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OVERLAND TRAVEL

"The open road awaits us."

THE OVERLAND ROUND

In this exploration system, a typical adventuring day is modeled on the combat round called the Overland Round.

 

The Overland Round consists of any number of Free Overland Actions, 1 Swift Overland Action, 1 Move Overland Action and 1 Standard Overland Action (or an additional Move Action). Just like the combat round, a Standard Overland Action may be exchanged for an additional Move Overland Action. Alternatively, the group may select to perform a Full-Day Action if they forfeit their Move and Standard Overland Actions. If the group does not move during their Overland Round, they may make a 1-mile trek, which is the overland equivalent to the 5-foot step.

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Overland Actions are broken-down as follow:

FREE ACTIONS

  • Cast a spell with a casting time of 10 minutes or less.

  • Groom animals.

  • Prepare meals.

  • Prepare daily spells.

  • Set or break camp.

  • Travel 1 mile (the overland "5-foot step", also know as the 1-mile trek).

  • Any other mundane task requiring less than 1 hour or that can easily be performed while doing something else.

SWIFT ACTIONS

  • Gather wood for a bonfire.

  • Cast a spell with a casting time of 1 hour.

  • Find protected shelter / camp site.

  • Record a 0-level or 1st level spell in a wizard's spellbook.

  • Study a new spell.

  • Any other task requiring about 1 hour to complete.

MOVE ACTIONS

  • Travel for half the day.

  • Check snares / traps.

  • Dig grave / trench (up to 5 ft. deep, 10 ft. long).

  • Make a Survival check to erase traces of camp / activity.

  • Gather Information (as per Diplomacy skill description; urban action).   

  • Protect against severe weather (as per Survival skill description; +2 if moving, +4 if stationery).

  • Record up to 4 levels worth of spells in a Wizard's spellbook.

  • Any other task requiring steady work but low concentration.

STANDARD ACTIONS

  • Administer/receive long-term care (as per Heal skill description; 2 hp/level or 2 ability score points)   

  • Attempt a Craft skill check.

  • Camouflage or fortify camp or shelter.

  • Forage for food (as Survival skill description).

  • Hunt for magical/medicinal herbs

  • Set snares and traps.  

  • Any other task requiring steady work and high concentration.

FULL-DAY ACTIONS

  • Administer/receive long-term care (as per Heal skill description; 4 hp/level or 4 ability score points)

  • Attempt a Forced march (attempting to travel more than the total distance indicated on the Overland Movement Table, with appropriate fortitude saves).

  • Attempt a Move or Standard Overland Action with a +2 circumstance bonus.

  • Attempt a Profession skill check.

  • Cast a spell requiring more than 8 hours of uninterrupted activity.

  • Make progress on crafting a magic item.

  • Make progress toward Retraining.

​The Overland Round assumes that the group routinely performs a multitude of trivial tasks and rest for a total period of about 12 hours. In other words, each Overland Round represents 12 hours in the game world even though a full day consists of 24 hours. This rest time includes the preparation of meals, setting-up camp, building a fire, taking turns during watch etc. Groups that are free of those chores—characters staying at the town’s inn for example—may perform 1 extra move action. Creatures that are completely free of such sustenance (mainly constructs and undead creatures) effectively obtain a free 'surprise round' for each day passed.

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