Travel
Two methods are used with travel by the Party.
Note: There is a third method where the Party puts itself in the hands of a NPC - e.g. travel by ship where the Player Characters are just passengers. Travel results/adventures are totally in the GM's control/imagination and follow what is appropriate for the plot/adventure.
Method One: Skill Challenge:
When to Use: For travel where the destination is the sole objective (Town A to Town B) or where detailing the travel will be tedious (months on an open plain) or complicated (commanding a ship or searching a large area).
Brief Description: The Party has a destination or target. Then, each Party member explains what he or she can contribute, skill wise, to the completion of the task. Skills can be class skills, role playing skills, or secondary skills. Each Party member then does a skill check. If the Party reaches the required number of successes before they reach 3 failures, the Party completes the task. The fewer the number of failures, the greater the degree of success. Each Party member may only use a specific skill once per Challenge - you cannot repeat the same skill in the same Challenge. The longer the task or the more demanding the task is, the greater the number of successes required. Failure results in an appropriate result (e.g. lost, ambushed, etc.) For more instructions and examples follow this link to detailed description.
Method Two: Detailed Travel:
When to Use: Where the Party's interaction with the environment is important. Examples: encounters, or the Party finds something significant that demands their reaction (e.g. a forgotten and ancient road or smells or sounds) or a travel hazard/opportunity (e.g. a crevasse or a ruin). In each case, the Players who don't wish to re-roll their characters should be demanding details about their surroundings in order to decide what the Party will do next.
Brief Description: This style of travel is handled the same as a 'dungeon crawl'. The map and the environment are revealed as the Party explores (GMs need to remember 'outside' and certain features offer longer sightlines than a dungeon). The Party and the environment interact the same way as the Party exploring a dungeon/ruin/etc.
The vast majority of details can be handled by common sense.
Senses: Sightlines are determined by terrain and cover. Wind direction can determine if smells are carried to or away from the Party. Wind and other sounds can obscure significant noises. A full moon illuminating an open field is the opposite of a blizzard in that same field.
Movement: A walking human/elf/orc moves 30' per round, 180' per minute, 2 miles per hour and roughly 16 miles per day. Shorter legged races move at 2/3 that rate. Faster is possible but costs fatigue and less chance to notice hazards. Obstacles, terrain, and weather will all slow travel (above rates are for level, unobstructed, and firm roads in ideal weather).
Hazards: Weather and terrain can also kill a Party. Likewise, the raging bonfire on the hill at night or the bard's loud - but funny - song about the Baron's wife will likely warn possible enemies and allow them to ambush the Party. Finally, the Party may become lost, run out of supplies, or decide to go an unhealthy direction. The GM should allow the Party hints to avoid or rectify these hazards; but if they insist…
Encumbrance and travel aids: Common sense again. As the Party picks up weight, it moves slower, gets more tired faster, and is not as skillful (tired and restrained by packs, etc.). Pack mules, wagons, etc. can be used to move freight for the Party; however, they need feed, roads, etc. Even mules cannot go some places that humanoids can travel and will react poorly to combat and other threats (and draw threats as a mule is a substantial meal to some monsters). Finally, someone in the Party should have the necessary skills for any travel aid (animal training, small watercraft use, etc.).
Further details can be found on these pages - Encumbrance - strength and weight table with levels of encumbrance and penalties. and Overland Travel Details with tables and details on weather, terrain, race, speed, etc.
It is up to the GM to decide when to use each method. I often combine the two methods. The Party starts with a Skill Challenge but can drop into a detailed travel scenario with a success or fail (Example A: a success with Survival by the Ranger can lead to the discovery of a fragment of forgotten ancient road. Example B: a failed Skill Challenge could drop the Party into an ambush or other hard to avoid encounter). The key thing is to decide which method creates the best chance for good game play...
Note: There is a third method where the Party puts itself in the hands of a NPC - e.g. travel by ship where the Player Characters are just passengers. Travel results/adventures are totally in the GM's control/imagination and follow what is appropriate for the plot/adventure.
Method One: Skill Challenge:
When to Use: For travel where the destination is the sole objective (Town A to Town B) or where detailing the travel will be tedious (months on an open plain) or complicated (commanding a ship or searching a large area).
Brief Description: The Party has a destination or target. Then, each Party member explains what he or she can contribute, skill wise, to the completion of the task. Skills can be class skills, role playing skills, or secondary skills. Each Party member then does a skill check. If the Party reaches the required number of successes before they reach 3 failures, the Party completes the task. The fewer the number of failures, the greater the degree of success. Each Party member may only use a specific skill once per Challenge - you cannot repeat the same skill in the same Challenge. The longer the task or the more demanding the task is, the greater the number of successes required. Failure results in an appropriate result (e.g. lost, ambushed, etc.) For more instructions and examples follow this link to detailed description.
Method Two: Detailed Travel:
When to Use: Where the Party's interaction with the environment is important. Examples: encounters, or the Party finds something significant that demands their reaction (e.g. a forgotten and ancient road or smells or sounds) or a travel hazard/opportunity (e.g. a crevasse or a ruin). In each case, the Players who don't wish to re-roll their characters should be demanding details about their surroundings in order to decide what the Party will do next.
Brief Description: This style of travel is handled the same as a 'dungeon crawl'. The map and the environment are revealed as the Party explores (GMs need to remember 'outside' and certain features offer longer sightlines than a dungeon). The Party and the environment interact the same way as the Party exploring a dungeon/ruin/etc.
The vast majority of details can be handled by common sense.
Senses: Sightlines are determined by terrain and cover. Wind direction can determine if smells are carried to or away from the Party. Wind and other sounds can obscure significant noises. A full moon illuminating an open field is the opposite of a blizzard in that same field.
Movement: A walking human/elf/orc moves 30' per round, 180' per minute, 2 miles per hour and roughly 16 miles per day. Shorter legged races move at 2/3 that rate. Faster is possible but costs fatigue and less chance to notice hazards. Obstacles, terrain, and weather will all slow travel (above rates are for level, unobstructed, and firm roads in ideal weather).
Hazards: Weather and terrain can also kill a Party. Likewise, the raging bonfire on the hill at night or the bard's loud - but funny - song about the Baron's wife will likely warn possible enemies and allow them to ambush the Party. Finally, the Party may become lost, run out of supplies, or decide to go an unhealthy direction. The GM should allow the Party hints to avoid or rectify these hazards; but if they insist…
Encumbrance and travel aids: Common sense again. As the Party picks up weight, it moves slower, gets more tired faster, and is not as skillful (tired and restrained by packs, etc.). Pack mules, wagons, etc. can be used to move freight for the Party; however, they need feed, roads, etc. Even mules cannot go some places that humanoids can travel and will react poorly to combat and other threats (and draw threats as a mule is a substantial meal to some monsters). Finally, someone in the Party should have the necessary skills for any travel aid (animal training, small watercraft use, etc.).
Further details can be found on these pages - Encumbrance - strength and weight table with levels of encumbrance and penalties. and Overland Travel Details with tables and details on weather, terrain, race, speed, etc.
It is up to the GM to decide when to use each method. I often combine the two methods. The Party starts with a Skill Challenge but can drop into a detailed travel scenario with a success or fail (Example A: a success with Survival by the Ranger can lead to the discovery of a fragment of forgotten ancient road. Example B: a failed Skill Challenge could drop the Party into an ambush or other hard to avoid encounter). The key thing is to decide which method creates the best chance for good game play...