How do you handle in-game travel time?

[Quasqueton]

How do you handle in-game travel time? Do the PCs just appear at Point B, or do you play out each day in full detail?

Quasqueton

 

[shilsen]

It depends on the length of the trip, but generally I use at least part of the Indiana Jones approach: the map appears, theme music plays, and a little red line moves from the point where the PCs left. I'll usually mention a couple of things that occur as the days pass and we'll play out important encounters and events.

 

[PK]

It depends...if they are on a boat taking a long sea voyage, then I'm going to "red line" it. But if they are stranded in the wilderness, lost with no idea of where they are, then we are going to do every day, set watches at night, roll survival for direction and food, etc.

I've only done the second version once in the current game and it is a nice change of pace. But if they wander into the Mournlands (Eberron game) then we will be doing much more of that.

 

[Umbran]

As usual - it depends.

Sometimes, I have good ideas of how to enhance the story that can be implemented during that trip. Sometimes, I don't - in this case, I tend to skip over the time to get to the interesting stuff.

 

[lukelightning]

They get on the machine which whirls around and sends them through a time-hole to the past, where they accidently kill their great-great-grandmother, thereby causing a paradox which destroys the universe.

Oh, you said travel time, not time travel. Nevermind.

 

[Mycanid]

I also agree with Umbran ... it really depends on the situation being described and the module being used. Sometimes there is agonizing detail, other times it's a "Bam! You are standing on the shore of the remote island." kind of thing....

 

[Gold Roger]

Depends.

I either "red line", bring on a montage, a string of significant encounters or a full day by day playout.

A insignificant sidetravel through save and known territory would be "redlined" (go back to "Heaven City" for supplies), while a travel critical to the story through dangerous territory is either a string of encounters if drawn out (long overland track through the skull desert to reach the fabled ruins of Ath Naem) or, if it's rather short, but intense, a full playout (get behind the lines of the orcish lines to contact "Redwolf").

It's all about the pacing.

 

[Lorgrom]

In my current campaign its a 0. In nearly all the others it is a 5.

 

[Hjorimir]

It varies and, as others have mentioned, pacing is everything. If I plan on having some encounters, which does not necessarily mean combat encounters, I tend to detail more of the travel. Otherwise, it's POOF - roll calendar - you're there.

 

[Crothian]

Early in the campaign over land travel is dealt with more, but as we establish it and the campaign styarts to focus on other things we spend less time with it.