C HAPTE R 8 : ADVENTUR I NG

ELVING INTO THE ANCIENT TOMB OF HORRORS,

slipping through the back alleys of
MOV E M E NT
Waterdeep, hacking a fresh trail through Swimming across a rushing river, sneaking down a
the thickjungles on the Isle of Dread-these dungeon corridor, scaling a treacherous mountain slope­
are the things that DUNGEONS & DRAGONS all sorts of movement play a key role in D&D adventures.
adventures are made of. Your character in The DM can summarize the adventurers' movement
the game might explore forgotten ruins and without calculating exact distances or travel times: "You
uncharted lands, uncover dark secrets and sinister travel through the forest and find the dungeon entrance
plots, and slay foul monsters. And if all goes well, your late in the evening of the third day." Even in a dungeon,
character will survive to claim rich rewards before particularly a large dungeon or a cave network, the
embarking on a new adventure. DM can summarize movement between encounters:
This chapter covers the basics of the adventuring life, "After killing the guardian at the entrance to the ancient
from the mechanics of movement to the complexities of dwarven stronghold, you consult your map, which leads
social interaction. The rules for resting are also in this you through miles of echoing corridors to a chasm
chapter, along with a discussion of the activities your bridged by a narrow stone arch."
character might pursue between adventures. Sometimes it's important, though, to know how long
Whether adventurers are exploring a dusty dungeon it takes to get from one spot to another, whether the
or the complex relationships of a royal court, the game answer is in days, hours, or minutes. The rules for
follows a natural rhythm, as outlined in the book's determining travel time depend on two factors: the
introduction: speed and travel pace of the creatures moving and the
terrain they're moving over.
1. The DM describes the environment.
2. The players describe what they want to do. SPEED
3. The DM narrates the results of their actions.
Every character and monster has a speed, which is
Typically, the DM uses a map as an outline of the the distance in feet that the character or monster
adventure, tracking the characters' progress as they can walk in 1 round. This number assumes short
explore dungeon corridors or wilderness regions. bursts of energetic movement in the midst of a life­
The DM's notes, including a key to the map, describe threatening situation.
what the adventurers find as they enter each new area. The following rules determine how far a character
Sometimes, the passage of time and the adventurers' or monster can move in a minute, an hour, or a day.
actions determine what happens, so the DM might
use a timeline or a flowchart to track their progress TRAVEL PAC E
instead of a map. While traveling, a group of adventurers can move at a
normal, fast, or slow pace, as shown on the Travel Pace
TI M E table. The table states how far the party can move in a
In situations where keeping track of the passage of period of time and whether the pace has any effect. A
time is important, the DM determines the time a task fast pace makes characters less perceptive, while a slow
requires. The DM might use i. different time scale pace makes it possible to sneak around and to search an
depending on the context of the situation at hand. In area more carefully (see the "Activity While Traveling"
a dungeon environment, the adventurers' movement section later in this chapter for more information).
Forced March. The Travel Pace table assumes that
happens on a scale of minutes. It takes them about a
minute to creep down a long hallway, another minute characters travel for 8 hours in day. They can push on
to check for traps on the door at the end of the hall, and beyond that limit, at the risk of exhaustion.
a good ten minutes to search the chamber beyond for For each additional hour of travel beyond 8 hours,
anything interesting or valuable. the characters cover the distance shown in the Hour
In a city or wilderness, a scale of hours is often more column for their pace, and each character must make
appropriate. Adventurers eager to reach the lonely tower a Constitution saving throw at the end of the hour. The
at the heart of the forest hurry across those fifteen miles DC is 10 + 1 for each hour past 8 hours. On a failed
in just under four hours' time. saving throw, a character suffers one level of exhaustion
For long journeys, a scale of days works best. (see appendix A).
Mounts and Vehicles. For short spans of time (up
Following the road from Baldur's Gate to Waterdeep, the
adventurers spend four uneventful days before a goblin to an hour), many animals move much faster than
ambush interrupts their journey. humanoids. A mounted character can ride at a gallop
In combat and other fast-paced situations, the game for about an hour, covering twice the usual distance for
relies on rounds, a 6-second span of time described in a fast pace. If fresh mounts are available every 8 to 10
chapter 9, "Combat." miles, characters can cover larger distances at this pace,
but this is very rare except in densely populated areas.

PART 2 ADVE TURING

18 1
 Characters in wagons, carriages, or other land taller than a quarter of the jump's distance), such a s a
vehicles choose a pace as normal. Characters in a hedge or low wall. Otherwise, you hit it.
waterborne vessel are limited to the speed of the vessel When you land in difficult terrain, you must succeed
(see chapter 5, "Equipment"), and they don't suffer on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to land on your
penalties for a fast pace or gain benefits from a slow feet. Otherwise, you land prone.
pace. Depending on the vessel and the size of the crew, High]ump. When you make a high jump, you leap
ships might be able to travel for up to 24 hours per day. into the air a number of feet equal to 3 + your Strength
Certain special mounts, such as a pegasus or griffon, modifier (minimum of 0 feet) if you move at least 1 0
or special vehicles, such as a carpet offlying, allow you feet o n foot immediately before the jump. When you
to travel more swiftly. The Dungeon Master's Guide make a standing high jump, you can jump only half that
contains more information on special methods of travel. distance. Either way, each foot you clear on the jump
costs a foot of movement. In some circumstances, your
TRAV E L PAC E DM might allow you to make a Strength (Athletics)
Distance Traveled per • • .
check to jump higher than you normally can.
You can extend your arms half your height above
Pace M inute Hour Day Effect
yourself during the jump. Thus, you can reach above
Fast 400 feet 4 m iles 30 miles -5 penalty to you a distance equal to the height of the jump plus l1 h
passive Wisdom times your height.
(Perception) scores
Normal 300 feet 3 m iles 24 miles ACT I VITY WH I L E TRAV E L I NG
Slow 200 feet 2 m iles 18 miles Able to use stealth As adventurers travel through a dungeon or the wil­
derness, they need to remain alert for danger, and
DIFFICULT TERRA I N some characters might perform other tasks to help
The travel speeds given i n the Travel Pace table assume the group's journey.
relatively simple terrain: roads, open plains, or clear
dungeon corridors. But adventurers often face dense for­ MARC H I NG ORDER
ests, deep swamps, rubble-filled ruins, steep mountains, The adventurers should establish a marching order.
and ice-covered ground-all considered difficult terrain. A marching order makes it easier to determine which
You move at half speed in difficult terrain-moving characters are affected by traps, which ones can spot
1 foot in difficult terrain costs 2 feet of speed-so you hidden enemies, and which ones are the closest to those
can cover only half the normal distance in a minute, enemies when a fight breaks out.
an hour, or a day. A character might occupy the front rank, one or more
middle ranks, or the back rank. Characters in the front
S P E C I A L TYP E S OF M OVE M E N T and back ranks need enough room to travel side by side
with others in their rank. When space is too tight, the
Movement through dangerous dungeons o r wilderness
marching order must change, usually by moving charac­
areas often involves more than simply walking.
ters to a middle rank.
Adventurers might have to climb, crawl, swim, or jump
Fewer Than Three Ranks. If an adventuring party
to get where they need to go.
arranges its marching order with only two ranks, they
CLIMBING, SWIM M I NG, AND C RAWLING are a front rank and a back rank. If there's only one rank,
Each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet it's considered a front rank.
in difficult terrain) when you're climbing, swimming,
or crawling. You ignore this extra cost if you have a
STEALTH
While traveling at a slow pace, the characters can
climbing speed and use it to climb or a swimming
move stealthily. As long as they're not in the open, they
speed and use it to swim. At the DM's option, climbing
can try to surprise or sneak by other creatures they
a slippery vertical surface or one with few handholds
encounter. See the rules for hiding in chapter 7, "Using
requires a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
Ability Scores."
Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might
require a successful Strength (Athletics) check. NOTICING THREATS
JUMPING Use the passive Wisdom (Perception) scores of the char­
acters to determine whether anyone in the group notices
Your Strength determines how fa r you can jump.
a hidden threat. The DM might decide that a threat can
Long]ump. When you make a long jump, you cover a
be noticed only by characters in a particular rank. For
number of feet up to your Strength score if you move at
example, as the characters are exploring a maze of tun­
least 10 feet on foot immediately before the jump. When
nels, the DM might decide that only those characters in
you make a standing long jump, you can leap only half
the back rank have a chance to hear or spot a stealthy
that distance. Either way, each foot you clear on the
creature following the group, while characters in the
jump costs a foot of movement.
front and middle ranks cannot.
This rule assumes that the height of your jump doesn't
While traveling at a fast pace, characters take a - 5
matter, such as a jump across a stream or chasm.
penalty to their passive Wisdom (Perception) scores
At your DM's option, you must succeed on a DC 10
to notice hidden threats.
Strength (Athletics) check to clear a low obstacle (no

PART 2 ADVENTU RI N G
r82
 Encountering Creatures. If the DM determines SPLITTI N G U P TH E PA RTY
that the adventurers encounter other creatures while Sometimes, it makes sense to split an adventuring party,
they're traveling, it's up to both groups to decide what especially if you want one or more characters to scout ahead.
happens next. Either group might decide to attack, You can form multiple parties, each moving at a different speed.
initiate a conversation, run away, or wait to see what the Each group has its own front, m iddle, and back ranks.
other group does. The d rawback to this approach is that the party will be split
Surprising Foes. If the adventurers encounter a
i nto several smaller groups in the event of an attack. The
advantage i s that a small group of stealthy characters moving
hostile creature or group, the DM determines whether
slowly m ight be able to sneak past enem ies that clumsier
the adventurers or their foes might be surprised when characters would alert. A rogue and a monk moving at a slow
combat erupts. See chapter 9 for more about surprise. pace are m uch harder to detect when they leave their dwarf
paladin friend behind.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Characters who turn their attention to other tasks as the
group travels are not focused on watching for danger. For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14 can
These characters don't contribute their passive Wisdom hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffocating, it
(Perception) scores to the group's chance of noticing has 2 rounds to reach air before it drops to 0 hit points.
hidden threats. However, a character not watching for
danger can do one of the following activities instead, or VI S I O N A N D L I GHT
some other activity with the DM's permission. The most fundamental tasks o f adventuring-noticing
Navigate. The character can try to prevent the group danger, finding hidden objects, hitting an enemy in
from becoming lost, making a Wisdom (Survival) check combat, and targeting a spell, to name just a few­
when the DM calls for it. (The Dungeon Master's Guide rely heavily on a character's ability to see. Darkness
has rules to determine whether the group gets lost.) and other effects that obscure vision can prove a
Draw a Map. The character can draw a map significant hindrance.
that records the group's progress and helps the A given area might be lightly or heavily obscured. In
characters get back on course if they get lost. No ability a lightly obscured area, such as dim light, patchy fog,
check is required. or moderate foliage, creatures have disadvantage on
Track. A character can follow the tracks of another Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
creature, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the A heavily obscured area-such as darkness, opaque
DM calls for it. (The Dungeon Master's Guide has rules fog, or dense foliage-blocks vision entirely. A creature
for tracking.) effectively suffers from the blinded condition (see appen­
Forage. The character can keep an eye out for ready dix A) when trying to see something in that area.
sources of food and water, making a Wisdom (Survival) The presence or absence of light in an environment
check when the DM calls for it. (The Dungeon Master's creates three categories of illumination: bright light, dim
Guide has rules for foraging.) light, and darkness.
Bright light lets most creatures see normally. Even
TH E ENVIRO N M E N T gloomy days provide bright light, as do torches, lan­
By its nature, adventuring involves delving into places terns, fires, and other sources of illumination within a
that are dark, dangerous, and full of mysteries to be specific radius.
Dim light, also called shadows, creates a lightly
explored. The rules in this section cover some of the
most important ways in which adventurers interact with obscured area. An area of dim light is usually a
the environment in such places. The Dungeon Master's boundary between a source of bright light, such as
Guide has rules covering more unusual situations. a torch, and surrounding darkness. The soft light
of twilight and dawn also counts as dim light. A
FALLI NG particularly brilliant full moon might bathe the land
in dim light.
A fall from a great height i s one o f the most common Darkness creates a heavily obscured area. Charac­
hazards facing an adventurer. At the end of a fall, a ters face darkness outdoors at night (even most moonlit
creature takes ld6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 nights), within the confines of an unlit dungeon or a sub­
feet it fell, to a maximum of 20d6. The creature lands terranean vault, or in an area of magical darkness.
prone, unless it avoids taking damage from the fall.
BLINDSIGHT
SUFFO C ATI NG A creature with blindsight can perceive its surroundings
A creature can hold its breath for a number o f minutes without relying on sight, within a specific radius.
equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum Creatures without eyes, such as oozes, and creatures
of 30 seconds). with echolocation or heightened senses, such as bats
When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it and true dragons, have this sense.
can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Consti­
tution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of DARKVISION
its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and Many creatures in the worlds of D&D, especially those
it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can that dwell underground, have darkvision. Within a
breathe again. specified range, a creature with darkvision can see in

PART 2 ADVENTU R I NG
dim light as if it were bright Jight and in darkness as if by physical and magical attacks much like creatures
it were dim light, so areas of darkness are on! y lightly can. The DM determines an object's Armor Class and
obscured as far as that creature is concerned. However, hit points, and might decide that certain objects have
the creature can't discern color in that darkness, only resistance or immunity to certain kinds of attacks. (It's
shades of gray. hard to eut a rope with a club, for example.) Objects
always fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws, and
TRUESIGHT they are immune to effects that require other saves.
A creature with truesight can, out to a specifie range, When an object drops to 0 hit points, it breaks.
see in normal and magical darkness, see invisible A character can also attempt a Strength check to
creatures and objects, automatically detect visual break an object. The DM sets the DC for any such check.
illusions and succeed on saving throws against them,
and perceives the original form of a shapechanger or
a creature that is transformed by magic. Furthermore,
the creature can see into the Ethereal Plane.
RES TING
Heroic though they might be, adventurers can't spend
FooD AND WATER every hour of the day in the thick of exploration, social
Characters who don't eat or drink suffer the effects of interaction, and combat. They need rest- time to
exhaustion (see appendix A). Exhaustion caused by lack sleep and eat, tend their wounds, refresh their minds
of food or water can't be removed un til the character and spirits for spellcasting, and br ace themselves for
eats and drinks the full required amount.
further adventure.
Foon Adventurers, as weil as other creatures, can take
A char acter needs one pound of food per day and can short rests in the midst of a day and a long rest to end it.
make food last longer by subsisting on half rations.
Eating half a pound of food in a day counts as half a day SHORT REST
without food.
A character can go without food for a number of days A short rest is a period of downtime, at least 1 hour long,
equal to 3 +his or her Constitution modifier (minimum during which a char acter does nothing more strenuous
1). At the end of each day beyond that limit, a char acterthan eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds.
automatically suffers one leve! of exhaustion. A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end
A normal day of eating resets the count of days
of a short rest, up to the character's maximum number
without food to zero.
of Hit Dice, which is equal to the character's level. For
WATER each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die
A char acter needs one gallon of water per day, or two and adds the character's Constitution modifier to it. The
gallons per day if the weather is hot. A character who character regains hit points equal to the total (minimum
drinks only half that much water must succeed on a
of 0). The player can decide to spend an additional Hit
DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer one leve! of
exhaustion at the end of the day. A character with access Die after each roll. A character regains sorne spent Hit
to even less water automatically suffers one leve! of Di ce upon finishing a long rest, as explained below.
exhaustion at the end of the day.
If the character already has one or more levels of LONG REST
exhaustion, the character takes two levels in either case.
A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at )east 8
INTERAC'"!:ING WITH ÜBJECTS hours long, during which a character sleeps for at least
A character's interaction with objects in an environment 6 hours and performs no more than 2 hours of light
is often simple to resolve in the game. The player tells activity, such as reading, talking, eating, or standing
the DM that his or her character is doing something, watch. If the rest is interrupted by a period of strenuous
such as moving a lever, and the DM describes what, if activity-at )east 1 hour of walking, fighting, casting
anything, happens. spells, or similar adventuring activity-the characters
For example, a char acter might decide to pull a lever,
which might, in turn, raise a portcullis, cause a room to
must begin the rest again to gain any benefit from it.
flood with water, or open a secret door in a nearby wall. At the end of a long rest, a character regains ali lost
If the lever is rusted in position, though, a character hit points. The character also regains spent Hit Dice, up
might need to force it. In such a situation, the DM might to a number of dice equal to half of the character's total
cali for a Strength check to see whether the character number of them (minimum of one die). For example, if a
can wrench the lever into place. The DM sets the DC for character has eight Hit Dice, he or she can regain four
any such check based on the difficulty of the task.
Characters can also damage objects with their
spent Hit Dice upon finishing a long rest.
weapons and spells. Objects are immune to poison and A character can't benefit from more than one long rest
psychic damage, but otherwise they can be affected in a 24-hour period, and a character must have at )east
1 hit point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.

PART 2 1 ADVENTURING
185
REST FOR THE W EARY ÛARK COMMUNION ,
ln D&D Se certain classes are designed to regain their ' Available to Warlocks
powers after a long rest while others regain powers
after a short rest or do not req uire rests at ali. This can You perform a dark ritual to appease your Otherworldly
lead to a dynarrùc where players of characters whose power and they gift you with additional power. Once
power resets on long rests set the pace of the game before your next short or long rest you can cast a spell
as they quickly use ali of their powers and then have you know from your Otherworldly Patron's expanded
little else to add to the adventun:: until they complete spell list without expending a spell s lot.
a long rest again. This dynarrùc can create a feedback
loop where classes built around regaining their powers D EEP SLEEPER
Jess often are setting the pace of resting negating what Available to al/ classes
is ostensibly supposed to be a limiting factor to their
power. You recover a leve] of exhaustion. You may use this idle
The DM's Guide offers an interesting rule that has the talent again after you complete a long rest.
potential to change this dynamic sim ply by changing the
length of short and long rests. In the Player's Handbook D EEPER SLEEPER
the length of a short rest is at !east one hour and a long Available to Barbarians and Pugifists
rest is 8 hours (with a few caveats). The "Gritty Realism"
resting variant presented in the DM's Guide (pg. 267) You recover a leve] of exhaustion. You may use this id le
changes the ti me required for rests, making a short rest talent again after yo u complete a long rest.
take 8 hours and a long rest takes 1 week. While this
change does work to dis rupt the dynamic of taking a DIVINE FAVOR
long rest after every combat or three it adds additional Available to Clerics, Monks, and Paladins
balance concerns as classes that require short and long
rests get those opportunities significantly Jess frequently You spend your ti me resting in prayer and moral
than their class design assu mes they will. reflection, appeasing you r higher power. Once before
The ru les presented here, Rest for the Weary, are your next short or long rest after you make a saving
intended to patch that consequence a llowing the "Gritty throw but before tht: DM declares whether or not it is
Realism" resting v<~ riant to be ust:d with a Jess dramatic a success you can choose to reroll and keep the second
effect on class balance by ad ding in a system of ldle result.
Talents.
EARTH'S BOUNTY
Available to Druids
GRITI'Y R EALISM
Using the Gritty Realism resting variant presented in You may only use this skill if you take a rest in
the Dungeon Master's Guide short rests require 8 hours wilderness. Beasts will not interrupt you and your allies'
of light activity and long rests require 7 days of light rest unless magically compelled to do so and at the
activity. end of the rest you can cast the spell goodberry without
using a spell slot.

l DLE TALENTS ELDRITCH R OTE REHEARSAL

Id le Talents are a new set of abilities that player Available to Sorcerers. War/ocks, and Wizards
characters acquire that improves their ability to take
advantage of short rests. During each short rest each You spend your rest mentally rehearsing the arcane
player character anno unces which of their ldle Talents details of your attack spells. Once before the next time
they are using that rest. A character can only use one you take a short or long rest, after you make a s pell
Id le Talent per short rest. attack roll but before the DM declares whet.her or not it
P layer characters get their fust ldle Talent at l st leve] was successful you can choose to reroll the attack and
and gain an additional Idle Talent at 2nd and 4th leve!. A use the second result.
character can only learn an Id le Talent that is available
to a class they have at least 1 leve! in or a race they FITFUL R EST
belong to. Each ldle Talent can only b~ learned once. Available to Barbarians
Sorne Id le Talents break the rules described above.
When an Id le Talent's description defies a rule defined You regain one use of Rage.
above, use the rule as described in the Id le Talent.

Mio;< Hl \Nl:ous REsT FoR THE WF-\R\

1
f'l)f <OmJ led. cditcdanddcsigncdtorc<;embk tlu oftiCJ<'llfllJ ro,H ndiJookiJJ u'Barlwlot
 lNNER STlŒNGTH SELF GARE
Available to r!ghters, Paladins, and Wai"locks Available to ali classes

Whether it cornes from a lifetirne of fighting, a deep The fust time during a rest you s pend a hit die to regain
comrnitment to ideals, or an uncomfortable familiarity hit points you regain that hit die.
with s uffering, you use your rest to shore up your own
inn er strength. Once be fore your next long or short rest SHARPEN THE KNIFE
when you take damage from an attack you take only half Available to Rogues
that amount of damage. You choose to apply this effect
after damage has been rolled. You spend part of your time resting sharpening your
dagger or other otherwise preparing a weapon for battle.
MAESTRO OF REST Choose one weapon yo u possess. Once before your next
Available to Bards short or long rest when you deal damage with a weapon
attack using this weapon you can choose to reroll the
When you use your Song of Rest feature, roll the extra damage di ce after you see the result. You m ust use the
healing die twice and use the higher result. second result. You may use this idle talent during a long
rest.
MAKE MERRY
Available to Dwarves, Barbarians, Bards, and Pugilists SORCEROUSRENEWAL
Available to Sorcerers
You and your companions drink and swap tales of
heroism to forget your worries and awake the next day You regain up to half your sorcerer levels in sorcerer
renewed. You and each of your companions can s pend points. Vou cannot use this idle talent again until you
and roll a hit die. Add your Constitution modifier and complete a long rest.
gain that many temporary hit points.
SPARRING
M E DITAT ION Available to Fighters, Monks, and Pugilists
Available to Monks
You use sorne of your ti me resting to spar with your
You spend your rest in deep concentration. At the companions or run drills. Once before the next time
conclusion of the rest you may cast the spelllesser you tak.e a short or long rest, after you make a weapon
restorat:ion on yourself without expending a spell slot. a ttack roll but before the DM declares whether or not it
was successful you can choose to reroll the attack and
NIGHT'S WAT CH use the second result.
Available to Elves, Fighters, Rangers, and Rogues
SPELL PREPARATION
You and your companions gain ad van tage on ali rolls Available to Wizards
to perceive enemy creatures as they approach this
short rest. If en emy creatures approach without Wh en you complete a short rest you can change your list
being detected, neither you nor your corn panions are of prepared spells as ifyou had completed a long rest.
surprised.
SPELLCASTER' S RECOVERY
Prcx Poc K.ETS Available to Bards, Clerics, Dniicls, Sorcei"ers, and
Available to Rogues Wizards

When you are in a settlement you can use part of your Wh en you finish a short rest you can choose expended
ti me resting to steal from the guileless chumps who s pell slots to recover. The spell s lots can have a
work for their gold. Make a Dexterity or Charisma combined level that is equal to or Jess thau half of your
(Sleight of Rand) ability check and gain half the result cleric, druid, sorcerer, and wizard (combined) Jevels
in gold pie<.:es. You may use this jdJe talent during a long (rounded up), and none of the s lo ts can be 6th leve!
rest and, when you do, you gain the result of the ability or higher. You may use this .i dle talent again after you
check rather than half. complete a long rest.

PRACTI CE SKILL S U RVIVALIST

Available to Bards and Rogues Available to Rangers

Once be fore the next time you take a short or long rest When you take a short rest you can use two id le talents
when yo u fail an ability check on a roll you added your instead of one.
proliciency bonus to, you may reroll that ability check
and use the second result instead. W ELL- TRAVELED
Available to Rangers
RESTORATIVE AURA
Available to Cleric-S, Druids, and Paladins Choose an idle talent available to rangers and any other
idle talent. You gain those idle talents.
After this rest, you and your companions regain 1 spent
hit die. A creature can only benefi.t from this ski!! once Rest For The Weary by
per rest. Vou can use thjs id le talent aga in after you Benjan1in Huffinan
complete a long rest. Art Credits in Order of Appearance
"The Party" by Ioana-Muresan
Mts' ELl..\NEous REsT FoR THE WE \RY
-
')
Improved Travel
This cheat sheet is based on The Angry GM's article Getting there is Half the Fun. Read that before using this page.
Set up for Travel A Day of Travel
1. Determine Time for each possible path of travel. Distance The instructions below outline how to run a single day of
is measured in days, not miles. travel.
2. Determine Danger Level for each possible path of travel.
3. Determine Navigation DC and Resource DC for each Setup the Day
possible path of travel. Determine Pace. The party informs you of the speed they
4. Determine Discovery Level for each path of travel. wish to take. This can vary between each time period.
5. Have party choose a path for travel. Determine Encounters. Roll 6d6. Each die corresponds
Time with a time of day: Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Dusk,
Midnight, Predawn.
Pace Consequences Distance Each die that is the Danger Level or lower is one potential
Slow Advantage to Perception checks. 2/3 random encounter for the day. Assign it to a time of day.
Disadvantage to be perceived or tracked. Danger Level determines maximum encounters for the day.
Advantage on Navigation checks. Forage Determine Discoveries. Roll 1d6. If this number is equal
with no penalties. to or below the Discovery Level for the path of travel, the
Normal Straight rolls to Perception checks and 1 players will come across a discovery this day.
being perceived or tracked.
Disadvantage to forage. Play Out the Day
Fast Disadvantage to Perception checks.
Advantage to be perceived or tracked.
1 1/3 Play out the encounters for the day. If the party short rests
Disadvantage on Navigation checks. No after a fight, don't worry about tracking that in terms of
opportunity to forage. distance covered.
Advantage and Disadvantage can be replaced with +4 or -4 Making Camp
respectively. Determine Location. If the party has not been following
landmarks or set paths, have the party's navigator roll a
Danger Level Survival check against the Navigation DC.
Level Description Determine Distance Covered. Pace determines how far
the party got, so log 2/3, 1, or 1 1/3 days accordingly. If the
1 Relatively safe, civilized region or a barren, desolate
region
party stopped to investigate a discovery, subtract 1/3 of a day.
If the party spent all day on the discovery, or did something
2 A dangerous frontier or a wild forest unexpected, log no travel or use your best judgement.
3 Enemy territory Determine Rations. Have every member of the party make
a check against the Forage DC. If someone fails the check,
4 Regularly patrolled, extremely hostile territory they must consume rations from their supply (1 pound of
5 The sort of terrain which is filled with monsters that food). If every member of the party fails the forage check, the
are actively trying to destroy all intruders and can party failed to find a clean water source and everyone has
detect the intruders with supernatural means drained their waterskin and will start dehydrating until they
find a water source.
Navigation and Forage Difficulty
DC Navigation Forage Play Out the Night
5 Farmland Farmland Play out the encounters for the night. If the long rest is
interrupted by a fight, it may impact on the next day's travel. A
10 Flatlands, Grasslands Lush forests, meadows long rest is two consecutive parts of the day.
15 Forests, Jungles Grasslands, Jungles
20 Mountains, Deep Jungles Mountain Ranges Being Lost
25 Desert, Tundra Desert, Tundra When the party makes camp, log zero progress and roll a
check for the navigator. If this check succeeds, the navigator
will recognize that the party has become lost the next
Discovery Level morning as the party is starting to set out. Otherwise, the
Level Description party will just continue to make no progress every day.
1 Within a day's travel from a city or town
Once they realise they are lost, it is up to the party to
decide how to get back on track by looking for landmarks or
2-3 Off the beaten track trying to backtrack. At this point they are on a new path and
4 An ancient area are no longer considered "lost".
Unearthed Arcana: Into the Wild
This Is Unofficial Material Resolving Travel
The material here is presented for playtesting and to
spark your imagination. These game mechanics are in These optional rules break overland travel down
draft form, usable in your campaign but not refined by into four different phases.
final game design and editing. They aren’t officially part
Wilderness Travel Phases
of the game and aren’t permitted in D&D Adventurers
Choose destination
League events.
Choose activities
If we decide to make this material official, it will be
Resolve activities and travel
refined based on your feedback, and then it will appear
Camp
in a D&D book.
The rules for wilderness travel in chapter 5 of
the Dungeon Master’s Guide and chapter 8 of the
Choose Destination
Player’s Handbook allow a DM to track a party’s Before the party begins traveling for the day, the
progress for each hour of travel. Those rules players must choose a destination. A destination
work similarly to the rules for dungeon can be a place the party can reach that same day,
navigation, in that the players pick a direction or one that requires several days of travel.
and strike off in search of adventure, adjusting If the characters want to wander an area
their path as they go. without a specific destination, use the standard
What I noticed in my own campaigns, though, rules for wilderness travel and exploration from
was that players tended to focus primarily on the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Player’s
their destination in wilderness travel. In a Handbook as they venture across your map.
dungeon, players think in terms of opening the
door to the east, or investigating the passage to Navigation DC
the north. Their choices are tactical in nature, These rules introduce a new concept called the
and based on the immediate environment. navigation DC. Some destinations can be found
Adventurers might be seeking a lost shrine in a automatically, but others have a DC that
dungeon, but the decisions they make along the measures the difficulty of finding a path to reach
way are all important and interesting. them. The Navigation DC table provides some
In the wilderness, most situations allow the examples.
characters to travel in any direction they choose. Some locations might be difficult or even
Their choices are circumstantial rather than impossible to find without the characters first
tactical. So when the characters decide to seek meeting a specific prerequisite. Reaching an
out a ruined temple in the forest, the choices invisible tower floating in the air might require a
they make along the way matter less than that special magic item that leads the characters to it.
initial big-picture decision. Or if a mundane location is hidden within a thick
The following approach to wilderness mist that fills a valley, characters who find a way
exploration and travel provides a new overlay to disperse the mist can lower the navigation DC
for the existing rules from the Dungeon Master’s for that location significantly.
Guide and the Player’s Handbook. They’re built
around the idea that the players have a specific
destination in mind as the party sets out for the
day. They also require that you take a new
approach to designing the wilderness regions of
your campaign as a DM.

©2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC 1

Navigation DCs Lost table to determine where the characters
DC Description end up. If a result would be impossible—such as
None Destination has a clear road, trail, or well- requiring the characters to travel farther than
marked path leading to it they can in a day—just pick a point between the
10 Destination lacks a path but is in open terrain characters’ starting point and their intended
15 Destination lacks a path but is in dense terrain final location that represents one day’s travel.
such as forest or mountains
20 Destination is hidden, with active efforts made Becoming Lost
to conceal its existence through mundane d6 Result
means 1–4 2d6 miles in a random direction from
25 Destination is hidden using illusions or other destination
magic 5–6 After traveling in circles, end 1d6 miles in a
30 Destination is hidden using powerful magic, random direction from starting point
such as a regional effect that causes a forest’s
trees to slowly shift and force characters onto
the wrong path
Random Encounters
While traveling using these rules, use the normal
guidelines for random encounters found in the
Choose Activities Dungeon Master’s Guide. As an optional rule for
when the characters are lost, roll twice for each
Each player undertakes an activity while random encounter check to reflect that the
traveling, choosing from among the options characters might blunder into a monster lair or
offered in chapter 8 of the Player’s Handbook—
other unusual threat.
but with one modification. In any case where the
destination has a navigation DC, at least one
character must choose to navigate in order to
Travel
After determining if a group becomes lost or has
give the party a chance to reach its destination.
a random encounter, check your map to
determine the characters’ route during the day.
Resolve Activities and Travel From their starting location, track how far they
travel toward their destination. Narrate any
Using these rules, a single set of ability checks
changes in terrain or any special locations the
for the characters’ activities resolves a full day’s
characters find along the way, resolving
worth of travel. The activities from the Player’s
encounters as needed.
Handbook function as described, with the
following exceptions.
Describing the Wilds
Navigation In the same way that a map and an encounter
If the party’s destination has a navigation DC, key describe a dungeon, the wilderness can be
one character must make a Wisdom (Survival) summarized with a hex map and a collection of
check against that DC, applying normal modifiers interesting features.
for the party’s travel pace and other factors.
With a successful check, the characters make
progress toward their destination, perhaps even
Mapping the Wilderness
reaching it if they move quickly enough. If the The guidance given for wilderness mapping in
check fails, or if no character makes a check the Dungeon Master’s Guide applies to these rules,
when the destination has a navigation DC, the with one potential exception. It’s a good idea to
party becomes lost. map out an area that a party can cover in a day
or two of travel, to allow your design to bring out
Becoming Lost the details that make each area unique.
If the party becomes lost, the characters end the When creating a wilderness, take the time to
day at the wrong location. Roll on the Becoming think about the mood of an area. Is it a hot,

©2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC 2

oppressive desert? Is it a terrifying realm of Athletics. You might require characters to
craggy peaks and rivers of lava, with a massive attempt Strength (Athletics) checks to navigate
fortress-spire built by a god of war looming over difficult terrain such as broken ground or
the landscape? mountain peaks, with failure slowing the party
Take time to also think about what creatures and causing injury.
are active in the wilderness, and why. Are the History. A successful Intelligence (History)
characters moving through a war-torn land, with check might allow a character to locate a
orc patrols harassing the characters? Do forgotten road, identify the origin of ruins, or
hobgoblin legions struggle to tame a wild find a site mentioned in myth or legend.
frontier, building defensive points to help claim Nature. By attempting Intelligence (Nature)
it? Are there legendary, deadly monsters that checks, characters might identify what sorts of
hunt in this region? creatures dwell in an area based on subtle clues,
Pay special attention to friendly settlements or spot the effect of magic on a natural
and roads. The ease of movement roads provide ecosystem.
and the promise of a safe haven make well- Stealth. It’s good to call for Dexterity (Stealth)
traveled and settled areas attractive to most checks in areas that are heavily patrolled or
characters—especially low-level characters. under the watch of a specific creature. Failing the
check or moving too quickly to be stealthy brings
Adventure Locations the characters under scrutiny.
Consider each of the potential adventure Survival. In an area infested with deadly
locations on your map, and assign navigation plants or other natural hazards, successful
DCs to them as appropriate. Take into account Wisdom (Survival) checks can allow the
the creatures that dwell nearby, a site’s notoriety, characters to avoid gathering and eating
the presence of any paths or roads leading there, poisonous plants, to spot quicksand and other
and so forth. hazards, and to avoid paths or areas where
dangerous creatures prowl.
Regional Effects
Review the monsters that lair in your wilderness, Tactical Terrain
and determine if any exert regional effects that
you need to account for. Regional effects As a final useful tool, consider creating a quick
(described in the Monster Manual) are a great table to help you generate terrain for random
tool for showing the players how the presence of encounters, or for other events that require a
a powerful creature can alter the environment. more detailed view as the characters explore. A
They also add an element of magic and random table filled with iconic terrain for an
strangeness to areas that might otherwise seem area can help inspire you in the moment, and
mundane. ensures that the interesting key elements of a
region remain part of the action.
Determine Checks and DCs Start off with at least one or two noteworthy
Take note of the DC needed to forage in an area. features that are always present. Then think of a
But also think about DCs for any other ability few simple but distinctive features that you’d
checks that you feel are relevant for the region. A expect to find in specific areas. If flat grasslands
few appropriate skills for such checks are noted are a dominant feature, you might also have low
below. hills, ruins, watering holes, thorny bushes, and
An ability check you call for might be part of an other less common features to break things up.
existing activity, it might require a special Once you are done, create a list of all your
activity relevant to an area, or it might be a check terrain features and assign each one a
you ask for only as appropriate. In any case, percentage chance to be present in an area
asking for special checks can help drive home a (including 100 percent for dominant features).
region’s unique character and dangers. Then when you need to create an encounter area
quickly, you can roll for each feature to see if it is

©2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC 3

present—thinking of these key features as markers, and so on are common sights,
tactical features that can have an impact on the especially near the roads and the river.
encounter. • Several druids are active in the area, drawn by
the ambient planar energy and its effects on
Sample Region: the land. Though rocky, the soil of the Moon
Hills is bountiful, in part because of the links to
Moon Hills the Feywild and the Plane of Earth. Though in
some areas, the influence of the Shadowfell
The Moon Hills are a rugged series of steep hills renders the land gray and dull.
at the heart of Nentir Vale. Patrols from Fallcrest • The maze-like nature of this land promises lots
help keep the area’s organized threats in check, of hidden areas and sudden discoveries. When
but monsters often make forays out from the bandits are active here, they thrive on ambush.
Cloak Wood. Strange creatures drawn from the • The variety of terrain and features makes
Feywild, the Shadowfell, and the Elemental Plane travel in the Moon Hills challenging. Any
of Earth are also found here. experienced traveler can attempt to navigate
this place, but the lack of clear sight lines and
Ambient Mood the difficulty of long-distance navigation can
make things daunting for the inexperienced.
The hills are steep and sharp, with jagged
escarpments forming sprawling, hilly plateaus.
Small groves dot the area, as do the occasional Settlements
burial mound, watchtowers from ancient Saruun An attack on any of the farms or manors in the
Khel, and other old ruins. The features of the Moon Hills draws the notice of travelers or locals
Moon Hills include the following: within a day or two. While the area has its
secrets, the countryside is civilized overall.
• Play up the hills and the jagged cliff faces,
making travel through this area feel like
navigating a maze. Straight and easy paths are Ruins and Dungeons
rare here.
The area is dotted with a few basic types of ruins
• Random boulders are common in the area,
and dungeons, including the following:
placed by the influence of elemental earth and
looking as though they were dropped from the • Megaliths have been raised by the druids, with
sky. Wind and rain erode the soil to reveal tunnels and chambers excavated beneath them.
other strange rock formations that develop as They are constructed at points where planar
elemental earth energy seeps into the energy is strongest, putting many in proximity
landscape. with ancient ruins of Saruun Khel.
• The area’s key hook is the presence of many • Ruined watchtowers and small forts built by
crossings to the Feywild and the Shadowfell. the Saruun minotaurs dot the landscape.
The minotaurs of Saruun Khel traveled to both Humanoid monsters use them as temporary
those planes and the Plane of Earth to trade. bases.
The distorted topography of the Moon Hills is • A few abandoned farmhouses and manors are
due in part to the influence of earth magic, and found in the hills. These are the legacy of raids
areas near planar crossings exhibit that took place when this area was not so well
otherworldly traits. This doesn’t always imply protected by Fallcrest.
the presence of monsters, but it can leave
• Undiscovered vaults of Saruun Khel are still
travelers feeling unsettled.
hidden in the Moon Hills.
• Plenty of farms and manor houses are found in
• An earth cult might establish a hidden base in
the area, owing to its proximity to Fallcrest.
the area.
Trails, old fences of wood or stone, property

©2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC 4

Moon Hills Exploration Moon Hills Planar Confluence
d20 Result
Wracked by energy from the Plane of Earth and 1–16 No effect
dotted with crossings to the Feywild and the 17–18 Shadowfell influence causes nightmares or
Shadowfell, the Moon Hills can be difficult to disturbing visions; regain only half spent Hit
Dice
navigate away from the safety of Fallcrest and its
19 Feywild influence grants vivid, exciting dreams
immediate environs. The hills form a confusing
or visions; gain inspiration
mess of paths between their steep slopes. 20 Earth influence fortifies and strengthens flesh
and bones; gain temporary hit points equal to
Moon Hills Summary character level
Navigation. The steep hills and the winding paths
between them can be confusing, but the sparse
vegetation of the hills allows clear views of the sky. If
Terrain
the characters are off the roads or paths that wind The Moon Hills are an ideal spot for ambush, as
through this area, they must always navigate to avoid the steep slopes favor a well-planned attack.
becoming lost—even if their destination does not Bandits and intelligent monsters prefer to open
normally require a check. In that case, the check DC is an assault with missile fire from atop a hill. Their
10. targets can either trudge upslope, enduring
Foraging. DC 10; water and light game are plentiful. attacks along the way, or flee along the gullies
Special Rules. If the characters take a long rest here, between the hills. But with the gullies providing
roll on the planar confluence table. a predictable path, smart attackers have more
ambushers in place just around the corner.
Navigation Devious foes might even send a group to cut off
If the characters are seeking a specific location, retreat back in the ambushed travelers’ original
use the DCs on the table. Characters who become direction.
lost must make a check to navigate to a
destination, even if they have a map or know the Moon Hills Tactical Terrain
path from having made a prior visit. % Description
100% 1d3 + 1 steep hills (gullies serve as paths
Moon Hills Navigation DCs between them)
DC Location 100% 2d4 + 2 scattered trees
None Fallcrest 25% Boulder field (scattered along gullies and with
None Watcher’s Point 1d3 still perched on hilltops, ready to be rolled
15 Bandit camp (common criminals) with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics)
15 Obsidian standing stones check; Dexterity save DC 10; 2d6 bludgeoning
15 Ruins of the Horned Tower and knocked prone)
20 Dungeon of the Sleeping Titan 10% Ruined watchtower of Saruun Khel
25 Pits of the Fang 5% Shadowfell influence (disadvantage on death
30 Lost gate of the Laughing Path saving throws in the area)
5% Feywild influence (disadvantage on Wisdom
Planar Confluence saving throws in the area)
Parties that rest in the Moon Hills risk exposure
to planar magic. Whenever the characters
complete a long rest here, roll a d20 and consult
the table.

©2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC 5

 K I N GDOM S CALE
On a kingdom-scale map, each hex represents 6 miles.
A map at this scale covers a large region, about the size
of Great Britain or half the size of the state of California.
That's plenty of room for adventuring.
The first step of mapping a region at this scale is to
sketch out the coastlines and any major bodies of water
in the area. Is the region landlocked or on a coast? A
coastal region might include islands offshore, and a
landlocked area might include an inland sea or major
lakes. Alternatively, the region could consist of a single
large island, or an isthmus or peninsula with multiple
coastlines.
MAPPING YOUR CAMPAIGN Next, sketch in any major mountain ranges. Foothills
When creating the world where your campaign takes form a transition between the mountains and lowlands,
place, you'll want a map. You can take one of two and broad patches of gentle hills might dot the region.
approaches with it: top-down or bottom-up. Some DMs That leaves the rest of your map for relatively flat
like to start at the top, creating the big picture of the terrain: grasslands, forests, swamps, and the like. Place
world at the start of the campaign by having a map these elements as you see fit.
that shows whole continents, and then zooming in on Map out the courses of any rivers that flow through
smaller areas. Other DMs prefer to go the opposite the area. Rivers are born in mountains or inland areas
direction, starting with a small campaign area that is that see a lot of rainfall, winding down to the nearest
mapped at a province or kingdom scale, then zooming major body of water that doesn't require the river to
out as adventures take the characters into new territory. cross over higher elevation. Tributaries join rivers as
Whichever approach you take, hexes work well for they grow larger and move toward a lake or the sea.
mapping outdoor environments where travel can go Finally, place the major towns and cities of the region.
in any direction and calculating distance might be At this scale, you don't need to worry about small towns
important. A single sheet of hex paper with 5 hexes to and villages, or about mapping every belt of farmland.
the inch is ideal for most maps. Use a scale for your map Even so, a settled region this size might easily have
that's best suited to the level of detail you want. Chapter eight to twelve cities or towns to put on the map.
7 offers more information about creating and mapping
wilderness areas. C ONTI NENT S C ALE
For mapping a whole continent, use a scale where
PROV I N C E S CALE 1 hex represents 60 miles. At this scale, you can't
For the most detailed areas of your world, use a see more than the shape of coastlines, the biggest
province scale where each hex represents 1 mile. A mountain ranges, major rivers, huge lakes, and political
full-page map at this scale represents an area that boundaries. A map at this scale is best for showing how
can be covered in one day's travel in any direction multiple kingdom-scale maps fit together, rather than
from the center of the map, assuming clear terrain. As tracking the movement of adventurers day by day.
such, province scale is a useful scale for mapping a The same process you use for mapping a region at
campaign's starting area (see "Creating a Campaign," kingdom scale works for mapping a whole continent.
later in this chapter) or any location where you expect A continent might have eight to twelve large cities that
to track the adventurers' movement in hours rather deserve a place on the map, most likely major trade
than days. centers and the capitals of kingdoms.
The ground cover of an area this size will include
broad stretches of one predominant terrain type, broken COMBINING SCALES
up by other isolated terrain types. Whichever scale you start with, it's easy to zoom in or
A settled region mapped at this scale might have one out on your maps. At continent scale, 1 hex represents
town and eight to twelve villages or farming hamlets. the same area as 10 kingdom-scale hexes. Two cities
A wilder region might have only a single keep, or no that are 3 hexes (180 miles) apart on your continent
settlements at all. You can also indicate the extent of map would be 30 hexes apart on your kingdom map,
the cleared farmland that surrounds each city or town. and might define the opposite ends of the region you're
On a province-scale map, this will show as a belt a few detailing. At kingdom scale, 1 hex equals 6 province­
hexes wide surrounding each town or village. Even scale hexes, so it's easy to put the region covered by your
small villages farm most of the arable land within a province-scale map into the center of a kingdom-scale
mile or two. map and create interesting areas around it.

C HAPTER 1 I A W O R LD OF YOUR OWN

 HOW <!i READ THE MAP
G-R1D COORDINATES J 1 Il G F E 0 C B .\
RINTED along
the top of the 2
Flanaess maps are
the letters of the 3
alphabet, in +
sequence. Due to
the size of the 5
~~~~=~~!J maps, the 6
alphabet is repeated severa! times, and
each sequence is marked accordingly (A, 7
A2, A3, etc.). These letters idenùfy 8
vertical hex columns.
9
In a similar fashion, a series of numbers
are printed on the sidcs and bottom edges ~~~ ICI~""\-- 10
of the maps. These numbers identify rows
of hexes, slanting from the bottom right
11
to the upper left of the maps. 12
To find a specifie hex, such as E--10. 13
locate the proper hex column and row, 14
and trace them until thev meet, as shown >-~'-·>--
in the diagram. The he; where the
column and row intersectJS bex E-10. A
?/~~~~D- 15
16
Second example shows how tO locate hex
II-18. 21 20 19 18 17

• Pree City (walled) Volcano D \Vater: 0-100 Pathoms (0-600 feet)

-.- _ Barrens
--- \\'a ter: 100-1,000 Fathoms
•
0
Capital (walled)

Walled City
.......-
........
Desert
Hardwood Foré!St
:==~
(600-6,000 feet)
Water: 1,000-2,000 Fathoms
(6,000- 12,000 feet)
:==~ Water: 2,000-3,000 Fathoms
0 Walled Town Bright Desert ~lountain Pa!>s
(12,000- 18,000 feet)
@ Town Grasslands
:==~ \vater: 3,000-4,000 Fathoms

,
.____, ( 18,000- 24.000 feet)
:\1ountains .....~~.· Swamp
r---1 Water· +.000-5,000 Pathoms
L.__l (24,000- 30,000 feet)
\\':uer: 5,000 + Fat homs
llills ~ Tropical Jungle (30,000 + feet)

C Copyright 1983 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed ln the United States of America. First printing. second edition: July 1983
Distrlbuted to the boole trade in the U nited States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.
Oistributed in the U nited Kingdom by TSR (UK) Ltd. Distribuced to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.
This boole is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unautborized use of the
material or anwork contained herein is prohibited wlthout the elCpress written permission ofTSR, Inc.
WORLD OF OREYHAWK, AD &D, and ADVANCED DUNOEONS & DRAGONS are ttademarks owned by TSR, lnc.
 SIETTlLEMlENT
0
IP01PULATIONS Figures show total human population.
determine Multiply by 20% to determine the
the number of number of males fit to bear a rms,
total inhabitants multiply by 10% to get the numher of
of any settlement, males in prime condition and suitable for man-
use the following at-arms status. Ali figures show only
table: - inhabitants and do not indude any
garrisons. Only towns and cities are
indicated on the map of the Flanaess.
Settlement Map Symbol Population Di ce

thorp. dorf 0 20-80 2d4 )( 10

ham let
village, wych
town
•®0
ô
100-400
600-900
l,S00-6,500
ld4 )(
(ld4 +5) )(
(2d6+ 1)><
100
100
500
city
oe 10,000-60,000 5d6 )( 2,000

RATES F TRAVJEL
Afoot,
0

and barges. Movernent up or down river

Afoot, encumbered in barges, boats, ships, or on rafts must be
Terrain Type unencumbered or searching H orsed Cart/Wagon Ca mel determined by the DM. As a guideline
use fast speed afoot on a road for oared
road 30 15 60 30 45 movement upstream, half that for poled
track* 30 15 45 15 30 movement (raft or barge). Halve again if
grasslands 30 15 45 15 45 the current is very strong. Double rates
hi lis 20 10 45 10 30 for downstream movement. Treble for
forest** 20 10 30 saîled/oared downstream movement.
barrens 15 5 20 (Note: Watch out for rapids, l'ataraçts and
mountains
desert
dust
marsh/swamp
jungle
15
20
10
10
10
10
5

5
5
5
20
45
5
5
5 30
20 L KES
falls when moving downstream!)

* Roads through hills, barrens, Use road movement as a hase rate for
mountain, desert, or marsh/swamp afoot, unencumbered rate unies.~ the barges (afoot, unencumbered) and rafts
terrain are considered as tracks. horsed rate is Jess, in which case that is (afoot, encumhered). Merchant craft with
** Heavy forest is treated as jungle for
movement.
Each map hexagon is 10 leagues across
(30 miles). Travel rates are given in miles
R VERS
their rate of movement. sails move at road speed for Œrts/wagons.
Sailing warships move at road speed for
horses. Galleys move at the same speed,
but they can move at 10% for one hour.
per day.

H orsed movement is based on light or

medium animais carrying relatively light
loads. Heavily burdened animais, draft
horses, and heavy war horses move at
Rivers can be swam if afoot or horsed. If
carrying goods or armor, it will be
necessary to build floats to cross, and this
will take approximately half a day. Fords
allow crossîng at no penalty, as do bridges
O CEANS AND
SEAS
Ships o nly are allowed normal movement,
using lake rates.

3
 ACTIVITY WH ILE TRAVELING
-------
MARCHING ÜRDER Encountering Creatures. If the DM determines
The adventurers should establish a marching order. that the adventurers encounter other creatures while
A marching order makes it easier to determine which they're traveling, it's up to both groups to decide what
characters are affected by traps, which ones can spot happens next. Either group might decide to attack,
hidden enemies, and which ones are the closest to those initia te a conversation, run away, or wait to see what the
enemies when a fight breaks out.
other group does.
A character might occupy the front rank, one or more
Surprising Foes. If the adventurers encounter a
middle ranks, or the back rank. Characters in the front
hostile creature or group, the DM determines whether
and back ranks need enough room to travet side by side
with others in their rank. When space is too tight, the the adventurers or their foes might be surprised when
marching order must change, usually by moving charac- combat erupts. See chapter 9 for more about surprise.
ters to a middle rank.
ÜTHER ACTIVITIES
Fewer Than Three Ranks. If an adventuring party
arranges its marching order with only two ranks, they Characters who turn their attention to other tasks as the
are a front rank and a back rank. If there's on! y one rank, group travels are not focused on watching for danger.
it's considered a front rank. These characters don't contribute their passive Wisdom
(Perception) scores to the group's chance of noticing
STEALTH hidden threats. However, a character not watching for
Wh ile traveling at a slow pace, the characters can danger can do one of the following activities instead, or
move stealthily. As long as they're not in the open, they sorne other activity with the DM's permission.
can try to surprise or sneak by other creatures they Navigate. The character can try to prevent the group
encounter. See the rules for hiding in chapter 7, "Using from becoming !ost, making a Wisdom (Survival) check
Ability Scores." when the DM calls for it. (The Dungeon Master's Guide
has rules to determine whether the group gets !ost.)
NOTICING THREATS
Draw a Map. The character can draw a map
Use the passive Wisdom (Perception) scores of the char-
that records the group's progress and helps the
acters to determine whether anyone in the group notices
characters get back on course if they get !ost. No ability
a hidden threat. The DM might decide that a threat can
check is required.
be noticed only by characters in a particular rank. For
Track. A character can follow the tracks of another
example, as the characters are exploring a maze of tun-
nels, the DM might decide that only th ose characters in creature, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the
the back rank have a chance to hear or spot a stealthy DM calls for it. (The Dungeon Master's Guide has rules
creature following the group, white characters in the for tracking.)
front and middle ranks cannot. Forage. The character can keep an eye out for ready
White traveling at a fast pace, characters take a -5 sources of food and water, making a Wisdom (Survival)
penalty to their passive Wisdom (Perception) scores check when the DM calls for it. (The Dungeon Master's
to notice hidden threats. Guide has rules for foraging.)

CONTA IN ER (APACITY SERVICES

Container Capacity Service Pa y
Backpack''' 1 cubic footf30 pounds of gear Coach cab
Barrel 40 gallons liquid, 4 cubic feet sol id Between towns 3 cp per mile
Basket 2 cubic feet/40 pounds of gear Within a city 1 cp
Bottle ll!z pints liquid Hireling
Bucket 3 gallons liquid, 1/2 cubic foot solid Skilled 2 gp per day
Ch est 12 cubic feetj300 pounds of gear Untrained 2 sp per day
Flask or tankard 1 pint liquid Messenger 2 cp per mile
Jug or pitcher 1 gallon liquid Road or gate toll 1 cp
Pot, iron 1 gallon liquid Ship's passage 1 sp per mile
Pouch 1/5 cubic foot/6 pounds of gear
Sack 1 cubic footj30 pounds of gear
Vial 4 ounces liquid
Waters kin 4 pints liquid

,., You cana Iso strap items, such as a bedroll or a coil of rope,
to the outside of a backpack.

PART 2 ADVENTURING
!8!
TRAVEL PACE Characters in wagons, carriages, or other land
While traveling, a group of adventurers can move at a vehicles choose a pace as normal. Characters in a
normal, fast, or slow pace, as shown on the Travel Pace waterborne vesse( are limited to the speed of the vesse(
table. The table states how far the party can move in a (see chapter 5, "Equipment"), and they don't suffer
period of time and whether the pace has any effect. A penalties for a fast pace or gain benefits from a slow
fast pace makes characters less perceptive, while a slow pace. Depending on the vesse( and the size of the crew,
pace makes it possible to sneak around and to search an ships might be able to travel for up to 24 hours per day.
area more carefully (see the "Activity While Traveling" Certain special mounts, such as a pegasus or griffon,
section la ter in this chapter for more information). or special vehicles, such as a car pet offlying, allow you
Forced March. The Travel Pace table assumes that to travel more swiftly. The Dungeon Master's Guide
characters travel for 8 hours in day. They can push on con tains more information on special methods of travel.
beyond that li mit, at the risk of exhaustion.
For each additional hour of travel beyond 8 hours, TRAVEL PACE
the characters cover the distance shown in the Hour
Distance Traveled per •..
column for the ir pace, and each char acter must make
a Constitution saving throw at the end of the hour. The Pace Minute Hour Day Effect
DC is 10 + 1 for each hour past 8 hours. On a failed Fast 400 feet 4 miles 30 miles -5 penalty to
saving throw, a character suffers one level of exhaustion passive Wisdom
(see appendix A). (Perception) scores
Mounts and Vehic/es. For short spans of time (up Normal 300 feet 3 miles 24 miles
to an hour), many animais move much faster than Slow 200 feet 2 miles 18 miles Able to use stealth
humanoids. A mounted character can ride at a gallop
for about an hour, covering twice the usual distance for You move at half speed in difficult terrain- moving
a fast pace. If fresh mounts are available every 8 to 10 DIFFICULT 1 foot in difficult terrain costs 2 feet of speed- so you
miles, characters can cover larger distances at this pace, TERRAIN can caver only half the normal distance in a minute,
but this is very rare except in densely populated areas. an hour, or a day.

MOUNTS AND ÛTHER ANIMALS

MüUNTS AND VEHICLES
A good mount can help you move more quickly through Carrying
Item Cost Speed Capacity
the wilderness, but its primary purpose is to carry the
ge ar that would otherwise slow y ou down. The Mounts Ca mel 50 gp 50 ft. 480 lb.
and Other Animais table shows each animal's speed and Don key or mule 8 gp 40ft. 420 lb.
base carrying capacity. Elephant 200 gp 40ft. 1,320 lb.
An animal pulling a carriage, cart, chariot, sied, Horse, draft 50 gp 40ft. 540 lb.
or wagon can move weight up to five times its base Horse, riding 75 gp 60ft. 480 lb.
carrying capacity, including the weight of the vehicle. Mastiff 25 gp 40ft. 195 lb.
If multiple animais pull the same vehicle, they can add Pany 30 gp 40ft. 225 lb.
their carrying capacity together. Warhorse 400 gp 60ft. 540 lb.
Mounts other than those listed here are available in
the worlds of D&D, but they are rare and not normally TACK, HARNESS, AND DRAWN VEHICLES
available for purchase. These include flying mounts
Item Cost Weight
(pegasi, griffons, hippogriffs, and similar animais) and
Barding x4 x2
even aquatic mounts (giant sea horses, for example).
Acquiring such a mount often means securing an egg Bit and bridie 2 gp 1 lb.
and raising the creature yourself, making a bargain with Carriage 100 gp 600 lb.
a powerful entity, or negotiating with the mount itself. Cart 15 gp 200 lb.
Harding. Barding is armor designed to protect an Chariot 250 gp 100 lb.
animal's head, neck, chest, and body. Any type of Feed (per day) 5 cp 10 lb.
armor shown on the Armor table in this chapter can Saddle
be purchased as harding. The cost is four times the Exotic 60 gp 40 lb.
equivalent armor made for humanoids, and it weighs Military 20 gp 30 lb.
twice as much. Pack 5 gp 15 lb.
Sadd/es. A military saddle br aces the rider, helping
Riding 10 gp 25 lb.
you keep your seat on an active mount in battle. It
Saddlebags 4 gp 8 lb.
gives you advantage on any check you make to re main
mounted. An exotic saddle is required for riding any Sied 20 gp 300 lb.
aquatic or flying mount. Stabling (per day) 5 sp
Vehicle Pro/iciency. If you have proficiency with a Wagon 35 gp 400 lb.
certain kind of vehicle (land or water), you can add your
proficiency bonus to any check you make to control that WATERBORNE VEHICLES
kind ofvehicle in difficult circumstances. Item Cost Speed
Rowed Vesse/s. Keelboats and rowboats are used on Galley 30,000 gp 4 mph
lakes and rivers. If going downstream, add the speed of Keelboat 3,000 gp 1 mph
the current (typically 3 miles per hour) to the speed of Longship 10,000 gp 3 mph
the vehicle. These vehicles can't be rowed against any
Rowboat 50 gp ll/2 mph
significant current, but they can be pulled upstream
Sai ling ship 10,000 gp 2 mph
by draft animais on the shores. A rowboat weighs 100
Warship 25,000 gp 21/2 mph
pounds, in case adventurers carry it over land.
 abandoned campsites, and other finds can add flavor to WI L D E RN E S S FEATURE S
your world, foreshadow future encounters or events, or
provide hooks for further adventures. No wilderness map is complete without a few
A wilderness journey might take multiple sessions to settlements, strongholds, ruins, and other sites worthy
play out. That said, if the wilderness journey includes of discovery. A dozen such locations scattered over an
long periods with no encounters, use the travel-montage area roughly 50 miles across is a good start.
approach to bridge gaps between encounters. M O N S T E R LA I R S
A wilderness area approximately 50 miles across can
MAPPING A WILDERNESS support roughly a half-dozen monster lairs, but probably
In contrast to a dungeon, an outdoor setting presents no more than one apex predator such as a dragon.
seemingly limitless options. The adventurers can move If you expect the characters to explore a monster's
in any direction over a trackless desert or an open lair, you'll need to find or create an appropriate map for
grassland, so how do you as the DM deal with all the the lair and stock the lair as you would a dungeon.
possible locations and events that might make up a
M O N U M ENTS
wilderness campaign? What if you design an encounter
in a desert oasis, but the characters miss the oasis In places where civilization rules or once ruled,
because they wander off course? How do you avoid adventurers might find monuments built to honor great
creating a boring play session of uninterrupted slogging leaders, gods, and cultures. Use the Monuments table
across a rocky wasteland? for inspiration, or randomly roll to determine what
One solution is to think of an outdoor setting in the monument the adventurers stumble upon.
same way you think about a dungeon. Even the most
wide-open terrain presents clear pathways. Roads M O N U M E N TS
seldom run straight because they follow the contours d20 Monument
of the land, finding the most level or otherwise easiest Sealed b u rial mound or pyramid
routes across uneven ground. Valleys and ridges 2 Plu ndered burial mound or pyramid
channel travel in certain directions. Mountain ranges 3 Faces carved into a mountainside or cliff
present forbidding barriers traversed only by remote
4 G iant statues carved out of a mountainside or cliff
passes. Even the most trackless desert reveals favored
5-6 I ntact obelisk etched with a warning, h istorical
routes, where explorers and caravan drivers have
discovered areas of wind-blasted rock that are easier to lore, ded ication, or rel igious iconography
traverse than shifting sand. 7-8 Ruined or toppled obel isk
If the party veers off track, you might be able to 9-1 0 I ntact statue of a person or deity
relocate one or more of your planned encounters 1 1 -1 3 Ruined o r toppled statue o f a person or deity
elsewhere on the map to ensure that the time spent 14 G reat stone wal l , intact, with tower fortifications
preparing those encounters doesn't go to waste. spaced at one-m i le i ntervals
Chapter 1 discusses the basics of creating a 15 G reat stone wal l i n ruins
wilderness map at three different scales to help 16 G reat stone arch
you design your world and the starting area of your 17 Fountain
campaign. Especially when you get down to province
18 I ntact circle o f standing stones
scale (1 hex = 1 mile), think about paths of travel-roads,
19 R u i ned o r toppled circle o f standing stones
passes, ridges and valleys, and so on-that can guide
20 Totem pole
character movement across your map.

M OVE M E NT ON THE M A P Rums

Crumbling towers, ancient temples, and razed cities
Narrate wilderness travel at a level of detail appropriate
are perfect sites for adventures. Additionally, noting the
to the map you're using. If you're tracking hour-by-hour
existence of an old, crumbling wall that runs alongside a
movement on a province-scale map (1 hex = 1 mile),
road, a sagging stone windmill on a hilltop, or a jumble
you can describe each hamlet the adventurers pass.
of standing stones can add texture to your wilderness.
At this scale, you can assume that the characters find
a noteworthy location when they enter its hex unless S ETTLEM E NT S
the site is specifically hidden. The characters might not Settlements exist in places where food, water, farmland,
walk directly up to the front door of a ruined castle when and building materials are abundant. A civilized
they enter a hex, but they can find old paths, outlying province roughly 50 miles across might have one city, a
ruins, and other signs of its presence in the area. few rural towns, and a scattering of villages and trading
If you're tracking a journey of several days on a posts. An uncivilized area might have a single trading
kingdom-scale map (1 hex = 6 miles), don't bother with post that stands at the edge of a wild frontier, but no
details too small to appear on your map. It's enough larger settlements.
for the players to know that on the third day of their In addition to settlements, a province might contain
journey, they cross a river and the land starts rising ruined villages and towns that are either abandoned or
before them, and that they reach the mountain pass two serve as lairs for marauding bandits and monsters.
days later.

C HAPTER 5 AD\ENTURE EN\I RO N M ENTS

108
STRONGHOLDS
Strongholds provide the local population with protection
in times of trouble. The number of strongholds in an
area depends on the dominant society, the population,
the strategic importance or vulnerability of the region,
and the wealth of the land.

WEIRD LOCALES
Weird locales make the fantastic and the supernatural
an intrinsic part of your wilderness adventures.

WE I R D L O C A L E S
d20 Locale
1 -2 Dead magic zone (similar to an anti magic field)
3 Wild magic zone (roll on the Wild M agic S u rge
table in the Player's Handbook whenever a spell is
cast with in the zone)
4 Boulder carved with talking faces
5 Crystal cave that mystically answers questions
6 Ancient tree containing a trapped spirit
7-8 Battlefield where lingering fog occasionally
assu mes h u manoid forms
9-1 0 Permanent portal to another plane of existence
11 Wishing wel l
12 G iant crystal shard protruding from the ground
13 Wrecked ship, which m ight be nowhere near water
1 4-1 5 Haunted h i l l or barrow mound
16 River ferry guided by a s keletal captain
17 Field of petrified soldiers or other creatures
18 Forest of petrified o r awakened trees
19 Canyon containing a dragons' graveyard
20 Floating earth mote with a tower on it

W ILDERNESS SURVIVAL
Adventuring in the wilderness presents a host of
perils beyond the threats of monstrous predators and
savage raiders.

WEATHER
You can pick weather t o fit your campaign o r roll o n the
Weather table to determine the weather for a given day,
adjusting for the terrain and season as appropriate.

WEAT H E R
d20 Temperature
1-14 N ormal for the season
1 5-1 7 l d4 x 10 degrees Fahrenheit colder than normal
1 8-20 l d4 x 10 degrees Fah renheit hotter than normal

d20 Wind
1 -1 2 N one
1 3-1 7 Light
1 8-20 Strong

d20 Precipitation
1 -1 2 None
1 3-1 7 Light ra in or l ight snowfall
1 8-20 H eavy rain or heavy snowfall

C H A PT E R 5 A.DvENI U RE ENVIRO N M E NTS

10 9
 EXTREME C OLD The other hazards presented here can be identified
Whenever the temperature is at or below 0 degrees with a successful Intelligence (Nature) check. Use the
Fahrenheit, a creature exposed to the cold must succeed guidelines in chapter 8 to set an appropriate DC for any
on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw at the end of each check made to spot or recognize a hazard.
hour or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with
resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically DESECRATED GROUND
succeed on the saving throw, as do creatures wearing Some cemeteries and catacombs are imbued with the
cold weather gear (thick coats, gloves, and the like) and unseen traces of ancient evil. An area of desecrated
creatures naturally adapted to cold climates. ground can be any size, and a detect evil and good spell
cast within range reveals its presence.
EXTREME H EAT Undead standing on desecrated ground have
When the temperature is at or above 100 degrees advantage on all saving throws.
Fahrenheit, a creature exposed to the heat and A vial of holy water purifies a 1 0-foot-square area of
without access to drinkable water must succeed on desecrated ground when sprinkled on it, and a hallow
a Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour spell purifies desecrated ground within its area.
or gain one level of exhaustion. The DC is 5 for the
first hour and increases by 1 for each additional hour. FRIGID WATER
Creatures wearing medium or heavy armor, or who are A creature can be immersed in frigid water for a
clad in heavy clothing, have disadvantage on the saving number of minutes equal to its Constitution score before
throw. Creatures with resistance or immunity to fire suffering any ill effects. Each additional minute spent
damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, as in frigid water requires the creature to succeed on a
do creatures naturally adapted to hot climates. DC 1 0 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of
exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to
STRONG WIN D cold damage automatically succeed on the saving throw,
A strong wind imposes disadvantage o n ranged weapon as do creatures that are naturally adapted to living in
attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on ice-cold water.
hearing. A strong wind also extinguishes open flames,
disperses fog, and makes flying by nonmagical means QUI CKSAND
nearly impossible. A flying creature in a strong wind A quicksand pit covers the ground in roughly a 10-foot­
must land at the end of its turn or fall. square area and is usually 10 feet deep. When a creature
A strong wind in a desert can create a sandstorm that enters the area, it sinks ld4 + 1 feet into the quicksand
imposes disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and becomes restrained. At the start of each of the
that rely on sight. creature's turns, it sinks another ld4 feet. As long as
the creature isn't completely submerged in quicksand,
HEAVY PRECIPITATION it can escape by using its action and succeeding on a
Everything within an area of heavy rain or heavy Strength check. The DC is 10 plus the number of feet
snowfall is lightly obscured, and creatures in the area the creature has sunk into the quicksand. A creature
have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that that is completely submerged in quicksand can't breathe
rely on sight. Heavy rain also extinguishes open flames (see the suffocation rules in the Player's Handbook).
and imposes disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) A creature can pull another creature within its reach
checks that rely on hearing. out of a quicksand pit by using its action and succeeding
on a Strength check. The DC is 5 plus the number of
H IGH ALTITU DE feet the target creature has sunk into the quicksand.
Traveling a t altitudes o f 10,000 feet o r higher above RAZORVINE
sea level is taxing for a creature that needs to breathe, Razorvine i s a plant that grows i n wild tangles and
because of the reduced amount of oxygen in the hedges. It also clings to the sides of buildings and
air. Each hour such a creature spends traveling at other surfaces as ivy does. A 10-foot-high, 10-foot-wide,
high altitude counts as 2 hours for the purpose of 5-foot-thick wall or hedge of razorvine has AC 1 1 , 25
determining how long that creature can travel. hit points, and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and
Breathing creatures can become acclimated to a high psychic damage.
altitude by spending 30 days or more at this elevation. When a creature comes into direct contact with
Breathing creatures can't become acclimated to razorvine for the first time on a turn, the creature
elevations above 20,000 feet unless they are native to must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or
such environments. take 5 (ldlO) slashing damage from the razorvine's
bladelike thorns.
WI LDERN E S S HAZARD S
This section describes a few examples of hazards that SLIPPERY ICE
adventurers might encounter in the wilderness. Slippery ice is difficult terrain. When a creature moves
Some hazards, such as slippery ice and razorvine, onto slippery ice for the first time on a turn, it must
require no ability check to spot. Others, such as succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or
defiled ground, are undetectable by normal senses. fall prone.

C H APTE R S A DVE NTU RE ENVI RON M ENTS

110
THIN ICE FOOD AND WATER
Thin ice has a weight tolerance of 3d10 x 10 pounds per The food and water requirements noted in the Player's
lü-foot-square area. Whenever the total weight on an Handbook are for characters. Horses and other
area of thin ice exceeds its tolerance, the ice in that area creatures require different quantities of food and water
breaks. Ali creatures on broken ice fall through. per day based on their size. Water needs are doubled if
the weather is hot.
FORAGING
FOOD AND WATER NEEDS
Characters can gather food and water as the party
travels at a normal or slow pace. A foraging character Creature Size Food per Day Water per Day
makes a Wisdom (Survival) check whenever you cali for Tiny 1/4 pound 1/4 gallon
it, with the OC determined by the abundance of food and Sma ll 1 pound 1 ga llon
water in the region. Medium 1 pound 1 gallon
Large 4 pounds 4 gall ons
FORAG I NG DCs
Hu ge 16 pounds 16 gallons
Food and Water Availability DC Gargantu an 64 pounds 64 gallons
Abundant food and water sou rces 10
Lim ited food and water sources 15 BECOMING LOST
Very little , if an y, fo od and water sources 20
Unless they are following a path, or something like it,
adventurers traveling in the wilderness run the risk of
If multiple characters forage, each character makes
becoming !ost. The party's navigator makes a Wisdom
a separate check. A foraging char acter finds nothing
(Survival) check when you decide it's appropriate,
on a failed check. On a successful check, rollld6 +the
against a DC determined by the prevailing terrain, as
character's Wisdom modifier to determine how much
shown on the Wilderness Navigation table. If the party
food (in pounds) the character finds, then repeat the roll
is moving at a slow pace, the navigator gains a +5 bonus
for water (in gallons).
to the check, and a fast pace imposes a -5 penalty. If the
party has an accurate map of the region or can see the
sun or stars, the navigator has ad van tage on the check.
If the Wisdom (Survival) check succeeds, the party
travels in the desired direction without becoming !ost.
If the check fa ils, the party inadvertently travels in the
wrong direction and becomes !ost. The party's navigator
can repeat the check after the party spends ld6 hours
trying to get back on course.

WILDERNESS NAVIGATION
Terrain DC
Forest, j ungle, swamp, mountains , or open sea 15
with overcast skies and no land in sight
Arctic, desert, hills, or open sea with de ar skies 10
and no land in sight