How do you handle in-game travel time?

[ThirdWizard]

It varies wildly, but generally I'll ask for a marching order, a watch order, and gloss over any days that nothing happens.

"You travel across the plains for two days, the far away mountains just coming into view [rolls secret Spot/Listen] when some goblins burst out of the underbrush they were hiding in!" Or somesuch.

 

[mcrow]

We generally give just a quick description of the tavel. Unless something important comes up on the way such as we are attacked ,see something that interests us, or the weather is extreme.

 

[lukelightning]

I give a short description, possibly with one or two mentions of events or people or whatever they see along the way, so that when I later say "you pass a group of travellers" the party doesn't automatically come to the conclusion they are assassins/evil cultists/half-troll pseudonatural mind-flayers in disguise.

 

[Arnwyn]

I voted 5, right on the button. For the most part I'll at least mention each day, and random encounters are usually rolled for each day.

On faster moving transportation (eg. ships), I might speed it up a little more though (probably a "3" on the above poll).

 

[Ed_Laprade]

I voted 3 as well. It is, as most others have said, one of those 'it depends' areas. If nothing is going to happen, it most likely will be: "You travel for x days and get there". Otherwise there will be days with more description and others with less.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I generally flicker through a brief description of a couple of days at a time. I plan out my travel encounters (assuming the party doesn't up and leave town without giving any warning) so I condense quite a lot but still try to convey the nature of the trip.

My players have a large group (six PCs + 2 cohorts with mounts) so numbers alone tends to cause many "wandering" encounters to hide in the bushes. Any attention to the basics of the party's composition (heavily armored and armed) scares off more and the really sharp-eyed will realize the danger posed by the clearly visible wealth of the party (mithral & admantine, clothed in finery/masterwork garb, and at least two mounts that hover off the ground).

Only very large, very dumb, or very desperate creatures try to challenge the party.

 

[DonTadow]

Woah, I reversed the words travel time with time travel in my head.

LOL, yeah what everyone pretty muc hsaid. If its a new place I always have at least one encounter during travel. Else I'll quickly go through the days.

 

[ForceUser]

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.

What he said.

 

[NexH]

In my current campaign travel times are usually measured in weeks, and the PCs don't have to worry about most casual encounters since they are of a high enough level and the area is mostly desert; I usually tell them in a few sentences what happened in the journey, and ask them how they react to some encounters (Example: "One night, you are attacked by a ravenous winter wolf. What do you do?", "We kill it", "Ok... Four days later...)
So I choose 3.

When the PCs where of lower level (and the same area was more populated), there was more detail, but it would have been unfun to keep that level of detail when most days are uneventful.

 

[Drowbane]

Depends heavily on the storyline. I'll describe places and events, and use encounters only when they're relevant... otherwise I click the >>


Unless I've run out of prepared material... then I'll stall things with a random encounter to fill out the session. "When in doubt, send a guy with a gun charging through the door" (no clue where that quote is from... but I DM by it. )