Travel Rules

Fortitude Saves

These are constitution saving throws made for each day of travel that reflect the character's ability to endure travel. The DC starts at 10. Each time a character passes a save, the DC increases by 2. Taking a long rest will lower the DC by 2. Failing a save inflicts a level of exaustion.

3 Parts of a Travel Day

For each part of the travel day, characters get to choose a role that they will be serving for the group.

Travel Phase

Each day a group can travel 20 miles at a normal speed. A party can rush to move 30 miles in one day, but risk taking a level of exhaustion. If the party chooses to rush, they will make a fortitude save at the end of each 10 miles of travel. This means that there is a total of 3 fortitude checks related to rushing. A party chooses their rate of travel for each day and that cannot be changed until the next day of travel. Difficult terrain will reduce this movement by half. Weather can cause the difficult terrain condition.

The Guide

There can only be one guide in a party and they cannot benefit from the help action. It is the guide's job to make sure that the party doesn't get lost. They can be tracking, using a map or following the stars. They are the character that knows how to travel through the landscape and keep track of where the party is in the world. They will be rolling survival checks to determine how well they are navigating the landscape. The DC will depend on the circumstances of the travel. A successful check means that the party is moving in the right direction. Failure means that the party cannot move. Failure by 5 or more means that the party is moving in the wrong direction. The checks are rolled for each 10 miles of movement.

The Scout

There can only be one scout in a party and they cannot benefit from the help action. This character roams ahead of the party to watch for danger. This scout will make either a stealth or a perception check for each 10 miles of travel. A successful roll means that the party avoids all encounters. If the scout suceeds by 5 or more, the party can choose to ambush or avoid the encounter. Failure on a scout check means that the party will face an encounter. If the scout fails the roll by 5 or more the party must roll perception checks to determine if they are surprised by the encounter.

The Cartographer

There can only be one cartographer in a party and they cannot benefit from the help action. This character is responsible for mapping or recalling knowledge about the area that they are traveling through. The cartographer makes either a history or survival check. A sucessful check means that the cartographer was able recall the area or has this area mapped. Having an area mapped means that the guide of the party is granted advantage on their checks. Failure means that this character does not recall the area or have the area mapped. Success of 5 or more grants the party additional knowledge about the area. They would know the common plants and creatures in the area. They would know any significant history or lore about the area.

The Traveller

There is no limit to the number of travellers there can be in a party. Travelers can assist other travelers in their responsibilities. This is reflected by having a single character making the traveler rolls for the party while the other travelers provide assistance with the help action, granting an instance of advantage for each helper. The other roles cannot provide assistance to the traveller and the travellers cannot provide help to the other roles.
These characters are responsible for making sure that the gear and animals are being managed appropriately. They carry the bulk of the gear so that other characters can better manage their roles. If pack animals or draft animals are being used, it is their job to ensure that these animals are being cared for and are staying calm during the journey. Generally, these characters aren't required to make any rolls. However, if the party is surprised, they might need to make a check in animal handling to keep the animals from bolting. They might need to make a strength or consitution check to maneuver the gear and animals over tricky parts of the terrian like broken bridges or steep inclines.

Setup Phase

This is the part of the day where the party finds a suitable location for camp, does any hunting or gathering for food, sets up their tents, makes a fire, cooks their meal. Rations will be tracked. Each day requires a day of rations for each character. If the character cannot eat their day's rations, or chooses not to, they will make a Fortitude Save at the end of the day.

Encamper

There is no limit to the number of encampers in a party. Encampers can assist other encampers in their responsibilities. This is reflected by having a single character making the encamper rolls for the party while the other encampers provide assistance with the help action, granting an instance of advantage for each helper. The other roles cannot provide assistance to the encamper and the encampers cannot provide help to the other roles.
Encampers make a stealth or surivial check. Sucess means that the camp has been set up securely and there are no encounters during the rest. On a failure, there are encounters during the rest. If the Encamper fails the roll by 5 or more the party must roll watch checks with disadvantage.

Forager

There is no limit to the number of foragers in a party. Foragers can assist other foragers in their responsibilities. This is reflected by having a single character making the forager rolls for the party while the other foragers provide assistance with the help action, granting an instance of advantage for each helper. The other roles cannot provide assistance to the forager and the foragers cannot provide help to the other roles.
Foragers make a survival or nature check to gather supplies like food, water and firewood. Sucess means that party gains one day of rations for each person in the party. Success of 5 or more grants the party two days of rations for each person in the party. Failure means that they do not find any additional rations for the party. Failure by 5 or more means that they bring back food that wasn't safe to consume and all the party members need to roll a fortitude save.

Cook

There can only be one cook in a party and they cannot benefit from the help action. The cook will make a cooking check. This is a straight d20 roll. If they are proficient with the Cook’s Utensils they can add their proficiency bonus to the roll. It is a DC 10 to creat e standard meal.
Passing this check means that each party member regains one expended hit die. Passing by 5 or more means that each party member regains two expended hit dice and gets to enjoy a gourmet meal. Failure means that the party does not regain any expended hit dice and they must eat a less then appealing meal. Failing by 5 or more means that the meal was ruined and a second meal had to be prepared, costing every party member two days of rations rather then the usual one.
If the cook is proficent with the Cook’s Utensils they can make an additional check before starting to cook to check the quality of the ingredients they are using. This is a DC 15. If they pass this check, they can negate the need for the party to roll fortitude saves as a result of the forgaging group failing their check by 5 or more. This is considered an action that all knowledgable cooks would engage in and thus they will automatically gain the chance to make this roll if the forgaging party fails their roll by 5 or more.

Long Rest

Resting on the road is different and more difficult then resting in the comforts of a safe location. While resting during travel, the character does not restore their hitpoints on long rest. They still regain their expended hit dice as they normally would. Additionally, a character can use their hit dice to restore hitpoints during a long rest in the same manner that they would during a short rest. However, spending hit dice to rest their hit points occurs before they regain any spent hit dice from resting.
A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which a character sleeps for at least 6 hours and performs no more than 2 hours of light activity, such as reading, talking, eating, or standing watch. If the rest is interrupted by a period of strenuous activity — walking around, fighting, casting spells, or similar adventuring activity — the characters must begin the rest again to gain any benefit from it.

Watch

Each long rest is broken into 4 watch shifts that last 2 hours long. Each character taking watch must also indicate which watch shift they are taking. There is no limit to the number of watchers in a party or the number of watchers per a watch shift. Watchers can assist other watchers in their responsibilities. This is reflected by having a single character making the watcher rolls for the party while the other watchers provide assistance with the help action, granting an instance of advantage for each helper. Anyone that is not on the watch shift cannot help.
Watchers make perception checks. One check is rolled for each shift. Failure means that the party is surprised by any encounters during the rest. Success means that the party is not surprised by any encounters during the night.
Watch rolls are only played out in the condition that it has been determined that there will be encounters during the Setup Phase. If it has been determined that there will be no encounters during the Setup Phase, then the watcher rolls are not required and it is assumed that the rest passes without interruption.

Going without a Long Rest

A long rest is never mandatory, but going without sleep does have its consequences. If the party chooses, they can skip the Setup Phase and Rest Phase of the day. If they choose to do so, they can travel an additional 10 miles that day. However, since they have not stopped to make camp or rest, they are assumed to have gone without food for that day. Additionally, since they have not rested, they must make a Fortitude Save DC 10. It becomes harder to fight off exhaustion if you stay awake for multiple days. After the first 24 hours, the DC increases by 5 for each consecutive 24-hour period without a long rest. The DC resets to 10 when you finish a long rest. These rules also apply if the long rest is interrupted and they do not choose to restart their rest.