A wilderness adventure

Off camping with the family so no posting for a while.

Weather is predicted to rain all week... I love my adopted country, I love my...

More goodies from my post man

Naturally I want to get Number 1.

Can anyone tell me when 2e starts to appear (so I won't buy)?

Broad Jumping Rules for the Old School Adventure Guide - Back again after blogger crash

Rules


Running Broad Jump (in feet) = Level + Strength Bonus + Dexterity Bonus + 2d6 (requires a 20' running start)

Standing Broad Jump (in feet) = (Level + Strength Bonus + Dexterity Bonus + 2d6) / 2



Height modifiers
- 1' jump for every foot smaller than man size (6')
+ 1' jump for every foot larger than man size (6')


Encumbrance Modifiers
Multiply the Jump Distance in feet by (current movement rate / unencumbered standard movement rate)
eg A human character when fully armoured and carrying treasure has been reduced to a movement rate of 60' per turn compared to their usual unencumbered movement rate of 120' per turn. 60/120 = 0.5. Jump distance is halved.
eg Whilst wearing Boots of Speed (double movement rate to 240'), jump distance is doubled.


If a character is attempting to jump over a gap, where failure would result in a damaging fall, if the character is within 2' of the required distance they may make a save verse paralysis to successfully grab hold of the ledge and prevent their fall. Every round thereafter the character must attempt an open doors roll (1-2 on a d6 modified by strength bonus). Success equals they can climb out of the hole, failure equals they are still holding for their life unless an unmodified 6 is rolled which indicates the character has lost their grip and fallen.


Optional additions
Class modifier
Thieves roll 3d4 instead of 2d6
Magic Users roll 1d12 instead of 2d6


If a less fantastic game setting is desired, where characters can not leap from building to building (think Crouching Tigers), jumping level bonus does not exceed name level.
====================
Design Notes
These rules came out of my posts, J is for Jumping and Brainstorming Rules for Broad Jumping with Richard and David.


Comparing to Unearthed Arcana Rules
"Non-thief acrobats can perform a standing broad jump of up to 4' in distance and a running broad jump up to 8'.
Best for thief acrobat at level 23
Standing jump 12'
Running jump 22'

Strength adjustment
Standing
Str 17 1/4'
Str 18 1/2'
Running
Str 16 1/2'
Str 17 1'
Str 18 2'


Comparing the above new proposed rules to the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
DSG: Level 1-6: Running Jumping 1d4+5' (6-9'); standing 1d4+1' (2-5')
Proposed rules with Level 1 character having a 13 in Str (+1) and Dex (+1): Running Jumping 1+1+1 +2d6 (5-13'); standing (1+1+1 +2d6)/2 (2.5 - 6.5)
Proposed rules with Level 6 character having a 13 in Str (+1) and Dex (+1): Running Jumping 6+1+1 +2d6 (10-20'); standing (6+1+1 +2d6)/2 (5 - 10')


Conclusion: A typical 10' pit cannot be jumped using the DSG rules for levels 1-6. I think this is disappointing.
Real life: Under 13 girls long/broad jump record = 16 feet. So even 13 year old girls jump further than heroic fantasy warriors.


DSG: Level 23 (maximum given in the DSG): Running Jumping 1d6+15' (16-21'); standing 1d6+6' (7-12')
Acrobat (Unearthed Arcana, Level 23, Strength 18): Running Jumping 24', Standing Jump 12.5'.
Proposed rules with Level 23 character having a 13 in Str (+1) and Dex (+1): Running Jumping 23+1+1 +2d6 (27-37'); standing (23+1+1 +2d6)/2 (13.5 - 18.5')
Proposed rules with Level 23 character having a 13 in Str (+1) and Dex (+1) (but using optional rule - Jumping level bonus does not exceed name level): Running Jumping 9+1+1 +2d6 (13-23'); standing (9+1+1 +2d6)/2 (6.5 - 11.5')


Real life
Running Jump 29' is the world record, greater than 26' very good.
Standing Jump range 5 (female worst) to 12.3 feet (male best) see here.


Conclusion
23 level characters (as if) in the DSG and the Unearthed Arcana acrobat, still fall quite short (pun), of human endeavour. This is disappointing.
Proposed rules: with a high strength and dexterity character but with a name level maximum for jumping bonus,the best of human endeavour is approached. With no name level maximum jumping bonus, human endeavour is exceeded and characters with super-human abilities are allowed.



Additional
Magic Boots as given in Cyclopedia: 

Boots of Speed: The wearer may move as fast as a riding horse (240' [80']) for 12 hours, after which the wearer must rest for one full day.

Boots of Traveling and Leaping: The wearer needs no rest during normal movement. The wearer may also make mighty jumps, to a maximum height of 10' and a maximum length of 30'.




Okay, back again after blogger crash. The above was a repost.


Maybe the mechanic I am looking for isn't in the above. Yes I know, I made you read all of the above first.


Breath holding rule
A character can hold their breath in B/X rounds (10 seconds) = Constitution + level + d6
(That d6 is a new addition, adding that random element)


Maybe this is the mechanic we need for the Old School Adventure Guide: not an ability check but raw ability score + level + a random die/dice


Long Jumping
Distance in feet = Strength + Level + d6

Level 1   13 STR = 15-20

level 10 13 STR = 24-29 (as in world record can be reached at Level 10 if 13 Str)

STR 18

Level 1 = 20-25

level 10= 29-35

level 5= 24-29 (as in world record can be reached at Level 5 if 18 Str)

Thieves could use Dexterity instead of Strength if desired

Standing Jump = Long jump / 2

Real life is about 12' about max

Thoughts on jumping?

Thoughts on the mechanic?

Design question

I'm looking for some advice on creating the usual two-column word doc/docx template (like we see in modules and B/X) to start building the Old School Adventure Guide. Or more to show off some ideas in this format.

Any suggestions from those who have done it before. Anyone want to email a template? jovialpriest@gmail.com

I'm not after your special font or anything, just my ignorant plan was to create two columns using format on word and go from there.

Is that ridiculous?

Saving the Saving Throw: B2, B3 & B4

I hate d20 ability score checks. I have no real justification for this, I just do. Perhaps I recoil from their viral like growth as the game developed. What ever happened to the humble saving?

Perhaps an ability score is used when the DM expects the player to survive (eg roll with d20 under 15 strength), whereas, at low levels anyway, saving throws are like ward spells, protecting you when the badness has already occurred and giving you one last, but low probability, chance to live. The dragon has breathed, you have looked at the medusa, the snake has bitten.

I wonder however if the problem with saving throws is we DMs aren't imaginative enough with how we use them. Well this DM isn't, you can answer as you wish.

So as part of my Research for the Old School Adventure Guide I'm going to go through the rules and modules I own and pick out where and when saving throws are used. Building a bank that hopefully will prove inspiring and informative. Luckily I purchased many modules in the days when the pdf's were for sale, so a Find 'sav' will certainly speed the process. Else it will be the index or the foibles of my own sight.

Ready, steady, save or die.

[Warning: potential spoilers ahead]

B1

(Sadly I don't own B1)

1. Save vs Poison at +1 or die: Compartments in a Loan Bank
2. Save vs Poison or sleep for 3 turns (no save <4th level): Compartment in a Loan Bank
3. Save vs Poison or disease (25% chance the character will die in 1-6 days. Otherwise the character will be too sick to adventure for one game month): Giant Rat (monster)
4. Unspecified save for the mapping character, requiring a 19 or 20 secret roll by the DM, to throw off a direction confusion spell in a labyrinth.
5. Save vs Magic at -2 when picking up an evil object or fall under the influence of a demonic spell. [Save vs Magic isn't a category in OD&D, Holmes, B/X, Mentzer or AD&D - yep that's Gygaxian consistency for you]
6. Save vs Spells or flee for 1 turn: Cause Fear (spell)
7. Save vs Spells or be mesmerized into chanting a hymn to chaotic evil.
8. Save vs Poison or Die: Medusa asp-hair
9. Save vs Turn to Stone or turn to stone: looking at Medusa

1. Save vs Spells to avoid being affected by the sleep gas.
2. Save vs Paralysis at +2 or fall into the liquid-like body of the diger and drown in 1 turn: Diger (monster)
3. Save vs Death Ray or fall into fits of uncontrollable laughter for 3 rounds, after which lose 2 points of strength and 1 point of constitution for 2-8 turns.
4. Save vs Death Ray at +3 to avoid being hit by the falling stone slab, else 2-12 points of damage.
5. Save vs Death Ray for half damage of 1d6, from falling into a pit trap (no save for falling)
6. Save vs Spells for beast to avoid being calmed and relaxed by the magical harp being played by a skilled harpist (a skill the player characters may lack)
7. Save vs Poison at +2 due to age of poison to avoid death: poisoned needle on handle of a false doorway
8. Save vs Paralyzation at +3 to avoid paralysis: breaking a strange looking egg (take 1-4 damage no save in addition)
9. Save vs Death ray to avoid coughing uncontrollably for 1-4 rounds by dust from a whirlwind: Poltergeist (monster)
10. Save vs Spells or be charmed by the whistling sound: Giant Marble Snake (monster)
11. Save vs Spells at -3 to avoid heavy sweet smell that has the same effect as a sleep spell: Purple Moss (monster)
12. Save vs Paralysis or slip and fall down: Oil Spray Trap
13. Save vs Spells to avoid shattering of all the characters flasks and vials when touching a glowing gem that starts shrieking when touched (additionally causes a wandering monster check): Glowing Gem Trap
14. Save vs Spells to avoid fear (character runs away for 2 game turns): Statue Trap - causes fear when touched.
15. Save vs Poison or shrink to 6" tall for one hour: Shrink Gas Trap
16. Save vs Spells or be blinded 2-12 turns: Flash Trap

1. Save vs Poison or be too sick to do anything for 1 turn: goo spit from the Cave Locust (monster)
2. Save vs Poison or die: Killer Bee (monster)
3. Save vs Paralysis or fall unconscious for 1-10 rounds: bite of a Vampire Bat (monster)
4. Save vs Spells or become an undead creature 24 hours after death, DM choice of undead: Vampire Bat (monster)
5. Save vs Poison or be blinded: spit from a Spitting Cobra (monster)
6. Save vs Poison or die: bite from a Spitting Cobra (monster)
7. Save vs Poison or die: poison needle trap
8. Save vs Death Ray or choke to death within 6 rounds (additional 1-6 damage no save): spore from Yellow Mold (monster)
9. Save vs Spells or run away in fear for 1-4 turns: Haunt (monster)
10. Save vs Death Ray or run away in fear (3rd level or less only): Giant Shrew (monster)
11. Save vs Paralyzation or be paralysed (elves immune): Ghoul (monster)
12. Save vs Poison or disease (25% chance the character will die in 1-6 days. Otherwise the character will be too sick to adventure for one game month): Giant Rat (monster)
13. Save vs Paralysis or be paralysed for 2-8 turns: Carrion Crawler (monster)
14. Save vs Paralyzation or be paralysed (elves immune): Thoul (monster)
15. Save vs Dragon Breath or be taken over by the spirit of a dead 6th level cleric: touching the clerics white robe
16. Save vs Spells or weapon sticks to the body of the iron statue: Iron Statue (monster)
17. Save vs Paralysis or be paralysed for 2-8 turns: Gelatinous Cube (monster)
18. Save vs Fire based spells at -2: Wood Golem (monster)
19. Save vs Turn to Stone or turn to stone: looking at Medusa
20. Save vs Paralysis or be paralysed until Mummy attacks: Mummy (monster)
21. Save at +2: Displacer Beast (monster)
22. Save vs Dragon Breath for half damage (5-30): Hellhound (monster)
23. Save vs Turn to Stone or turn to stone: gaze of the basilisk (monster)
24. Save vs Spells or become 1' tall: reading a cursed scroll
25. Save vs Spells or lose half Strength and Dexterity (-20% on all thiefly ability rolls) for 24 turns: Gas trap on treasure chest
26. Save vs Spells at -2 or be charmed: Devil Swine (monster)
27. Save vs Spells at -2 or be charmed :gaze of a vampire (monster)
28. Save vs Dragon Breath for half damage (3-18): Chimera (monster)
29. Save vs Dragon Breath for half damage: Blue Dragon (monster)
30. Save vs Spells or be charmed for one day (effects opposite sex only): Werefox (monster)

Comments:

1. Gygax doesn't seem to like the saving throw

2. Save vs death ray, paralysis or spells: if there is a logical choice for each circumstance, I can't see it in the above examples. Sadly, this was my fear. 

I Will have the Fortitude not to Reflexly do something I will later regret. 

Living in the shadow of ones ancestors

Unless one's campaign is archeological in bent (literally digging for gems), or underland in scope (my try at an Old School name for Underdark as compared to overland for wilderness adventures), dungeon delving almost always requires the construct that there was more in the past than there is now. Very Tolkeinesque.

Grognardia's Dwimmermount campaign builds on this concept as does FrDave in his recent exploration of Holmes and Cook, which I like alot.

I've been fascinated by this topic for a long long time. If I ever finish my 20 year in the writing fantasy novel you will see how much.

Since the Renaissance, we have built higher and looked further than our ancestors. But for nearly 1000 years (roughly 400-1400 AD) we could only look back in awe.

I never finished this book by Christopher Woodward, yep another unfinished project, but the opening chapters are superb.

Just listen to this.

page 5

"London in Queen Victoria's reign was the first European city to exceed ancient Rome in population and geographical extent; until the Crystal Palace was erected in Hyde Park in 1851, the Colosseum remained the largest architectural volume in existence. Any visitor to Rome in the fifteen centuries after its sack by the Goths in AD410 would have experienced that strange sense of displacement which occurs when we find that, living, we cannot fill the footprints of the dead."

page 6, following the fall of Rome

"The public buildings on the Capitoline Hill and the Forum were abandoned while a new city, Christian Rome, rose around the outlying sites of St Peter's martyrdom and the Popes' palace of St John Lateran."

page 7

"Four-fifths of the vast area enclosed by the old fortified walls of Rome became a wasteland scattered with ruins, vineyards and farms."

page 8

"From the fall of classical Rome until the eighteenth century the only houses in the Forum were the cottages of the lime-burners, and the hovels of beggars and thieves."

Tell me that this doesn't seem like a fantastic campaign stetting.

I was on holiday in Cornwall and visited St Michel's Mount.

Inside amongst all the old photographs was this one.

Lanceston (Launceston) Castle Cornwall.

Wow. Look at that farm, in the shadow of its ancestor.

This is a photo of the castle now (I didn't visit this trip but looks a fine example of Motte and Bailey)

I'm inspired, I hope you are as well.

A cry for abuse: Yet more on an Overland Travel System

So my attempt to build off the inspiration from Zzarchov, Anthony,  and Alexis has met with mixed success.


Alexis, was particularly dismissive. That's completely fine by me. I don't put my ideas on the blog for congratulation but to try and build something better.


His point that medieval man was fearful of the wilderness and seldomly ventured into it, fits well with what I am attempting, though as always few are as eloquent as he. Probably why he is a paid writer, I only dream of such, and why I have a completely different day job.


The devil is always in the detail - and the detail here is a conflict between the idea by Zzarchov that wilderness travel leads to hit point loss, and the mechanical reality outlined by Anthony and Alexis, that this would mean a normal man (HP 1-4) would never survive a journey into the wilderness. 


Reconciling these two conflicts might just lead to something worthwhile and achieve what Alexis wishes, "spectacular collaborative sessions with people that led to collaborative or individual changes to my world."


I outlined a few ideas to reconcile this:

One option is the Alexis and new Anthony model, of time based accumulated loss, base 0.1 hit points per day + modifier, the hit point loss getting exponentially higher the longer the travel duration. Such that it is very unlikely a normal man will die on a 3 day journey. And even parties with lots of hit points and high level clerics would get nervous over time.

Makes sense but leads to a complex system requiring a calculator. The latter would present no problem for Alexis, given his use of a computer to calculate real time XP gain.

A second option was the use of modifiers that reduce hit point loss to something, which allows the normal man to survive familiar journeys eg familiarity with the journey. Such a system might result in characters seldom losing hit points, making the whole system defunct. One could add saving throws into the system to prevent damage as I first proposed.

A third option, would be to say that wilderness travel hit point attrition can not reduce a character below 1 hit point. Ok, I except that this is indeed crap. It remains crap, even if the next option is added. Or with Alexis eloquence, "Every detail richly describes how characters travelling through such a region would be likely to die regardless of enemies.  They would suffer damage, considerable damage, and not in some silly manner that left them one magical hit point at the end of a week."

A fourth option is to build off the game mechanic already given to us in D&D to cause hit point attrition and recognise the time based danger of exploration. Wandering monsters. Or as I proposed a Wilderness Encounter Roll, which would include non-creature events that led to hit point loss eg falls, laming of horses, land slides, worsening weather etc.

A fifth option by Richard is, "assigning each terrain type a number, either number of hours to cross (so high is bad) or speed you can go (so low is bad). Every [travel period] you have to roll against this number to avoid damage, because in general I'm convinced harder terrain is also riskier." Thus giving the normal man a chance of avoiding fatal damage.

A sixth option by JDJarvis is, "Each hex side has a score for getting out of the hex in each direction (along a hex side). A party will have a given number of rolls each day/outdoor turn based on their movement rate and can only leave a hex if they get or beat the required roll (for now I'm considering 2d6 to be the roll). Multiple attempts to go in the same direction could get a bonus. Any number of modifiers could be applied to the roll such as travel mode, weather, guides, racial abilities and class abilities along with clever planning." An example can be seen here. In itself this doesn't lead directly to hit point loss but obviously longer time in the wilderness may have other ill effects.

Now the seventh option, is what I have been waiting to see. It is Zzarchov's and this is his comment in Alexis' post.

"The rules are all available on my design blog, but there have been some major changes to both clerical healing and damage that for a quick recap it may be simpler to refer to the system I used in 2e.
A die of damage per week, with modifiers based on equipment, gear and retainers. For partial weak, partial damage. Specific skills would reduce damage (ie, rangers would take less, mountaineering would make you take a point less per die, etc).
This still didn't get around the infinite mobile hospital that is a cleric, but that isn't specifically a travel thing, its a damage thing. There is a reason clerics being "Use or lose em" healing batteries was one of the first thing I chopped.

So I checked out his Piecemeal the RPG: Beta Version 1e. Try here for direct download. I was blown away with the breadth and length of his endeavour. So please check it out. I was left feeling down hearted at just how far the Old School Adventure Guide has to go.

Anyway in dangerous events he outlines the following system for wilderness travel. It's a bit complicated because he uses body points and luck points. A test for injuries is made each week modified by terrain:
Pleasant, Normal,Harsh, Inhospitable, Deadly and Suicidal.

Zzarchov may wish to expand on his system further and point out any errors in my interpretation. Given that there is a roll involved then there is hope built into the system for the normal man.

So seven options. I'm not going to choose now, I want to do more research. Apart from my suggestion that wilderness travel can't reduce a character below one hit point I think all the above are not crap, or need not be if implemented well.

Cliff walls and hypothermia - Isle of Dread Rules (spoiler)

Location 3 on the plateau.

Cliff wall.
"The cliffs surrounding the central volcanic lake form a high, imposing wall of upthrust rock... Even characters without climbing skill may attempt the climb, as there are obvious handholds and routes up the rock face. For all characters except thieves, the base chance of falling is 50%. This may be reduced 10% if a thief is with the party (to give guidance), by 10% if the character's Dexterity is 15 or greater, and by 20% if the characters are roped together (the DM may further adjust the chance of falling depending on other party actions). It will take 12 hours of climbing time to reach the top of the cliffs. [No rules given for how often to check or what happens if a character falls.]

At the top, the rocks are covered with ice and snow, and the temperature is below freezing. No encounters will occur here, but characters who attempt to stay here overnight without warm clothing will suffer 2-12 points of damage from exposure."

More on travel systems for the Old School Adventure Guide

Unless you al have simultaneously dropped me from your blog list - my post yesterday didn't reach anyone's list. Blogger problems go on...

But click HERE and see what you think.

More on travel systems - if Blogger allows!!!

ZZarchov (with humble apologies for not giving you full credit), Anthony,  Alexis and now Richard are all I have to thank for my enthusiasm.

Richard proposes a risk roll based on terrain, which I like but had already half prepared the below.

Well here goes - hold on blogger, there is a lot of work below.

Spawn and Carter - are your horse rules coming back soon or are they eaten by blogger for good? 

The Jovial Priest's two option Overland Travel System

I want to go back to basics here.

Wilderness travel causes hit point loss?

Suggested by Zzarchov in a post by Alexis, picked up by Alexis and Anthony.

I think this is a good thing.

Hit points are abstract for stamina, fate, survivability, exhaustion and skill in combat. They are not just damage. An exhausted fighter may have suffered no damage but their ability to fight is greatly reduced, reflected by lower hit points.

If the environment leads to hit point loss than the environment has consequences apart from determining the risk and type of wandering monsters encountered as well time spent travelling.

If the environment has consequences than this encourages player choice.

What is the best granularity to allow player choice?

Ideally the knowledge of hit point loss can be predicted, even if not exactly by the player, so risk can be weighed.

The best moment for player choice occurs, when setting off for the day’s travel and deciding direction of travel.

A one hex granularity is probably acceptable, assuming the Expert rules that suggest standard walking movement is 24 miles/day or one hex. As in, do we want players discovering that the left upper area of the hex is easier travel than the middle section and thence keeping to the upper left? Or is it enough the player climbs a tree, the hex north looks bad, the hex west looks better, they head west. I think I can settle on the latter, even if that means two days of travel in the same hex. The decision had to be committed to two days ago.

How do we best stop normal men dying on simple journeys?

One option is the Alexis and new Anthony model, of time based accumulated loss, base 0.1 hit points per day + modifier. Such that it is very unlikely a normal man will die on a 3 day journey.

Makes sense but leads to a complex system requiring a calculator.

Alternatively we could have modifiers that reduce hit point loss to something, which allows the normal man to survive familiar journeys. Such a system might result in characters seldom losing hit points, making the whole system defunct. One could add saving throws into the system to prevent damage as I first proposed.

The problem with either system I am discovering is I am deprotagonising my players.

DM: “You lost two hit points today travelling through the forest.”

Player: “But I was down to two hit points since I fought that Ogre and since I’ve been travelling, and our cleric died, I haven’t regained any.”

DM: “Ah, sorry. He died.”

Player: “What, how?”

DM: “Well you know, he fell over and then got bitten by a snake…”

Player: “I want a saving throw”

DM: “.. and fell down a cliff into rapids and drowned.”

Player: “You suck.”

I don’t think players can die without an event, that they can interact in and hopefully change the outcome. Dying off screen or without adequate reason…sucks.

One option would be to say that wilderness travel hit point attrition can not reduce a character below 1 hit point.

(I would probably relax this if I was modeling an army, every hit point less than zero on an army scale = 1 HD loss from the army.)

But what stops the 1 HP character dancing butt naked in a blizzard and laughing at the DM. “Ha ha, you can’t hurt me.”

Yes I can, it’s called wandering monsters, or Zeus’s lightning bolt, and here was my potential eureka moment, what if I didn’t just roll for wandering monsters every day of travel (and every night), what if I rolled for random events as well eg horse slips, quicksand, blizzard etc.

Two game design options came to mind:

1. Hit point loss, but when the character would have been reduced below one hit point, increase the chances of random events (that might still yet kill the character but this time they would die on screen). It’s what happens in real life, Farmer Giles encounters a wandering monster, gets caught in a blizzard, slips and falls… and all the more likely if he is exhauster after many days of travel (1HP)

2. Drop the hit point attrition loss and work on random events tables to complement wandering monster tables.

So here goes:

Okay I want a simple solution that encourages real player choice in keeping with heroic fantasy.

Option 1: Travel leads to hit point loss

What factors might lead to hit point loss?

1. Topography – but it already has travel distance effects shouldn’t that be the difference, and no two forests are the same, should there be a way of accounting for this? Not necessarily, it has risks as well as simple slowing capacity.

2. Climate and season = weather.

I imagine a world where summers are pleasant and winters are snowy and cold.

How often do you want blizzards = simulation (seldom) or heroic fantasy (frequently).

3. Other (see below)

Topography effects both time to traverse and damage (simple predictable). I will be inspired by Cook Expert set for types of topography.

Weather has a random element and is in keeping with heroic fantasy rather than simulation. Weather can make topography more challenging both in time to traverse and damage.

Normal men survive because they understand their local surroundings and know how to avoid damage.

Terrain	Movement	HP Loss / day	Weather Roll Modifier	Wilderness Encounter Roll 1d6
Clear	Normal	0	0	6
Trail	Normal	0	0	as surrounding
Grasslands	Normal	0	0	6
Forest	2/3	2	0	5-6
Hills	2/3	2	0	5-6
Arctic	2/3	2	-1 (-2 if winter)	5-6
Desert	2/3	2	-1 (-2 if summer)	5-6
Broken	2/3	2	-1	5-6
Mountains	1/2	4	-1 (-3 if winter)	4-6
Jungle	1/2	4	-1 (-2 if wet season)	4-6
Swamp	1/2	4	-1 (-2 if winter)	4-6
Road	3/2	-1	0	as surrounding

Could allow for option of light and dark forest (one step better and worse than forest, respectively)

Weather roll 2d6	Extra Travel Risk	Effect	Example Descriptors
2	Lethal	Additional 1/2 normal movement, extra 3 hit point loss	Blizzard, sand storm, treacherous and wet footing
3-4	Dangerous	Additional 2/3 normal movement, extra 1 hit point loss	Freezing winds, scorching sun, slippery footing
5-6	Not a good day to travel	Additional 2/3 normal movement, no extra hit point loss	Heavy snow, thunderstorm, heavy rain
7+	None	None

Daily Modifiers of Hit Point Loss (use all that apply)
Knowledge		Sustenance		Clothing and Equipment		Effort			Night time shelter (apply the next morning)
Familiar Route	-2	No water (apply every day after 1st)	+3	Excellent gear	-1	Half Speed	-1		Full exposure to the elements	Lethal Weather 3HP Dangerous 2HP Not good 1HP
Guide	-2	No food (apply every day after 2nd)	+2	Adequate gear	0	Forced March (3/2 movement must rest full day following)	+1		Partial shelter	Lethal Weather 2HP Dangerous 1HP
Ranger/ Druid or a Barbarian in their own terrain, in the party	-1	Half Rations (apply every day after 3rd)	+1	Poor gear	+1	Mounted	-1

The hit point loss is applied at the end of the day’s travelling with the exception that the Night Time Shelter potential hit point loss, which is applied at dawn.

It is possible to gain hit points while travelling, reflecting the potential uplifting and joyful freedom, the heightened survival instinct and the increased fitness, that can come with overland travel.

Hit points can not be reduced below one from attrition due to travel but if hit point would be reduced below zero for that day for any member of the party, roll a second wilderness encounter roll , for every member of the party who might have had their hitpoints reduced below zero.

Wilderness Encounter Table

I’ll just give one example table using Cook Expert (1-8) and modifying with my new non-creature encounters.

 Mountains

Standard Daily Encounter Chance 4-6

1 Men

2 Flyer

3 Humanoid

4 Unusual

5 Animal

6 Humanoid

7 Dragon

8 Dragon

9 Non-creature

10 Non-creature

(As an aside Cook had the characters having in the mountains a whopping 1 in 8 chance (1/2*2/8) of encountering a dragon or their kin every day!)

Non-creature encounter table Mountains

(hit point losses on this table kill just like a wandering monster sword or claw would)

1 Rock slide (on a 1-2 for every character or mount: save vs paralysis or take 1d6 damage)

2 Major rock slide (on a 1-4 every character or mount: save vs paralysis or take 1d6 damage)

3. Weather deteriorates one step worse overnight and lasts all of the next day

4. Noisy and obvious progress, any wandering monster today will not be surprised and may have set up an ambush

5. Driving winds (or snow or sand) progress is slowed by a 1/3 and everyone must save vs death ray or suffer 1 hit point loss.

6. A pocket of bad air, save vs poison or lose 2 hit points

7. Haunted rocks: without a clerics blessing or exorcism the party is cursed (like the spell) for one whole day

8. Hidden runes in the rock: what do they say?

So that’s a taster of what could be created.

Option 2

Scrap the attrition element of travel and focus on the Wilderness Encounter Table element.

Terrain	Movement	Wilderness Encounter Roll 1d6
Clear	Normal	6
Trail	Normal	as surrounding
Grasslands	Normal	6
Forest	2/3	5-6
Hills	2/3	5-6
Arctic	2/3	5-6
Desert	2/3	5-6
Broken	2/3	5-6
Mountains	1/2	4-6
Jungle	1/2	4-6
Swamp	1/2	4-6
Road	3/2	as surrounding

Wilderness Encounter Table

eg Mountains

Standard Daily Encounter Chance 4-6

1 Men

2 Flyer

3 Humanoid

4 Unusual

5 Animal

6 Humanoid

7 Dragon

8 Dragon

9 Non-creature

10 Non-creature

Expanded Non-creature encounter table Mountains

(hit point losses on this table kill just like a wandering monster sword or claw would)

1 Rock slide (on a 1-2 for every character or mount: save vs paralysis or take 1d6 damage)

2 Major rock slide (on a 1-4 every character or mount: save vs paralysis or take 1d6 damage)

3. Weather deteriorates overnight and lasts all of the next day, progress slowed by 1/3 (roll again for a wilderness encounter 4-6)

4. Noisy and obvious progress, any wandering monster today will not be surprised and may have set up an ambush

5. Driving winds (or snow or sand) progress is slowed by a 1/3 and everyone must save vs death ray or suffer 1 hit point loss.

6. A pocket of bad air, save vs poison or lose 2 hit points

7. Haunted rocks: without a clerics blessing or exorcism the party is cursed (like the spell) for one whole day

8. Hidden runes in the rock: what do they say?

9 Weather lethal, shelter or suffer 1d6 exposure damage, no progress

10 Dark and foreboding area roll twice today for a wilderness encounter.

11 Easy days travel, path more open and weather calm, extra 1/3 distance covered

12 Glorious weather and vistas, all party members gain 1 hit point but can not exceed their maximum.

So that’s another taster (longer table) of what could be created.

Thoughts anyone….