So, I've read The One Ring and really liked the journeys system. It manages abstractly the characters traveling from one place to the other, making checks to see how fatigued they arrive at destination and if they encounter some hazards along the way. So here's my WHFRP conversion of it.

1. Pathfinding

When characters want to travel from one point to the other, calculate the distance they have to travel. Also, consider the type of terrain(s) they have to cross.

Characters can cross 20 miles (~30 km) per day on foot or by a coach, by horse or on a boat that goes against the current or against the wind.
They get a bonus fortune dice when making their travel checks if they have horses and an expertise dice if they travel by boat or by coach.

If they travel on a boat that goes with the wind or with the current, they cross as much as 80 miles (125 km) per day.
If they travel through difficult terrain (forest, hills, snow), they cross only 10 miles (15 km) per day.
If they cross hard terrain (dense forest, marsh, moutain pass), they cross only 5 miles (8 km) per day.
If they journey through dauting terrain (mountain, desert, waste), they cross only 2.5 miles (4 km) per day.

If they follow a road, they double the distance crossed.

2. Planning

Once the group have settled a path to follow, players can make an Education or Folklore check (specialisation like geography could apply) to see if their character knows anything about the lands they'll travel through. We use only the best roll of all characters who made the check. That character has to choose between making the travel faster or safer.

If he chooses to make it faster, the number of sucesses will have an impact on how much faster the journey will be (up to the GM, for example a 3 days journey could be half a day faster for a sucess, or a whole day faster for 3 successes or more, anything that feels right for the GM). Usually, a day faster for a succeeded roll is acceptable.

If he chooses to make the travel safer, avoiding strenuous paths and beastmen infested areas, he can add 1 fortune dice for each sucess to travel checks (which are Resilience checks, see below), distributed as he wants through all characters in the group. For example, if he gets 3 successes, he could give a bonus fortune dice to himself and two other companions for all their travel checks, or give all three fortune dice to a single low Resilience character to help him get through the voyage, or any other combinasion.

Also, for each character that failed the check, increase the distance of the trip, as their false information get the party into dead ends or bad "short cuts". It usually increase the trip by a whole day, except if the distance can be crossed in a single day (in that case it will make it half a day longer).

3. Traveling

When the party is on a journey, each member has to make traveling checks. A traveling check is basically a Resilience check made to see if the character arrives at destination with some fatigue or top-notch. It also check if the group has to face hazards. The number of traveling checks the characters has to do depends on the distance. The GM can call for a traveling check every 3 days of travel, for example. Then again, if the group make a very big voyage that lasts a whole month, maybe the GM will only want them to make 4 checks (1 for each week of travel). If the characters are crossing highly patrolled area, maybe he'll want to call for one for each day of travel. It's all up to him.

The difficulty of this check depends on the type of terrain and the weather (including the season). For example, traveling in the best conditions could be as low as a difficulty 0 check (or even no check at all), while traveling in winter within a storm and through the mountains could be a dauting check (4 challenges).

Characters who fail their check get 1 point of fatigue. These fatigue points cannot be removed until the characters reach destination and have some time to rest.

If the check generates a Chaos Star or 2 banes, the party must face a hazard. The GM chooses a hazard in the list below or make one up.

Anyone in the group can attemp the proposed check but cannot do so more than 1 time (no retry) to try to circumvent the hazard. Though, only the best check of all characters who tried is kept. Additionally, each character that attempted the check and failed recieve 1 stress as everyone question the character's skills.

Hazards :

- Lost : The party's guide lost his bearings and the group is lost in the wilderness. Any character can attemp an Intuition, Observation or Nature Lore to get his bearings. If no check succeed, everyone in the group take 1 fatigue and the travel time is doubled.

- Uncomfortable camps : A character can attempt a Nature Lore (locate shelter) to find good spots for the nights for all the journey. If he fails, the choosen spots end up cold, windy, wet and full or hard roots and rocks that stuck in everyone's back all night long. No one is able to take a rest for the duration of the trip.

- Cruel weather : A character can attempt a Nature Lore (weather pattern) to predict bad weather episodes and keep the group from traveling under the harshest parts of a storm. A failed check means everyone in the group gets 1 fatigue.

- Hostile territory : A character can attempt an Observation check to spot signs of hostile creatures about. On a failed check, the group gets attacked by ennemies. If the check succeed, the group spot the ennemies before they do and can go around them without being noticed if they want.

- Supplies running low : The group's food supply is almost depleted. A character can attempt a Nature Lore (locate food) check to find enough food for everyone for the rest of the trip. Should he fail, everyone take 1 fatigue. Alternatively, the group can choose to rationed until the end of the trip. Everyone must make a Resilience check or suffer 1 fatigue.

- Dead end : The group face an unpassable obstacle. A character can attempt an Observation check to try to find a way around. Each time the check is failed, the group is stranded for a day and the check must be attempted on the next day. The scout also take 1 fatigue. Alternatively, the group can decide to turn back from where they came and plan another route.

- Natural trap : A character can attempt an Observation (minute details) to spot a danger. If the check is failed, the group gets hit by a natural trap (rockslide, loose tree that falls on them during the night, etc). Everyone takes a wound.

- Despair : The journey is a lot more harder than expected and characters can't see the end of it. A character can attempt a Leadership check to cheer the party up. For each failed check, the opposite effect is reached and everyone take 1 stress. If no check is made at all, everyone takes 1 stress. Additionally, on a Chaos Star, someone gets an insanity or a corruption as the land they cross is blighted.

- Difficult obstacle : The group must cross a high cliff or a rushing river. Everyone in the group must make an Athletics check. Each character who fails the check gets a fatigue. Additionally, if he gets 2 banes, he loses a piece of gear. On a Chaos Star, he gets a wound.

Silverwave said:

I think you mean a Chaos Star, not a Sigmars Comet

I like your rules, before when we talked about something like this in our group I was hesitant - but the rules you propose I like ... especially since the way nature skill is highlighted - Observation is ofcause a natural choice too ..but that is already so very useful ... - For the same reason as I like seeing naturelore being brought to the fore I would also love to see another challenge based of folkelore or intuition only - maybe a 'fork in the road', test vs. intuition or folkelore?

but great work

Silverwave said:

OR a priest of Mannan invoking Fish!

Love it. Your rules are very similar to the my own.

I start with a set of standards regarding terrain difficulty:

Simple (0D)
Flat, well-traveled roads.

Easy (1D)
-Land-
Less traveled roads, wooded paths, gentle rolling hills, open plains
-Water-
Calm seas, placid lake, smooth river

Average(2D)
-Land-
Overgrown path, rocky foothills, thick forests
-Water-
Choppy seas or lake, fast flowing river

Hard(3D)
-Land-
Swamp, Marsh-land, Forest wilderness (no path or road)
-Water-
Shallow seas or lake with coral or rocks, river rapids

Daunting(4D)
-Land-
Mountainside, desert/tundra, spelunking/cave complex
-Water-
Underwater, diving, etc

Add +1 Challenge die if in natural darkness (starlight, moonlight, etc)
Add +2 Challenge die if pitch black (underground, indoors, unnatural darkness)

Add +1 Misfortune die if there's moderately bad weather (heavy rain, snow, sleet, etc)
Add +2 Misfortune die if there's severe bad weather (thunder storms, blizzard, hail, etc)

Next I have the PC leading the expidition make a single Pathfinding check once per 12 hour day. 12 hours being the average amount of daylight, and hence travel time per day. Though after looking at your rules, I may adjust this depending upon the length of the journey...i.e. only have the PCs make a check every 2 or 3 days if the trip will take weeks, etc. The check is resolved as follows:

Path Finding
When traveling for more than half a day, a PC (acting as leader or guide) must make the following check:

Observation(Int)
Specializations: Tracking/Navigation
Vs.
Terrain Difficulty Level X

-Results-

Success = An uneventful journey. You make good time* and stay on the path.

Boon Boon = The road moves swiftly beneath you! You make better time* than you expected

Sigmar's Comet = Someone lightens the mood! Reduce party tension by one

Failed = Slow going. Lose time* (quarter of a day)

Bane Bane = Dangerous territory. If making camp later today, add +1 Misfortune die to the Encampment check

Chaos Star = An obstacle presents itself! Possible Terrain Hazard (See GM)

Chaos Star +Failed, = Took a wrong turn at Nuln! become lost # of miles = 1 + # of Banes rolled.

* Time - when a result mentions time, this can be interpreted in two ways. If the GM is using a progress tracker to precisely track a groups journey, then this may represent moving the tracking token a single space (success!) or an extra space (boonx2). If the GM is tracking the groups progress in a more abstract way, this could represent a number of days or hours lost or gained.

This check represents an abstract way of determining how a leg of the journey has gone. The check may be modified by other PCs fulfilling various roles.

• Scout - Observation check - decrease the terrain difficulty by 1 step if successful.
• Lookout - Observation check - add 1 Fortune die to the Pathfinding check if successful.
• Local lore - Folk Lore/Nature Lore check - add 1 Expertise die to the Pathfinding check if successful.
• Moral - Leadership/Charm check - add fortune dice to the Pathfinding check if successful.

Encampment
If night falls PCs must make camp or risk becoming lost in the dark.
Encampment Check is as follows:

Nature Lore(Int)
Specializations: Find Shelter
Vs.
Terrain Difficulty Level X

-Results -

Success = You find a comfortable and safe place to make camp (Rest & Recover as normal)

Boon Boon = The fire is especially cozy tonight , recover 1 extra stress and fatigue in the morning.

Sigmar's Comet = everyone in good spirits! Reduce party tension by 2

Failed = Bad spot for camping! Lose sleep*

Bane Bane = No food in area (+1 misfortune to Hunting & Gathering check)

Chaos Star = Possible Terrain Hazard (Consult GM) + Lose Sleep*)

*Losing Sleep: Recover Wounds = to half your Toughness, recover no stress/fatigue, and +1 Misfortune die to your Rest & Recovery check in the morning)

No Sleep: Recover no Wounds or stress/fatigue, and no Rest & Recovery check the following morning.

Boehm said:

DOH! Yeah, I meant Chaos Star. Silly me. Fixed.

@GoblynKing

It's a bit unrealistic to say characters travel for 12 hours. Most likely, they'll travel for about 8 hours per day, taking multiple pauses to rest, drink and eat, to stop and listen or scout the surroundings to notice potentially dangerous creatures, to get your bearing, to build a shelter or camp, gather wood and start a fire, make food, etc. More than anything, walking or riding for 8 hours in a single day is actually A LOT and it's more than generous to let characters do that.

Then again, you don't mention any distance crossed for that 12 hours' walk so it should be easy to fix!

Boehm said:

Hmm, it would be too alike with the "Lost" hazard. What you can do is restrict this challenge to using Intuition, explaining there's no terrain feature they recognise they could use as a bearing and they must rely on their intuitions.

I wouldn't recommand using Folklore or Education "on the field" because it's already usefull in the journey's planning, though if you want to give those skill more usefullness, why not. Maybe they've heard about a certain terrain feature, a big tree in the shape of a bear that points north or something like that.

Silverwave said:

The 12 hours is in effect from the moment they awaken in the morning, until they set camp that night...it includes all the stops for meals, short breaks, pulling over to let the horses graze, etc. so it's more of an abstract way to represent the travel day. Most would travel until two or three hours before nightfall before stopping to make a camp, get a fire going, make a meal, and turn in...after swopping tales of peril around said fire first of course.

Silverwave said:

How about incorporating an Animal Handling check?? - I love the idea of incorporating some of these skills which otherwise dont get to shine much (aside from spc. actioncards) in regular play ...

GoblynKing said:

Then it makes a lot of sense

@Bohem

Well, first Animal handling isn't Ride. Traveling with a horse or coach really would be a Ride check.

I don't like exceptions much, so I wouldn't add a rule that calls for another check if your riding a horse or coach. But I could make a coach based hazard, though! I have yet to think of something for horses (as they are more... off roady).

Since I cannot edit anymore, here goes :

- Muddy road : A long segment of the road is covered in a foot deep of mud. A character must succeed at a Ride check or see the coach stuck in the mud. Other characters can help (each giving 1 fortune dice for the check) but if the check fails, everyone that helped take a fatigue point. On a Chaos Star, a part of the coach breaks down (wheel, harnes, etc). Alternatively, the group can decide not to go through the obstacle and turn back to take another road (if one exist).

with regards to animal handling - I was more like thinking that its to keep the animals in shape - like a resilience check for the animals

I think that as much as this has been discussed by Valvorik and you guys that it would make a great article for Liber Fanatica 10.

WFRP typically requires a lot of traveling and the ideas you guys present keeps it from being little more than "teleporting from one place to the next" as often occurs when you don't have rules like you guys present.

great job!

jh

Emirikol said:

Thanks. What exactly is Liber Fanatica ? A webzine based on WH ?

Silverwave said:

You could make one of the travel hazards something akin to:

"You're mount/horses are spooked by a shadowy form (night)/ wild animal(day), running across the road/trail/path, etc. Make a 1D-3D Animal Handling check to control your mount or take a wound/wagon is damaged/lose time/etc."

Hey Silverwave,

I am working in a personal project of creating a High Elv supplement. Now I was creating some sea themed careers for the region of Cothique and then I thought the including your traveling house rules for sea trips could be a great chapter in my document.

The thing is that I am posting this "fan supplement" in this forums, therefore I want to ask you if you do mind that I include your house rules (or a modified version of them) in my supplement? Of course, I will properly referentiate from whom I stole the rules.

No problem pal!