Wagon/Cart Movement 16 miles/day? Help with a wagon chase.

I had developed a potential wagon chase for my player's characters, but I did not take into account that all pulled vehicles have a unified speed: 16 miles/day or 2 mph.

Now the possibility of a wagon chase is even more probable.

I've checked the carrying capacities for all the pulling animals in the MM, cross-checked them with speeds (60-30), and even tried looking at possible pulling speeds faster than x5 max. weight for wheeled vehicles. Checking the slower speeds for armor in the DMG I can up with a variety of pulling weight capacities and speeds, but its just too unwieldly.

Does anyone know how wagons/carts/sleds could be pulled faster?
I believe these vehicles allow for running, but at the current 2mph speed a human could easily run down a runaway carriage with 4 horses (halflings keeping pace with it if you don't count the horse's Run feat)

Maybe there is something in the Arms & Equipment book? I don't have that one.

Here are my potential House Rules for a simplified system. (I've left out most of the unusual pulling animals)


So essentially 2 light horses could pull up to 4800lbs at 16mph. Adding a mule gains an extra 3200lbs of pull (for 8000lbs)

These are all below 30 miles/day (the slowest normal speed for any of the animals), but I'm happier with these results than no option at all. Maybe there is another possibility to allow for faster speeds? (light horses should really be able to gallop like mad with an empty wagon)

I know 3.0 had max. loads for objects like backpacks and included wagons too. Of course those were just averages, so I will be determining max. load for each wagon as I need. BTW loads above take into account the weight of the vehicles before load capacity. Only a carriage is really off (200lbs more). Everything else is very close to accurate for pull loads. (16 being the 5x max and 12 being 10x)
I also think this helps make the "lethal damage for mounts hustling or forced marching" rule more plausible. Whether it applies to PCs carrying a 30lb halfing vs. a 30lb. pack is another thread altogether.

I'm really just hoping these will speed up the chase and allow other options for my players.

What do you think?

Reminds me of something that happened in a campaign I was in not too long ago. A pixie driving a house-shaped wagon (that wagon was such bad luck, dismantled and probably burned in Hillsfar, damaged by a green dragon and later blown up by an unluck traveler (20 or so Alchemist fires), eaten by a Bullete, destroyed by a demon) and then a halfing and dwarf chasing him (that'd be me and the other player) because the pixie had started selling his wares on territory. Both wagons were drawn by mules. What a chase. We got to the keep we were suppose to go right after he did.

Anyways, I suppose creating some sort of magical item with haste or another speeding spell.

Reins of Speed: doubles speed for animals drawing loads

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That is one unlucky pixie wagon. I'll put that in my to do list. :evilgrin:

Yep, magical items can certainly help. The first that comes to mind are the horseshoes of speed. But something custom-built might be nice, if the players take to a lot of wagon travel. (we already have a harley in the group)

I seem to recall a speedier version of a supe'd up wagon in Arms & Equipment. Anyone here with that one? I like my House Rule and all, but if there's something official already in place, I may take it.