D&D 3E/3.5 Long overland travel campaign

[Gilladian]

I'm planning a future campaign and it would entail the PCs being a scouting group for a large river-bound exploration group. The problem is that I foresee travel being slow - 15 or so miles per day on the river, maybe 10 miles once they finally are forced to leave the river. So weeks/months of time. With encounters happening at a much slower pace than in a standard adventure where a small group moves swiftly over a long distance. I'm thinking of tweaking things so PCs gain the effects of 8 hours of rest ONLY if they have retreated to the safety of their exploration group - not while they are out on scouting missions, and stretching a full day of complete rest out to 3 days. This would mean complete rest and long term care for healing could only take place when the expedition is not moving for whatever reason (bad weather, a multi-day portage, or perhaps they've found a place/allies that allows a safe break in the travel pace). Does this sound fairly reasonable? I'll also be enforcing pretty strict rules on tracking resources, and overall the campaign will be limited to 4th level spells, 10th level advancement, and similar limitations on magic items.

 

[Cadence]

It's obviously for a different system and has some things 3.5 (and even 5e), doesn't but A5E/Level-Up has the idea of needing a "haven" to fully recover. So, your idea is certainly at least in the ballpark.

The link to the rules is below and there might be some ideas to pilfer from it. Switching to strict 3.5 resource tracking from A5E's supply should be pretty easy.

Resting | Level Up

www.a5e.tools

 

[Tonguez]

It's obviously for a different system and has some things 3.5 (and even 5e), doesn't but A5E/Level-Up has the idea of needing a "haven" to fully recover. So, your idea is certainly at least in the ballpark.

The link to the rules is below and there might be some ideas to pilfer from it. Switching to strict 3.5 resource tracking from A5E's supply should be pretty easy.

Resting | Level Up

www.a5e.tools

On on that note heres what A5E tools came back with for Exploration Challenges: Flowing River it might be useful

or you could try Ryuutama

 

[Celebrim]

I don't really see the purpose. I've had a party explore the Isle of Dread in 3e. There wasn't really a need for special rules.

One thing you may try is an Endurance check to rest with difficulty depending on the comfort level of the camp. I did do that because I wanted to give a realistic reason for the party to carry tents, bedrolls, to make a cozy camp (requiring a Wilderness Survival check by a party member) and so forth rather than do something like claiming they were sleeping tied to a tree branch every night. Also it meant that certain terrains like rain forest and swamp were really unpleasant to journey through.

Normally failure to rest meant no natural healing and also Fatigue the next day, but I set the difficulties such that it wasn't that common provided they took steps to mitigate the problem. If you really wanted to, you could set the difficulties high enough that it was hard to rest except in the main camp.

 

[gamerprinter]

While the bulk of the Jade Regent Adventure Path for Pathfinder involves long, overland travel, starting from the "West" going up and over the north pole arctic of Golarion, then down, eventually ending up in the Dragon Empires and Minkai in the final adventures. Most people, including me, were anticipating adventures in Paizo's orient, that's not really what the AP is about... It's about a very, very long overland travelogue. I didn't feel the bulk of that AP was very enjoyable simply based on always being an overland adventure. Good luck making that work, maybe it will, though it didn't work for my group...

 

[Celebrim]

Good luck making that work, maybe it will, though it didn't work for my group...

It will get monotonous after a while.

 

[Cadence]

Now I'm wondering about good inspirational reading for a long trip. The two Cugel books in Dying Earth have a lot, some of the Black Company books?

 

[gamerprinter]

Now I'm wondering about good inspirational reading for a long trip. The two Cugel books in Dying Earth have a lot, some of the Black Company books?

Anything that emulates Marco Polo's trip from Venice to Kublai's palace in true form. Those steppes, desert, Punjab jungle, vast mountain ranges to skirt if not climb over like the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, the Caucases - the distance and geography between Venice and Kublai's court is vast...

Or anything historically describing the Silk Road...

There's always Lord of the Rings, and The One Ring game that really emphasizes like Celebrim's post above, the Endurance, problems sleeping, fatigue involved in those very long walks...

 

[Tonguez]

Anything that emulates Marco Polo's trip from Venice to Kublai's palace in true form. Those steppes, desert, Punjab jungle, vast mountain ranges to skirt if not climb over like the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, the Caucases - the distance and geography between Venice and Kublai's court is vast...

Or anything historically describing the Silk Road...

There's always Lord of the Rings, and The One Ring game that really emphasizes like Celebrim's post above, the Endurance, problems sleeping, fatigue involved in those very long walks...

the accounts of Ibn Fadlan, Rabban Sauma and Ibn Battuta are all available online, as are a number of other such journals and diaries from more modern times. I’ve been reading diaries of 19th Century Missionaries in the Pacific (Church Missionary Society and Mormons) which have been fascinating.

but as much as I enjoy the read, I do agree with Celebrim, trying to play them out will get monotonous. Just look at Ibn Fadlands first 2 Weeks, during which nothing notable happens.

Spoiler

We set out from the City of Peace (Baghdad) on Friday, 11 Safar 309/21 June 921. We
stayed one day at Nahrawan and set out again, marching at speed, and reached Daskara. We
stayed there three days and then continued without halting until we reached Hulwan. We
stayed there for two days and set out for Qirmisin. We stayed there for two days and then
made for Hamadhan where we spent three days.

better to set out notable events along the journey than a daily travellogue.

 

[Gilladian]

It's obviously for a different system and has some things 3.5 (and even 5e), doesn't but A5E/Level-Up has the idea of needing a "haven" to fully recover. So, your idea is certainly at least in the ballpark.

The link to the rules is below and there might be some ideas to pilfer from it. Switching to strict 3.5 resource tracking from A5E's supply should be pretty easy.

Resting | Level Up

www.a5e.tools

Thanks! Yes, some of this looks really useful. I may well borrow it.