Overland and Sea Travel

Adventuring often involves long journeys between locations, shifting the game’s focus from the second-by-second intensity of combat to the challenges of hours and days spent navigating the wilderness, managing resources, and dealing with the elements. This section provides guidelines for handling overland and sea travel.

Modes of Travel

Characters typically travel on foot, use mounts (like horses or mules), or employ vehicles (wagons, ships, etc.). Specific speeds and capabilities of mounts and vehicles can be found in Chapter 6: Equipment. This section focuses primarily on the general procedures for travel.

Travel Pace (Overland)

Groups traveling overland must decide on a pace, which affects how far they travel each day and their awareness of their surroundings. A typical travel day assumes about 8 hours of movement.

• Slow Pace: (~18 miles per day on foot) Allows for caution and attention to detail. The group can attempt to use Stealth while traveling (contested by potential observers’ Perception/Vigilance) and gains a Favorable (+10%) circumstance bonus on checks made to forage or navigate carefully (like mapping).
• Normal Pace: (~24 miles per day on foot) Standard pace balancing speed and awareness. No particular bonuses or penalties apply.
• Fast Pace: (~30 miles per day on foot) Covers more ground but increases risk. The group suffers a Challenging (-10%) circumstance penalty on Perception/Vigilance checks to notice threats or points of interest, and on Navigation checks. Characters may also risk Fatigue (see below) if maintaining a fast pace for extended periods.

(Note: Distances are rough guidelines for good conditions on foot; adjust based on terrain, weather, mounts, and vehicles).

Navigation

Avoiding getting lost, especially in unfamiliar territory, relies on the Navigation skill.

• The Navigator: One character usually takes the lead in navigating. Others might assist using the standard rules for helping (see Lending a Hand, p. XX).
• Navigation Checks: The GM typically calls for a Navigation check once per day of travel, or more often if the terrain is confusing, visibility is poor (fog, night), or the group leaves known paths. The difficulty depends on the terrain (e.g., Plains/Roads: Everyday (0%); Hills/Woods: Challenging (-10%); Desert/Swamp/Mountains: Hard (-20%) or worse). Having accurate maps or a reliable guide can grant a bonus (+10% or more).
• Getting Lost: On a failed Navigation check, the group may lose time (traveling fewer effective miles), veer off course (ending up somewhere unexpected), or stumble into a hazard. A critical failure might lead them significantly astray or into danger.

Foraging and Sustenance

Characters need food and water daily. While rations can be carried, finding sustenance in the wild often relies on the Survival skill.

• Foraging Checks: Usually made once per day, one character makes a Survival check to find food and water for the group. The difficulty depends on the environment (e.g., Lush Forest/River Valley: Everyday (0%); Temperate Plains/Hills: Challenging (-10%); Arid Desert/Barren Mountains: Hard (-20%) or worse).
• Success/Failure: Success typically yields enough basic food and water for a small group (e.g., 1d10 individuals) for one day. Failure means the group must consume carried rations or risk suffering effects of deprivation (see Fatigue and Environmental Hazards). Specific hunting might require different checks or approaches (Stealth, Ranged Combat).

Making Camp & Resting

Traveling parties need to rest securely to recover resources and maintain alertness.

• Choosing a Site: Setting up a safe, defensible camp may require a Survival check, especially in dangerous territory or bad weather. Difficulty depends on the environment.
• Setting Watches: Unless the campsite is exceptionally secure, characters should take turns standing watch through the night. Watchers rely on Perception or Vigilance checks to notice approaching threats or unusual events. Failing these checks might mean the camp is surprised (see Surprise Attack, p. XX).
• Recovery: Proper rest in a camp allows characters to regain Hit Points and Mana Points as per the standard recovery rules (see Chapter 1 for HP/SP recovery, Chapter 7 for MP recovery). Skipping rest or resting in poor conditions may hinder recovery or lead to Fatigue.

Travel Hazards & Obstacles

Journeys are rarely simple treks. GMs should introduce challenges based on the environment.

• Weather: Severe weather (heavy storms, blizzards, sandstorms, extreme heat/cold) can slow or halt travel, impose penalties on checks (Navigation, Perception, Survival), require Body checks to resist exposure (see Environmental Hazards, p. XX), and increase the risk of getting lost or encountering hazards.
• Difficult Terrain: As noted in the Movement section (Chapter 1), terrain like mountains, swamps, dense jungles, or deep snow significantly slows travel speed (often halving it or worse) and may require Athletics or Survival checks to traverse safely.
• Obstacles: Crossing fast rivers, scaling cliffs, or navigating treacherous passes often require specific Skill Checks (Athletics, Acrobatics, Navigation) and may necessitate special equipment (rope, climbing gear). Failure can lead to delays, lost gear, injury, or separation.

Fatigue

Extended travel, especially at a fast pace, in harsh conditions, or without adequate rest, wears characters down. In Alacrity, this fatigue is primarily represented by the loss of Stun Points (SP), which in turn can trigger the standard penalties associated with diminished resilience.

• Triggers: Common triggers for fatigue include:
  • Forced March: Traveling more than 8-10 hours in a day, or maintaining a Fast Pace for multiple consecutive days.
  • Harsh Conditions: Failing Body checks due to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or cold (see Environmental Hazards, p. XX).
  • Deprivation: Consistent lack of adequate sleep, food, or water.
• Checks: The GM may require characters under these conditions to make periodic Body checks. The difficulty typically starts low (e.g., Everyday (0%)) but increases with duration or severity (e.g., each extra hour of marching, each day without food).
• Consequences: Failing a Body check due to fatigue results directly in SP loss (e.g., the GM might rule a loss of 1d10 SP, or enough SP to drop the character into the next penalty bracket). This loss of SP directly impacts the character’s performance by potentially activating the HP/SP Threshold Penalties (-10% to -40% on all actions) detailed in Chapter 1. Consistent deprivation or repeated failed checks will steadily drain SP, making characters increasingly less effective. Rest and sustenance are required to recover lost SP and alleviate these penalties.

Encounters During Travel

Travel exposes characters to the inhabitants and dangers of the lands they pass through.

• Encounter Checks: The GM typically checks for encounters periodically (e.g., 1-3 times per day and once per night, possibly varying by region). This is primarily a GM tool, often involving dice rolls based on the area’s danger level.
• Detection: Characters on watch (at night) or those who are alert during travel (not at Fast Pace) use Perception/Vigilance checks to spot encounters before being noticed themselves. Success might allow the party to avoid the encounter, prepare, or even gain surprise. Failure could mean the party is surprised.

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File Created: 05/06/2025
Last Modified: 05/06/2025