So PHB page 181 states the next about using horses for travel fast: "For short spans of time (up to an hour), many animals move much faster than humanoids. A mounted character can ride at a gallop for about an hour, covering twice the usual distance for a fast pace. If fresh mounts are available every 8 to 10 miles, characters can cover larger distances at this pace, but this is very rare except in densely populated areas.", So I got a few questions, the characters must buy a horse every 8 miles and like leave (sell) the other one for the same price? (what if they love their horsey?? or they just dont have the money to buy a horse?) could they like, rent a horse??? just for that ride ?? it make some sense actually, I kinda remember reading about something similar in history of roman's roads if so... how much would be a fare price for renting a mount?Is there any guarantee for the business of seeing its mount again???
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D&D 5E Fast travel and renting mounts doubts
- Thread starter Leo_ASF
- Start date
Most people won't bother buying/renting new horses every 10 miles... most will just use the same mount for the entire trip. The only difference is that you just can't maintain double the travel speed the entire time. Instead, you use the travel chart in the book and you travel the same distance over the same amount of time whether you are walking or on a horse.
If you want to travel double that chart's speed over the length of your entire trip will you need to change horses every 8 to 10 miles. And for that... buying, renting or trading in horses would be the necessity, but there's also a pretty good chance you wouldn't be able to get what you wanted (unless your campaign world had that sort of "leave a horse, take a horse" stable system in place.)
If you want to travel double that chart's speed over the length of your entire trip will you need to change horses every 8 to 10 miles. And for that... buying, renting or trading in horses would be the necessity, but there's also a pretty good chance you wouldn't be able to get what you wanted (unless your campaign world had that sort of "leave a horse, take a horse" stable system in place.)
iserith
Magic Wordsmith
Yes, just put a livery stable in each town that allows people to hire the horses. You drop the horse off in the next town and rent a fresh one. I think an easy way to calculate cost is to just do 10% of the cost of the mount. Failure to bring back a mount could be a serious crime for which bounties might be placed on the characters. Deposits might be required or an NPC with a good reputation might have to vouchsafe for the PC.
I doubt there would be enough customers to make such a thing profitable. It reminds me a little of the Pony Express they had a route set up like that, an outpost every 10 miles or so with fresh horses but that was strictly for mail/parcel delivery.
In a magical world there could be relay stations of an illusionist guild that uses ritual versions of Phantom Steed every 10 miles or so, magic trains, air ships, construct horses, in Eberron there are even earth elemental powered land wagons.
In a magical world there could be relay stations of an illusionist guild that uses ritual versions of Phantom Steed every 10 miles or so, magic trains, air ships, construct horses, in Eberron there are even earth elemental powered land wagons.
neobolts
Explorer
This may not be the day-to-day way of things, but it would certainly come up, particularly if you had access to a faction, background perk, or similar resource that could logically provide fresh mounts.
(PCs arrive at an outpost.)
PC: "I ride from the front lines with urgent news for the capital!"
NPC: "Understood. Your service to the order is commendable. Sergeant, get this woman and her friends fresh horses and food for the road!"
(PCs arrive at an outpost.)
PC: "I ride from the front lines with urgent news for the capital!"
NPC: "Understood. Your service to the order is commendable. Sergeant, get this woman and her friends fresh horses and food for the road!"
The Myopic Sniper
Hero
"I doubt there would be enough customers to make such a thing profitable. It reminds me a little of the Pony Express they had a route set up like that, an outpost every 10 miles or so with fresh horses but that was strictly for mail/parcel delivery."
There is a fantastic campaign idea there if you made it about a crew of elite mail carriers. Not exactly Lord of the Rings, but I can think of all sort of adventure hooks for that scenario.
There is a fantastic campaign idea there if you made it about a crew of elite mail carriers. Not exactly Lord of the Rings, but I can think of all sort of adventure hooks for that scenario.
Herr der Qual
First Post
In societies where threats are imminent it's practical for them to have watch points and a standard road that they use to get from there to the nearest town/city to warn them of an onslaught, the only time you would find a horse placed every 8 - 10 miles is in a military circumstance. Your idea of horse rental isn't that bad but I would make it pretty touch and go, like if there are two towns/cities close together it's possible that two wealthy land owners would come upon an agreement to rent horses back and forth between the two cities. Failure to return a horse would have you branded a horse thief which for most of human history was a death sentence (to this day in Canada stealing a horse or cattle can land you a longer prison sentence than rape). You could even make yourself a little roll table for prices and the quality of the horse (separate rolls) some places reasonably priced with decent horses other place have horribly taken care of animals on their last legs and they cost half as much to rent as to buy a healthy one.
miniaturehoarder
First Post
I'd rule it's generally used by the important to get between larger towns and cities so yeah, the set up is there, but they are not likely to let strangers, foreigners or the ill bred make use of the mounts without persuasion or backing of someone important. Once that's taken care of, you'd register with the outfit, pay the fee, and ride to the next location. Fail to turn in the horse or fail to reimburse for a lost horse... well, everyone knows what they do to horse thieves.
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Saeviomagy
Adventurer
I imagine civilians would need to burn a fair bit of cash to avoid having to wait around trying to find horses at short notice, and would run the risk of getting saddled with a lemon.
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