D&D 5E How do you measure distances outside of combat?

[bedir than]

Do you still use miles? Do you use kilometers? Do you care that these both have real world meanings that wouldn't be meaningful in the game world?

Or would you use a measure like a League or a Daylong Journey instead?

How much does immersion matter when your adventuring party is travelling?

 

[jmartkdr2]

Do you still use miles? Do you use kilometers?

Usually miles. Kilometers is too modern for fantasy.

Do you care that these both have real world meanings that wouldn't be meaningful in the game world?

A mile is 1,000 paces. The Romans came up with it, so it makes sense that human in other settings would come up with it as well. Theoretically other races would have other measurements, but since most conversations take place in Common, the human language, they use human measurements.

Or would you use a measure like a League or a Daylong Journey instead?

Using an unfamiliar unit of measure isn't usually worth it, although neither of these are bad options.

How much does immersion matter when your adventuring party is travelling?

If time is a factor, I want to stick to the rule for the sake of fairness. The rules themselves are fine. If time isn't a factor, the only thing that matters is how many, if any, encounters they have along the way. In a sandboxy game that's going to require knowing travel time. In a more plot-focused game, it really doesn't. The number of encounters that happen is however many I can come up with that advance the plot or reveal meaningful information.

 

[Ancalagon]

a league. How far is a league? It's how far you can travel in one hour. Once the players understand that, it's super useful

 

[iserith]

Miles or hexes. But I'm only counting when it actually matters. I'm not sure what "immersion" means in this context.

 

[aco175]

I tend to use hours and days. "You walk most of the day and in late afternoon you get there." "You walk a couple hours through the woods making slow time." I guess the players understand that to mean a few to several miles.

 

[Shiroiken]

As the DM I use miles for my own convenience, and when I have to give a visual estimation to the players. In game, however, it depends on who you ask. Most people count anything from a half day's travel by travel time, with closer distances given in miles. People who need to know more precise distances (merchants and military) use miles for up to about 30 miles (10 leagues), and leagues beyond that.

 

[touc]

For immersion, that level of minutiae as to whether it's a league or miles would be irrelevant to my gamers. They are more focused on "how long will it take us to get from A to B?

Since I'm running a Kingmaker-hexploration campaign, I keep notes of roughly 50 random and unique things the party might stumble across, divided up by terrain, such as a patch of flowers that should be out of season but are in full bloom in the middle of the Kamelands plains.

Otherwise, the smelled of cinnamon apple cider and Otik's spicy fried potatoes sizzling in the skillet as they walk in the Inn that has become like home, that's the immersion I go for. Something that triggers a feeling.

 

[Laurefindel]

I use leagues and miles for their exoticness. And yes, miles are exotic (for most non-US citizens anyway)

 

[S'mon]

Miles. It may not be exactly the same as a modern mile. Occasionally leagues (=3 miles).

Edit: Main thing is to use Imperial for fantasy & Metric for Sci-Fi.

 

[el-remmen]

Miles and Leagues. (and fathoms for depths beyond typical coastal and inland waters)