Advanced Travel

Lesson 90 completed the entire:

RULES GLOSSARY

Now we begin a new major section of the course:

GAMEPLAY TOOLBOX

The Gameplay Toolbox provides additional procedures that the Game Master can use to turn the core rules into:

JOURNEYS

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

CUSTOM BACKGROUNDS

CURSES

CONTAGIONS

FEAR

POISONS

TRAPS

and:

BALANCED COMBAT ENCOUNTERS

Our first topic is:

ADVANCED TRAVEL

Earlier in the course, you learned the basic Travel Pace rules.

Now we add the GM tools that answer questions such as:

HOW FAST CAN THE PARTY TRAVEL THROUGH A MOUNTAIN RANGE?

DOES A ROAD MAKE THE JOURNEY FASTER?

WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE CHARACTER IS MOVING TOO SLOWLY?

CAN THE PARTY KEEP TRAVELING AFTER EIGHT HOURS?

HOW DO WE TURN A MAGICAL FLY SPEED INTO MILES PER DAY?

and:

HOW DOES TERRAIN AFFECT THE JOURNEY?

The SRD 5.2.1 Gameplay Toolbox begins with exactly these rules.

PART ONE: THE BASIC TRAVEL PACE RULE

Outside combat, a group normally travels at one of three paces:

FAST

NORMAL

or:

SLOW

The basic Travel Pace table from Playing the Game is:

Pace	Per Minute	Per Hour	Per Day
Fast	400 feet	4 miles	30 miles
Normal	300 feet	3 miles	24 miles
Slow	200 feet	2 miles	18 miles

These daily distances assume ordinary travel rather than combat movement.

Travel Pace is therefore not calculated by asking:

“MY SPEED IS 30 FEET, HOW MANY COMBAT ROUNDS ARE IN EIGHT HOURS?”

For ordinary characters traveling normally, use:

THE TRAVEL PACE TABLE

The Gameplay Toolbox becomes important when terrain, unusual Speed, extended travel, roads, or vehicles change that normal procedure.

PART TWO: EACH PACE HAS A TRADEOFF

Travel Pace doesn't only determine:

DISTANCE

It also affects certain Ability Checks.

FAST PACE

Fast travel gives Disadvantage on:

WISDOM (PERCEPTION)

WISDOM (SURVIVAL)

and:

DEXTERITY (STEALTH)

checks.

You are moving quickly, so noticing things, navigating the wilds, and remaining quiet become harder.

NORMAL PACE

Normal travel gives Disadvantage on:

DEXTERITY (STEALTH)

checks.

But it does not impose the Fast pace penalties on:

WISDOM (PERCEPTION)

or:

WISDOM (SURVIVAL)

SLOW PACE

Slow travel grants Advantage on:

WISDOM (PERCEPTION)

and:

WISDOM (SURVIVAL)

checks.

It doesn't itself grant Advantage on:

STEALTH

The benefit specifically concerns:

PERCEPTION

and:

SURVIVAL

QUICK TABLE

Pace	Perception	Survival	Stealth
Fast	Disadvantage	Disadvantage	Disadvantage
Normal	Normal	Normal	Disadvantage
Slow	Advantage	Advantage	Normal

This means pace is a:

STRATEGIC DECISION

Do you want:

SPEED?

AWARENESS?

BETTER SURVIVAL CHECKS?

A party racing against time might choose:

FAST

A party exploring dangerous ruins in the wilderness might prefer:

SLOW

PART THREE: TERRAIN LIMITS YOUR MAXIMUM PACE

The Gameplay Toolbox adds an important rule:

THE PREDOMINANT TERRAIN OF EACH JOURNEY STAGE DETERMINES THE GROUP'S MAXIMUM TRAVEL PACE

 

This means you don't always get to choose:

FAST

just because you want to.

Some terrain physically restricts how quickly the group can travel.

COMPLETE TRAVEL TERRAIN TABLE

Terrain	Maximum Pace	Encounter Distance	Foraging DC	Navigation DC	Search DC
Arctic	Fast, with appropriate equipment	6d6 × 10 feet	20	10	10
Coastal	Normal	2d10 × 10 feet	10	5	15
Desert	Normal	6d6 × 10 feet	20	10	10
Forest	Normal	2d8 × 10 feet	10	15	15
Grassland	Fast	6d6 × 10 feet	15	5	15
Hill	Normal	2d10 × 10 feet	15	10	15
Mountain	Slow	4d10 × 10 feet	20	15	20
Swamp	Slow	2d8 × 10 feet	10	15	20
Underdark	Normal	2d6 × 10 feet	20	10	20
Urban	Normal	2d6 × 10 feet	20	15	15
Waterborne	Special	6d6 × 10 feet	15	10	15

For Arctic terrain, appropriate equipment such as:

SKIS

is necessary to maintain the listed:

FAST MAXIMUM PACE

For waterborne travel, the rate depends on:

THE VEHICLE

rather than the normal terrain pace.

PART FOUR: MAXIMUM PACE DOES NOT MEAN REQUIRED PACE

Suppose the party enters:

A FOREST

Forest maximum:

NORMAL

Can the party choose:

FAST?

NO

Can they choose:

NORMAL?

YES

Can they choose:

SLOW?

YES

The terrain establishes:

THE FASTEST ALLOWED PACE

not the only possible pace.

EXAMPLE: MOUNTAINS

Mountain maximum:

SLOW

Therefore:

FAST IS NOT AVAILABLE

NORMAL IS NOT AVAILABLE

SLOW IS AVAILABLE

The terrain itself limits the group.

EXAMPLE: GRASSLAND

Grassland maximum:

FAST

Therefore the party can choose:

FAST

NORMAL

or:

SLOW

PART FIVE: JOURNEYS CAN HAVE MULTIPLE STAGES

The SRD refers to the:

PREDOMINANT TERRAIN DURING ANY JOURNEY STAGE

This means a long journey can logically be divided into different terrain stages.

EXAMPLE

The heroes travel from a city to a mountain fortress.

The route includes:

1. Urban streets

2. Grassland

3. Forest

4. Mountains

The GM doesn't need to assign:

ONE TERRAIN TYPE TO THE ENTIRE JOURNEY

Instead, each stage can have its own:

MAXIMUM PACE

ENCOUNTER DISTANCE

FORAGING DC

NAVIGATION DC

and:

SEARCH DC

STAGE 1: URBAN

Maximum:

NORMAL

STAGE 2: GRASSLAND

Maximum:

FAST

STAGE 3: FOREST

Maximum:

NORMAL

STAGE 4: MOUNTAIN

Maximum:

SLOW

The group might therefore move quickly across open grassland and then slow dramatically once the ascent begins.

PART SIX: THE EXTRA TERRAIN TABLE COLUMNS

The Travel Terrain table also provides:

ENCOUNTER DISTANCE

FORAGING DC

NAVIGATION DC

and:

SEARCH DC

 

These values are useful GM reference points.

It is important not to invent additional universal procedures that the Travel Pace subsection itself doesn't establish.

The table gives:

THE VALUES

A particular exploration situation determines:

WHETHER THE GM ACTUALLY CALLS FOR THE RELEVANT CHECK OR USES THE VALUE

This follows a principle we have used throughout the course:

DO NOT ROLL JUST BECAUSE A NUMBER EXISTS

The GM first determines whether the situation requires:

A CHECK

PART SEVEN: ENCOUNTER DISTANCE

The table gives a terrain based:

ENCOUNTER DISTANCE

This number can help the GM establish the approximate starting separation when an encounter occurs.

For example:

FOREST

Encounter Distance:

2D8 × 10 FEET

Suppose the GM rolls:

2d8: 9

9 × 10 =

90 FEET

The terrain table therefore supplies:

90 FEET

as the encounter distance result.

MOUNTAIN

Encounter Distance:

4D10 × 10 FEET

Roll:

4d10: 23

23 × 10 =

230 FEET

IMPORTANT

The table provides the distance formula.

It doesn't say that absolutely every encounter in that terrain must begin at that exact distance regardless of:

WALLS

VISIBILITY

STORY CIRCUMSTANCES

CREATURE POSITIONING

or other specific effects.

Use the table as the SRD's terrain travel reference rather than turning it into a rule that overrides every more specific situation.

PART EIGHT: FORAGING DIFFICULTY

The table also shows how difficult different environments are for:

FORAGING

Examples:

COASTAL: DC 10

FOREST: DC 10

SWAMP: DC 10

GRASSLAND: DC 15

MOUNTAIN: DC 20

DESERT: DC 20

ARCTIC: DC 20

This immediately tells a GM something useful:

FINDING RESOURCES IS MUCH HARDER IN SOME TERRAIN THAN OTHERS

A lush forest and a frozen wilderness are mechanically very different travel environments.

PART NINE: NAVIGATION DIFFICULTY

The table also gives:

NAVIGATION DC

Examples:

COASTAL: DC 5

GRASSLAND: DC 5

DESERT: DC 10

HILL: DC 10

FOREST: DC 15

MOUNTAIN: DC 15

SWAMP: DC 15

URBAN: DC 15

Again, the table provides the:

DC

The exact circumstance determines whether the GM requires a navigation check.

PART TEN: SEARCH DIFFICULTY

The final terrain column gives:

SEARCH DC

Examples:

ARCTIC: DC 10

DESERT: DC 10

FOREST: DC 15

GRASSLAND: DC 15

MOUNTAIN: DC 20

SWAMP: DC 20

UNDERDARK: DC 20

This provides the GM with terrain appropriate difficulty values when the travel situation calls for:

SEARCHING

PART ELEVEN: GOOD ROADS

A:

GOOD ROAD

increases the group's maximum travel pace by:

ONE STEP

 

The steps are:

SLOW

to:

NORMAL

to:

FAST

EXAMPLE 1: MOUNTAIN ROAD

Mountain terrain maximum:

SLOW

Good road:

PLUS ONE STEP

New maximum:

NORMAL

This doesn't mean the party is required to move Normal.

It means Normal is now:

AVAILABLE

EXAMPLE 2: FOREST ROAD

Forest maximum:

NORMAL

Good road:

PLUS ONE STEP

New maximum:

FAST

EXAMPLE 3: GRASSLAND

Grassland already permits:

FAST

There is no fourth ordinary travel pace beyond:

FAST

So the road doesn't create a new pace such as:

SUPER FAST

The pace system still contains only:

SLOW, NORMAL, FAST

PART TWELVE: TERRAIN AND ROADS TOGETHER

This is an important GM procedure.

Suppose the party must cross:

MOUNTAINS

Normal mountain maximum:

SLOW

But an ancient imperial road crosses the range.

Good Road:

Slow becomes:

NORMAL

Now compare daily distances from the normal Travel Pace table.

Slow day:

18 MILES

Normal day:

24 MILES

The road has effectively allowed:

6 ADDITIONAL MILES OF ORDINARY DAILY TRAVEL

provided no other rule reduces the pace.

PART THIRTEEN: SLOWER TRAVELERS

A group must travel at:

SLOW PACE

if any member of the group has a Speed reduced to:

HALF OR LESS OF NORMAL

 

This is a group rule.

One slow traveler can determine:

THE PACE OF THE WHOLE PARTY

EXAMPLE

A character's normal Speed:

30 FEET

Current Speed:

15 FEET

15 is exactly:

HALF

Therefore:

THE GROUP MUST TRAVEL AT SLOW PACE

IMPORTANT

The rule says:

HALF OR LESS

So:

Speed 16 from normal 30:

NOT YET HALF OR LESS

Speed 15:

YES

Speed 10:

YES

PART FOURTEEN: EXHAUSTION CAN CREATE A SLOWER TRAVELER

Recall the SRD 5.2.1 Exhaustion condition.

Each Exhaustion level reduces Speed by:

5 FEET

and imposes:

MINUS 2 TO D20 TESTS PER LEVEL

At Exhaustion 6:

DEATH

 

Suppose a character normally has:

SPEED 30

At Exhaustion 1:

Speed:

30 minus 5 =

25

At Exhaustion 2:

20

At Exhaustion 3:

15

Now Speed has reached:

HALF OF NORMAL

Therefore the Slower Travelers rule can force:

THE ENTIRE GROUP TO SLOW PACE

Travel fatigue can therefore create a feedback loop:

LONGER TRAVEL

can cause:

EXHAUSTION

which can reduce:

SPEED

which can eventually force:

SLOW TRAVEL

This is one reason pushing a journey too hard can become strategically costly.

PART FIFTEEN: EXTENDED TRAVEL

Characters can normally travel for:

8 HOURS PER DAY

They may travel longer.

But every additional hour creates:

A CONSTITUTION SAVING THROW

 

Failure:

GAIN 1 EXHAUSTION LEVEL

Success:

NO EXHAUSTION FROM THAT CHECK

THE DC

The formula is:

DC 10 + 1 FOR EACH HOUR PAST 8

So:

Total Hours Traveled	Extra Hour	Constitution Save DC
8	None	None
9	First extra hour	11
10	Second extra hour	12
11	Third extra hour	13
12	Fourth extra hour	14
13	Fifth extra hour	15
14	Sixth extra hour	16

IMPORTANT

The saving throw occurs:

AT THE END OF EACH ADDITIONAL HOUR

It isn't one single save at the end of the entire forced march.

PART SIXTEEN: EVERY CHARACTER SAVES INDIVIDUALLY

The rule says:

EACH CHARACTER

must make the Constitution Saving Throw.

So the party doesn't make:

ONE GROUP SAVE

EXAMPLE

Four adventurers travel for:

10 HOURS

At the end of hour 9:

DC 11 CONSTITUTION SAVE EACH

At the end of hour 10:

DC 12 CONSTITUTION SAVE EACH

One character might succeed both times.

Another might fail once.

Another might fail twice.

Therefore members of the same party can accumulate:

DIFFERENT EXHAUSTION LEVELS

PART SEVENTEEN: EXTENDED TRAVEL EXAMPLE

The party has traveled:

8 HOURS

but learns that an army will attack a village tomorrow morning.

They decide to continue for:

4 MORE HOURS

Total:

12 HOURS

Each character makes:

HOUR 9: DC 11

HOUR 10: DC 12

HOUR 11: DC 13

HOUR 12: DC 14

Suppose one hero fails the:

DC 11

and:

DC 14

saves.

They gain:

EXHAUSTION 2

SRD 5.2.1 Exhaustion 2 means:

MINUS 4 TO D20 TESTS

and:

MINUS 10 FEET TO SPEED

If their normal Speed was:

30

current Speed:

20

They haven't yet reached half Speed, so Slower Travelers hasn't yet forced the party to Slow pace.

But another failed extended travel save could change that.

PART EIGHTEEN: TRAVEL PACE AND EXTENDED HOURS ARE DIFFERENT RULES

Do not confuse:

HOW FAST YOU TRAVEL

with:

HOW LONG YOU TRAVEL

Fast, Normal, and Slow are:

PACES

Eight hours is the normal:

DAILY TRAVEL DURATION

The party can therefore travel:

FAST FOR 8 HOURS

NORMAL FOR 8 HOURS

or:

SLOW FOR 8 HOURS

without invoking Extended Travel.

Extended Travel begins when the group exceeds:

8 HOURS

regardless of whether the chosen pace was:

FAST

NORMAL

or:

SLOW

The extended travel rule itself doesn't say:

“SLOW PACE LETS YOU TRAVEL FOREVER WITHOUT SAVES”

PART NINETEEN: SPECIAL MOVEMENT

Sometimes the party has access to a Speed much greater than ordinary walking.

The SRD gives examples such as:

WIND WALK

and:

CARPET OF FLYING

For sustained high Speed, convert the Speed into overland travel rates.

The formulas are:

MILES PER HOUR = SPEED DIVIDED BY 10

Then:

NORMAL DAILY MILES = MILES PER HOUR × HOURS TRAVELED

normally using:

8 HOURS

Then:

FAST PACE = NORMAL DAILY MILES × 1⅓

round down.

And:

SLOW PACE = NORMAL DAILY MILES × ⅔

round down.

PART TWENTY: SPECIAL MOVEMENT EXAMPLE, SPEED 60

Suppose magical movement gives the party:

SPEED 60

STEP 1: MILES PER HOUR

60 divided by 10 =

6 MILES PER HOUR

STEP 2: NORMAL DAY

6 × 8 =

48 MILES

STEP 3: FAST PACE

48 × 1⅓ =

64 MILES

STEP 4: SLOW PACE

48 × ⅔ =

32 MILES

So sustained Speed 60 produces:

Pace	Distance in 8 Hours
Fast	64 miles
Normal	48 miles
Slow	32 miles

This is a special movement calculation.

Do not replace the ordinary Travel Pace table for normal adventurers with:

SPEED DIVIDED BY 10

The Gameplay Toolbox introduces that formula specifically for parties capable of traveling at:

HIGH SPEED FOR AN EXTENDED TIME

PART TWENTY ONE: SPECIAL MOVEMENT EXAMPLE, SPEED 80

Speed:

80

Miles per hour:

80 divided by 10 =

8

Normal 8 hour day:

8 × 8 =

64 MILES

Fast:

64 × 1⅓ =

85⅓

Round down:

85 MILES

Slow:

64 × ⅔ =

42⅔

Round down:

42 MILES

This example demonstrates why:

ROUND DOWN

matters.

PART TWENTY TWO: CARPET OF FLYING EXAMPLE

The SRD's Carpet of Flying can have different Fly Speeds depending on its size:

80 FEET

60 FEET

40 FEET

or:

30 FEET

and its Fly Speed can be halved if overloaded beyond normal capacity.

Suppose the party uses a Carpet with:

FLY SPEED 80

The special travel formula gives:

80 divided by 10 =

8 MILES PER HOUR

Normal 8 hour travel:

64 MILES

Because it is flying, another special travel rule now becomes important.

PART TWENTY THREE: FLYING CAN IGNORE TERRAIN PACE LIMITS

If the characters are:

FLYING

or if their special movement lets them ignore:

DIFFICULT TERRAIN

they can travel at:

FAST PACE

regardless of the terrain.

This is a major exception.

EXAMPLE

Terrain:

MOUNTAIN

Normal maximum pace:

SLOW

But the party is flying using sustained magical travel.

The special rule says flying characters may use:

FAST PACE

regardless of the terrain.

So they don't have to crawl through mountain passes at:

SLOW PACE

They can travel over the terrain.

IMPORTANT

This rule changes:

MAXIMUM TRAVEL PACE

It doesn't automatically say the travelers are immune to every environmental danger.

A flying party might still face:

WEATHER

CREATURES

MAGICAL EFFECTS

or other hazards if the relevant rules establish them.

PART TWENTY FOUR: IGNORING DIFFICULT TERRAIN

Special movement need not be flying.

If it lets the party:

IGNORE DIFFICULT TERRAIN

the same rule permits:

FAST PACE REGARDLESS OF TERRAIN

 

This means magical mobility can completely change how the GM plans:

OVERLAND JOURNEYS

At low levels:

A MOUNTAIN RANGE CAN BE A MAJOR OBSTACLE

At higher levels:

SPECIAL MOVEMENT MAY TURN IT INTO A FAR SMALLER LOGISTICAL PROBLEM

That is a natural consequence of characters gaining:

MORE POWERFUL TRAVEL OPTIONS

PART TWENTY FIVE: VEHICLES

The Gameplay Toolbox gives a special rule for vehicle travel:

USE THE VEHICLE'S SPEED IN MILES PER HOUR TO DETERMINE TRAVEL RATE

and:

DON'T CHOOSE A TRAVEL PACE

 

This means a vehicle can come with its own:

OVERLAND SPEED

rather than requiring you to convert the passengers' personal Speed.

IMPORTANT SOURCE NOTE

Earlier in Playing the Game, the general travel section says travelers in:

WAGONS

CARRIAGES

and other land vehicles choose a pace normally, while waterborne vessels use the vessel's own speed and don't choose a pace.

The later Gameplay Toolbox vehicle paragraph states more broadly that characters traveling in a vehicle use the vehicle's speed in miles per hour and don't choose a travel pace.

For this advanced Gameplay Toolbox procedure, use:

THE TOOLBOX VEHICLE INSTRUCTION

when applying this specific module.

This keeps the distinction transparent rather than silently replacing one SRD statement with another.

PART TWENTY SIX: MOUNTS

The basic travel rules also allow mounted groups to cover:

TWICE THE NORMAL TRAVEL DISTANCE FOR 1 HOUR

After that hour, the mounts need:

A SHORT REST

or:

A LONG REST

before they can travel at that increased rate again.

EXAMPLE: NORMAL PACE

Normal pace per hour:

3 MILES

Mounted burst:

3 × 2 =

6 MILES IN THAT HOUR

Then the mount needs:

SHORT OR LONG REST

before it can repeat that doubled travel rate.

EXAMPLE: FAST PACE

Fast:

4 MILES PER HOUR

Mounted doubled hour:

8 MILES

This is a:

SHORT BURST OF TRAVEL

not a rule that automatically doubles:

THE ENTIRE DAILY DISTANCE

PART TWENTY SEVEN: WATERBORNE TRAVEL

The Travel Terrain table marks Waterborne maximum pace as:

SPECIAL

because the travel rate depends on:

THE VEHICLE

 

The general Travel rules also note that some ships, depending on:

THE VESSEL

and:

CREW SIZE

may be able to travel for up to:

24 HOURS PER DAY

 

That doesn't mean:

EVERY BOAT AUTOMATICALLY TRAVELS 24 HOURS

The SRD says:

SOME SHIPS MIGHT

depending on the vessel and crew.

PART TWENTY EIGHT: A COMPLETE ADVANCED JOURNEY

The heroes must reach a ruined fortress before an enemy army does.

The route contains:

1. Grassland

2. Forest

3. Mountains

The party initially travels on foot.

STAGE 1: GRASSLAND

Maximum pace:

FAST

They choose:

FAST

Base daily distance:

30 MILES

But their Perception, Survival, and Stealth checks suffer:

DISADVANTAGE

from Fast pace.

STAGE 2: FOREST

Maximum:

NORMAL

Fast is no longer normally available.

The party chooses:

NORMAL

Base day:

24 MILES

Stealth:

DISADVANTAGE

STAGE 3: MOUNTAINS

Maximum:

SLOW

Base day:

18 MILES

But the party discovers a:

GOOD ROAD

Good Road raises maximum pace:

Slow to:

NORMAL

Now the party may travel:

24 MILES PER DAY

instead of being restricted to 18.

THEN A CHARACTER BECOMES SLOWED

Normal Speed:

30

Current Speed:

15

The Slower Travelers rule activates.

The group must travel:

SLOW

Even though the road would otherwise allow:

NORMAL

THEN THE PARTY PUSHES PAST EIGHT HOURS

Hour 9:

DC 11 CONSTITUTION SAVE

Hour 10:

DC 12

A character fails both.

They gain:

EXHAUSTION 2

Their D20 Tests suffer:

MINUS 4

and their Speed falls by:

10 FEET

This demonstrates how several advanced travel systems can interact during:

ONE JOURNEY

PART TWENTY NINE: A COMPLETE MAGICAL JOURNEY

Later in the campaign, the party gains sustained:

FLY SPEED 60

Now:

MILES PER HOUR

60 divided by 10 =

6

Normal 8 hour travel:

6 × 8 =

48 MILES

Fast:

48 × 1⅓ =

64 MILES

Because they are flying:

FAST PACE IS ALLOWED REGARDLESS OF TERRAIN

So even across mountains, they can potentially travel:

64 MILES IN 8 HOURS

under this special movement calculation.

This illustrates an important progression in fantasy adventures:

TRAVEL CHALLENGES CHANGE AS CHARACTERS BECOME MORE POWERFUL

Early adventurers may fear:

MOUNTAIN PASSES

Later adventurers may simply:

FLY ABOVE THEM

That is not the travel rules breaking.

It is the characters gaining:

NEW CAPABILITIES

PART THIRTY: WHAT THE PLAYER ACTUALLY DOES

During a normal journey, the player usually doesn't need to calculate all of this alone.

The conversation might sound like this:

GM:

“THE ROUTE CROSSES A DENSE FOREST. THE MAXIMUM PACE IS NORMAL.”

Players decide:

NORMAL

or:

SLOW

If they choose Normal:

24 MILES PER DAY

and:

DISADVANTAGE ON STEALTH

If they choose Slow:

18 MILES PER DAY

but:

ADVANTAGE ON PERCEPTION AND SURVIVAL

The GM then uses the terrain table when relevant for things such as:

NAVIGATION

FORAGING

SEARCHING

or:

ENCOUNTER DISTANCE

The core player choice remains simple:

HOW QUICKLY DO WE WANT TO TRAVEL?

PART THIRTY ONE: WHAT THE GM ACTUALLY DOES

The GM can resolve advanced travel with this procedure.

STEP 1

Identify the:

JOURNEY STAGE

STEP 2

Determine its predominant:

TERRAIN

STEP 3

Find the terrain's:

MAXIMUM PACE

STEP 4

Apply modifiers such as:

GOOD ROAD

SLOWER TRAVELER

FLYING

or:

SPECIAL MOVEMENT

STEP 5

The group selects an available:

PACE

if the procedure uses normal Travel Pace.

STEP 6

Apply that pace's:

DISTANCE

and:

CHECK MODIFIERS

STEP 7

If travel goes beyond:

8 HOURS

begin:

EXTENDED TRAVEL SAVES

STEP 8

Use terrain table reference values for:

ENCOUNTERS

FORAGING

NAVIGATION

and:

SEARCHING

when appropriate.

This turns what could seem like complicated wilderness accounting into:

A REPEATABLE GM PROCEDURE

PART THIRTY TWO: COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

MISTAKE 1: ASSUMING FAST PACE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE

Terrain can establish a lower:

MAXIMUM PACE

MISTAKE 2: TREATING MAXIMUM PACE AS REQUIRED PACE

A Forest maximum of Normal still allows:

SLOW

MISTAKE 3: FORGETTING FAST PACE PENALTIES

Fast imposes Disadvantage on:

PERCEPTION

SURVIVAL

and:

STEALTH

MISTAKE 4: FORGETTING NORMAL PACE AFFECTS STEALTH

Normal pace imposes:

DISADVANTAGE ON STEALTH

MISTAKE 5: GIVING SLOW PACE ADVANTAGE ON STEALTH

Slow gives Advantage on:

PERCEPTION

and:

SURVIVAL

not Stealth.

MISTAKE 6: USING ONE TERRAIN TYPE FOR A MULTI TERRAIN JOURNEY

The GM can evaluate:

EACH JOURNEY STAGE

by its predominant terrain.

MISTAKE 7: LETTING A MOUNTAIN PARTY TRAVEL FAST NORMALLY

Mountain maximum:

SLOW

MISTAKE 8: FORGETTING GOOD ROADS

Good Road:

PLUS ONE MAXIMUM PACE STEP

MISTAKE 9: TURNING A GOOD ROAD INTO A FOURTH PACE

There are still only:

FAST

NORMAL

SLOW

MISTAKE 10: IGNORING THE SLOWEST GROUP MEMBER

If any group member's Speed is reduced to half or less of normal:

GROUP MUST MOVE SLOW

MISTAKE 11: THINKING BELOW HALF MEANS STRICTLY LESS THAN HALF

The rule says:

HALF OR LESS

Exactly half qualifies.

MISTAKE 12: MAKING ONE EXTENDED TRAVEL SAVE FOR THE PARTY

Each character:

SAVES INDIVIDUALLY

MISTAKE 13: MAKING ONE SAVE AFTER FOUR EXTRA HOURS

Save at:

END OF EACH EXTRA HOUR

MISTAKE 14: USING DC 10 FOR EVERY EXTENDED HOUR

DC increases:

BY 1 EACH HOUR AFTER EIGHT

MISTAKE 15: THINKING EXTENDED TRAVEL STARTS AFTER TEN HOURS

It begins:

AFTER EIGHT HOURS

MISTAKE 16: THINKING SLOW PACE AVOIDS EXTENDED TRAVEL SAVES

Pace and total hours are:

DIFFERENT RULES

MISTAKE 17: FORGETTING EXHAUSTION REDUCES SPEED

Each Exhaustion level:

MINUS 5 FEET SPEED

MISTAKE 18: FORGETTING EXHAUSTION CAN FORCE THE WHOLE PARTY TO SLOW

When someone's Speed reaches half or less of normal:

SLOWER TRAVELERS RULE

can activate.

MISTAKE 19: USING THE HIGH SPEED FORMULA FOR EVERY ORDINARY CHARACTER

The Special Movement formula is for a party able to maintain:

HIGH SPEED FOR EXTENDED TRAVEL

Ordinary travel uses:

THE STANDARD TRAVEL PACE TABLE

MISTAKE 20: FORGETTING TO ROUND DOWN

Fast and Slow special movement calculations can create fractions.

Default:

ROUND DOWN

MISTAKE 21: ADDING FAST PACE TO MILES PER HOUR DIRECTLY

The Toolbox formula calculates:

NORMAL DAILY DISTANCE FIRST

Then applies:

FAST × 1⅓

or:

SLOW × ⅔

MISTAKE 22: MAKING FLYING CHARACTERS OBEY THE TERRAIN MAXIMUM PACE

Sustained flying special movement can travel:

FAST REGARDLESS OF TERRAIN

MISTAKE 23: THINKING FLYING REMOVES EVERY ENVIRONMENTAL DANGER

The rule changes:

TRAVEL PACE

It doesn't declare total immunity to all travel hazards.

MISTAKE 24: USING PASSENGER WALKING SPEED FOR A VEHICLE

The Gameplay Toolbox vehicle rule uses:

VEHICLE SPEED IN MILES PER HOUR

MISTAKE 25: DOUBLING MOUNT TRAVEL FOR THE WHOLE DAY

Mounts can double the travel distance for:

ONE HOUR

then require:

SHORT OR LONG REST

before repeating that increased pace.

MISTAKE 26: ASSUMING EVERY SHIP TRAVELS 24 HOURS

The SRD says ships:

MIGHT

depending on:

VESSEL

and:

CREW SIZE

MISTAKE 27: INVENTING NEW PROCEDURES FOR EVERY TERRAIN TABLE COLUMN

Use:

THE VALUES THE SRD PROVIDES

and apply them when the relevant situation calls for them.

Do not silently create rules the SRD hasn't established.

QUICK RECAP

BASIC PACE

FAST: 30 MILES PER DAY

NORMAL: 24 MILES PER DAY

SLOW: 18 MILES PER DAY

FAST PACE

Disadvantage:

PERCEPTION

SURVIVAL

STEALTH

NORMAL PACE

Disadvantage:

STEALTH

SLOW PACE

Advantage:

PERCEPTION

SURVIVAL

TERRAIN

Predominant terrain determines:

MAXIMUM PACE

GOOD ROAD

Maximum pace:

PLUS ONE STEP

SLOWER TRAVELER

If any group member's Speed is:

HALF OR LESS OF NORMAL

group pace:

SLOW

EXTENDED TRAVEL

After:

8 HOURS

Constitution Save every additional hour.

Formula:

DC 10 + NUMBER OF HOURS PAST 8

Failure:

PLUS 1 EXHAUSTION LEVEL

SPECIAL MOVEMENT

MILES PER HOUR = SPEED DIVIDED BY 10

Normal daily:

MILES PER HOUR × HOURS TRAVELED

Fast:

NORMAL × 1⅓

Slow:

NORMAL × ⅔

Round down.

FLYING OR IGNORING DIFFICULT TERRAIN

Can use:

FAST PACE REGARDLESS OF TERRAIN

VEHICLES

Gameplay Toolbox procedure:

USE VEHICLE MILES PER HOUR

and:

DON'T CHOOSE A TRAVEL PACE

PRIME HERO CHALLENGE

A party must cross:

72 MILES

The first 24 miles are:

FOREST

The next 24 miles are:

GRASSLAND

The final 24 miles are:

MOUNTAIN

Resolve the journey.

CHALLENGE 1: FOREST

Maximum pace:

NORMAL

The party chooses Normal.

Distance per day:

24 MILES

Time for this stage:

1 DAY

Stealth:

DISADVANTAGE

CHALLENGE 2: GRASSLAND

Maximum:

FAST

The party chooses Fast.

Fast distance:

30 MILES PER DAY

Only 24 miles are required.

At 4 miles per hour:

24 divided by 4 =

6 HOURS

Fast pace penalties apply to:

PERCEPTION

SURVIVAL

and:

STEALTH

CHALLENGE 3: MOUNTAIN

Maximum:

SLOW

But there is a:

GOOD ROAD

Good Road increases maximum:

Slow to:

NORMAL

So the party may choose:

NORMAL

At 3 miles per hour:

24 divided by 3 =

8 HOURS

CHALLENGE 4: PUSHING FARTHER

After finishing those 8 mountain travel hours, the party decides to continue for:

2 EXTRA HOURS

Hour 9:

DC 11 CONSTITUTION SAVE

Hour 10:

DC 12 CONSTITUTION SAVE

Each character rolls:

SEPARATELY

CHALLENGE 5: EXHAUSTION

One character fails both saves.

Exhaustion:

2

D20 penalty:

MINUS 4

Speed reduction:

10 FEET

If normal Speed was 30:

CURRENT SPEED 20

This is not yet half or less of normal.

So that character hasn't yet forced the group to Slow through:

SLOWER TRAVELERS

CHALLENGE 6: ANOTHER EXHAUSTION LEVEL

The character later reaches:

EXHAUSTION 3

Speed:

30 minus 15 =

15 FEET

15 equals:

HALF NORMAL SPEED

Therefore:

THE GROUP MUST TRAVEL AT SLOW PACE

CHALLENGE 7: MAGICAL TRAVEL

Later the party gains sustained:

SPEED 60

Miles per hour:

60 divided by 10 =

6

Normal 8 hour travel:

6 × 8 =

48 MILES

Fast:

48 × 1⅓ =

64 MILES

If that movement is flying:

FAST PACE IS AVAILABLE REGARDLESS OF TERRAIN

LESSON 91: KEY TAKEAWAYS

Travel is not merely:

“WE WALK TO THE NEXT TOWN”

The SRD 5.2.1 gives the Game Master a structured way to turn journeys into meaningful gameplay.

Remember:

TRAVEL HAS FAST, NORMAL, AND SLOW PACES

FAST TRAVEL COVERS MORE DISTANCE BUT HURTS PERCEPTION, SURVIVAL, AND STEALTH

NORMAL TRAVEL HURTS STEALTH

SLOW TRAVEL HELPS PERCEPTION AND SURVIVAL

TERRAIN DETERMINES THE MAXIMUM PACE

FORESTS, DESERTS, CITIES, MOUNTAINS, SWAMPS, AND OTHER TERRAIN TYPES HAVE DIFFERENT TRAVEL VALUES

GOOD ROADS INCREASE MAXIMUM PACE BY ONE STEP

A TRAVELER AT HALF SPEED OR LESS CAN FORCE THE ENTIRE GROUP TO SLOW PACE

EIGHT HOURS IS THE NORMAL DAILY TRAVEL PERIOD

EACH ADDITIONAL HOUR REQUIRES ITS OWN CONSTITUTION SAVING THROW

THE EXTENDED TRAVEL DC STARTS AT 11 FOR HOUR NINE AND INCREASES BY ONE EACH HOUR

FAILURE CAUSES ONE EXHAUSTION LEVEL

EXHAUSTION CAN REDUCE SPEED ENOUGH TO SLOW THE ENTIRE PARTY

SUSTAINED HIGH SPEED MOVEMENT HAS ITS OWN CONVERSION FORMULA

SPEED DIVIDED BY TEN GIVES MILES PER HOUR FOR THAT SPECIAL TRAVEL PROCEDURE

FAST SPECIAL TRAVEL MULTIPLIES NORMAL DAILY DISTANCE BY 1⅓

SLOW SPECIAL TRAVEL MULTIPLIES IT BY ⅔

FRACTIONS ROUND DOWN

FLYING OR IGNORING DIFFICULT TERRAIN CAN ALLOW FAST PACE REGARDLESS OF TERRAIN

VEHICLES CAN USE THEIR OWN MILES PER HOUR TRAVEL RATE

and:

A GOOD GM CAN USE TERRAIN TO MAKE THE JOURNEY ITSELF PART OF THE ADVENTURE

The destination matters.

But in a role playing game:

THE ROAD TO THE DESTINATION CAN MATTER JUST AS MUCH

NEXT LESSON

LESSON 92: CREATING A CUSTOM BACKGROUND

The next lesson continues the Gameplay Toolbox with:

CREATING A BACKGROUND

You already learned the four SRD backgrounds:

ACOLYTE

CRIMINAL

SAGE

and:

SOLDIER

Now you will learn how the Game Master can construct new backgrounds tailored to:

A CAMPAIGN

A WORLD

or:

A SPECIFIC CHARACTER CONCEPT

We will build a custom background step by step by choosing:

THREE ABILITIES

AN ORIGIN FEAT

TWO SKILL PROFICIENCIES

ONE TOOL PROFICIENCY

and:

STARTING EQUIPMENT

while keeping the result fully inside the framework established by:

SRD 5.2.1

SRD 5.2.1 ATTRIBUTION

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.