D&D 5E Exploration pace--am I reading this wrong?

[Zaruthustran]

The rules for exploration say that you can travel a certain distance per hour depending on pace, ranging from 1 mile (slow pace) to 3 miles (fast pace). That distance is halved in difficult terrain, such as forest or swamp. A creature can travel a number of hours each day equal to his Con bonus; traveling for a longer time counts as a forced march and forces Con saves.

My response is: really?

So, your typical person--your average 10 con yeoman--can travel for 1 mile in the forest before suffering exhaustion. 1 mile. Your mightiest barbarian would get winded on a short hike at a scenic rest stop. This seems... wrong. It makes the benchmark for wilderness travel--the Fellowship's trek--an impossible task. Can you imagine? Having to camp while still being able to hear the songs in Rivendell?

Mounts aren't mentioned; I assume they follow the same rules. So, don't ride your horse more than two hours.

Really?

EDIT: not really. The rule is you can explore for a number of hours equal to your Con SCORE, not Con modifier. I had misread the rule.

 

[GX.Sigma]

The rules for exploration say that you can travel a certain distance per hour depending on pace, ranging from 1 mile (slow pace) to 3 miles (fast pace). That distance is halved in difficult terrain, such as forest or swamp. A creature can travel a number of hours each day equal to his Con bonus; traveling for a longer time counts as a forced march and forces Con saves.

My response is: really?

So, your typical person--your average 10 con yeoman--can travel for 1 mile in the forest before suffering exhaustion. 1 mile.

What? No. 1 mile per hour. 10 hours before checking for exhaustion. 10 miles.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Constitution Score. Con 10 gives you 10 hours of uninterrupted trekking.

 

[Craddoke]

Well, if the forest is being counted as difficult terrain that would be 5 miles in 10 hours (10 mi. halved) for the Con 10 yeoman. Still not anything like what the OP suggested, though.

Edit: The problem doesn't seem to be in the reading of per hour, but using the Con bonus vs. the Con score to determine # of hours.

 

[Mistwell]

A creature can travel a number of hours each day equal to his Con bonus

This is an easy mistake to make and I think I've made this same mistake before, because we're so used to reading "bonus". However, the rule reads like this, "A character can travel through the wilderness for a number of hours equal to his or her Constitution score in a day without suffering adverse effects. This period of hours includes brief breaks to rest, eat, drink, adjust gear, and so on. "

 

[GX.Sigma]

Well, if the forest is being counted as difficult terrain that would be 5 miles in 10 hours (10 mi. halved)

No, the "moderate" land speed is 2 miles per hour, so in a forest it's 1 mile per hour, so 10 miles.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Oh thank god. Mistwell called it: I interpreted the reference to Constitution as modifier, not score. Hmmm... I wonder if the rules utilize raw score anywhere else? Or is this use unique to Exploration?

Thanks, all. The Exploration rules make way more sense now.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Not quite unique to exploration, but it's rare:

Carrying capacity (strength score; how to play, p. 4)
Jumping ability -- long jump (strength score; how to play p. 9)
Ability to be Awakened with the spell of that name (Intelligence score; spells p. 9)
Primal Might -- level 19 Barbarian ability (strength score; classes p. 3)
Druid's carrying capacity as a steed (strength; classes p. 18)

Any more?