
  • The Referee updates time records, with special attention to rations, spell dura￾tions, and the party’s need to rest.

Travel Movement Points

Calculate a character’s travel movement points per travel day as follows:

Base Movement Rate in Inches ÷ 1.5 = Travel Movement Points
OR
(Base Movement Rate in Inches x 10) ÷ 15 = Travel Movement Points

See Mounts and Vehicles for additional rules mounts and land vehicles.

Travel Movement Point (Table)

Base Movement Rate in the table below is the value modified by armor and encumbrance.

Travel Movement Points by Base Movement Rate:

Base Movement RateEncounter MovementTravel Movement Points
12”1208
9”906
6”604
3”302
Travel Movement Points for Mounts and Land Vehicles
See also [[#mounts-and-vehiclesMounts and Vehicles]].
MethodBase Movement Rate
(Encounter Movement)		Travel Movement
Points
Mount12” (120)8
Cart or Wagon9” (90)6

Party Travel

Calculate a party’s travel movement points using the base movement rate of the slowest member.

Travel Day

  • Characters may spend their available travel movement points each day.
  • Parties wishing to push themselves may opt to engage in a forced march.

Normal Day of Travel

  • A normal day of travel take a total of 12 hours.
  • This time includes 8 hours traveling and 4 hours for resting, eating, and setting up and breaking camp.

Forced March

  • A party may elect to travel further in a day by spending 16 hours traveling (12 hours of travel and 4 hours for resting, eating, and camp logistics)..
  • Opting for a forced march grants +50% more travel movement points per day at the risk of becoming exhausted.

Exhaustion:

  • The exertion of a forced march is difficult to sustain for multiple days in a row.
  • Each additional consecutive day of forced marching exhausts characters, inflicting a cumulative -1 penalty per day after the first.
  • See Exhaustion.

Types of Travel

Refer to Travel by Terrain for details.

Traveling Along Roads and Paths

  • Tracking: We will track the party’s position along roads and paths on the hex map.
  • Travel Cost
    • Roads and Paths: Moving 6 miles (1 hex) costs 2 travel movement points regardless of the terrain.
    • Overgrown roads and paths: Some abandoned roads and paths are so overgrown that they may count Traveling in the Wilds in terms of travel movement points.
  • Discovery:
    • A party may freely explore features along their path.
    • Features further from the roadway are likely to be missed.
    • Searching away from the road costs travel points based on the terrain.

Traveling in the Wilds

  • Tracking: We will track the party’s position in the wilds by the hex they have entered.
  • Entering a hex:
    • The party must pay the required travel movement points to enter a given hex in the wilds (see on Travel by Terrain).
    • After entry, the party may explore non-hidden feature without spending more travel movement points. .
  • Searching: A party may elect to spend more time Searching a Hex to possible find hidden features.
  • Ending the day
    • If the party has insufficient travel movement points to enter an adjacent hex, they must stop in the current hex.
    • Any left-over (unspent) travel movement points should be recorded and credited toward the cost to enter an adjacent hex on the next day.
    • A party that ends its day in this manner is considered near the border of the hexes and may be subject to relevant encounters from both hexes.

Zooming In and Out

Zooming In

We will zoom in to track each travel day in detail:

  • When the party moves through areas that are unexplored, hostile, or remote from civilization.
  • When it is narratively interesting.

Zooming Out

We will zoom out to track travel more abstractly:

  • When the party moves through areas that are explored and familiar, controlled by friendly powers, and patrolled and well-traveled.
  • When travel details are not essential or interesting.

See also civilization / patrol radius

Travel by Terrain

See also:

Travel by Terrain Type (Table)

NOTE🚧: The chance for becoming lost or having an encounter on the table below are from Dolmenwood. We will continue to use the values presented in the AD&D DMG (49 & XXXX).

TerrainExamplesTravel Details
Light- Roads, paths
- Farmlands
- Plains, meadows
- Scrub, desert
- Low, rolling hills
- Open Forests
- Small watercourses		- Travel Points to enter/search: 2
- Lost/encounters: 1-in-6
- Mounts and vehicles may enter
Moderate- Trails, tracks
- Light bog, marsh
- Tangled forest
- Steep hills
- Hilly forest
- Snow
- Large watercourses		Travel Points to enter/search: 3
Lost/encounters: 2-in-6
Mounts must be led, no vehicles
Difficult- Bog, swamp
- Heavy, craggy forest
- Mountains, bluffs
- Broken, treacherous ground
- Deep snow and ice
- Broad watercourses		- Travel Points to enter/search: 4
- Lost/encounters: 3-in-6
- No mounts* or vehicles
Extreme**SpecialVariable
* Mounts in difficult terrain: Reckless or desperate characters may attempt to lead their mounts through difficult terrain at significant risk.🧪
** **Extreme Terrain:🧪
  • Special rules and modifiers may apply to terrain that combines multiple difficult elements (e.g. heavily forested mountains, snowy peaks, etc.).
  • Travel details will vary by circumstance to reflect terrain that is especially challenging and dangerous to traverse.

Terrain Notes

Roads and paths:

  • Roads and paths can be paved, cobbled, or simply well-trodden earth smoothed by frequent travelers.
  • Marked or easy to follow.
  • Mostly level and direct.

Trails and tracks:

  • Less-traveled country lanes, twisting trails, and animal-made paths.
  • Includes roads and paths that have been abandoned and overgrown or that pass through moderate terrain.
  • Not well marked, few travelers, or meandering.

Watercourses:

  • Small watercourses: Shallow, easy to cross, able to be bypassed (e.g. streams, creeks, or small ponds).
  • Large watercourses: Rivers, ponds, or minor lakes that are fordable or circumnavigable.
  • Broad watercourses: Majors rivers and lakes that can be crossed or avoided with significant effort.
  • Note: Some bodies of water are too broad, deep, or fast-moving to be crossed in a given hex. Travelers must either use watercraft or seek another route (e.g., travel parallel to the water seeking safe way to cross).

Rest

Characters must rest 1 day per week of travel (6 days of travel, 1 day of rest) or suffer exhaustion.

Travel Procedure

Searching Hexes

  • A six mile map hex is 36 square miles of territory! Many features (most banal, some noteworthy, and a rare few wonderous) may be contained in an area of that size.
  • A party simply wandering through a hex is likely to miss all but the most prominent of its features without expending effort to search.
  • Automatic discovery:
    • Characters will automatically perceive unhidden features that are nearby, prominent, and obvious when entering a map hex.
    • A party traveling by road or path is limited to discovering unhidden features that are along the roadside (see Traveling Along Roads and Paths).
  • Hidden features:
    • Hidden features may be things in a hex that are forgotten (e.g., an abandoned village or ancient ruins), intentionally hidden (e.g. a bandit camp or monster lair), or simply less prominent or obvious (e.g. a few small huts or a shrine).
    • Searching:
      • Characters may search a hex for hidden features by spending the necessary travel movement point cost for that terrain type (see Travel by Terrain.
      • Searching may reveal one or more hidden features in a hex. This may be automatic after a search or require a roll for particularly difficult to find features.
      • A party may search more than once, paying the travel movement point cost each time.
      • Once a party discovers a hidden feature, they can find it again without searching.

Getting Lost

Chance of Becoming Lost (Table)

(See AD&D DMG, 49 and AD&D - Rules - Travel.

Terrain TypeChance Of Becoming LostDirection (see below)
Plain1 in 1060° left or right
Scrub3 in 1060° left or right
Forest7 in 10any
Rough3 in 1060° left or right
Desert4 in 1060° left or right
Hills2 in 1060° left or right
Mountains5 in 10120° left or right
Marsh6 in 10any

Rolling to Avoid Getting Lost

  • Daily check: Rolled at the start of each travel day.
  • Chance of getting lost:
    • Following a road: No chance to get lost.
    • Following a track: Chance of getting lost is 1 in 6.
    • Traveling in the wild:
      • The chance to become lost while traveling in the wild is modified by the terrain type.
      • NOTE: Use the terrain type the party starts its day from when rolling. Alternatively, consider an average if the party’s course will cover varying terrain types.🚧
  • Modifiers
    • Visibility:
      • Reduced visibility: Conditions that reduce visibility (fog, blizzards, thick foliage overhead, etc.) add +1 to the chance of getting lost.
      • Vantage points: A party able to take advantage of a high vantage point may reduce the chance of getting lost.
    • Inclement weather: Severe weather conditions may increase the chance of getting lost. See Weather.
  • Guided travel exception:
    • No roll necessary: No roll to avoid getting lost is required when the party has a reliable guide, is following a road or river, or is heading to an obvious landmark.
    • Following a map:
      • If the party is following a map that they made while previously traveling through an area, it is unlikely that they will become lost unless there is extenuating circumstances.
      • If a party is following a map made by another, how helpful it is depends on its age, quality, and accuracy.
    • Straying from path: A party may decide to forgo their guided travel (e.g., leave the road, path, riverside). A roll to avoid getting lost as soon at the party move away from the path.

Effect of Getting Lost

  • If a roll indicates that the party has become lost, make a roll on Consequence of Getting Lost (Table) below.
  • Procedure for Lost Parties. Once a party is lost, it may regain its bearings in a few ways:
    • Familiar landmarks: If a party enters an area that they already mapped, familiar landmarks will let them know they have traveled off course.
    • Daily roll lost chance roll. Once a party is lost, they continue to roll the chance to become lost:
      • Failure: The party remains lost and rolls again on the Consequence of Getting Lost (Table) below..
      • Success: The party realizes they were lost and have a rough sense of where they are now. They can continue their travels from their current location.
    • **Rangers in the Party:**🧪
      • If the party becomes lost, there is a 3 in 6 chance that a ranger can regain the proper course.
      • NOTE: This is adopted from Dolmenwood. I may modify it based on circumstance and terrain or remove it after testing.

Consequence of Getting Lost (Table)

RollOutcome% Chance
3Mishap0.46%
4Encounter1.39%
5Move in circles, ending the day where it began.2.78%
6–7Travel 90° to the left of the intended course.8.33%
8–9Travel 45° to the left of the intended course.11.11%
10–11Travel along intended course, but uncertain paths cause all Travel Movement Point costs to be doubled.12.50%
12–13Travel 45° to the right of the intended course.11.11%
14–15Travel 90° to the right of the intended course.8.33%
16Move in circles, ending the day where it began.2.78%
17Encounter1.39%
18Mishap0.46%

Traveling Off Course

We may handle the party getting lost and heading off course (results 6-9 and 12-15 on the Consequence of Getting Lost table in one of two ways:

  • Secret - The referee keeps the fact that the party is lost secret from the players. The will have to discover it for themselves (either by succeeding at a roll or figuring it out from circumstances).
  • Open - The referee informs the players that the party lost its way, but their characters do not know it. The party proceeds forward previously decided, potentially moving further off course based on subsequent rolls.

Encounters

Includes not only wandering monsters, but encounters with NPCs, events, hazards, and other random occurrences. These encounters can vary by hex, region, campaign development, or season.

See also Travel by Terrain.

BREAK THIS INTO ITS OWN SECTION

Chance of Encounters 🚧

AD&D (DMG, 47)

Population DensityBase Chance Of Encounter
Relatively dense1 in 20
Moderate to sparse/patrolled1 in 12
Uninhabited/wilderness1 in 10

Frequency of Encounter Chance Time Checks 🚧

AD&D (DMG, 47)

Type Of TerrainMorningNoonEveningNightMidnightPre-Dawn
Plainx-x-x-
Scrubx-xx-x
Forestxxxxxx
Desertx--x-x
Hills-x-x-x
Mountainsx--x--
Marshxxxxxx

Notes:

  • x = Check for encounter.
  • - = Do not check unless party numbers over 100 creatures.

Encounter Distance 🚧

(AD&D DMG, 49)

  • **Encounter distance (Roll 6d4”):
    • If surprised, final distance = 6d4 − surprise value.
    • If ≤ 1”, a confrontation usually occurs.
  • Surprise benefit: The surprising side gains that many segments of free, unanswered actions (move, attack, flee, etc.).

Terrain modifiers to the 6d4 roll

TerrainPer-Die Modifier
Scrub–1 on 3–4
Forest–1 on all results (0” possible)
Marsh–1 on 2–4
Plain/Desert/Hills/MountainsNo change (unless combined with a modifying terrain)
  • Confrontation: Close-proximity meeting where interaction is likely.
    • Intelligent monsters that judge themselves weaker always try to avoid.
    • If the party surprises and flees, they may use free surprise segments to move out of confrontation distance and evade.
  • Possible interactions: Parley/reaction, spell casting, missile fire, melee, or combinations.

Alternative Methods for Determining Encounters🚧

I intend to do some experimenting to decide on the best methods for determining random encounters while traveling. Most likely, we will use a mixture of methods based on circumstance and other factors.

Notes:

  • General: Older systems (and OSR retclones) typically rely on periodic checks for random wandering monsters. Other systems that I admire strive to make encounters more varied and flavorful with encounters that are not just combat encounters with “monsters.”
  • AD&D: The rules in the DMG focus on hostile encounters with monsters. Encounters are therefore less likely in densely populated or patrolled areas compared to the wilderness. Checks occur multiple times per day, based on the terrain. There is no default method for other types of encounters or events using this system.
  • Dolmenwood: The Dolmenwood rules streamline encounter checks, calling for one roll per day with the chance varying by terrain. Encounters can be of various types, including with animals, monsters, mortals, and region-specific entities.
  • Into the Majestic Fantasy Realms: IMFR adopts and even more streamlined and abstract approach to encounters, avoiding daily random checks. Instead, IMFR suggests that a referee roll (presumably in advance of the session) for a number of encounters based on the total days of travel. Encounters are diverse, ranging from run ins with monsters to things like finding lost ruins, exceptional campsites, natural wonders, resupply opportunities, NPCs, enemies, and inclement weather.

Source material:

  • AD&D (DMG, 47)
  • Dolmenwood (Campaign Book, 114 and Player Book 155 and 157)
  • Into the Majestic Fantasy Realms (199-)

Mounts and Vehicles

  • Characters may use mounts and land vehicles to move quicker than they can afoot or to carry heavier loads.
  • Mounts and vehicles can travel easily on road and paths, but are unable to traverse some types of terrain (refer to the Travel by Terrain Type (Table)).
    • Mounts: A mounted party has 8 travel movement points per day.
    • Land vehicles: A party travelling with a cart or wagon has 6 travel movement points per day
  • The rules for mounts apply to animals being used as beasts of burden.

Mounts

  • Most mounted travelers set a steady pace similar to an unencumbered person (12” base movement rate and 8 travel movement points per day)
  • Some mounts may have a faster speed than 12”, but they can only move at this rate for short bursts without potential harm to themselves and their riders.

Pushing Mounts🧪

While not advisable, desperate or reckless characters may elect to risk a mishap by pushing their mounts beyond normal limits:

Faster Mount Travel
  • Characters may urge their mounts to adopt a hurried pace or breakneck pace.
  • Can be attempted in light terrain only.
Faster Mount Travel (Table)
MountMPDHurriedBreakneck
Horse, Light (24”)601620
Horse, Medium (18”)401216
Horse, Heavy (15”)301012
Procedure
  • After character declares either the hurried or breakneck pace, immediately follow the procedure below.
  • If the mount dies as a result of a hurried or breakneck pace death save, refer to the Mount Fatality and Prorated Travel Movement Points (Table) below.
  • Exhaustion penalties imposed from a hurried or breakneck pace stack with forced march penalties.
Hurried PaceBreakneck Pace
Step 1: Mount Exhaustion- First day:-1 to all rolls
- Additional -2 cumulative per day

- First day:-2 to all rolls (2 levels).
- Additional -4 cumulative per day (+4 levels).
Step 2: Mount Death Save- Include exhaustion penalty
- Failure: Lose1d12 + exhaustion levels.
- Include exhaustion.
- Natural 1: Animal dies.
- Failure: Lose 2d6 + exhaustion levels.
Mount Fatality and Prorated Travel Movement Points (Table)

If a mount dies as a result of a hurried or breakneck pace, roll to determine how many travel movement points before the animal perished:

Hurried Pace
  1. Exhaustion:
    • First day:-1 to all rolls.
    • Additional -2 cumulative per day.
  2. Death save:
    • Include exhaustion.
    • Failure: Lose1d12 + exhaustion levels.
    • If fate, refer to the table below.
Breakneck Pace
  1. Exhaustion:
    • First day:-2 to all rolls (2 levels).
    • Additional -4 cumulative per day (+4 levels).
  2. Death save:
    • Include exhaustion.
    • Natural 1: Animal dies.
    • Failure: Lose 2d6 + exhaustion levels.
    • If fate, refer to the table below.

Mount Fatality and Travel Movement Points (Table)
If a mount dies as a result of a hurried or breakneck pace, roll to determine how many travel movement points before the animal perished:

Travel Movement PointsActual Points
202d10
162d8
122d6
101d4 + 1d6
Lead Mounts in Difficult Terrain🚧

Characters may attempt** to lead their mounts through difficult terrain (normally impassable by mounts).

WIP RULES

  • Animal handling checks (morale?)
  • Hazard role (general mishap style table that referee can modify based on circumstance)
  • Mishaps: Lost or damaged item, lose time (movement point penalty) required (ask players if they want to accept or just impose?), additional morale / handling check, damage to mount (and morale check), or damage to PC

Movement Mounted in Miles Per Day
AD&D, DMG 58

MountLightModerateDifficult
Horse, Light (24”)60255
Horse, Medium (18”)40205
Horse, Heavy (15”)30155
Horse, Draft (24”)30 (60)15 (30)5
Cart2515-
Wagon2510-

MOVEMENT MOUNTED IN MILES/DAY
Mount
Terrain Is
Normal Rugged Very Rugged
light 60 25 5
medium 40 20 5
heavy 30 15 5
draft 30 15 5
cart* 25 15 —
wagon* 25 10 —

  • Mounts:

    • A mounted party has a speed of 12” and 8 travel movement points per day.

    • Pushing moubts

Mounts and land vehicles provide convenient means of
travelling with heavy loads, but they become inconvenient
when characters are travelling wild.
Speed and Travel Points
Mounts: A mounted party has Speed 40 (8 Travel Points per
day). While some mounts have Speed faster than 40, they
can only move at this rate for short bursts.
Land vehicles: A party travelling with a cart or wagon has
Speed 30 (6 Travel Points per day).
Terrain Restrictions
Mounts and land vehicles can travel freely along roads
and tracks, but travelling wild is limited by certain terrain
types. The Terrain Types table lists which types of terrain
mounts and vehicles may enter, with mounts only able to
be led (i.e. not ridden) in certain types of terrain.

Travel Procedure

AD&D Equivelants

TerrainAD&DDescriptionMPD
LightNormalNormal terrain assumes basically open ground, scrub, typical desert, light forest, low hills, small watercourses, etc. With respect to vehicular movement it assumes roadways through such terrain or smooth fields (steppes, plains, etc.).
ModerateRuggedRugged terrain assumes rough ground, snow, forests, steep hills, large water courses, etc. With respect to vehicular movement it assumes either roadways through such terrain or tracks/paths through normal terrain.
DifficultVery RuggedVery rugged terrain assumes broken ground, deep snow and ice, heavy forests, marshy ground, bogs, bluffs, mountains, and broad watercourses

  • Bog, swamp

  • Heavy, craggy forest

  • Mountains, bluffs

  • Broken, treacherous ground

  • Deep snow and ice

  • Broad watercourses

  • Roads, Paths

  • Farmlands

  • Plains, Meadows

  • Scrub, desert

  • Low, rolling hills

  • Open Forests

  • Small watercourses

  • Bog, marsh

  • Tangled forest

  • Steep hills

  • Hilly forest

  • Snow

(fordable)

Light terrain coincides with

Normal terrain assumes basically open ground, scrub, typical desert, light forest, low hills, small watercourses, etc. With respect to vehicular movement it assumes roadways through such terrain or smooth fields (steppes, plains, etc.).

Rugged terrain assumes rough ground, snow, forests, steep hills, large water courses, etc. With respect to vehicular movement it assumes either roadways through such terrain or tracks/paths through normal terrain.

Very rugged terrain assumes broken ground, deep snow and ice, heavy forests, marshy ground, bogs, bluffs, mountains, and broad watercourses

  • Roads/Paths

  • Farmlands

  • Plains/Meadows

  • Scrub/desert

  • Low, rolling hills

  • Open Forests

  • Characters must rest for a full day after a forced march, or suffer from Exhaustion.

  • If characters

A party may push itself to travel extra distance in a day, gaining a 50% increase in Travel Points (see the Travel Points Per Day table). This requires a 16 hour travel day, including 12 solid hours of travel.

Exhaustion: Following a forced march, characters must rest for a full day or become exhausted (see Exhaustion, p151). Characters who forced march again without rest￾ing suffer cumulative exhaustion penalties (–1 per day)

Notes

PHB, 102
1” = 1 mile per half-day
12” = 24 mile per day (or 12 mile for half day)

DMG, 58
Outdoor movement

https://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2012/02/damn-you-gygax-part-3.html

https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=90583
15-20 on roads: https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2311984&sid=b035faf266dd3e369c760fb22a1b9c10#p2311984

OSE movement https://oldschoolessentials.necroticgnome.com/srd/index.php/Game_Statistics#Movement_Rate

OSE & Dolmenwood
120 = 40 encounter
MP = Enc/5, 40/5 = 8
6 mile hexes
Dolm Player Book, 156

Convert from AD&D by dividing by 15
120/15 = 8
90/15 = 6
60/15 = 4
30/15=2

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