Travel Procedure¶
What this is¶
The travel procedure moves an expedition across the map a day at a time. It requires a hex map and a planned route.
Invoked by: the Basic Game Loop, when players (or the DM) declare travel between locations.
Invokes: the Wilderness Encounter Procedure (when an encounter check is positive in Step 3).
Returns to: the Basic Game Loop at the destination, or wherever the expedition halts.
Setting up an expedition¶
Before the first travel day, gather the following information about the expedition.
Units¶
Every creature in the expedition gets recorded.
- For PCs: name and level.
- For NPC creatures and beasts traveling with the expedition: stat block, counts, and CR.
Total CR matters for provisioning costs and for sizing the expedition's encounter behavior.
Mounts and vehicles¶
If the expedition rides or sails, record the means of transport.
- For vehicles (ships, airships): stat block (HP, AC, speed, cargo capacity).
- For mounts (horses, griffons, etc.): stat block, count, and CR.
Expected travel day and daily pace¶
How far the expedition moves per day depends on what carries it.
| Carrier | Travel day | Daily pace |
|---|---|---|
| Land, by creature or wagon | 8 hours | 2 hexes (3 if mounted) |
| Land, with a road | 8 hours | double the above |
| Land, with stealth (small teams only) | 8 hours | subtract 1 hex |
| Sea or air, by creature | 8 hours | 6 hexes |
| Land, sea, or air by vehicle | 24 hours | based on the vehicle's speed |
A vehicle travels 24 hours because crews rotate. A creature-based expedition rests at night.
Route¶
Trace the planned route on the hex map. Mark where the expedition expects to stop at the end of each day, based on the expected travel day and daily pace.
The route may be revised in play, especially if the expedition gets lost or detoured by an encounter.
Leader's passive Survival¶
Note the group leader's passive Wisdom (Survival) score (10 + Survival modifier). This is the default value used for navigation and foraging.
Flying creatures and vehicles gain advantage on navigation checks, which adds +5 to passive Survival for navigation purposes.
Provisions¶
Provisions cover food, water, animal feed, and basic supplies. Cost and weight depend on the size of the expedition. A larger force costs more; a longer journey costs more.
Standard expedition (any size): provisions are budgeted in gold before departure.
- Troop cost = 5 gp × (total CR of all units) × (weeks of operation)
- Ship cost = 1 gp × (each ship's hull HP) × (weeks of operation)
- Total provision cost = Troop cost + Ship cost
Small team expedition (10 or fewer units): the leader may optionally attempt to live off the land instead of buying full provisions. Compare the leader's passive Wisdom (Survival) to the Forage DC of every hex on the route. If the passive meets or exceeds every DC, no provisions are required for the trip. If any hex has a higher DC, the expedition either makes daily Forage checks in those hexes (Step 1 of the daily procedure) or brings provisions like a standard expedition.
Carrying provisions (when buying them):
- One person-week of provisions costs 1 gp and weighs 70 pounds.
- A pack animal carries 3 person-weeks.
- A wagon carries 15 person-weeks.
- A ship carries 30 person-weeks per ton of cargo capacity.
If mounts or pack animals are used, increase total provisions by one half (round up) to account for animal feed.
Mustering time¶
A standard expedition requires 1 week of preparation before departure. This week is included in the troop and ship costs above. A small team expedition requires no mustering time.
The daily procedure¶
Once the expedition is underway, the following three steps are performed for each travel day.
Step 1: Forage check¶
Skip this step if either of these is true:
- The expedition is a standard expedition (provisions already cover the day), or
- The team leader's passive Wisdom (Survival) is at least the Forage DC of the first hex traveled that day.
Otherwise, the leader rolls a Wisdom (Survival) check against the day's Forage DC. On a success, the expedition forages enough to feed itself that day. On a failure, the expedition does not eat: every creature without provisions gains 1 level of exhaustion.
Step 2: Navigation check¶
Skip this step if either of these is true:
- The leader's passive Wisdom (Survival) is at least the terrain's Navigation DC, or
- The expedition is traveling on a road.
Otherwise, the leader rolls a Wisdom (Survival) navigation check:
- At the beginning of each day.
- When the expedition enters a hex with a different terrain type from the previous hex.
On a success, the expedition travels its full daily pace. On a failure, the expedition becomes lost and makes no forward progress that day. The DM may secretly choose to move the expedition off course rather than simply halting it.
Step 3: Encounter checks¶
Make 6 encounter checks during the day, one every 4 hours, whether the expedition is traveling or resting. If the check is positive, invoke the Wilderness Encounter Procedure.
If the expedition is on a road or sailing tradewinds, the first positive check of the day is ignored.
Terrain reference¶
Each terrain has a Forage DC and a Navigation DC. The Forage DC governs Step 1; the Navigation DC governs Step 2 above.
| Terrain | Forage DC | Navigation DC |
|---|---|---|
| Arctic | 19 | 15 |
| Coastal | 12 | 9 |
| Desert | 19 | 13 |
| Forest | 13 | 11 |
| Grassland | 12 | 10 |
| Hills | 13 | 12 |
| Mountains | 16 | 15 |
| Swamp | 15 | 13 |
| Underdark | 19 | 17 |
| Urban | 14 | 10 |
| Ocean | 16 | 14 |
| Sky | 20 | 16 |