Wilderness Adventuring

Sequence of Play Per Day

1. Decide course: The players decide on their course of travel for the day.
2. Losing direction: The referee determines whether the party gets lost.
3. Wandering monsters: The referee makes checks as applicable.
4. Description: The referee describes the terrain passed through and any sites of interest that the party comes across, asking players for their actions, as required. If monsters are encountered, follow the procedure described in Encounters.
5. End of day: The referee updates time records, with special attention to rations, spell durations, and the party’s need to rest.

Distance and Measurement

The open spaces of the wilderness mean that characters and monsters can move more freely than in a dungeon.

Ranges and movement rates: Are measured in yards, instead of feet. This means that ranges and movement rates are tripled.

Areas: Of spell effects, breath weapons, etc. are still measured in feet.

Flying

Miles per day: The distance a creature can fly in a day is double the distance it can travel overland (see Overland Travel). For example, a creature with a movement rate of 120’ could travel 24 miles in a day overland, but could fly 48 miles in a day.

Terrain: Does not affect air travel.

Flying Mounts

In general, a winged beast may carry riders or other burdens based on its HD:

• 3 HD creatures: May carry a being about half the size of an adult human.
• 6 HD creatures: May carry an adult human.
• 12 HD creatures: May carry a large animal like a horse.
• 24 HD creatures: May carry a very large animal like an elephant.

Foraging

Foraging for herbs, fruits, nuts, etc. can be performed alongside normal movement (see Overland Travel). The party has a 1-in-6 chance per day of finding enough food for 1d6 human-sized beings.

Hunting

Hunting must be engaged in as the sole activity for a day—no travelling or resting is possible. When hunting, there is a 1-in-6 chance of encountering animals which may be suitable for eating (if they can be caught!). This is in addition to the normal chance of random encounters (see Wandering Monsters).

Losing Direction

At the start of each day of travel, the referee should roll to determine if the group loses direction. The probability depends on the terrain being traversed:

• Clear, grasslands: 1-in-6.
• Barren lands, hills, mountains, woods: 2-in-6.
• Desert, jungle, swamp: 3-in-6.

Effects: See Losing Direction.

Overland Travel

Miles per day: The number of miles a character can travel in a day is determined by dividing their base movement rate by five. For example, a character whose base movement rate is 120’ could travel up to 24 miles in a day.

Terrain Modifiers

Some types of terrain modify the speed at which characters can travel:

• Broken lands, desert, forest, hills: 33% slower.
• Jungle, mountains, swamp: 50% slower.
• Maintained roads: 50% faster.

Forced March

If characters need to travel further in a day, they may engage in a forced march.

Speed increase: The distance travelled is increased by 50%. For example, a character that can normally travel 24 miles in a day could travel 36 miles.

Rest: After a forced march, characters must rest for a full day.

Resting

Frequency of rest: Characters must rest for one day per six days of travel.

Penalty for not resting: If characters press on without resting, they suffer a penalty of –1 to hit and damage rolls until they have rested for one full day.

Surprise

Surrounded: If a party is surprised by three or more monsters, the monsters may have moved to encircle the party.

Visibility

Characters can usually see for three miles around them, in open terrain. This range may sometimes be reduced (e.g. in overgrown terrain such as a forest) or increased (e.g. looking out from the top of a mountain).

Wandering Monsters

Frequency: A check is typically rolled once per day, but the referee may choose to make more checks: up to three or four per day.

Chance: The chance of encountering a wandering monster depends on the terrain being explored (see below).

Distance: Wandering monsters are encountered 4d6 × 10 yards away. If either side is surprised (see Encounters), this is reduced to 1d4 × 10 yards.

Chance by Terrain

• City, clear, grasslands, settled lands: 1-in-6.
• Aerial, barren, desert, forest, hills: 2-in-6.
• Jungle, mountains, swamp: 3-in-6.