Travelling (by jaythegreenling)

*A download link for a Dragon Age version of these rules can be found at the bottom of the page.*

Travelling from one place to another—whether alone or in a group—can be a dangerous endeavour. Large groups are the safer option because of numbers, but a lone traveller is less inconspicuous and has a much easier time staying out of sight entirely. A small group is thus the ideal travelling party and can try to bridge the gap between safe and discreet.

When travelling, there are many things the party must keep in mind and pay attention to, and so it is best to assign each task to a party member who best suits it. This way they can ensure to have the highest chance of arriving at their destination in one piece—or at all.

## Danger Levels

Every journey is different, and so the GM makes a judgement call as to how dangerous the area ahead is before the party sets out.

The GM can either keep the target number secret, tell the party the target number outright, or have one of the party members make a TN 13 Intelligence test with a focus related to the factor that the GM considers the most dangerous in the journey ahead.

* E.g.: If the journey ahead leads through enemy lands, Cultural Lore or Military Lore could be used, while dangerous terrain might require a Natural Lore test.

Once the party members have selected their roles, the GM may hand out bonuses or impose penalties from 1-3 to represent a character’s superior or inferior knowledge of the area, the local terrain, the people living there, etc.

 Dangerous wilderness and locations held by enemy factions
 Untamed wilderness with unknown dangers and/or terrain
 Tamed wilderness with known dangers
 Safe roads in a peaceful area

## Roles

Once the party has decided on a destination, they decide which party member will take on which role. There are three roles in total, and each of them relies on a specific set of skills.

If the party consists only of two people, one character takes on the roles of guide and scout, while the other takes on the role of quartermaster. In this case, the GM decides which guide or scout skill is the most relevant for the next leg of the journey.

### Guide

Primary Skills: Intelligence (Cartography and Navigation)

The guide is the one who plans out travel routes and has an eye on the road ahead. And maybe on a map. In other words, the guide's responsible for getting the group to where they need to go, and safely so. They set the travel pace (fast, average, slow), make sure to avoid treacherous paths, and usually travel at the front of the group. During travel, the guide makes either an Intelligence (Cartography) test (if they have a map of the area), or an Intelligence (Navigation) test against the Danger Level of the area being traversed. If the guide fails their test, the GM decides on how that impacts the party—they might move at a slower pace than expected, fail at being stealthy, get lost, etc.

#### Travel Pace

* Fast: Traverse one additional hex per day when travelling on foot. This means travelling for 10 hours instead of 8 and requires a TN 13 Constitution (Stamina) test from anyone who’s travelling at this speed. If this test is failed, the character is slowed: Their Speed is cut in half, but actions that require them to spend any fraction of their Speed are calculated from their normal Speed. This effect can be removed by resting one's legs for one day, or instantly with the Rejuvenate Body spell. If the character doesn't rest their legs, they must make a TN 15 Constitution (Stamina) test when they continue travelling. If they fail this test, they suffer a –1 penalty to all physical ability tests. This test needs to be repeated every day until they rest their legs, and the penalty is cumulative.
* Average: The regular travel pace as listed in the Travel tables.
* Slow: Travel half the distance when travelling on foot. This allows characters to try and be stealthy and remain unseen. If the guide succeeds at their test, the scout receives a +3 to their test result. If the guide fails the test, the scout doesn’t receive a bonus.

### Scout

Primary Skills: Perception (Seeing)

The scout is responsible for getting the group to where they need to go without encountering any unforeseen surprises from living beings or other hazards. For this reason, scouts travel some distance ahead, so they can warn the group should they discover anything untoward. Whenever the party is travelling, the scout makes a Perception (Seeing) test against the Danger Level of the area being traversed. If the scout fails their test, the GM rolls 2d6 on the Scout Complications table.

#### Scout Complications

 4-5
 6-7
 8-9
 10-11
 12

What type of hazard the party encounters is up to the GM and should be based on the local climate or terrain.

#### Example Hazards

Acid rain, avalanches, blizzards, coastal erosion, cold, corrosive marshes, cursed areas, cyclonic storms, darkness, dehydration, diseases, drowning, dust flats, earthquakes, falling, floods, fog, geomagnetic storms, grasping vines, hailstorms, heat, ice storms, landslides, magma fissures, poison mists, quicksand, rock slides, salt deserts, sandstorms, scorched plains, sinkholes, smoke, storms, suffocation, sulphuric steam, tar pits, thorns, tidal waves, tornadoes, traps, volcanic eruptions, webs, whirlpools, wildfires, etc.

* Some hazard effects can be found in the Modern AGE Companion p. 46.

### Quartermaster

Primary Skills: Communication (Bargaining) and Intelligence (Military Lore)

The quartermaster keeps track of supplies, keeps equipment in good condition, finds shelter for the party, and most importantly is responsible for setting up watches when the group rests. They make sure that any road taxes or tolls are paid, while also maintaining relationships with any people who might inhabit the area. When travelling in areas with a decent amount of population, the quartermaster makes a Communication (Bargaining) roll with a TN based on the Danger Level of the area. If they fail this test, they botched their communication with the locals and have to either pay a toll of an amount determined by the GM, or pay an increased price to stay at a local inn. If the quartermaster fails and the Stunt Die is a 1, the GM may decide that this interaction causes the locals to attack.

In remote areas, the quartermaster makes a TN 13 Intelligence (Military Lore) test, which determines the quality of the party’s shelter, its defensibility, and the quartermaster’s skill at setting up watches. If the quartermaster succeeds at this test, the shelter and watches will keep the group safe for the night. If the quartermaster fails, however, animals or rain may ruin their supplies, wind may carry off belongings, or the party may even be attacked by something or someone if the Stunt Die is a 1.

## Terrain

The terrain being traversed plays a big part in how far the party can go in one day.

Each hex spans roughly 15 km.

### Travel by Foot

* When mounted and on a fit horse with little gear, 1 additional hex can be traversed per day. This excludes mountains, and any trackless path except plains.
* When using horse relay and little gear, up to 8 hexes can be traversed per day. This excludes mountains, and any trackless path except plains.
* When travelling in deep snow, travel times should be reduced or halved.

### Travel by Water

* In the event of negative conditions, it is up to the GM to decide what happens (distances could be reduced or negated, the vehicle could lose its course, etc).
* Distances can be doubled when travelling on a ship that is designed to travel at night (this requires a kitchen so sailors can be fed without going on land, as well as a crew large enough to support a two-shift system).
* Rafts, barges, keelboats, and rowboats are most often used on lakes and rivers, but lack the crew necessary for a two-shift system. When going downstream, as long as one person guides these vehicles, the distance travelled can be doubled. These vehicles can’t be rowed against any significant current, but they can be pulled upstream by draft animals on the shores.
* Dragon Age: If a mage with Wind Weaving is available, ships can travel 1-3 hexes more per day. How many depends on the conditions and is up to the GM.

Distance (average): Average distance that can be traversed without positive or negative conditions (such as beneficial currents or storms).

Distance (ideal): Maximum distance that can be traversed under positive conditions (such as wind from a beneficial direction).

### Travel by Vehicle

* Animals pulling vehicles need at least 8 hours of rest or risk injury.
* Vehicles require pathways of at least road-width to operate at peak efficiency. Narrow pathways and trackless travels risk damaging the vehicle or getting stuck in the environment.
* When travelling in deep snow, travel times should be reduced or halved.

 Cart
 Wagon
 Stagecoach (fresh horses each station)

### PDF Download (DAGE)

The links lead to pdfs hosted on mega.nz and contain all the same information as this page. The DAGE version uses Dragon Age abilities.