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Message: <blockquote data-quote="3catcircus" data-source="post: 2872172" data-attributes="member: 16077">It is up to the DM to make it interesting enough to keep the players' interest, but the player's also have to be willing to participate as well.  Additionally, the DM can *use* overland travel to provide clues or additional plot hooks for his players.In one of my last sessions, one of my players wanted to "speed up" travel by casting Phantom Steed, until I pointed out that they had a cart and mule carrying all of their loot that would be left behind...Of course, I *did* make it interesting.  I fully described the weather conditions and indicated that a steady drizzle would later become a downpour (the ranger correctly predicted the weather).  I fully described their environment, indicating the gently rolling hills were full of heather with little explosions of purple flowers due to the early spring rains and even a small dogwood or two was starting to flower.I had them come upon a burnt and plundered caravan.  I used extremely graphic descriptions of what the victims had suffered - indicating that a small boy was tortured by having his entrails pulled out of his belly and strung along  the ground, that the old man had been "crucified" to his own wagon wheel with daggers and had suffered thousands of cuts that individually wouldn't be fatal, that the half-burnt bodies of two women in a wagon clearly showed signs of being "ravished" and that a hidden journal seemed to indicate that more people had paid passage on the caravan.What was just a simple set piece to describe the dangers of travel instantly became a race to follow the tracks rapidly being washed away by the rain in hopes of rescuing whoever was captured in the raid before they possibly suffered the same fate...The fact that I plan on using this to help in the advancement of my plot is a bonus - they *will* remember this scene.Overland travel doesn't have to be boring.  There are plenty of crazies out there in the real world to take inspiration from when designing non-combat "encounters."How about a mysterious group of strangers that seems to be "shadowing" the party wherever they go, keeping just far enough away that the party can't see details and mysteriously dissapearing from view, but always manages to be around?The kindly old halfling who needs a ride because his pony threw him and ran off but he declines to partake in the evening meal each night?Two dandies being chased by a group of angry gnomes?With a little bit of effort and a willingness to describe things in excruciating detail, overland travel can be just as exciting as combat.</blockquote>

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