Here's my continuing discussion of how I handle overland journeys, continued from post #1360.
Alright! Omissions first.
I missed Domain spells. So the cleric gets knowledge of four more spells (two 1st and two 3rd) dependent on their domain. It doesn't really change my calculus, however, as I don't see any spell I would choose in addition to the ones I selected previously. Maybe pass without trace. Furthermore, those would be spells effectively chosen at character creation. But, especially for life and nature clerics, it will certainly grant more capacity to prepare other spells. Also, completely forgot about rangers having spells at nearly the get-go. My bad. As of this date, I’ve only run fighters, clerics, paladins, rogues, wizards, and warlocks in my 5e game, and just in the past year. Thanks to Hussar and Ovinomancer for pointing those out.
Ranger Spells: Hunter’s Mark, Goodberry, Speak with Animals, Pass Without Trace
Opinions
As far as the three pillars go, Combat, Social Interaction, and Exploration, I think they are fairly rarely used in isolation from each other. In combat there is the option of parley and surrender, you have to find the reclusive sage in the city, and trekking through the Deep Forest can bring the ire of the Wild Hunt. So I don’t think you can have an overland journey without the possibility of combat, but it also shouldn’t be the only alternative to reaching the destination.
If we decide the main conflicts are:
Man vs. Self
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Powers (Society, Technology, Culture / Tradition, as well as Magic in our case)
Man vs. Fate
Then Man vs. Self, Nature, and possibly Powers and Fate are our themes with our focus primarily on Nature.
When we trek overland what can go wrong? What happened to Messrs. Lewis, Clark, Stanley, Polo, Zheng He, &c? Problems include loss of food, lack of water, getting lost, incapacity / death from disease, encountering hostile forces, incapacity / death from exposure, severe cold and heat, incapacity / death from falls, landslides, drowning in fast water, and others. Equipment is lost leading loss of protection from the elements or inability to travel as safely as was once able.
So what should our team of adventurers do then?
They should have shelter (tents, &c.), sufficient food stocks (eight weeks worth), extra ammunition and spell components (for revivify, &c.), and other equipment and supplies as appropriate. This is going to be heavy! At this point our wizard mentions that she has tiny hut prepared, and the cleric has create food and water. This lessens the amount of needed equipment significantly, as tents, food, even cooking gear is actually the majority of the needed weight.
For me, in my games, here is the first needed rule change:
No Ritual Magic. There are a limited number of spells that can be cast in a day. Being able to cast spells in a ritual fashion that consume nothing but material components damages the game aspect. It obviates many obstacles in the game, especially with exploration. How do I deal with the sequelae of the lack? As the issues come up. So far its been fine.
Hey, I said I would go through how I do it. There you go.
Second rule change:
Leomund’s Tiny Hut creates a magical tent or yurt and not a fortified bunker. The entire point of the spell is lost in 5e, which is to mitigate, not eliminate, environmental consequences of travel and lighten the load of the party. A lighter load allows for more treasure to be carried back.
Looking back to AD&D, Tiny Hut now has the following qualities:
Shelters nine medium sized or smaller creatures (as before). One large sized creature can be accommodated instead of three medium sized creatures (new). Should the caster leave the shelter it collapses.
The outside can be transparent, camouflaged, or a single particular color of the caster’s choice. A light spell can be activated or extinguished at will insider the shelter as the caster desires.
The interior maintains a comfortable temperature, mild humidity, and dry (as before). In areas of extreme temperature, arctic, jungle, and hot desert climates, the interior climate will be uncomfortable but survivable. The interior will remain dry in any rain, but will collapse from being washed with two inches of flowing water. The spell must be cast on firm ground. (Rare situation- you can’t sleep in a stream, and if a waterway jumps its banks you have a problem. But heavy rain outside of a monsoon is not an issue. Swamps are problematic.)
Gale force winds (Beaufort 8) and heavy hail will collapse the shelter.
Vermin and tiny creatures are unable to enter.
Third rule change:
Each berry consumed from a goodberry spell is equivalent to a meal’s nutrition (as original). While ranger spells will typically be consumed in combat, a single casting of goodberry by a ranger or druid wholly obviates the need for food for ten people at the cost of a first level spell. No.
Okay, on to the ship!
When you look at journals of travel on the seas one thing stands out. It is incredibly dull. Sure pirates were a thing, but even when vessels were travelling along standard routes you could go a couple voyages without seeing anybody else. What can go wrong here is usually combative in nature. Pirates, sea monsters, mutiny, &c. 10% chance of pirates, unless there might be a rumor the PCs are transporting a treasure or something. No pirates. The other issues are weather. Knowing where the ship is and that it is mid to late summer, I check on some tables to see if there is any interesting weather. Nope. A couple showers, but nothing exciting. Food isn’t an issue, and as it is a short voyage (< 1 month) so I’m not bothering with spoilage. I have a 1% change of something weird happening, ghost ship, strange tides revealing the top of a ruined tower, &c. But, nothing there as well.
Yeah, sea travel can be dull unless you are going someplace dangerous, the pirates are looking for you, or you travel during a season of bad weather. Something might happen but often doesn't.
Here I narrate the travel in week sections. The ship itself is shelter and mobile food stores, no one wants to pick a fight on the ship, and nothing random turns up. On we go.
More to come, and things get a bit more dangerous.
Damn)) But, mistakes aside, I don't ever do this kind of stuff. You will never, ever hear me ask, "So, how are you checking for traps?" "How are you searching the room?" That kind of stuff is just something I will not do anymore. 
