Overland Travel

This first page is a quick reference for rules in the SRD.

Travel Pace (New)

Pace	Per Minute	Per Hour	Per Day	Effect
Marathon	600 feet	6 miles	-	If you have 2 or more levels of exhaustion, you can't travel at this pace. Every 30 minutes of travel, make a DC 10 Constitution check or gain a level of exhaustion. For DM-controlled characters that aren't humanoids, the DC is 20: they're nowhere near as effective as pursuit predators.
Fast	400 feet	4 miles	30 miles	-5 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) scores
Normal	300 feet	3 miles	24 miles	None
Slow	200 feet	2 miles	18 miles	Able to use stealth while traveling. As long as they're not in the open, they can try to surprise other creatures they encounter to gain advantage on the initiative roll, or they can try to sneak by.

While traveling, a group of adventurers can move at a normal, fast, or slow pace, as shown on the Travel Pace table. The table states how far the party can move in a period of time and whether the pace has any effect. A marathon pace is hard to maintain, a fast pace makes characters less perceptive, and a slow pace makes it possible to sneak around and to notice threats more easily.

Travel Pace

When traveling for an hour of more, a party travels at the following pace. Choose one of the travel paces below.

Humanoids may not be the most physically mighty type of creature, but they're unrivalled pursuit predators. As such, humanoids and player characters are uniquely good at traveling at a marathon pace. By comparison, horses can usually only travel at a marathon pace (a gallop) for an hour before tiring

You ordinarily use this travel pace table, but you don't use it if everyone in the group has a speed higher than 30 feet, or everyone in the group has a speed lower than 30 feet. In that case, translate the party's speed into travel rates using the following rules:

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

Forced March

The Travel Pace table assumes that characters travel for 8 hours in day. They can push on beyond that limit, at the risk of exhaustion.

For each additional hour of travel beyond 8 hours, the characters cover the distance shown in the Hour column for their pace, and each character must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw at the end of the hour. On a failed saving throw, a character suffers one level of exhaustion.

Marching Order

The adventurers should establish a marching order.

A marching order makes it easier to determine which characters are affected by traps, which ones can spot hidden enemies, and which ones are the closest to those enemies when a fight breaks out.

A character might occupy the front rank, one or more middle ranks, or the back rank. Characters in the front and back ranks need enough room to travel side by side with others in their rank. When space is too tight, the marching order must change, usually by moving characters to a middle rank.

If an adventuring party arranges its marching order with only two ranks, they are a front rank and a back rank. If there's only one rank, it's considered a front rank.

Noticing Threats

Use the passive Wisdom (Perception) scores of the characters to determine whether anyone in the group notices a hidden threat. The DM might decide that a threat can be noticed only by characters in a particular rank.

While traveling at a fast pace, characters take a -5 penalty to their passive Wisdom (Perception) scores to notice hidden threats.

While engaged in other activities, you aren't alert to danger, so you don't notice threats.

Other Activities

Characters who turn their attention to other tasks as the group travels don't contribute their passive Wisdom (Perception) scores to the group's chance of noticing hidden threats.

However, a character not watching for danger can do one of the following activities instead, or some other activity with the DM's permission.

Navigate (Page 2)

The character can try to prevent the group from wandering into danger, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it.

Draw a Map

The character draws a map that records the group's progress and helps the characters get back on course if they get lost. You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to navigate while you have a map of your surroundings.

Track (DMG page 244)

A character can follow the tracks of a creature, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it.

Forage (Page 3)

The character can keep an eye out for useful fodder or for useful items, making an Intelligence (Nature) check for food, a Wisdom (Survival) check for water, or either check to search for useful items.

Overland Travel for DMs

Navigating

Unless they are following a path, or something like it, adventurers traveling in the wilderness run the risk of encountering danger. The party's navigator makes a Wisdom (Survival) check when you decide it's appropriate. You might determine the DC based on the Wilderness Navigation table.

If the party is moving at a slow pace, the navigator gains a +5 bonus to the check, and a fast pace imposes a -5 penalty. If the party has an accurate map of the region, one navigator can gain advantage on the check.

Terrain	DC
Forest, jungle, swamp, mountains, or open sea with overcast skies and no land in sight	15
Arctic, desert, hills, or open sea with clear skies and no land in sight	10
Grassland, meadow, farmland	5
Any terrain with a road or path	0

Each navigator rolls the check, and you use the highest result to determine the outcome.

Failure. If the Wisdom (Survival) check fails, the party suffers a setback. Some suggestions are given in the Navigational Complications table, which can be picked or generated at random

Success. If the check succeeds, there are no direct complications. The party travels along the road, and you describe any encounters that befall them.

Success by 5 or more. If the check succeeds by 5 or more, the party is graced by a Navigational Boon of your choice, or a random one from the Navigational Boon Table below.

If it succeeds by 20 or more, the party is graced by a second boon in addition to the first.

Finding A Campsite

Inns aren't everywhere, and aren't always friendly: sometimes players may need to improvise a campsite for themselves.

A creature seeking a campsite makes a Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence (Investigation) check against the terrain's navigation DC (ignore roads and paths), locating a suitable camping spot on a success. If the check fails, the party encounters a Navigational Complication. Otherwise, the party finds a suitable spot.

Particularly successful checks can also be rewarded. For example, if the check exceeds the navigation DC by 5 or more, roll once on the Campsite Benefit table. If the check succeeds by 20 or more, roll twice on the Campsite Benefit table instead, rerolling any duplicates.

Each of these campsite benefits are permanently tied to the location: if you pass down the same trail again, you can choose to camp in the same campsite you previously found (no ability check required).

Campsite Benefit

d6	Result
1	The forage here is excellent: creatures that rest here don't require food or water for the next day.
2	The camp has great visibility: creatures can engage in other light activities while keeping watch here.
3	The camp is well hidden: creatures within the camp have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while they remain there.
4	The camp is weatherproofed: rain and wind don't affect it, and creatures within it ignore the effects of extreme heat or cold.
5	The camp is comfortable: when you finish a short or long rest here, you always gain the rest's full benefits.
6	The campsite is improvable: it offers a good foundation to build on. With 8 hours' work, a creature can add any one Campsite Benefit to the campsite. This can be done any number of times.

Navigational Complications

d6	Complication
1-2	The group encounters a wilderness hazard (page 4), such as a collapsed bridge, an acid pool, or thin ice.
3	The group runs into a dangerous, pugnacious, or irritating creature.
4	It emerges that the group's being followed - perhaps by the campaign's villain, or a hungry predator. This might begin a Traveling Chase (page 8).
5	There's a delay with impending danger, such as nightfall, inclement weather, an avalanche, or a coming volcanic eruption. The party has to choose between confronting the danger or trying to out-pace it by entering a Traveling Chase (page 8), as described below.
6	One player is separated from the group - perhaps by falling to a low ridge, or getting confused in fog.

Navigational Boons

d6	Boon
1-2	An area of abundant Forage (page 3) - you find twice as much forage for this journey.
3	Wild Game (page 3)
4	A viewpoint from which you can see 40 miles on a clear day, allowing you to draw a map with 10 minute's work and a DC 10 check with Cartographer's tools.
5	A friendly vendor or magic-user. Perhaps they have useful information, or can offer a lift on a vehicle.
6	A Hidden Grotto (page 3)

Forage

A Small or Medium creature needs one pound of food and one gallon of water per day, and foraging is an ideal way to find this. When a player forages while traveling, they can search for either food or water, or for useful tidbits:

Food. The player makes an Intelligence (Nature) check. If there's abundant food, they gain an amount of food in pounds equal to half the total, rounded down. If food is limited, subtract 5 pounds from the result. If food is extremely scarce, subtract 8 pounds.

Water. The player makes a Wisdom (Survival) check, If there's abundant water, they gain an amount of water in gallons equal to half the total, rounded down. If water is limited, subtract 5 gallons from the result. If water is extremely scarce, subtract 8 gallons.

Useful Tidbits. The player can make a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check, finding some of the sought materials on a success. Examples of suitable discoveries from a successful forage check are given in the Foraging Tidbits table below. The player might give you some idea of what they look for, or alternately you can roll for a random item.

Hidden Grottos

While traveling, the party might encounter a route or clue leading to a hidden location, such as a secret cave, ancient ruin, or beautiful alpine pool. They might have to solve a puzzle, bypass a hidden doorway, or decipher a treasure map to find it.

Whatever its nature, the grotto has a reward waiting for the party when they reach it. Choose one of the following.

A random piece of adventuring gear or martial weapon
A common magic item
The grotto's location is enchanted, granting the benefits of a 1st-level spell to those who enter - such as heroism, healing word, or false life.

Wild Game

While traveling, the party might encounter wild game. When all the wild game is defeated, a member of the party can make an Intelligence (Nature) check or a Wisdom (Medicine) check to scavenge meat from its corpses, yielding a number of days' rations equal to half the total (minimum of 3).

Wild game encounters are intended to be trivial and quick, constituting a simple chase scene followed by less than a round of combat. The quarry doesn’t have to be prey: you might also use these encounter balancing rules for a scared or wounded animal that needs to be subdued and cared for, or an irritating pickpocket that tries to escape.

Wild Game Encounters

Level	CR (1 Foe)	CR (4 Foes)	Other Examples
1-4	1	1/8	Eight deer
5-7	3	1/2	Six draft horses
8-10	4	1	Four lions
11-13	7	2	Six dire wolves
14-16	9	3	One Tyrannosaurus Rex
17-20	12	4	Seven rhinoceri

Foraging Tidbits

	d20		Forage result
	1-5		Shards of stone, ice, bone, or wood that may be fashioned quickly into a simple melee weapon, or broken apart and used as 2d8 pieces of ammunition of any type or types.
	6-7		A suitable campsite
	8		Around 20 thorns or razor sharp stones, each of which functions as a caltrop
	9		A cluster of minute pebbles, or bloated fruit that can be shucked to spill out tiny spherical nuts. Either of these options serve as enough ball bearings to cover a 10 foot square.
	10		A source of poison that can be applied to one weapon or one piece of ammunition. A creature hit by an attack using the weapon or ammunition takes an additional 1d4 poison damage. The poison then loses its potency.
	11		A common antiseptic moss. As an action, it can be administered to an unconscious creature to stabilise it, or fed to a creature to grant it advantage on the next saving throw it makes against poison within the next minute.
	12		Mud that can be applied to the skin as part of the Hide action to gain advantage on the stealth check.
	13		Feed suitable for livestock that would keep a Large animal fed for 2d6 days
	14		A plant growth or cut of animal blubber that burns for up to 24 hours in a lamp in place of oil
	15		A block of chalk
	16		1d4 sturdy branches or rotted leg bones that can be used as torches
	17		A 20-foot vine or gut that functions as rope
	18		A shattered shard of an ore deposit that can be used in place of a tinderbox to light fires
	19		A jawbone, strung with muscle, that can be fashioned into a hunting trap with 1 day of work.
	20		A rare plant or ore that represents the forager’s character. Ask the player what they think this item should be, or pick one based on the traditional meanings of flowers and gemstones. The item may be used as a spellcasting focus for the player’s ranger spells, if they have any.

Wilderness Hazards

This section presents a host of wild threats.

The Damage Severity and Level table is a guide to how deadly certain damage numbers are for characters of various levels. Cross-reference a character's level with the damage being dealt to gauge the severity of the damage. This table is useful when improvising a wild hazard or complication

The table also includes the corresponding level at which a spell does a similar amount of damage - giving an idea of suitable spells for that level. Each wilderness hazard below is assigned a spell level that maps to this table.

Damage Severity and Level

Character Level	Setback	Dangerous	Deadly
1st-4th	1d10	2d10	4d10
	Cantrip	1st-2nd	3rd-4th
5th-10th	2d10	4d10	10d10
	1st-2nd	3rd-4th	5th-7th
11th-16th	4d10	10d10	18d10
	1st-4th	5th-7th	8th
17th-20th	10d10	18d10	24d10
	1st-7th	8th	9th

Hazard-like Spells

Certain wilderness effects can be easily approximated by existing spells. Some examples of this are given in the Spells as Natural Hazards table.

When using an instantaneous spell from this list, consider replacing the damage roll with a suitable roll from the Damage Severity and Level table.

Spells as Natural Hazards

Natural Hazard	Spell Level	Approximate Spell
Swamp gas	Cantrip	Dancing lights
Earth tremor	1st	Earth tremor
Fog, smoke	1st	Fog cloud
St. Elmo's fire	1st	Faerie fire
Windstorm	2nd	Gust of wind
Lightning storm	3rd	Call lightning
Toxic gas	3rd	Stinking cloud
Blizzard	4th	Ice storm, sleet storm
Flood, whirlpool	4th	Control water
Toxic pool	4th	Vitriolic Sphere
Wildfire	4th	Wall of fire
Whirlwind	5th	Whirlwind
Falling debris	5th	Conjure volley
Mirage	6th	Hallucinatory terrain
Pyroclastic flow	8th	Incendiary cloud
Tidal wave	8th	Tsunami
Earthquake	8th	Earthquake
Volcanic lightning	9th	Storm of vengeance
Meteor	9th	Meteor swarm

Weather Hazards (1st)

Some creatures are adapted to their climate, and automatically succeed on their saving throws against certain effects like extreme heat or frigid water.

Extreme Cold

Whenever the temperature is at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, a creature exposed to the cold must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour or gain one level of exhaustion.

Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, as do creatures wearing cold weather gear that's dry (thick coats, gloves, and the like) and a Ranger with the arctic favored terrain.

Extreme Heat

When the temperature is at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a creature exposed to the heat and without access to drinkable water must succeed on a DC 5 Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour or gain one level of exhaustion.

Creatures wearing medium or heavy armor, or who are clad in heavy clothing, have disadvantage on the saving throw. Creatures with resistance or immunity to fire damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, as do Rangers with the desert favored terrain.

Strong Wind

A strong wind imposes disadvantage on ranged weapon attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. A strong wind extinguishes open flames, disperses fog, and makes flying by nonmagical means nearly impossible. A flying creature in a strong wind must land at the end of its turn or fall.

A strong wind in a desert can create a sandstorm.

Sandstorm

A sandstorm is usually about 30 miles in diameter and 2 miles high. It moves 90 feet per round, or 10 miles per hour. A creature in the sandstorm has disadvantage on Widsom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, and takes 1 slashing damage for each hour it spends there unless it's wearing suitable clothing.

Heavy Precipitation

Everything within an area of heavy rain or heavy snowfall is lightly obscured, and creatures in the area have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or hearing. The precipitation also extinguishes open flames. Heavy rain can also soak clothing through.

High Altitude

Traveling at altitudes of 10,000 feet or higher above sea level is taxing for a creature that needs to breathe, because of the reduced amount of oxygen in the air. Each hour such a creature spends traveling at high altitude counts as 2 hours for the purpose of determining how long that creature can travel.

Breathing creatures become acclimated to a high altitude by spending 30 days or more at this elevation. Breathing creatures can't become acclimated to elevations above 20,000 feet unless they are native to such environments.

Other Wilderness Hazards

Beyond the inevitable presence of difficult terrain, there's a plethora of dangerous hazards for intrepid explorers.

Brambles (1st)

Brambles can represent a thicket of blackberries, roses, or razorvine (a sharp-edged plant that grows in wild tangles and hedges, and clings to the sides of buildings and other surfaces as ivy does). A 10-foot-high, 10-foot-wide, 5-foot-thick hedge of brambles has AC 11, 25 hit points, and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic damage.

When a creature comes into direct contact with brambles for the first time on a turn, the creature must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) slashing or piercing damage.

Desecrated Ground (1st)

Some cemeteries and catacombs are imbued with the unseen traces of ancient evil. An area of desecrated ground can be any size, and a detect evil and good spell cast within range reveals its presence.

Undead standing on desecrated ground have advantage on all saving throws.

A vial of holy water purifies a 10-foot-square area of desecrated ground when sprinkled on it, and a hallow spell purifies desecrated ground within its area.

Slippery Ice (1st)

Slippery ice is difficult terrain. When a creature moves onto slippery ice for the first time on a turn, it must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or fall prone.

Thin Ice (2nd)

Thin ice can tolerate one medium creature or eight small creatures per 10-foot-square area without breaking - about 300 pounds. A creature wearing heavy armor requires twice the area. Whenever the weight on an area of thin ice exceeds its tolerance, the ice in that area breaks. All creatures on broken ice fall through.

When a creature on the ice falls prone, the ice in its area breaks. Thin ice is often slippery too.

Alternately, you can use a weight tolerance for the thin ice: 3d10x10 pounds per 10-foot-square area.

Frigid Water/Snow (3rd)

A creature can be immersed in frigid water or snow for 5 minutes before suffering any ill effects. Each additional minute spent in frigid water requires the creature to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically succeed on the saving throw.

A creature buried in frigid snow is blinded and inaudible to creatures more than 30 feet away.

Mass Slippage (3rd to 8th)

A slippage is either an avalanche, mudflow or rockslide. A typical mass slippage is 300 feet wide, 120 feet long, and 20 feet thick. Creatures in the path of one can avoid it or escape it if they're close to its edge, but outrunning one is more difficult.

When a mass slippage occurs, all creatures near its path roll initiative. Twice each round, on initiative counts 10 and 0, it travels up to its speed until it can travel no more. When a mass slippage moves, any creature caught within it falls prone, and must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw against its effects.

When a mass slippage stops, it buries creatures within it. A creature buried in this way is restrained. It can use its action to attempt a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check, freeing itself on a success. A creature that fails this check can't attempt it again until it's freed.

A creature that is not restrained or incapacitated can spend 1 minute digging out a buried creature to free it.

Mudflow (3rd). A mudflow has a speed of 20 feet. A creature that fails its saving throw against the mudflow takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage. Creatures in the mudflow are dragged along with it at half the mudflow's speed, and can attempt to move through it in any direction.

Rockslide (6th). A rockslide has a speed of 60 feet. A creature that fails its saving throw against the rockslide takes 4d10 bludgeoning damage, or half as much on a success.

Avalanche (5th). An avalanche has a speed of 300 feet. A creature that fails its saving throw against the avalanche takes 1d10 bludgeoning damage and sinks a short way into it. Creatures in or on the avalanche are dragged along at the avalanche's speed, and creatures in it are buried in Frigid Snow.

A more realistic avalanche (8th) causes any creature within it to sink 5 feet each time it fails a Strength saving throw against the avalanche. A creature buried in more than 10 feet of a realistic avalanche is incapacitated.

Quicksand (6th)

A quicksand pit covers the ground in roughly a 30-foot radius and is usually 10 feet deep. The quicksand is difficult terrain, and when a creature moves onto quicksand for the first time on a turn, it must succeed on a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check or fall prone.

When a creature moves less than 20 feet through the quicksand on its turn and ends its turn there, it becomes restrained, and sinks into the quicksand by half its height. As long as the creature isn't completely submerged in quicksand, it can escape by using its action and succeeding on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. A creature that is completely submerged in quicksand can't breathe.

A creature can pull another creature within its reach out of a quicksand pit by using its action and succeeding on a Strength (Athletics) check. The DC is 15, or 20 if the target is completely submerged.

Objects resting on the quicksand can hold the weight of any creature smaller than them without sinking. You can also use this rule for a deep bog.

Radiation (6th)

Hidden underground in maze-like concrete vaults, behind fields of barbed wire and warnings in long-lost languages, there is an insidious metal with a gentle blue glow.

A radioactive source sheds dim light in a 30 foot radius, and sheds an aura of radiation out 1000 feet. A thin sheet of lead can block this aura, but it spreads round corners, carried in the air.

If a creature spends 8 hours within the aura, or moves into the dim light on a turn or starts its turn there, it becomes poisoned for 1 year. Additionally, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 2d4 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

A creature poisoned in this way repeats this saving throw whenever it finishes a long rest. While poisoned in this way, it can't lose levels of exhaustion, and its hit point maximum is reduced by the damage it's taken from this effect.

Traveling Chases

Creatures fleeing from danger, or trying to catch up to an enemy, are forced to begin moving at a Marathon pace.

At the start of the chase, it's worth explaining the stakes to your players. Do the following:

Give the expected duration of the chase in minutes, based on the respective speeds of the chase participants (usually 1 hour or so).
Explain the extent of the danger.
Explain the rules of the Marathon pace.

Then, have the party start making its marathon pace Constitiution checks. If one fails, the party is forced to think of a quick solution on their feet, or drop to a Fast pace, or leave their friend behind.

Once the danger catches up to someone, you may wish to begin an encounter, or a chase (following the rules presented in the DMG page 252-253, using the wilderness complications table).

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Overland Travel Revised