Pendragon Starter Set - Appendix C - Overland Movement

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Appendix C: Overland Movement

W
hen characters journey overland, the Gamemas- Castles and market towns are thus usually about twenty
ter charts the passage of time in days or weeks, miles apart. This assumes that the travelers know the way
narratively or by pointing to landmarks on the or have a guide, they carry sufficient food or receive it along
map. Sometimes the journey is the adventure, as in a long the way, the weather is suitable, reasonable road maintenance,
pilgrimage, where every day may bring a new scenario. and nothing unusual occurs. The different Movement Rates
The usual manner of getting around in strange places of horses and people are not relevant for leisurely travel since
is to have a general idea of direction and to ask for more a party moves at the rate of the slowest member.
specifics when meeting someone along the way. Since most Mounted characters can certainly travel faster but only
people one meets are local to the area, they have a pretty good at the risk of losing a good horse due to overexertion. Once
idea of the surrounding world, which, in the case of peasants, a horse has blown its wind, it never recovers. The usual pace
is only the five-mile or so radius around their village, or for to quickly travel a long distance is to trot, trot again, and
knights, the extent of their lord’s domain. People possess then canter at 15-minute intervals. See below for how the
only vague and often incorrect information about areas rules of Forced March work.
outside their home territory. People do not usually provide Table C.1: Overland Daily Riding Rate provides infor-
directions in miles but rather in vague travel times, like mation on rates of travel broken down by type of weather,
“a long time,” or “until noon,” or “a little while.” Using road, and conveyance. All distances are given in miles per
landmarks is more accurate and may be specific, like “the day, traveling with a guide or foreknowledge, and assume
ford with the standing stone,” but can be confusing too; i.e., the party has no wheeled vehicles. If traveling with wheeled
“the big tree,” or “where the rocks fell down,” or “the ruin.” vehicles, the rate can never be faster than Leisurely.
People may not really know but give bad directions anyway,
out of fear or mischief. Information about dangerous areas Types of Weather
is particularly incomplete. Vast areas of woodland in Britain Ő Good: Warm, either sunshiny or overcast, but with
are unknown to any mortal. nothing more than light rain.
Even moderately-settled areas may be lost to the knowl- Ő Bad: Moderate to heavy rainfall, muddy roads, strong
edge of nearby folk should a group of enemies cut off the winds, flooded fords.
roads and trails to the settlement. A modest quest for a Ő Terrible: Snow accumulation, icy roads, strong winds,
group of young knights might be to travel into an area that frozen roads of indeterminate ice thickness.
has become lost in this way and return with an accurate
description of landmarks and so forth. It is common to get Types of Road
lost and backtrack to the last known place. Ő Roman: An ancient, paved road the Romans built
Player-­k nights have a good knowledge of their own centuries ago. Though generally unmaintained, it is
county and have traveled around most of it while serving still very serviceable.
as squires. They will have visited nearby major sites as well Ő Trade: A raised dirt or gravel road, repaired regularly.
and have a rough idea of more distant places. Ő Local: A common, undrained, ill-repaired dirt road.
When covering long distances on royal roads, both horsed Ő Path: A narrow, marked trail through woods or fields.
and unhorsed characters travel about twenty miles a day.

Table C.1: Overland Daily Riding Rate*


Weather and Road Hurried or
Conditions Exploring Leisurely Normal Forced March
Good, Bad, or Terrible
5 15 20 30
Weather on a Roman Road
Good Weather on a
4 10 15 25
Local or Trade road
Good Weather on a Path 2 5 8 12
Bad Weather on a Trade Road 4 10 15 25
Bad Weather on a Local Road 3 7½ 10 15
Bad Weather on a Path 1 2 3 5
Terrible Weather on a Trade Road 3 7½ 10 15
Terrible Weather on a Local Road 1 4 5 7½
Terrible Weather on a Path ½ 1 1½ 2
* All measurements in miles
Sir Asterius Rides! A Note on Maps
Maps are exceedingly rare. Those that do exist are poor
Sir Asterius must ride hard to rescue his true love. He
copies of Roman tabulae, which show major roads and river
decides to make a forced march. His best riding horse,
crossings, but with nowhere near the accuracy of modern
a charger named Zephyrus, is available. He takes
maps. The common replacement for a map is a written
another horse, an unusually hardy rouncy, as a backup.
list of stops along the way and, if of superior quality, an
The trip will go entirely along a trade road known
indication if the stop is a manor, castle, monastery, city,
well to Sir Asterius, and the weather is fine, so he will
or other landmarks. Lacking literacy, a coat of arms of the
make good time.
landholder might designate important sites.
Sir Asterius and his squire (leading his master’s
special rouncy and mounted on his own rouncy)
depart at dawn. Sir Asterius’s lady is imprisoned in
Wheeled Vehicles & Cargo
The roads and trails of Britain are crisscrossed by a variety
a castle about 25 miles away; a single day’s forced
of wheeled vehicles bearing valuable cargo from one mar-
march should do it.
ket to the next.
Zephyrus has a Movement Rate of 16 and a CON
A cart is two-wheeled and drawn by one or two horses,
of 13. The Player successfully makes a CON roll for
oxen, or mules. It is used for carrying goods and is common
Zephyrus, so the trip is made without incident. The
among peasants. It can carry one Cargo Load (see below).
Gamemaster rolls for the other two horses as well.
A wagon has four wheels and is used as a general-purpose
The special rouncy makes its roll, but the squire’s
vehicle to carry crops and other goods over distances. It,
mount fails. Gradually, over the course of the day,
too, may be pulled by oxen, mules, or donkeys. It can carry
the squire falls behind Sir Asterius, who chooses to
two Cargo Loads.
ride on ahead.
A carriage is a horse-drawn vehicle used especially by
Sir Asterius covers the 25 miles in one day and arrives
nobles, particularly those who are unable or unwilling to
alone at the castle before sunset. Luckily, he defeats
ride. It is typically four-wheeled with a pivoting fore-axle
the ogre that lives there and rescues his lady before the
and with an enclosed top to protect its passengers. Two or
ogre’s evening meal can take place, gaining a check to
more horses pull it, with more horses being seen as more
his Adoration Passion from the Gamemaster for his
prestigious. The interior is made to be as comfortable as
timely and single-handed rescue.
possible with backed chairs with cushions, facilities to
The next day, the squire arrives at the castle with
store food and water, and blankets for freezing weather. The
his exhausted horse, having only covered 15 miles on
earliest models have no suspension, making for a rocky and
the first day.
uncomfortable ride over the typical dirt roads. By the late
in Arthur’s reign, rocking carriages become widespread,
noted for having a crude suspension system using chains.
Types of Travel
Ő Exploring: Intentionally slow walk; tense, minimiz- The Cargo Load
ing noise, on the lookout for danger or surprises. The cargo load is an abstract measure of goods which can
Ő Leisurely: Intentionally slow walk; taking it easy, be anything that is being moved, from sacks of grain to
strumming a lute, looking at the scenery, singing. barrels of treasure. A load is measured by its value in libra
Common for ladies, siege trains, merchants, monks and according to the type of item moved.
on donkeys, and especially injured characters need-
1 load = £2 crops = £15 common goods = £50 Bulky Treasure
ing Chirurgery.
(furniture, tapestries, etc.) = £100 Treasure (gold, coinage)
Ő Normal: Intervals of trotting, walking, and cantering,
with the intention of getting somewhere in a reason-
able amount of time. Usual travel rate for knights.
Ő Hurried or Forced March: Fast pace; dangerous
for horses. All mounts make CON rolls to cover the
distance, with a failure indicating they may only move
at Normal pace. A fumble kills the poor beast!

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