Travel

In the wilderness, there are often great distances that must be traveled to reach destinations, covering huge swathes of myriad terrain. Most journeys should take several days, but some are shorter or longer. This section will cover the rules for adventurers as they traverse the wilds.

Watches
In an ordinary 24-hour day, there are six watches, each equivalent to about four hours. An ordinary party can travel for two watches, or eight hours. Likewise, to complete a long rest, a character needs two watches of sleep, or, again, eight hours. This leaves another two watches during which other activities can be conducted, such as fighting monsters, delving into dungeons, or foraging for supplies.

Travel Activities
While characters are journeying, there are a number of activities that they can undertake in addition to walking. A character can only engage in one travel activity at a time. A character decides which activity they are engaging in at the start of each watch that they are travelling.

Most travel activities are done passively while travelling, and thus can be stopped or started at any time; foraging is the single exception. A character must spend a full watch foraging in order to reap any benefits. If the party stops travelling and has no pressing activities, a character could simply continue foraging for their remaining time.

Notice Threats
A character can keep an eye out for danger and threats as the party travels, making it more difficult for enemies to ambush them, or traps to take effect. A party member that is noticing threats can use their passive Wisdom (Perception) score to notice threats.

Search
A character can be searching for a specific object or location as the party travels, such as a cluster of ruins or rare kind of tree. A party member that is searching uses their passive Wisdom (Perception) score, against a DC determined by the GM.

Navigate
A character can try to prevent the group from becoming lost as they traverse the wilds. A party member that is navigating can make Wisdom (Survival) checks to navigate. A party member can assist the navigator, provided that they are proficient in Survival.

When an adventurer can tell cardinal directions, such as a character with the Keen Mind or Explorer feats, they always have advantage made on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to navigate.

Forage
A character can search for food, water, and other resources, potentially gathering useful supplies as they travel.

Track
A character can follow a trail or set of tracks while pursuing a creature or group of creatures. Generally speaking, a party does not need both a navigator and a tracker.

Draw a Map
A character can draw a map, helping the party be aware of their position. No check is required.

Helping While Traveling
Generally speaking, any activity undertaken by a character while traveling can be assisted by another character, granting advantage on the check. In certain cases, such as when navigating or tracking, there are certain requisite skill proficiencies or other features a character must have before they can help.

Features, spells, and other effects that grant a specific bonus to a check, such as a cleric’s guidance spell, can be used during travel activities. If the effect requires an action, such as with guidance, the character granting the effect must use their entire travel activity to do so. If the effect is passive, such as from a magic item, the effect is simply enacted as on a normal check.

Travel Pace
While adventuring, characters may sometimes wish to travel at a faster pace, and other times at a slower one, depending on a variety of factors.

While traveling, a group of adventurers can move at a normal, fast, or slow pace, as shown on the Travel Pace table. The table states how far the party can move in a period of time and whether the pace has any effect. Traveling at a fast pace makes characters less perceptive and unable to focus on anything but the road, while a slow travel pace makes it possible to sneak around and to traverse the area more carefully.

Characters can travel for 8 hours - two watches - per day normally, incurring no penalties. However, a party can push beyond this limit, at the risk of exhaustion. For each additional hour of travel beyond 8 hours, the characters cover the distance shown in the Hour column for their pace, and each character must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of the hour. The DC is 10 + 1 for each hour past 8 hours. On a failed saving throw, a characters suffers one level of exhaustion.

Fast Pace
At a fast pace, characters suffer a -5 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) scores, a -5 penalty to Wisdom (Survival) checks made to navigate or track, and cannot engage in travel activities other than noticing threats, navigating, or tracking.

Normal Pace
A normal pace has no additional effects.

Slow Pace
At a slow pace, characters are able to travel stealthily, and gain a +5 bonus to Wisdom (Survival) checks made to navigate or track.