Travel

* Modified: September 24, 2021 *

To facilitate a game that emphasizes risk/reward and exploration, travel becomes an integral part of play. It also provides opportunities for characters who have wilderness skills to use them in a way the has a meaningful impact on play, where these skills may be glossed over in games where travel is less important. Below is a combination of RAW and new House Rules, and assumes some sort of map crawl (such as Pointcrawl or Hexcrawl).

Travel Sheet (pdf)

Travel speeds

Source: PHB p.182

Base travel speeds assume that terrain is relatively flat and easily traversed (roads, grasslands, etc.), and that a party will travel for 8 hours per day. Speeds also assume Medium-sized humanoids; adjustments may be made if one or more of the party is a Small humanoid.

Fast

1 1/3 days’ distance; ~4mph, ~30 miles/day
Disadvantage on Perception checks
DC 10 Con save or take a level of Exhaustion at the end of the day

Normal

1 day’s distance; ~3mph, ~24 miles/day

Slow

2/3 day’s distance; ~2mph, ~18 miles/day
Can use Stealth
Can forage for Food

Difficult Terrain

1/2 speed

Very Difficult Terrain

(House Rule) 1/4 speed
(House Rule) May need an appropriate skill check or the terrain becomes Impassible

Impassible Terrain

(House Rule) May not traverse using normal means
(House Rule) May (potentially) traverse using magical means (Flight, Spider Climb, etc.)

Dangerous Terrain

(House Rule) May cause damage

Encumbrance is in effect

An Encumbered character can only move at Slow speed (equivalent to RAW).
(House Rule) A Heavily Encumbered character can only move at Slow speed and all terrain is considered at least Difficult Terrain (1/3 normal speed or less). Difficult Terrain is considered Very Difficult Terrain (1/6 speed) while Heavily Encumbered, and Very Difficult Terrain is Impassible.

Survival check once per day (generally when setting out)
Automatic success for easy, well-marked terrain (following heavily-travelled Roads, alongside a River with no obstructions, etc.)
DC 5 for open, temperate terrain (Meadows, Farmland)
DC 10 in open Arctic, Desert, Hills
DC 15 in Forest, Jungle, Swamp, Mountains
+5 DC if Lightly Obscured (dim light, patchy fog, foliage)
+10 DC if Heavily Obscured (darkness, thick fog, dense foliage)
(House Rule) Ranger (Natural Explorer), Druid (Circle of the Land), and Explorer Feat (new Feat) allows for Advantage to Navigation checks in the chosen terrain(s)
(House Rule) Advantage on Navigation checks if a character is very familiar with a particular area
(House Rule) A Natural 20 on a Navigation check receives either Advantage on the next day’s check or one automatic Forage success (regardless of travel speed).

Food and Water

Source: PHB p.185

Food

One pound of food per character per day.
(House Rule) Can go without food for 1 + (Con modifier) days; one level of Exhaustion per day thereafter.
Can ration food (1/2 day ration = 1/2 day without food).

Water

One gallon per day per character; two gallons per day in extreme heat.
If not drinking enough water, DC 15 Con save or one level of Exhaustion.

Foraging

Source: DMG p.111

Each person with Survival proficiency can make a Survival check if moving at Slow speed
Ranger Natural Explorer, Druid (Circle of the Land), New Feat (Explorer) allows advantage and Food for 2 people on success
DC 10 Abundant sources
DC 15 Limited sources
DC 20 Very little, if any sources

Encumbrance

Source: PHB p.176

Encumbrance is in effect to emphasize a risk/reward style of play. What do you carry in? How much loot can you carry away? Do you give up rations to make space to bring back that small chest of platinum? Or do you try and carry it all, slowing your journey back to town?

Exhaustion

Source: PHB p.291

Level	Effect
1	Disadvantage on Ability Checks
2	Speed halved
3	Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Saving Throws
4	Hit point maximum halved
5	Speed reduced to 0
6	Death