DM Advice: Improving Travel
One of the most common questions I see on D&D forums is this: how do I make travel more interesting in my games?
Here’s the general setup: your players are travelling from Point A to Point B, and it’s going to take several days in game. You don’t want to just ‘fast travel’ to the next plot point, but don’t know how to make the journey along the road anything more than ‘you run into some bandits’ or ‘you see a mountain in the distance’.
It’s unsurprising that it comes up so often. Unlike set locations, you have to consider the fact that the party is constantly moving, and they may be disinclined to stop for too long. It’s made even more complicated if the party is doing something like escorting a caravan or otherwise transporting something that can’t be reasonably left behind to uncover the secrets of a crypt they passed by. However, there is absolutely a way to make travel interesting regardless of the situation. You’ll want to play it by ear, and adjust for how your group operates and reacts to things. The following guidelines have worked well for my group and, in this humble Weaver’s opinion, can be applied to nearly every form of long travel.
Write Your Own Encounters
The biggest advice I can give right off the bat? Write your own encounter tables.
I know it’s tempting, with everything we have to work on as DMs, to just grab a pre-written encounter table off the internet and use it straight from that chart. You’re not a bad DM or lazy for doing that, trust me, and if it works, it works! However, I do think you’re making it harder on yourself rather than easier. Premade encounter tables usually aren’t very detailed, and are meant to be used as prompts rather than just taken off the page. This is especially true for longer, d100 tables that give one to two sentence scenarios. If you play them straight, then they’re going to end up feeling boring, repetitive, or out of place.
If you struggle to come up with encounters from scratch, feel free to use the tables you find online as writing prompts, and I encourage you to add your own spin to each one! Practice writing quick encounters by using the chart and reformatting the encounter to your specifications. The more you do so, the better you’ll become at balancing encounters and making them more dynamic.
Let me explain with a common example: the party encounters bandits on the road. A classic, right? Now, take that encounter, and apply everything you know about the world you’re using. Is it common for bandits to be found on this road? If it’s uncommon, why are they there? Are they highly skilled? Are they using high level magic? Perhaps the bandits are stealing extremely specific items. Maybe they pose as beggars. Maybe they offer the party poisoned wine. Maybe they’ve been charmed by a mage. Give the party opportunities to engage with the encounter beyond the surface level. This doesn’t mean the encounter has to be long and complicated, but you should use every opportunity possible to organically introduce the lore of your world. The bandits are stealing because the oppressive government of the nearby kingdom drives them to. The bandits are charmed because a well-known mage thinks it’s fun to influence the weak-minded. The key is to make these little nuggets of lore easy to consume and not something that needs immediate attention. That way, your party notices the change, and they can engage as much and as little as they want. In an open world setting, this is a perfect way to tie in plot points and potential adventures.
Semi-passive Encounters
Don’t want your party to get too far off track? Don’t make every encounter a problem that needs to be solved. Semi-passive encounters let the party just pass people and places that are just existing. There’s no problem, just something is happening, and the party's witness to it and can act in a multitude of ways.
For example: a travelling bard group is resting at the side of the road. They’re singing songs and laughing and cooking up something for dinner. They are happy to have the party sit down and have a drink with them and share stories. There’s no tricks - just some people living their lives. You can do the same thing with something significantly less wholesome, like a couple of bodies found along the road beside a broken wagon. They have been dead for days, succumbed to weather or some other natural cause. The party may give them a burial, or find out who they are to send word to family, or just move on with a solemn look. Maybe there’s debris in the road - or it’s been partially destroyed - by a mage battle. The mages are long gone, but signs of their fight remain.
I say all this to encourage you to engage your party in ways that don’t require them to have a direct impact. A common mistake as a DM is to have the world bend around the players at all times. As in, the players are only ever made aware of things they are directly attributing too, and it seems like the world doesn’t move until they do. This can make the world feel a lot smaller than it is, and can make everyone and everything seem helpless until the party lends a hand. During travel, you can add both flavor and lore to the world that your party can choose to get involved in or not.
Natural Challenges
Long travel is an excellent excuse to immerse your players in the setting and really expand on the terrain and the day to day goings on in nature. Is your party traveling through the sweltering desert? Climbing mountains? Trekking through a forest? Traversing a secluded swamp? Remind them that they are! Make encounters they could only ever experience on that terrain. An avalanche in the arctic, a herd of buffalo in the savannah, alligators swimming in the river, etc. Playing with the area also allows you to introduce environmental effects specific to it, like awful blizzards and rainstorms.
Acclimate weather can present a lot of challenges that are generally passed over as aesthetic only. Thunderstorms make it difficult to hear, meaning a large monster that normally would be heard from a mile away has a better chance at an ambush. Heavy rain and snow also have low visibility, making perception checks difficult. If you build up an area to have a lot of downsides weather wides, adding these hindrances can be a long running, passive encounter the party has to wrangle with in the midst of encounters they can actually control.
Mess with the party’s travel time at your discretion. Have encounters that can speed them up or slow them down! Perhaps the party has a chance of finding a secret river through the mountain to cut their travel time in half. Or, perhaps the party encounters an anomaly in time that, if they don’t exit soon, pushes time forward without travelling any further. Acclimate weather causes them to take shelter in a cave for some time, prompting some character moments and roleplay.
If you want to get really wacky in a particular area, you can use some of the magical storms/zones from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. In Chapter 4, the book expands on natural hazards as well as magic phenomena that can cause even more chaos for the party. Try adding these to your world and, even better, expand on why the regions have taken on these traits. Curing the area of this magic can even be a quest the party can take on.
Observable Events
I mentioned earlier that you don’t always need to make an encounter that has a problem that needs to be solved. This is very similar, but it’s something that the party doesn’t interact with at all, and is just the world being, well, the world. These are best to slip in when the party didn’t get an encounter, but you don’t want to just move on. They’re largely used as roleplay prompts and nothing more, and if the party doesn’t comment at all, that’s fine too.
For example: when my party was travelling through the desert, they didn’t have an encounter, so I described a Roc flying down and snatching up a grazing elephant several hundred feet away. It sparked a conversation about the danger that awaited them further in the desert, and also demonstrated a taste of the baddies they could run into, no complicated set-up needed! I generally improv scenes like this, but if you want to scribble down some light prompts for yourself, that works great.
Now there’s always the chance an observable event stirs the party enough to pursue more knowledge on the situation. While it didn’t happen at the time, imagine my party decided they were going to hunt that Roc down. Just like anything else you throw into your world, always be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. It is likely, as a DM, that you will be surprised by the turns your party takes. If you know your world well enough, you should be able to add a Roc’s nest. At the same time, it’s okay to not give the party much to go off of. Some things just can’t be tackled right away.
Mechanics of Travel Encounters
Now, that was a lot, but allow me to move into the mechanical side of all this. Most encounters have you roll a single die to determine the encounter, and there’s always an encounter. For longer travel, this can get very monotonous, even with your own, pre-written encounters. As a result, with my most recent campaign, I combined percentage dies and encounter dies.
Rotating around the party, I ask a player to roll a percentile. On a 51 or higher, the party continues along without issue. On a 50 or lower, there’s an encounter, and the same player rolls a corresponding die. I split the tables by day and night. Day encounters are a bit longer and follow a d20 table, whereas night encounters are shorter and follow a d12 table. For my games, the percentile is rolled twice during the day, and once during the night. You can adjust this however you see fit. You can increase and decrease the percentage chance as you go, reducing it as you start to run low on encounters, and increasing it if there hasn’t been one in a while.
If you’d really like to run specific encounters and don’t want to leave it up to chance, simply have guaranteed encounters on particular travel days / when the party gets to certain locations. Do you really want to run that homebrew monster you made? You can do that! I know I have when I have little moments I haven’t been able to set anywhere else.
Naturally, you’ll want to balance encounters based on the level of your party. I won’t get too much into that in this post, but know that every encounter doesn’t have to be an appropriate level for the party in terms of skills necessary and level. You can have encounters that are super easy to take care of, or ones where the party is in over their head and needs to flee. Note that if you do go for the latter option, be sure to give the party plenty of warning beforehand that they may want to skip fighting that monster. For me, I try to make most encounters ones that are interesting regardless of level.
It’s worth noting that writing combat encounters tends to be harder the higher level the party becomes. After all, you can’t exactly have these super powerful creatures wandering around all over the roads. Instead, introduce threads that can be followed to higher level threats, or a horde of much weaker enemies, or assassins sent specifically to kill the party, depending on the air and tone of the campaign. It’s also okay to make the encounter with the average bandit trivial to the party at this point - it can make them feel really powerful and indulge in the progress they’ve made.
Examples
Below I have an example of an encounter table I wrote for my campaign in a desert environment. My party was level 12 when they traveled, hence why the encounters are difficult. Additionally, plenty of the encounters have lore flavoring specifically for my campaign. However, these are just examples of how I write them to leave room for the party’s interference.
Wild Magic Storm - Severe (1d20 minutes)
A statue of a multi-winged Solar in a dark cloak stands in an otherwise lifeless valley between dunes. From a distance, the statue looks weathered and crumbling, but upon approaching the statue, a follower of Anubis can enter a small, 10 ft. sphere around the statue, which reveals a far more well maintained and beautiful statue of Israfiel, the Grim Reaper, the Solar guardian of the Gates. The statue also has five wolf-like creature statues around it, all with different appearances. There are soft, falling speckles, like dust in sunlight, falling from a deep black sky. Various offerings sit at the statue to Anubis, some incense still burning a bit. Several Spirit Coins sit in an iron bowl at the foot of the statue. Dropping a coin into it allows lost spirits to travel directly to the Gates, should they have been unable to do so before.
A skeleton with a rifle and a similarly skeletal dog walk among the dunes with purpose. His name is Jedidiah, and his dog’s name is Lasso. He was captured by a necromancer, who, after killing him, attempted to raise him as a servant. While all the others did so, he still managed to maintain his Radiance (which was later explained to him at Oblivious.) While the priests at Oblivious offered to help his spirit onward, he resolved to make the journey across the sands to ‘find a nice place to die’. He’s nearly there, and wouldn’t mind if the party accompanied him. Should they walk him to his chosen grave site (a small outcropping of rocks over a single palm tree, where he met his love, who passed on before him) he’ll thank them and settle into death. He’ll give the party his Spirit Coin before his soul departs.
A caravan has been long buried in the sands, the only remnants of it being an upturned piece of wood that may have been a raft or sled used for sliding down dunes. Underneath is a skeleton half buried in the sand, and, if the space is examined carefully or the raft is upturned, it can be seen that the sand has shifted to a myriad of pastel colors. It gives off light Fey magic, but otherwise does nothing but make pretty looking glass when used to make bottles.
Sandstorm - Severe (1d20 minutes)
Hallucinatory Terrain makes it appear that there is a sizable oasis in the middle of the desert at dusk. Approaching the oasis causes a gigantic Dreaming Dark Consumer to break from the ground and swallow whoever approaches. Kalashtar automatically see through the illusion, and Elves have advantage to see through it, should they attempt to do so.
A brass dragon sleeps on a handful of rocks and boulders, its hoard in a small crater in the center, which contains mainly pottery and spices.
A red banner camp is seen atop one of the dunes, holding 10 hobgoblins, 2 captains, and 1 warlord.
Two Gloine Nathair-Nathair feast on the corpses of dehydrated travellers, one of which has been petrified but broken into pieces.
Wild Magic Storm - Mild (1d10 minutes)
Eight mummies lament the excavation of their tomb from the sands blowing away. They mindlessly protect a sarcophagus that, if opened, curses a creature and reduces their Constitution score to 5 until the Remove Curse or Greater Restoration spell is cast on them. This curse can be removed with the Remove Curse spell only. Inside the sarcophagus is a mummified woman holding a hookstaff. The hookstaff - a Staff of Scales - gives off necromancy magic, and is cursed.
A travelling caravan of tabaxi revellers passes by on an adjacent dune. They’re resting for the afternoon, with a wagon of bright silks and rugs, and various trinkets of curiosity. Upon closer inspection, it’s actually a tabaxi family - a father (Batiste), a mother (Cashmire), and two children (Damask and Sateen.) They will gladly share shade, stories, and coconut treats with the party should they visit the camp. They also have several rugs and fabrics for sale or trade.
The shedded skin of a gigantic snake is left behind, blowing lightly in the wind. While it isn’t much more than that, studying the skin could lead to discovering a poison recipe.
The ruins of what may have been a village or town looks hazy in the distance. Inside is largely abandoned, a gynosphinx guards a circle of stones in the center of the town, surrounding an apple tree. The Gynospinx is not aggressive unless the party attempts to approach the area they protect. The sphinx was placed there by Abundal, the goddess of vitality and harvests. The apples on the tree are golden and, assuming the Sphinx approves, consuming an apple from the tree causes the Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity of a creature to raise by 1. The gynosphinx will only accept 1v1 combat against it to gain access to the apples. Only one can fight at a time, and only that one person may take an apple from the tree. Alternatively, the players can attempt to solve a riddle to get the opposite - an apple that increases Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma by one.
Thunderous roar, and a rapid pace, Always running but yet stuck in place. Endless mouth that can not scream, Laid in bed, but can not dream. (AN: River)
Tree without roots, Bread but not taste, Together but not freely, Home without place (AN: Family)
The beginning and the end, the current and the past, what came long before, yet always comes last? (AN: the stars)
What could be found in water, air, earth, and fire all at once? (AN: Salt)
Sandstorm - Mild (1d10 minutes)
A klepto king is surrounded by several kelpto krabs in mournful silence. The kelpto king has lost their crown, and refuses to move as a result. The crown was taken by a cyclops. The cyclops is holed up nearby at the top of a dune, throwing rocks at anyone who tries to approach. If the crown is retrieved, the Klepto King will be elated and direct their followers to give the party a platinum necklace worth 750 gp.
A giant tortoise wanders the desert with a shack on their back. The shack is surprisingly well-kept, though looks recently repaired. The tortoise can speak, and explains he used to serve a master who died not too long ago. By that master’s request, he now wanders the desert to offer food and water to travellers. The tortoise asks the party to leave food and water behind if they take something from the shack.
A huge part of the sands are covered in glass. If the party approaches, two Remorhaz attack them from beneath the glass.
A pack of Vulpes run by, followed by two pups. They do not engage with the party unless they approach.
A peaceful day in the desert : )
Night Encounters
While the party sleeps, unless they have a way to protect themselves, their heads (save for Wick) are filled with nightmares from the Dreaming Dark. Each of them must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they fail to gain a long rest and wake with a level of exhaustion.
Two hasalaq quori and three dreaming dark stalkers ambush the party.
A ruckus can be heard a couple hundred feet from the party. At the bottom of a dune, four members of the Waking Light fight a Dreaming Dark Consumer. They purge the dreaming dark from the creature, who is thankful and slinks into the ground. All four of them drive Quori Land Striders. If the party helps, the members of the team thank them (Tel-all, Bekanna, Lo-shy, and Revli) and offer to help the party toward the edges of the territory on their land striders.
A wild magic storm begins during the night, and an animated Blade of Disaster approaches the party silently and attacks the first creature it gets to.
A claw machine appears when the person on watch blinks, the lights shining and the claw shaped like a dragon’s. Inside, there are several prizes in various sized glass balls containing prizes. The prizes include a spell scroll of call lighting (4th level), spell scroll of greater invisibility, spell scroll of heal, decanter of endless water, coin of delving, a sapphire worth 500 gp, a ruby worth 500 gp, an opal worth 500 gp, an immovable rod, and a mystery key. Once a single prize is won, the claw machine disappears. If the machine takes even 1 point of damage, it also disappears. There’s a small warning alluding to this. One attempt costs 5 gp, and depending on the size of prize and the player’s Dexterity and Intelligence scores, the percent chance of getting a prize increases or decreases. At most, the player has a 30% chance to get a prize.
The stars seem to shine brighter in the sky that night. All Divination spells are more powerful and, if the person on watch succeeds a DC 20 Perception check, they will see a star fall from the sky and land in the distance. If they follow the trail about 500 ft. out, they’ll find a pile of stardust in a small crater.
In the distance, seemingly appearing from nowhere, a Quori Oasis appears. This Oasis is blessed by an unknown magic - its waters, once per encounter, grant the effects of greater restoration, and Quori spirits wander the area. Sleeping near the Oasis grants guaranteed, restful sleep and the curing of any and all exhaustion.
Two gearkeeper constructs emerge nearby, sparking a bit and attacking anything that gets close. Where they emerged is a pit that seems to have been dug over a long period of time. Going down it reveals ruins of strange technology, though nearly everything inside is either broken or aged beyond recognition. The gearkeepers have several blades on them that could be sold for 50 gp each.
The sand beneath the camp shutters and collapses, causing the party (should they not be fast enough) to drop around 100 ft. into the lair of an ancient blue dragon. The dragon is sleeping, and can be seen doing so from a distance, but as soon as the party attempts to approach it, it will wake. It’s hoard consists of hundreds of crystals of varying worth.
A blue hobgoblin approaches the camp, seemingly just to rest. This only happens if Aderyn or Noloc is not the one on watch. Assuming he is welcomed to sit by the fire for a while, he will play a song on his viol, then will thank whoever’s on watch, and give some pertinent warning for the next day. The party has advantage on Perception checks for the next 24 hours after he leaves.
An arrow stabs into the ground near the fire with a red cloth. If the party doesn’t pick up and move in the next 5 minutes, a red banner warlord, 6 hobgoblins, and 2 captains will attack them on horseback.
A peaceful night in the desert : )
Remember To Give Yourself a Little Credit
You’ll mess up sometimes. You’ll make an unbalanced encounter, or it will fall flat, or the party won’t engage with it as much as expected. That’s okay; it’s just part of the process. The more you get to know the rules, your own creative process, and the party of players you’re working with, the more comfortable you’ll be with writing encounters. And, to be honest, sometimes parts of the game are just a little bland. You can do your best to mitigate it, but don’t sweat it when everything isn’t full-throttle excitement.
Being a DM/GM is a lot of work. You put so much love and dedication to the craft, and for that you should give yourself a little credit, and make sure you’re loving your mind and body as much as your work. If you’re hitting a wall, step away, drink some water, take a walk, eat a meal, play a video game, read a book. Do something that will keep your imagination happy and ready to dream up new things, and remember to take every not-so-great encounter as just a part of learning. Remember that if you ever find yourself getting discouraged.
I know this Weaver has felt that way before, but I know my worth, and if you’re reading this, know every ounce of love you put in your creations is worth something too.
