Traveling & Exploring
Setting Up The Journey
Before you can begin a journey, you must first determine where the journey will take you and how hospitable the land is. Your journey make take you anywhere across the world, though only the most skilled may be able to do so.
To set up your journey, follow the steps below.
1. Determine Distance
This is normally determined by the number of days you are away from your objective rather than the number of miles. This determines the total pool of 'hit points' for the journey, the further the destination the more hit points it has.
2. Terrain Type
Traveling through rough terrain is more likely to slow down a group of adventurers than a vast, open plain, just as a desert has it's own hidden dangers that make travel difficult. This determines the Difficulty Check (DC) of the trip and is the target number a Navigator must hit to make progress on their journey, this also influences the hit points for the journey.
3. Danger
What type of dangers can a group expect to deal with while on their way to their destination? This can be turned into a list of random encounters or preplanned events. This determines the size of the dice used to reduce the hit points of the journey.
Distance
To determine distance, the DM must determine how long it would take to travel to the destination based on the regular pace of the group, see the Pace chart below.
A group can change their pace during their travels after they interact with an event.
The number of days in the journey helps determine the number of hit dice a journey has, while the terrain decides on the hit dice size as well as the Difficulty Check. See the Distance & Terrain chart below.
Pace
| Speed | Miles per Day | Terrain DC Adjustment |
Navigator's Damage Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow | 18 | -3 | -5 |
| Regular | 24 | +0 | +0 |
| Fast | 30 | +3 | +5 |
A slow pace means that on a normal 10 day journey, it will take the party 3 additional days, while a fast pace means that on the same journey, they will arrive 3 days early. The pace affects the difficulty of the check as well as a bonus that the Navigator receives on depeleting the journey's hit points.
The numbers provided are suggestions and specific circumstances may provide increases or decreases to the total.
Terrain
The difficulty of a terrain makes it harder for a group to travel through it quickly and determines not only the hit dice used for the journey's hit points, but also the difficulty of doing so. Examples are provided in the Distance & Terrain chart, though they are only recommendations and your journeys may have a higher or lower DC per the DM's discretion.
Distance & Terrain
| Difficulty | Hit Points per Day |
Terrain Types | DC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearly Impossible | 10.5 (d20) | Alien Terrain, Far Realm |
30 |
| Very Hard | 6.5 (d12) | Uncharted Jungle | 25 |
| Hard | 5.5 (d10) | Desert, Mountains | 20 |
| Moderate | 4.5 (d8) | Forests, Hilly, Swamps | 15 |
| Easy | 3.5 (d6) | Grasslands, Savanna | 10 |
| Very Easy | 2.5 (d4) | Plains, Following Rivers | 5 |
Hit Points and Normal Pace
Hit Points are only determined for a Normal pace. If a party is traveling at a fast or slow pace, the hit points are not decreased or increased but instead the Navigator gains a bonus to their damage die to complete the journey.
Danger
The danger of traveling helps determine what type of monsters or events a group of travelers might find on the road, as well as the size of the die the Navigator will use to defeat the journey. This is called a Navigator's Damage Die which will be used to deplete the terrain's pool of hit points.
To determine the size of the die, refer to the Danger chart below. A more dangerous location is harder to journey through and will require more checks, while a safer location is easier to journey through and arrive with fewer checks.
The Navigator rolls a number of damage die equal to their proficiency bonus so long as they are proficient in the Survival skill. If they are not, they roll a single die.
Danger
| Navigator's Damage Die |
Danger |
|---|---|
| d4 | Actively Hunted |
| d6 | Very Dangerous, Patrolled by Enemies |
| d8 | Dangerous Frontier, Large population of Wild Monsters |
| d10 | Slightly Dangerous, Some Wild Beasts |
| d12 | Very Safe, Regularly Patrolled Area |
Our Journey
If you are planning a journey that will take 10 days to complete and will be traveling through the forests, you can determine that the journey will be Moderate (DC 15) and has a total of 45 hit points (10 days times 4.5 [d8]). If the trip is expected to be only slightly dangerous, the Navigator will have a d10 for their damage die.
Beginning the Journey
To begin the journey, the group follows the steps listed below.
2. Decide on the Pace
The party must decide how fast they will take their journey, this directly influences any bonuses the Navigator receives and may change the DC of the terrain.
3. Making the Check and Rolling Damage
The Navigator must make a Wisdom (Survival) check against the DC of the terrain, on a success they roll their Navigator's Damage Die against the pool of Hit Points. If the journey still has hit points remaining after the roll, they trigger an event.
They then repeat this step until the hit points are depleted.
The Pace
The Navigator, with the help of the party, determines the pace that the party will take. This may slow down their journey and decrease the DC of the terrain, or speed up their journey and increase the DC of the terrain.
The pace can also be used as part of random encounters, characters who are moving slowly have advantage on their Stealth and Perception checks where as characters who are moving fast have disadvantage on their Stealth and Perception checks.
Checks & Damage
The Navigator must make a Wisdom (Survival) check against the DC of the terrain they will be journeying through. If the party is journeying through multiple terrains with different DCs, the DM decides what the DC is. The DC can change throughout the journey as the party continues to make success on their journey.
They repeat this check at the beginning of the journey and after every event until the journey's hit points are depleted.
Success
On a success, the Navigator rolls the appointed damage die based on the danger of the terrain, this die may change as they make progress on their journey and enter hostile terrain or leave it.
The Navigator rolls a number of damage die equal to their proficiency bonus if they are proficient in the Survival skill. If they aren't, they roll a single die.
The damage dice are rolled and then the Navigator adds their Wisdom bonus to the result on the dice. That total is then subtracted from the hit points of the journey and the party makes progress on the journey.
An event then takes place, see the Events section for more information.
Critical
If the Navigator rolls a 20 on a d20, it is considered a critical success and they double the number of damage dice they roll.
Failure
If the Navigator fails to meet or exceed the DC of the terrain, they make no progress on their journey and one day passes as they are lost or an event has wasted a day.
An event then takes place.
Our Journey, Contd.
The Navigator has decided to take the journey at a regular pace and thus has no bonus to their damage dice and the terrain DC is not adjusted. They must then roll a Wisdom (Survival) check against the DC of the terrain. Assuming that they succeed, they will then roll the Navigator's Damage Dice, a d10, and add their Wisdom modifier to the total. Because they are proficient, they roll 2d10 instead of a single d10.
They roll an 8 on the damage dice and then add their Wisdom modifier, a +4, to the damage and they deal 12 points of damage to the journey's hit points, reducing it from 45 to 33. An event is then triggered.
Ending the Journey
Once the number of hit points from the journey is depleted, the journey comes to an end and they reach their destination.
Time & Pace
To determine how much time has passed, you can compare the pace of the party against the amount of days it was expected for them to take. If they took a slow pace the entire time, than it will take a third of the time longer to reach their destination. If they took a fast pace the entire time, than it will take only two-thirds of the time to reach their destination.
- Slow pace on a 6 day journey will take 8 days.
- Fast pace on a 6 day journey will take 4 days.
If the party changes their pace through out the journey, the amount of damage they do after each check can help determine how quickly they moved through their journey as the damage against the journey's pool of hit points acts as an abstraction of traveling the multiple days of their journey.
A failed check is a day where they were unable to make progress, that day is added to the total number of days they were traveling for.
Events
After every check, and there are still hit points left in the journey, a pre-planned or random event can take place, this is known as an Event. Once an event is completed, the Navigator can then repeat their Wisdom (Survival) check and deal damage to the journey's hit points on a success.
There are a variety of events that can happen on a journey ranging from discovering new locations, roleplaying moments, to having to fight to survive against the dangers of the outside world. When an event is triggered, the DM can either use a preplanned event they have created to best match the journey or roll on the Events chart below.
Time of Day
To determine what time of day an event happens, the DM can roll a d6 and consult the Time of Day chart below.
| d6 | Time of Day | Light |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morning | Bright light, rising sun |
| 2 | Afternoon | Bright light, sun overhead |
| 3 | Evening | Bright light, setting sun |
| 4 | Dusk | Dim light, sun behind the horizon |
| 5 | Midnight | Darkness, moon provides little light |
| 6 | Predawn | Dim light, sun still below the horizon |
The Watch
If an event is supposed to happen while the party is resting, the DM can assume that all characters are taking part on the watch and rolls an appropriate die to determine who is on watch. Some events may not work as written for a resting party but can be easily adjusted, or the DM can reroll or choose the time of day or event of their choice.
Discoveries
Discoveries a different type of encounter than being ambushed by goblins, but rather provides a moment to expand on the world and its lore. From creepy graveyards left unattended for decades to monuments of past heroes, discoveries provide the chance to explore the world and are part of the events you can roll for. Discoveries can take a good portion of a day to explore, depending on the discovery, and you may add an extra day to the party's total journey time.
Most discoveries are enticing in some way, either because they make fascinating places to explore or because there might be hidden secrets or treasures.
Encounters
Some events are encounters and might require the party to fight for their life, or simply respond to danger. High tier heroes aren't going to bat an eye at a goblin ambush, but it might provide a way for them to feel powerful and fearsome.
Roleplaying
Not every event must pit the adventurers against powerful monsters, instead they can stumble upon strange people and odd scenes that provide moments to break up the journey.
Additional Rules
Planning for Rations
You have limited rations that you can carry before becoming encumbered. You need 1 lb of rations and 10 lbs of water, 2 waterskins, per day. If you travel for 5 days, each character will need 5 lbs of rations & 50 lbs of water, unless you travel near a river or lake. A party should ensure they have the needed supplies before going on a journey.
Dehydration & Starvation
Characters will become dehydrated if they go two days in a row without water, a character gains a level of exhaustion that can't be removed until after a long rest and have access to water.
Characters can go a number of days equal to 3 + their Constitution modifier without food, after which they gain a level of exhaustion per day without food, the exhaustion can only be removed after a long rest and have access to food.
Rangers & Outlanders
The Ranger class and the Outlander background have the ability to automatically find food in the terrain, though rangers are restricted to their favored terrain only. Instead of rolling for a random event on the Events chart, you could instead use the Hunting minigame system as an event. This allows the character to show off their hunting skills and be able to feed their companions with more excitement.
Natural Explorer (Ranger)
While a ranger is in their favored terrain, they can double their proficiency bonus when they make a Wisdom (Survival) check and they can't become lost. Instead, if they fail the check against the DC of the terrain, they can roll a single Navigator's Damage Die instead of a number of dice equal to their proficiency bonus.
Furthermore, on a successful check against the DC of the terrain, they add their Proficiency Bonus plus Wisdom modifier to the damage against the terrain's hit points.
Taking the Road
If the party decides to follow a road instead of going into the unexplored wilderness, they do not need to make a Wisdom (Survival) check against the DC of the terrain, instead they are assumed to simply succeed and the Navigator can roll against the hit points of the terrain. This does limit the types of events they can take part in, as discoveries can not be made while on a road, and that they can never critically succeed on their journey.
Discoveries
Due to the exotic nature of discoveries, they can not be found while traveling along common roads. If the party stumbles on to an ancient road unused for decades, it might make sense to allow discoveries to be made again. The DM should reroll on the events chart if they get a discovery while the party is traveling along a road.
Events
| d30 | Encounter Type | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discovery | The party stumbles upon an old castle slowly crumbling away, its walls overgrown with vines. |
| 2 | Discovery | Off in the distance is a set of lights flickering in and out between the trees, they seem to be gesturing for the party to join them in the deep forest. |
| 3 | Roleplay | [Requires a party to be using magical food] The party has grown tired of the bland magically created food from spells like goodberry and want something real to eat. |
| 4 | Roleplay | A trader is promising cheap prices on exotic goods, it seems like too good a deal to pass up. Unfortunately, the trader forgot to mention most of it is cursed and from a tomb not too far away. |
| 5 | Encounter | Trolls think the party is carrying something very valuable, and they want it. |
| 6 | Encounter | An owlbear is upset that the party stumbled upon her nest of baby owlbears, she begins charging at them. |
| 7 | Roleplay | Goblins are demanding a toll, its their bridge they made and they require payment to let anyone pass. |
| 8 | Discovery | Stumbling across a graveyard, the party finds the day to have suddenly shifted into dusk and the fog rolls around their feet. Several of the gravestones look to be brand new. |
| 9 | Encounter | Hill gaints are having a picnic of commoners, but first they are amusing themselves by tossing the people around like they are frisbees. |
| 10 | Roleplay | An old lady is sitting on a stump and is making tea, she'd love for the party to join her. |
| 11 | Discovery | An ancient battlefield is found, rusty weapons lie scattered about the ground and in the center of the field are the massive bones of some great monster. |
| 12 | Encounter | Displacer Beasts are slowly stalking the party, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. |
| 13 | Encounter | The party finds themselves in a tricky situation, they must cross a fast moving river filled with rapids. The best place to cross is days away. Also, there are giant lizards in the water, hungry for anyone who falls in. |
| 14 | Roleplay | A satyr is playing a small flute and dancing on top of a large rock outcropping. Upon seeing the party, it will offer them a chance to win some gold. If they can play better than the satyr, they get a reward. If they can't, the satyr gets one favor from the party. |
| 15 | Discovery | A massive tree is growing on top of an ancient statue of a warrior riding a dragon with a lance in their hands. |
| 16 | Encounter | The ground trembles and an explosion of stone erupts under a member of the party, a bulette attacks. |
| 17 | Encounter | A trader was attacked by bandits and he has lost everything. He offers the party a portion of his supplies if they can help him get back at the bandits. |
| 18 | Roleplay | A pseudodragon has taken an interest to the party and won't stop playing tricks on them and sowing strife. |
| 19 | Roleplay | Two of the party are in a fight over a campfire, the players must decide what the fight was about and how they resolve this fight between the characters. |
| 20 | Discovery | An old wizard tower has emerged out of the terrain like a mirage, the front door swings open invitingly. |
| 21 | Encounter | The party finds a small set of grave markers, as they get close, a ghoulish hand erupts from the ground. |
| 22 | Roleplay | A dragon has noticed the party traveling through its territory, they owe it proper tribute for using its land. |
| 23 | Discovery | A horrible rainstorm has forced the party to take cover inside of a cave. On the inside are strange drawings of horrifying creatures, the more the party explores, the worse the depictions are. |
| 24 | Roleplay | A group of guards on horseback catch up with the party, they are wanted fugitives from the last town. |
| 25 | Encounter | Hobgoblins are marching on a small hamlet, attacking the citizens and destroying buildings. |
| 26 | Roleplay | Two of the party are discussing their past, the players should describe something that their characters did. |
| 27 | Discovery | The party have stumbled upon a village that is on none of their maps, the inhabitants all behave strangely and make suggestions that there is no world outside of their quiant village. |
| 28 | Roleplay | The village that the party is passing through are actually house hunters, massive mimics that can take on the guise of houses, taverns, shops and the occupants. They might be vegans, or at least very picky eaters. |
| 29 | Encounter | A dire beast of a goat screams at the party as it begins charging down the mountainside, it seems intent on headbutting them off the mountain trail. |
| 30 | Roleplay | Two of the party are discussing a time they were once in jail, the players should come up with reasons for why their characters were in jail, even if the characters were wrongfully imprisoned or a misunderstanding. |