Travelling

Created by jaythegreenling

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 Cunning 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.

Danger Levels
DANGER LEVEL TN
War-torn areas and places where enemies are actively looking for the
18
party
Dangerous wilderness and locations held by enemy factions 16
Untamed wilderness with unknown dangers and/or terrain 14
Tamed wilderness with known dangers 12
Safe roads in a peaceful area 10

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 Skill: Cunning (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 a Cunning (Cartography) test (if they have a map
of the area), or a Cunning (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 Regeneration 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
2D6 RESULT
2-3 Minor Hazard
4-5 Minor Hazard + Combat
6-7 Moderate Hazard
8-9 Moderate Hazard + Combat
10-11 Major Hazard
12 Major Hazard + Combat

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 Cunning (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 Cunning (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 Foot
TERRAIN HIGHWAY ROAD / TRAIL TRACKLESS
Desert, sandy 2 hexes / day 2 hexes / day 1 hex / day
Forest 2 hexes / day 2 hexes / day 1 hex / 2 days
Hills 2 hexes / day 2 hexes / day 1 hex / day
Jungle 2 hexes / day 1 hex / day 1 hex / 2 days
Marsh, Moor 2 hexes / day 1 hex / day 1 hex / day
Mountains 1 hex / day 1 hex / day 1 hex / 2 days
Plains 2 hexes / day 2 hexes / day 1 hex / day
Swamp 2 hexes / day 1 hex / day 1 hex / 2 days
Tundra, frozen 2 hexes / day 2 hexes / day 1 hex / day
Underground 2 hexes / day 2 hexes / day 1 hex / day

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 in 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 Water
SHIP DISTANCE (AVERAGE) DISTANCE (IDEAL)
Barque 8 hexes / day 16 hexes / day
Barquentine 9 hexes / day 18 hexes / day
Brig 5 hexes / day 10 hexes / day
Brigantine 6 hexes / day 12 hexes / day
Cog 2 hexes / day 4 hexes / day
Cutter 8 hexes / day 16 hexes / day
Galleon 3 hexes / day 6 hexes / day
Galley (rowed) 1 hex / day 2 hexes / day
Keelboat (rowed) 1 hex / day 2 hexes / day
Keelboat (going downstream) 2 hexes / day 4 hexes / day
Longship (sailed and rowed) 7 hexes / day 14 hexes / day
Penteconter (rowed) 4 hexes / day 8 hexes / day
Raft/Barge (poled or towed) 2 hexes / day 4 hexes / day
Rowboat (rowed) 1 hex / day 2 hexes / day
Schooner 3 hexes / day 6 hexes / day
Sloop 9 hexes / day 18 hexes / day
Trireme (rowed) 2 hexes / day 4 hexes / day

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.

Travel by Vehicle
VEHICLE HIGHWAY ROAD
Carriage 3 hexes / day 2 hexes / day
Cart 1 hex / day 1 hex / day
Wagon 2 hexes / day 1 hex / day
Stagecoach (fresh horses each station) 5 hexes / day 4 hexes / day