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  “An epic supplement for the 
  world’s greatest roleplaying game!” 
  -The unabashed self-promoting author 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  FORWARD 
   
  3 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  Most of your focus as an adventurer in a Dungeons & 
  Dragons setting is reaching the destination, slaying the 
  dragon (in the dungeon), and collecting the loot.  You 
  then sell the loot to buy better gear and lather, rinse, 
  repeat.  And this is all good.  It provides balance to the 
  D&D multiverse, and is great sport if you don’t get 
  eaten or burned to a crisp. 
   
  But what if the dragon is on a mysterious island out in 
  a distant sea?  Unless you have magical travel abilities, 
  you would likely have to travel overland first, and then 
  take a ship, to reach this dungeon.  Let’s say half the 
  way to the docks is open plains, and half the way is 
  broken up by a forested coastal range.  The Player’s 
  Handbook suggests you would travel 48 miles per day 
  for half the overland journey and 24 miles per day the 
  second half, since both forests and mountains are 
  considered “difficult terrain” which is defined as 
  halving your normal pace.  Then, assuming a galley is taken to reach the island, you would travel 
  at 96 miles per day the rest of the way.  Queue the DM: “OK, so it took you seven days to get 
  there.  I’ll assume you’ve rested each night and eaten from your bag of endless rations.  Now that 
  we have THAT boring protocol out of the way…you stand in front of an ancient keep rumored to 
  hold the Dungeons of Doom.  A dragon howls from within. What do you do?” 
   
  What if there was something…more…to that journey?  A famous philosopher and poet, Ralph 
  Waldo Emerson, once suggested that life is a journey, not a destination.  That can hold true in an 
  RPG universe as well.  Terrain should be much more variable than “normal” or “difficult.”  Roads 
  and trails should allow much faster travel than you could muster by picking your way through a 
  forest or traversing along a narrow mountain pass.  There are some places where horses cannot 
  even go, and others (MANY others) where you’ll be glad you have that mount. 
   
  And what of the weather?  Conventional mechanics assumes each day is as sunny as the last.  What 
  if a cold front hits, followed by heavy rain and a powerful storm?  This might slow your journey, 
  and perhaps even pose risk to your person.  Do you press on, or find shelter?  Say you find a cave 
  along that narrow ridge where an ancient gnomish hermit lives…perhaps that chance meet 
  produces its own mini-adventure, possibly even netting you an NPC to join you on your way. 
   
  And once you reach the coast, do you dare board a ship in a hurricane?  Maybe best to partake of 
  some dragon’s breath ale at the dockside tavern while you wait for the storm to die down…during 
  which time perhaps another mini-adventure might unfold.  And once the seas calm and you pay 
  for passage on a galley heading toward that island with the dragon’s lair, there may be yet another 
  mini-adventure.  Giant sea serpent doing battle with a school of mermen, you say?  Your galley 
  stuck in the middle?  It could happen…  
  
  FOREWARD 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  4 
   
  But let’s get back to the focus of this guide, which is to help define the travel and weather aspects 
  of your journey.  Herein you will find tables to randomly 
  generate terrain detail and the elements, and mechanics to 
  help determine daily travel distance over both land and 
  sea.  Weather can play a factor in travel time, and may 
  even result in injury or death.  After all, who hasn’t heard 
  of the great paladin, afraid of no living thing, proudly 
  galloping his destrier through a thunderstorm clad in full 
  plate with a lance held high?  Well, maybe nobody…but 
  you can guess at his potential fate. 
   
  Above all else, this guide is an effort to add an element of 
  realism into the fantastic universe.  But it also tries to fill 
  some gaps left by the Player’s Handbook.  For example, 
  there is very little that explains the mechanics of ship 
  travel, and nothing that helps define what happens to a 
  ship – and its crew and hapless passengers – in a violent 
  storm.  If you think a seastorm is terrifying for modern-
  day ships, imagine being hit by a squall standing on the 
  deck of a tall ship with wooden masts and rickety rigging. 
   
  With the tools in this guide, the journey becomes less of an afterthought.  The path you take can 
  affect the time it takes to reach your destination, can lead to adventures along the way, and may 
  require you to make difficult decisions.  Say you encounter an impassable chasm requiring you to 
  double back to find a way around.  It could take days!  But wait, there’s a footbridge spanning the 
  chasm…now what to do with that wagon filled with the dragon’s treasure hoard? 
   
  TRAVEL AND WEATHER: DM’S GUIDE 
  Supplement 
  Utility 
  I’m the DM here, what do I do? 
  Overland Travel 
  Guide 
  Identifies distance 
  traveled based upon 
  terrain 
  When traveling on dry land, consult these 
  charts and tables to determine terrain features 
  and amount of time to travel on roads, trails, 
  and in the wilderness - on foot or mounted. 
  Waterborne Travel 
  Guide 
  Identifies distance 
  traveled over bodies 
  of water 
  When traveling by boat, consult these charts 
  and tables to determine amount of time to travel 
  on seas, lakes, and rivers; also profiles the 
  attributes of seafaring ships, which is nice. 
  Weather Tables 
  Tables to determine 
  the current climate, 
  temperature, and 
  weather – roll daily  
  Consult these tables to determine climate and 
  weather, including chance of storm.  Weather 
  patterns often hold for several days, but wind 
  speed and direction can independently change 
  on a daily basis, or even intraday if the DM 
  wishes. 
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
   
  5 
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
   
  Most of your travel from adventure to 
  adventure will be over land, and hopefully a 
  majority of the time you will not be traveling 
  on foot.  That would take forever, unless 
  you’re heroes of some fellowship of a 
  particular ring (which, if that be the case, you 
  can apparently run nonstop for days).  Travel 
  by some form of mount, most commonly 
  horse, is generally preferred in most forms of 
  terrain.  However, some terrain may not be 
  well suited for hooved ones.  Mountainous 
  regions are a prime example, where you can 
  often cover more ground offroad if you 
  dismount and hoof it (yes, pun intended).  
  Some regions may even force you to make 
  hard decisions about your travel, as there are 
  places that horses – especially horse-drawn 
  wagons – simply cannot go. 
   
  Unless you have the assistance of a high-level 
  wizard who can transport you by magical 
  means, you will need to come up with ways to 
  get around using more traditional methods.  
  But this doesn’t need to be boring!  There isn’t always a road leading from your starting village to 
  the dungeon with the dragon.  Or least ways there shouldn’t be.  What if you could only go so far 
  along a beaten path before needing to pick your way through unsettled woods, find your footing 
  over an ominous mountain range, and trudge through a monster-infested swamp where lay the 
  dragon’s lair?  Wouldn’t that be a potential adventure by itself? 
   
  OVERLAND TRAVEL:  STEP-BY-STEP AID 
  Step 
  The Question 
  The Answer 
  1 
  Where are we 
  going? 
  This guide can’t help you with that.  Hopefully your DM knows!  If it is somewhere on 
  land, read on. 
  2 
  How will we 
  get there? 
  Any PC can hoof it, but it would be far quicker if you can find actual hooves.  The DM 
  will provide options, but it normally boils down to buying a horse (or other mount – see 
  the Overland Travel Pace Chart), or paying for passage on one (check out Other 
  Travel Considerations: Cost of Passage). 
  3 
  How long will 
  it take? 
  Rate of travel depends on mode of transportation, the terrain traveling through, and 
  presence of established roads to reach your destination.  The Overland Travel Pace 
  Chart gives you the baseline based upon those three principle variables.  Best case 
  scenario is the presence of a road that will take you where you need to go. 
  4 
  What if a 
  road won’t 
  take us 
  where we 
  need to go? 
  If your’e going where no road leads, trails are the next best thing.  Consult the 
  Trailfinder Chart (hint: it’s VERY helpful to have a nature lover in the party!).  If no trail 
  is found, you will have to blaze your own way through the wilderness.  Either way, 
  offroad travel will require a daily check on the Offroad Terrain table specific to the type 
  of terrain you are passing through, to find out exactly what you are traveling through. 
  
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  6 
  5 
  What if we’re 
  in a hurry? 
  If you need to push mount and man, there are rules defined in the Overland Travel 
  Pace Chart explaining the benefits and risks.  No nonmagical creature can run forever, 
  and the longer you push the pace the greater the risk to you and/or your mount. 
  6 
  What if we 
  need to be 
  sneaky, or 
  are seeking 
  something or 
  somebody? 
  Go slow.  There are rules defined in the Overland Travel Pace Chart explaining this 
  too.  Benefits include the ability to be stealthy and better perception skills, but you’ll 
  take longer to reach your destination – and every additional day of travel can introduce 
  additional levels of risk based upon where you are traveling.  A well-traveled road 
  through kingdom-controlled plains is likely a low-risk affair, but moving along at a 
  snail’s pace in a forest controlled by a necromancer is…riskier. 
  7 
  What if there 
  is trouble on 
  the road? 
  And there’s the risk for going slow: increased chance of random encounters!  Bandits 
  like slow travelers.  There are a number of random monster encounter tables available 
  on the internet (including potentially a future Halfmoon supplement). 
  8 
  It is a good 
  day to 
  travel? 
  Not if you’re a paladin in plate mail during a thunderstorm.  Consult the Weather 
  Tables section of this supplement.  Besides the risk of being a lightning rod, heavy 
  winds and stormy weather can impact a party’s rate of travel. 
  9 
  How much 
  can we carry 
  unencum-
  bered? 
  Consult the section entitled Other Travel Considerations: Encumbrance.  Then 
  consult somebody who cares.  In all seriousness, the DM will adjudicate any concerns 
  with carrying too much gear and loot, but hopefully will only truly worry about that 
  player who insists his character haul away that chest of 100,000 copper pieces. 
   
   
  TRAVEL PACE 
   
  The pace of overland travel depends upon your mode of transportation, the terrain you are going 
  through, and frequency of roads and trails leading to your destination.  Combined, this gives you 
  the base distance you can travel in one day.  This base amount can then be modified by other 
  variables including how fast you want to go, difficulty of offroad terrain, and even inclement 
  weather. 
   
  Find the terrain on the Overland Travel Pace Chart, cross-reference to the mode of transport, 
  and determine if travel will be by road, trail, or through the wild for that day.  The resulting number 
  is the base miles traveled.  Note that if the terrain changes over the course of the day, the DM 
  should generally assume the distance covered is based upon the terrain started in – but this is totally 
  at his/her discretion and based upon circumstance.  For instance, if the party is traveling by wagon 
  and they run into a swamp in the middle of the day, adjustments may be in order. 
   
  Travel by road will generally be the fastest, and one passing through plainslands is defined as the 
  best-case travel scenario that most closely matches the 5e SRD guidelines.  Roads in general are 
  the fastest, but not always available.  If traveling offroad, whether a trail was found by virtue of 
  consulting the Trailfinder Chart for that terrain or not, the appropriate Offroad Terrain table 
  should be consulted to randomly determine the difficulty of the terrain encountered that day.  This 
  can modify the base miles. 
   
  Also according to 5e SRD rules, a normal day of travel assumes 8 hours of travel at normal pace.  
  Generally that would be interpreted as 8 actual hours of movement, an hour or two mixed in for 
  various pit stops, and stopping somewhere at the end of the day to make camp.  A long rest is 
  needed to recover, and then you can break camp and start up again in the morning.  Options are 
  available to push your pace and extend your travel day to get somewhere quicker, or conversely to 
  take your time for stealth or searching reasons, and are explained a bit later in this guide. 
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
   
  7 
  OVERLAND TRAVEL PACE CHART 
   
  Mode of 
  Transport 
  CON 
  (non
  -PC) 
  Fast 
  Pace 
  Multi-
  plier 
  DAILY TRAVEL PACE (divide by 8 for hourly travel) 
  DESERT 
  FOREST 
  HILLS 
  MOUNTAINS 
  PLAINS 
  SWAMP 
  TUNDRAc 
  Road/
  Trail 
  Wild 
  (base) 
  Road/
  Trail 
  Wilda 
  (base) 
  Road/
  Trail 
  Wild 
  (base) 
  Road/
  Trail 
  Wilda 
  (base) 
  Road/
  Trail 
  Wild 
  (base) 
  Road/
  Trail 
  Wilda 
  (base) 
  Road/
  Trail 
  Wilda 
  (base) 
  Foot 
  (30 ft. speed) 
  10 
  (+0) 
  x1.33 
  20 
  16 
  18 
  14 
  22 
  18 
  14 
  11 
  24 
  18 
  16 
  12 
  20 
  16 
  Camelb 
  (50 ft. speed) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  x1.5 
  40 
  30 
  30 
  23 
  36 
  30 
  23 
  — 
  40 
  30 
  26 
  20 
  28 
  20 
  Donkey/ 
  mule/pony 
  (40 ft. speed) 
  13 
  (+1) 
  x1.5 
  26 
  21 
  24 
  19 
  29 
  24 
  19 
  15 
  32 
  24 
  21 
  16 
  24 
  18 
  Elephant 
  (40 ft. speed) 
  17 
  (+3) 
  x1.5 
  26 
  21 
  24 
  — 
  29 
  24 
  19 
  — 
  32 
  24 
  21 
  16 
  24 
  20 
  Horse, draft 
  (40 ft. speed) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  x2 
  26 
  21 
  24 
  18 
  29 
  24 
  19 
  15 
  32 
  24 
  21 
  16 
  26 
  20 
  Horse, riding 
  (60 ft. speed) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  x2 
  40 
  32 
  36 
  24 
  44 
  36 
  28 
  22 
  48 
  36 
  32 
  24 
  34 
  28 
  Horse, war 
  (60 ft. speed) 
  13 
  (+1) 
  x2 
  40 
  32 
  36 
  24 
  44 
  36 
  28 
  22 
  48 
  36 
  32 
  24 
  34 
  28 
  Mastiff/Lg. 
  Wolf or Dog 
  (40 ft. speed) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  x1.66 
  26 
  21 
  24 
  19 
  29 
  24 
  19 
  15 
  32 
  24 
  21 
  16 
  32 
  24 
  EXPLANATION OF COLUMNS AND RELATED RULES 
  Mode of Transport 
  Different means of travel.  Speed in movement per round, as used in combat, is listed here for reference in parentheses. 
  CON (non-PC) 
  Standard Constitutions (CON) of beasts of burden – for use in exhaustion checks based upon travel pace (see below) 
  Fast Pace Multiple 
  Used to determine how much further the mode of transport can go per day in fast pace mode (see next section) 
  Daily Travel Pace: 
  Fast, Normal, Slow 
  Fast 
  Travel Pace:  Multiply daily travel pace number in table by the mode of transport’s Fast Pace Multiple 
  Pace: 
  Exhaustion:  Initial hour is exhaustion-free.  Exhaustion roll vs. DC 10 after hour 2, +1 to DC (cumulative) for 
  hours 3+ (so hour 3 = DC 11, hour 4 = DC 12, etc.); resets after a long rest 
   
  Perception: -5 to your passive perception and disadvantage on active perception checks; +5 to passive 
  perception and advantage with active perception checks of others in range to see/hear/smell you 
  Normal 
  Travel Pace:  As listed on table 
  Pace: 
  Exhaustion: Initial 8 hours is exhaustion-free.  Exhaustion save vs. DC 10 after hour 9, +1 to DC (cumulative) 
  for hours 10+ (so hour 10 = DC 11, hour 11 = DC 12, etc.); resets after a long rest 
  Slow 
  Travel Pace:  Multiply daily travel pace number in table by 0.66 (e.g. reduce by 1/3) for all modes of transport 
  Pace: 
  Exhaustion: Initial 8 hours are exhaustion-free.  Exhaustion save vs. DC 10 per hour thereafter without a long 
  rest (static DC) 
   
  Stealth:  Able to use stealth (only pace of travel which allows this)   
   
  Perception:  +2 to your passive perception and advantage on active perception checks 
  Daily Travel Pace: 
  Terrain Factors 
  Terrain: 
  Different terrains provide different movement rates, with Plains travel by Road being best-case and most 
  closely associated with D&D 5e SRD movement rules 
  Road: 
  Fastest way to travel through any terrain from a speed perspective, but disadvantage on stealth checks due 
  to being in an open space with no cover options (treat travel alongside a road as wild) 
  Trail: 
  Wilderness travel with help from a trail, no disadvantage on stealth checks; roll daily on the terrain-specific 
  Offroad Terrain table (below) to determine terrain features and any resulting speed modifiers 
  Wild: 
  Wilderness travel without a trail – the slowest form of overland travel; roll daily on the terrain-specific Offroad 
  Terrain table (below) to determine terrain features and any resulting speed modifiers 
  ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: 
   
  Wagon/Cart:  Beasts of burden pulling wheeled transports subtract 5 miles per day 
   
  Night Travel:  All distances on trails or through the wild are halved unless rider or mount has some form of night 
  vision (such as darkvision) 
   
  Weather Modifiers:  Consult the Weather Tables for any impact weather has on miles traveled per day 
  Encumbrance Modifiers:  See Other Travel Considerations: Encumbrance to assess impact of weightto travel speed. 
  aPulling a wagon (or other wheeled vehicle) not possible in this terrain (exception: sleds in tundra terrain) 
  bCamels do not need to roll for Exhaustion at Normal or Slow Pace until hour 12 of continuous travel 
  cTundra terrain is considered to be “arctic tundra” and travel paces are based upon mostly frozen and snow-covered plains 
  OPTIONAL RULE: SPEED UP FAST PACE:  To speed up gameplay, the DM may opt to roll an exhaustion save every 4 hours of fast pace, with 
  DC 12 for the first 4 hours and +4 for each additional 4-hour stretch (i.e. DC 16 for hours 5-8, DC 20 for hours 9-12, etc.).  If there is a failure, roll 
  1d10: (1-7) = +1 level of exhaustion, (8-9) = +2 levels of exhaustion, and 10 = +3 levels of exhaustion. 
  OPTIONAL RULE: “SADDLE-SORENESS”:  On all exhaustion saves, a mounted rider must also roll a constitution check vs. half the DC to 
  simulate “saddle-soreness” (and potentially sleep deprivation when extending the travel day beyond 8 hours) or also gain one level of exhaustion. 
  OPTIONAL RULE: NIGHT TRAVEL:  Traveling by night (after 8pm) reduces distance by half on all trails and wilderness travel (not roads) unless 
  either the rider or the mount has some form of night vision. 
   
   
  
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  8 
  PUSHING YOUR PACE 
   
  Consulting the Overland Travel Pace Chart, you will note an option for “fast” pace of travel 
  which allows for more distance to be covered in a shorter period of time.  This is a multiple of the 
  normal pace based upon terrain, road/trail vs. wilderness travel, and mode of transport.  Most 
  creatures (humanoids included) can only increase their base speed in this manner by 33%.  In 
  contrast, horses have the unreferenced special trait of galloping which allows them to push 
  themselves to 100% of normal speed for extended periods.  Most other beasts of burden, such as 
  camels, donkeys, and elephants, are somewhere in-between.  This extra speed is noted in the chart 
  as a multiple of the “normal pace” miles per day. 
   
  There is a risk of exhaustion when keeping up a fast pace for more than a short sprint.  This is 
  detailed in the bottom section of the chart.  Keep in mind your steed will be the one doing the work 
  that needs to make this saving throw, so you as the mounted character would make this roll on 
  behalf of your steed using that creature’s constitution value as noted in the “CON (Non-PC)” 
  column on the chart.  Failing this save adds a point of exhaustion per Appendix A of the PHB. 
   
  Additional travel at normal speed can be interspersed with fast pace, up to a total of 8 hours.  Past 
  8 hours, consult the next section, Extending Your Travel Day. 
   
  EXTENDING YOUR TRAVEL DAY 
   
  As stated above, normal/slow pace can be performed for up to 8 hours without risk of exhaustion. 
  Additional hours of travel beyond that, without a long rest in-between, runs the risk of gaining 
  levels of exhaustion as detailed in the bottom part of the Overland Travel Pace Chart. 
   
  TYPES OF TRAVEL 
   
  Road Travel:  Road travel is, of course, the fastest and most 
  common nonmagical means to get from point A to point B.  Road 
  travel speed can also vary based upon terrain, with travel through 
  open plains being the fastest and over mountains the slowest.  This 
  travel pace is identified under the heading “Road/Trail.”  Generally 
  road travel will not be impacted by changes within the terrain or 
  the time of day, so the travel time in the above chart is not affected 
  by changes within the terrain being traveled through. 
   
  Wilderness Travel:  If a road doesn’t take the party to where they want to go – which is likely to 
  be frequent for a party of adventurers seeking treasure or glory (or both) – the party will need to 
  go offroad.  The best-case travel distance for wilderness travel is identified under the heading 
  “Wild (base)” and is dependent upon terrain and mode of transport.  There are notations in the 
  chart identifying places where wagon travel is simply not possible without finding a trail. 
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
   
  9 
  As with road travel, this base travel 
  time is defined as distance traveled, in 
  miles, in a single day comprised of 
  roughly 8 hours of actual travel. 
  Unlike 
  road 
  travel, 
  the 
  terrain 
  encountered can be variable, with 
  different 
  environments 
  posing 
  different travel challenges.  Every day 
  in the wild, the DM rolls on the 
  appropriate Offroad Terrain table 
  below. 
   
  A special note about tundra:  Tundra as defined here is arctic tundra, a frozen, mostly-flat terrain 
  with minimal vegetation.  Roads, beyond established ones, are rare and tend to disappear in the 
  winter, and trails are even more rare and unsustainable.  Travel through the tundra is difficult at 
  best, and some mounts (such as camels and elephants) would not survive here for long.  Certain 
  animals (principally, wolves and dogs) are able to live here without issue, and certain forms of 
  transportation (principally, sleds pulled by dogs), are built for the deep snow. 
   
  Trails Through The Wilderness:  Travel time on a trail is the same as on a road, but the Offroad 
  Terrain tables are still consulted to determine if the terrain becomes more difficult to traverse.  
  Based upon locale and campaign, the DM can decide whether such a trail exists, or he/she can 
  allow player characters to make a perception (wisdom) roll to actively search for a trail to ease the 
  party’s passage.  Use the element of chance and consult the Trailfinder Chart below.  Having a 
  ranger or a character with the Outlander background helps immensely. The presence or absence of 
  paths are also, of course, at the discretion of the DM.  Finding a path to an ancient, undiscovered 
  tomb, for instance, may not be possible. 
   
  TRAILFINDER CHART 
  Instructions:  Any PC can make one perception check per hour 
  in the daytime to try and find a trail based upon terrain, during 
  which time there is no movement.  A decision for Pace of Travel 
  must be made before the very first attempt and is applied for that 
  day’s travel regardless whether a trail is found or not. 
  Terrain Traveled 
  Perception Difficulty Class (DC) 
  from Road 
  from Existing 
  Trail 
  from 
  Wilderness 
  Desert 
  15 
  20 
  25 
  Forest 
  25 
  30 
  35 
  Hills 
  20 
  25 
  30 
  Mountains 
  30 
  35 
  40 
  Plains 
  15 
  20 
  25 
  Swamp 
  30 
  35 
  40 
  Tundra 
  25 
  30 
  40 
  MODIFIERS TO PERCEPTION ROLL 
  Pace of Travel (Note: pace applied for the day, if trail is found or not) 
   
  Slow: +5  
  Normal: 0  
  Fast: -5 
  Special Character Abilities (effects stack) 
   
  Outlander: +5 
  Ranger: +5 
   
  Ranger with terrain as favored: +5 
   
  Character is familiar with area: +5 
  Searching at Night:  -10 
  
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  10 
  Once a trail is found and the travelers continue on, there is also a recurring chance the path ends, 
  it heads off in the wrong direction, is wiped out by some kind of natural event (such as a landslide), 
  or is simply lost (if no ranger or outlander in the party).  These chances are terrain-specific and 
  defined in the Offroad Terrain tables.  In this event, continuing on toward the party’s destination 
  is automatically converted to wilderness travel and the “Wild” distance applies from that point 
  forward. 
   
  OFFROAD TERRAIN TABLES 
   
  When the party ventures into the wilderness, whether using a trail or not, consult the appropriate 
  table below each day, applying any distance modifiers to the miles/day from the Overland Travel 
  Pace Chart.  Each subsequent day, there is a percentage chance that terrain type stays the same.  
  Pay special attention to any special instruction provided at the bottom of each table.  Also check 
  daily for the passive chance a trail is found or, if on a trail, it suddenly ends. 
   
  OFFROAD TERRAIN: DESERT 
  Distance Modifier in miles/day 
  Passive 
  % trail 
  is found 
  per day 
  If on a 
  trail: % 
  trail 
  ends 
  per day 
  Roll once on first day of travel for Terrain Feature; each subsequent 
  day first consult Chance of Repeat to see if the terrain remains static 
  Trail 
  Wilderness 
  Die Roll 
  Terrain Features 
  Chance of 
  Repeat 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  01-40 
  Dry, cracked earth 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  10% 
  5% 
  41-70 
  Flat sands a 
  70% 
  -2 
  — 
  -4 
  -3 
  10% 
  5% 
  71-90 
  Sand dunes a 
  70% 
  -4 
  -5 
  -5 
  -6 
  10% 
  10% 
  91-95 
  Rocky plateau 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  10% 
  15% 
  96-98 
  Rocky canyon (party at base) 
  20% 
  — 
  — 
  -4 
  -4 
  10% 
  10% 
  99-00 
  Rocky canyon (party at top) b 
  20% 
  -5 
  -8 
  -10 
  -20 
  15% 
  50% 
  aCamels suffer no penalties in sand 
  bNot passable by mount 
   
  OFFROAD TERRAIN: FOREST 
  Distance Modifier in miles/day 
  Passive 
  % trail 
  is found 
  per day 
  If on a 
  trail: % 
  trail 
  ends 
  per day 
  Roll once on first day of travel for Terrain Feature; each subsequent 
  day first consult Chance of Repeat to see if the terrain remains static 
  Trail 
  Wilderness 
  Die Roll 
  Terrain Features 
  Chance of 
  Repeat 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  01-20 
  Lightly forested 
  80% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  10% 
  5% 
  21-40 
  Lightly forested with rocky patches 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  10% 
  5% 
  41-60 
  Lightly forested and hilly 
  60% 
  -1 
  — 
  -2 
  -1 
  10% 
  5% 
  61-70 
  Moderately forested 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  -2 
  5% 
  10% 
  71-80 
  Moderately forested with rocky patches 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  -2 
  -6 
  5% 
  10% 
  81-90 
  Moderately forested and hilly 
  60% 
  -2 
  -2 
  -4 
  -8 
  5% 
  10% 
  91-94 
  Densely forested 
  50% 
  — 
  -3 
  -5 
  -8 
  — 
  15% 
  95-97 
  Densely forested and hilly 
  40% 
  -3 
  -4 
  -6 
  -10 
  — 
  15% 
  98-99 
  Densely forested, rocky and hilly 
  30% 
  -4 
  -5 
  -8 
  -12 
  — 
  15% 
  00 
  Very dense, thicketed forest  
  20% 
  -5 
  -10 
  -10 
  -20 
  0% 
  20% 
  Elephants experience double pace penalties in forest wilderness 
   
  OFFROAD TERRAIN: HILLS 
  Distance Modifier in miles/day 
  Passive 
  % trail 
  is found 
  per day 
  If on a 
  trail: % 
  trail 
  ends 
  per day 
  Roll once on first day of travel for Terrain Feature; each subsequent 
  day first consult Chance of Repeat to see if the terrain remains static 
  Trail 
  Wilderness 
  Die Roll 
  Terrain Features 
  Chance of 
  Repeat 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  01-25 
  Soft, rolling hills 
  80% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  10% 
  5% 
  26-75 
  Standard hills, lightly forested 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  10% 
  5% 
  76-85 
  Sharp, steep hillocks 
  50% 
  -1 
  -1 
  -3 
  -5 
  5% 
  10% 
  86-95 
  Flat plateau 
  30% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  5% 
  10% 
  96-99 
  Canyon 
  20% 
  -1 
  -2 
  -4 
  -8 
  10% 
  10% 
  00 
  Crater (not passable, must go around) 
  0% 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  -20 
  -30 
  15% 
  60% 
   
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
   
  11 
   
  OFFROAD TERRAIN: MOUNTAINS 
  Distance Modifier in miles/day 
  Passive 
  % trail 
  is found 
  per day 
  If on a 
  trail: % 
  trail 
  ends 
  per day 
  Roll once on first day of travel for Terrain Feature; each subsequent 
  day first consult Chance of Repeat to see if the terrain remains static 
  Trail 
  Wilderness 
  Die Roll 
  Terrain Features 
  Chance of 
  Repeat 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  01-30 
  Sloping, forested valley with gentle ridges 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  5% 
  10% 
  31-45 
  Semi-steep dirt ascent/descent 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  5% 
  10% 
  46-55 
  Semi-steep rocky ascent/descent  
  60% 
  -1 
  -2 
  -2 
  -4 
  5% 
  10% 
  56-65 
  Steep ascent/descent w/alternating ground 
  60% 
  -2 
  -3 
  -3 
  -6 
  5% 
  10% 
  66-72 
  Flat, rocky plateau 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  -1 
  -2 
  10% 
  10% 
  73-77 
  Boulder quarry on long, gently sloping grassy 
  mountainside 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  -2 
  10% 
  10% 
  78-80 
  River cuts deep V-shaped valley through 
  mountains 
  60% 
  -2 
  -4 
  -2 
  -4 
  5% 
  15% 
  81-83 
  Maze of shallow crevasses and scattered 
  boulders in semi-flat valley 
  30% 
  — 
  -2 
  -2 
  -4 
  10% 
  10% 
  84-87 
  Narrow, treacherous path along cliffside 
  50% 
  -2 
  -5 
  -3 
  -7 
  0% 
  20% 
  88-89 
  Narrow pass along mountain ridge 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  -2 
  -4 
  0% 
  5% 
  90-92 
  Narrow, twisting/winding gorge  
  40% 
  — 
  -3 
  -2 
  -4 
  0% 
  — 
  93-95 
  Valley with lake surrounded by cliffs 
  50% 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  -4 
  -6 
  0% 
  0% 
  96-97 
  Steep,  impassable cliffs demand wide detour 
  (if trail: rockslide impedes progress) 
  20% 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  -6 
  -10 
  5% 
  20% 
  98 
  Natural rock bridge spans crevasse 
  0% 
  -2 
  -5 
  -3 
  -5 
  0% 
  10% 
  99 
  Manmade rope & plank bridge spans deep 
  gulleya 
  0% 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  — 
  -10 
  100% 
  — 
  00 
  Path ends at cliff with knotted rope (50/50 
  rising/falling) a 
  0% 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  -5 
  -15 
  100% 
  — 
  aNot passable by mount, must find a way around; re-roll, ignoring this roll range, and add the two pace modifiers together 
   
  OFFROAD TERRAIN: PLAINS 
  Distance Modifier in miles/day 
  Passive 
  % trail 
  is found 
  per day 
  If on a 
  trail: % 
  trail 
  ends 
  per day 
  Roll once on first day of travel for Terrain Feature; each subsequent 
  day first consult Chance of Repeat to see if the terrain remains static 
  Trail 
  Wilderness 
  Die Roll 
  Terrain Features 
  Chance of 
  Repeat 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  01-30 
  Flat, open grasslands 
  80% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  25% 
  5% 
  31-60 
  Dry, flat, barren plains 
  80% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  25% 
  5% 
  61-70 
  Rock-spotted plains 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  25% 
  5% 
  71-80 
  Tree-spotted plains 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  20% 
  5% 
  81-90 
  Lightly rolling, tree-spotted plains 
  70% 
  -1 
  — 
  -2 
  -1 
  20% 
  10% 
  91-93 
  Wide valley 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  25% 
  10% 
  94-95 
  Rocky plateau 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  -5 
  20% 
  15% 
  96-97 
  Narrow river valley 
  40% 
  — 
  — 
  -4 
  -6 
  5% 
  10% 
  98 
  Canyon 
  30% 
  — 
  — 
  -2 
  -2 
  5% 
  10% 
  99 
  Chasm spanned by foot bridgea 
  0% 
  -4 
  -10 
  -4 
  -20 
  100% 
  0% 
  00 
  Chasm/crater (impassible, must go around) 
  0% 
  -10 
  -10 
  -20 
  -30 
  15% 
  60% 
  aNot passable by mount, must find a way around; re-roll, ignoring this roll range, and add the two pace modifiers together 
   
  OFFROAD TERRAIN: SWAMP 
  Distance Modifier in miles/day 
  Passive 
  % trail 
  is found 
  per day 
  If on a 
  trail: % 
  trail 
  ends 
  per day 
  Roll once on first day of travel for Terrain Feature; each subsequent 
  day first consult Chance of Repeat to see if the terrain remains static 
  Trail 
  Wilderness 
  Die Roll 
  Terrain Features 
  Chance of 
  Repeat 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  01-10 
  Solid ground/dry clearing 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  10% 
  5% 
  11-20 
  Moist and mossy but solid covering 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  10% 
  5% 
  21-50 
  Muddy with patches of water 
  50% 
  -1 
  -2 
  -2 
  -4 
  5% 
  10% 
  51-65 
  Watery layer, 1-4 feet deep 
  50% 
  -2 
  -3 
  -4 
  -6 
  — 
  15% 
  66-80 
  Watery layer, 3-6 feet deep 
  40% 
  -3 
  -4 
  -6 
  -8 
  — 
  20% 
  81-95 
  Watery layer, 5-8 feet deep 
  30% 
  -4 
  -5 
  -8 
  -10 
  — 
  25% 
  96-00 
  Quicksand (impassable) a 
  0% 
  -10 
  -20 
  -10 
  -20 
  — 
  100% 
  aNot passable, must find a way around; re-roll, ignoring this roll range, and add the two pace modifiers together 
   
  If the party has a small boat, consult Halfmoon’s Waterborne Travel Guide and treat the swamp like a small lake. 
   
  
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  12 
  OFFROAD TERRAIN: TUNDRA 
  Distance Modifier in miles/day 
  Passive 
  % trail 
  is found 
  per day 
  If on a 
  trail: % 
  trail 
  ends 
  per day 
  Roll once on first day of travel for Terrain Feature; each subsequent 
  day first consult Chance of Repeat to see if the terrain remains static 
  Trail 
  Wilderness 
  Die Roll 
  Terrain Features 
  Chance of 
  Repeat 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  Foot 
  Mount 
  01-15 
  Hard ground scattered with hardy shrubs 
  80% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  20% 
  20% 
  16-25 
  Hard ground interspersed with boulders 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  20% 
  20% 
  26-35 
  Cold plains dotted with icy patches 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  20% 
  30% 
  36-50 
  Frozen plains with solid, hard-packed snow 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  10% 
  40% 
  51-70 
  Frozen plains with deep, powdery snow 
  50% 
  -1 
  — 
  -2 
  -1 
  5% 
  50% 
  71-80 
  Snowy plains with ice-cold bogs and ponds 
  40% 
  -1 
  — 
  -2 
  -1 
  5% 
  60% 
  81-85 
  Snow-covered plateau with icy ridges 
  30% 
  -2 
  — 
  -3 
  -2 
  5% 
   
  86-90 
  Frozen lake 
  20% 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  -4 
  -8 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  91-95 
  Frozen lake with cracks and earthen islands 
  20% 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  -4 
  -8 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  96-98 
  Icy canyon with an active glacier-fed river 
  30% 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  -4 
  -8 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  99-00 
  Large lake with thin ice (impassible) a 
  20% 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  -20 
  -30 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  aNot passable, must find a way around; re-roll, ignoring this roll range, and add the two pace modifiers together 
   
   
  OTHER TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS 
   
  Cost Of Passage:  In cities, one can often find carriage-based travel that moves along main roads 
  from place to place.  The commoner version of these are basically elongated carts with a double-
  bench in the center and, in the harsher climes, hopefully includes a wooden canopy.  This kind of 
  transportation can run a traveler 1 gold piece per 100 miles.  For fancier coaches, the adventurers 
  can travel a bit more in style for 2-4 gp per 100 miles, with amenities and luxuries ranging from 
  featherbed seats and closeable shutters to skins of wine and casks of ale. 
   
  This is the normal extent of purchasable overland travel.  It is not unheard of, however, for 
  enterprising entrepreneurs to offer one-way “hoofaway” options between cities – horses for one-
  way rental.  These are not cheap, however, and normally are priced at half the cost of purchase for 
  the actual horse.  Such vendors can be picky and reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, for 
  obvious fear that their rental horses never make it to their dropoff destination. 
   
  Player characters can always opt to buy mounts – cost for these is listed in the PHB (pg. 157).  
  They are not cheap, however, with a riding horse costing 75 gp on average. 
   
  Mounted Combat:  Although this is designed as a travel guide, some clarity may be helpful for 
  scenarios where you might take your steed into combat – something that has limited explanation 
  in the SRD.  Your steed’s per-turn move rate, as used in combat, is technically the foundation for 
  this guide’s daily travel calculations. 
   
  In brief, here are the guidelines specific to a trained steed: 
   You control your mount so long as you are mounted. 
   It takes half your move to mount or dismount. 
   The steed has its own move and action independent of yours. 
  o Actions are limited to Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. 
  o Note however some monsters have specific special abilities, such as a warhorse 
  which has a “trampling charge” option as part of its move that serves as an attack. 
   You act independently of your mount, but while mounted the mount serves as your agent 
  of movement. 
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
   
  13 
   You can perform an Action, such as: 
  o An attack, either melee or ranged. 
  o A spell (that can be cast in a sitting position). 
  o Any other act that can reasonably be done in the saddle. 
   There are no inherent advantage or disadvantage to attack rolls between a mounted 
  combatant and a combatant on foot, unless gained by a feat such as Mounted Combatant 
  or other skill/ability/spell.  
   You must have at least one hand free to control a mount during the mount’s move (an initial 
  animal handling ability check vs. DC 10 can offset this for hands-free action; if this fails 
  the rider can still elect to drop whatever is in one hand to grab the reins). 
   
  Example of dismount and attack: You could instruct your riding horse to Dash to cover 120 feet 
  (double normal move, which is equivalent of galloping in the travel rule guidelines).  Then you 
  can dismount, move the other half of your move on foot, and perform an Action such as attack. 
   
  Encumbrance:  Page 176 of the PHB has details on encumbrance and how it impacts travel.  
  These guidelines were not incorporated or expanded upon here because, well, it’s just too 
  encumbering!  While it may make sense to factor in the weight of the dragon hoard in the party’s 
  horse-drawn wagon (which may come under attack by thieves and brigands more than once), it is 
  recommended that – unless excessive – equipment weight not be factored into determination of 
  daily travel distance. 
   
  Flying:  Flight can be accomplished by winged creatures, and of course by magic.  All standard 
  5e rules apply for determining distance traveled, as noted in the DMG on page 119.  To 
  summarize:  The speed of travel is the same as per foot travel, i.e. 1 mph per 10’ move, but 
  winged creatures must rest 1 hour for every 3 hours in flight.  This equates to 9 hours per day 
  maximum.  So a hawk with a 60-feet move can fly a total of 54 miles per day. 
   
   
   
   
  
  OVERLAND TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  14 
  Author’s Reflection:  Follow Your Own Path 
   
  There is credence to the old expression “The journey is more 
  important than the destination.”  Sometimes getting there is 
  truly half the fun!  Now, I understand determining distance 
  traveled is not exactly the most exciting thing to do, but it sets 
  a realistic expectation of travel for the players, and makes 
  them perhaps think twice before deciding on a shortcut over 
  the mountains or through a swamp.  Plus there are the 
  occasional unusual discoveries when applying the results of 
  these tables, some of which force hard decisions – such as 
  finding that rope footbridge across a chasm, where the players 
  must decide what to do with their wagon full of plunder. 
   
  The DM can build upon that foundation and add his or her 
  own results.  He or she could also elect to add the daily rolls 
  from the optional supplement Halfmoon’s Outdoor 
  Adventure Tables – which would be more frequently applied 
  if the party is forced to slash through dense foliage or slosh 
  through a murky swamp.  This can add an element of adventure all its own… 
   
   
  A few notes on rule adherence:  These tables were defined with the Dungeons & Dragons 5e 
  rules as a baseline, where a creature’s speed, or “move per turn,” is used and extrapolated to hourly 
  and daily values.  This was then translated to a best-case scenario of traveling on a road across the 
  plains at a normal pace.  Therefore a riding horse, which has a 60-foot speed, travels at 6 miles per 
  hour (speed multiplied by 10, per page 242 of the DMG) and 48 miles per day (hourly rate 
  multiplied by 8, per page 243 of the DMG).  A human (30’ speed) similarly could cover 24 miles 
  in a day. 
   
  Fast pace, according to page 243 of the DMG, should be defined as 133% of normal pace.  This 
  guide applies that guideline as an axiom for foot-based travel.  Horses have a special trait called 
  galloping – which is referenced in page 181 of the PHB but is not detailed in the horse profiles in 
  the MM – which allows them to move at double their normal pace.  All other four-legged creatures 
  have similar advantage over bipeds but are not quite as speedy as horses. 
   
  Therefore, these rules are viewed by this author as following the guidelines set forth in the base 
  ruleset, but with enhancements in the spirit of those guidelines. 
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
   
  15 
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
   
  “And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.” 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -John Masefield, Sea Fever 
   
  It is an oft-quoted line from an old poem in John 
  Masefield’s book entitled “Salt Water Ballads,” 
  but this one quote, to me, epitomizes the 
  romance of sea travel.  Throw in a ballad about 
  a hundred rowers laboring to push a longship 
  forward and we’re in business.  The thought of 
  tall ships, sails fully unfurled and racing with 
  the wind, elicit visions of swashbucklers and 
  pirates and remembrance of an enchanting era 
  of ship travel from Earth’s own past. 
   
  But not enchanted, whereas your adventure very 
  well may be. 
   
  Although there is always the prospect of 
  magical elements, kraken-like sea creatures 
  rising up from the depths, and ship-to-ship 
  battle, ships are also needed for more mundane 
  pursuits.  The stalwart party of adventurers may 
  need to traverse one or more bodies of wter to 
  reach their quest.  The quest itself could be one 
  set on the open seas, or perhaps on a mysterious island rumored to have untold mysteries and 
  bountiful treasures. 
   
  This guide is meant to serve as a supplement to the Dungeons & Dragons seafaring rules as 
  outlined in Ghosts of Saltmarsh under Appendix A: Of Ships and the Sea.  It provides some charts 
  of the ships in that appendix that may be useful, and adds on additional ships and optional rules 
  that are largely associated with weather.  Therefore, this guide is expected to be used hand-in-hand 
  with the Weather Tables section of this overall supplement. 
   
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL:  STEP-BY-STEP AID 
  Step 
  The Question 
  The Answer 
  1 
  Where are we 
  going? 
  This guide can’t help you with that.  Hopefully your DM knows!  If it is somewhere 
  where at least part of the journey is over water, read on. 
  2 
  How will we get 
  there? 
  By boat, most likely.  There are other, nonconventional means of traveling over 
  water, but this guide focuses on ship-based travel, either sailing or rowing or both. 
  3 
  How long will it 
  take? 
  Rate of travel depends on type of vessel and water body (lake, river, or sea), and to a 
  large degree the weather.  Ships most commonly use sails to move, which relies 
  upon the strength and direction of the wind.  Consult the Weather Tables for this 
  piece. 
  
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  16 
  4 
  What if we are 
  in a hurry? 
  You can push a ship’s crew to outperform for short periods, and pushing too hard for 
  too long can lead to negative consequences over time.  But for longer voyages you 
  are generally at the mercy of the wind and the sea.  Consult the Waterborne Vessels 
  Chart One: Primary Attributes and Speed for more information. 
  5 
  How the heck 
  do you sail? 
  Trust your sailing crew!  Also, check out Ship Navigation, Sailing in this guide to find 
  guidelines on ship direction vs. wind direction and their joint impact to sailing speed.  
  Hint: You’re gonna need some wind. 
  6 
  What’s the deal 
  with rowing? 
  Many ships have banks of oars to propel them through waters when the winds are 
  not favorable or when going against a current, such as upriver.  Some boats, such as 
  rowboats, rely solely upon the manpower (person-power) of oarsmen (oarspeople).  It 
  is normally slower and definitely not as efficient as catching a strong wind in your sail, 
  but sometimes it’s the only way to propel a vessel along. 
  7 
  What’s this 
  about a 
  current? 
  Although seas have currents that follow general oceanic patterns, this guide 
  generally only assumes a ship will need to contend with river currents.  River currents 
  are generally assumed to move water downstream at a rate of 2 mph, which is 
  directly added to downstream ship speed and deducted from it when going upstream. 
  8 
  So how far did 
  we travel 
  today? 
  Consult the Waterborne Vessels Chart One: Primary Attributes and Speed in this 
  guide for your ship’s Travel Pace attributes.  Add or subtract wind and any river 
  current variables. 
  9 
  What if we sail 
  into a storm? 
  The Weather Tables will determine whether a storm hits during waterborne travel.  
  Storms can sometimes aid a ship’s travel, but most often it impedes it and can even 
  cause damage to the vessel and death to its crew.  Try to avoid storms, if you can. 
  10 
  What if we run 
  into trouble on 
  the high seas? 
  The Ghosts of Saltmarsh compendium is an excellent resource that details out 
  hazards, different ocean environs, and random encounters.  There are also several 
  resources available on the internet (including maybe a future Halfmoon supplement). 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
   
  17 
  SHIP NAVIGATION 
   
  Non-magical travel over water is accomplished either by sail or oar – or both.  In either case it is 
  critical to understand nautical terminology for the different directions of a ship.  Please consult the 
  following diagram (wind direction compass added for convenience): 
   
  SHIP DIRECTION DIAGRAM 
   
   
  FORE/BOW 
   
  WIND DIRECTION COMPASS 
  PORT 
   
  STARBOARD 
   
   
  AFT/STERN 
   
   
   
  Note that the front of the ship is actually called the 
  bow (or the fore if referring to the inside front of the 
  ship from a sailor’s standpoint), while the rear is the 
  stern (or the aft when referring to the inside of the 
  ship).  The Wind Tables and travel rules all use the 
  above terminology to determine impact of wind to 
  a ship.  For instance, say the above ship is headed 
  north.  A wind blowing northeast would be hitting 
  the ship “off the port quarter” (which provides it the 
  wind speed bonus, by the way – any of the three rear 
  positions do). 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  18 
  SAILING 
   
  Most ships with sails use the winds to get around as frequently as possible.  Even if the winds are 
  not particularly favorable, unless you’re bearing right into the wind it is normally faster (and less 
  exhausting, so say the oarsmen) than rowing. 
   
  Determining the impact of wind to sailing is actually a relatively straightforward matter:  If the 
  wind is at your back, your sails will fill and you will move faster.  If the winds are in your face, 
  you will not sail so fast…and sometimes not at all.  Consult the Waterborne Vessels Table One: 
  Primary Attributes for a ship’s daily Travel Pace and, if a sailing ship, modify that amount based 
  upon the below graphic (noting that the wind modifier is ±1 per 10 mph with/against the sails):  
   
   
  LEEWARD 
   
  Definition: Wind blows 
  at the Foreward, Off the 
  Port Bow, or Off the 
  Starboard Bow 
   
  Nautical Phrase: “The 
  wind is in your face” 
   
  Impact: Subtract any 
  Sailing speed Modifier 
  from the vessel’s sail 
  speed 
   
  WINDWARD 
   
  Definition: Wind blows 
  at the Aft, Off the Port 
  Quarter, or Off the 
  Starboard Quarter 
   
  Nautical Phrase: “The 
  wind is at your back” 
   
  Impact: Add any Sailing 
  speed Modifier from the 
  vessel’s sail speed 
   
  TO PORT/TO STARBOARD 
   
  Definition: Wind blows 
  Abeam to Port or Abeam 
  to Starboard 
   
  Nautical Phrase: “The 
  wind is striking your 
  side” 
   
  Impact: None (ignore 
  Sailing Speed Modifier) 
   
  A ship must have at least its minimum crew (also indicated in that same chart) in order to sail the 
  ship, though half that amount can still sail the ship at half normal travel pace. 
   
  ROWING 
   
  Many waterborne vessels have oars and oarsmen to pull them.  For ships with both sails and 
  oars, the determination to deploy them boils down simply to which mode of travel is faster given 
  the current conditions.  Traveling upstream or against the wind, for instance, are prime examples 
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
   
  19 
  of when a ship will turn to rowing.  A ship must have at least its minimum crew (see 
  Waterborne Vessels Table One: Standard Attributes) in order to have sufficient oarsmen to 
  effectively move the ship. 
   
  WATERBORNE VESSELS TABLE ONE: STANDARD ATTRIBUTES 
  Primary Attributes 
  Characteristics 
  Capacity 
  Travel Pace 
  Vessel 
  Type 
  Size 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  Sea-
  worthi-
  ness 
  # of 
  Masts 
  # of 
  Oars 
  # of 
  Row-
  boats 
  Open 
  Market 
  Cost (gp) 
  Crew (min)/ 
  Passenger 
  Cargo 
  (tons) 
  Normal 
  Speed 
  Full Speed 
  Ahead 
  Barge 
  Gargantuan 
  (80’x40’) 
  18 
  (+4) 
  1 
  (-5) 
  8 
  (-1) 
  20% 
  0 
  10 
  0 
  500 
  10(5)/40 
  100 
  24 mpd 
  (1 mph) 
  24 mpd 
  (1 mph) 
  Frigate 
  Gargantuan 
  (140’x30’) 
  25 
  (+7) 
  8 
  (-1) 
  22 
  (+6) 
  100% 
  3 
  60 
  10 
  30,000 
  100(50)/120 
  100 
  144 mpd 
  (6 mph) 
  192 mpd 
  (8 mph) 
  Galleon 
  Gargantuan 
  (180’40’) 
  26 
  (+8) 
  6 
  (-2) 
  24 
  (+7) 
  100% 
  3 
  80 
  12 
  20,000 
  120(60)/200 
  300 
  96 mpd 
  (4 mph) 
  120 mpd 
  (5 mph) 
  Galley 
  Gargantuan 
  (130’x20’) 
  24 
  (+7) 
  4 
  (-3) 
  20 
  (+5) 
  95% 
  1 
  40 
  8 
  10,000 
  80(40)/40 
  150 
  96 mpd 
  (4 mph) 
  120 mpd 
  (5 mph) 
  Keelboat 
  Gargantuan 
  (60’x20’) 
  16 
  (+3) 
  7 
  (-2) 
  13 
  (+1) 
  60% 
  1 
  8 
  0 
  500 
  3(3)/4 
  0.5 
  72 mpd 
  (3 mph) 
  84 mpd 
  (3.5 mph) 
  Longship 
  Gargantuan 
  (70’x20’) 
  20 
  (+5) 
  6 
  (-2) 
  17 
  (+3) 
  80% 
  1 
  20 
  6 
  5,000 
  40(20)/100 
  10 
  120 mpd 
  (5 mph) 
  144 mpd 
  (6 mph) 
  Rowboat 
  Large 
  (10’x5’) 
  11 
  (+0) 
  8 
  (-1) 
  11 
  (+0) 
  40% 
  0 
  2 
  0 
  50 
  2(1)/2 
  0.25 
  24 mpd 
  (3 mph) 
  30 mpd 
  (3 mph) 
  Sailboat 
  Huge 
  (15’x5’) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  10 
  (+0) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  60% 
  1 
  0 
  0 
  100 
  2(1)/3 
  0.25 
  72 mpd 
  (3 mph) 
  84 mpd 
  (3.5 mph) 
  Sailing 
  Ship 
  Gargantuan 
  (100’x20’) 
  20 
  (+5) 
  7 
  (-2) 
  17 
  (+3) 
  80% 
  3 
  0 
  4 
  10,000 
  30(15)/20 
  100 
  120 mpd 
  (5 mph) 
  168 mpd 
  (7 mph) 
  Sloop 
  Gargantuan 
  (80’x15’) 
  18 
  (+4) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  18 
  (+4) 
  90% 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  15,000 
  20(10)/20 
  50 
  168 mpd 
  (7 mph) 
  216 mpd 
  (9 mph) 
  Warship 
  Gargantuan 
  (100’x20’) 
  20 
  (+5) 
  4 
  (-3) 
  20 
  (+5) 
  100% 
  3 
  0 
  4 
  15,000 
  30(15)/20 
  100 
  96 mpd 
  (4 mph) 
  120 mpd 
  (5 mph) 
  All waterborne vessels possess the following attributes: 
  INT, WIS, and CHA are all 0 
  COLUMN DETAILS 
  Vessel Type & Size 
  This is the name of the type of vessel and its size.  Vessel Types in italics are featured in Ghosts of Saltmarsh. 
  STR/DEX/CON 
  STR (Strength) expresses the ship’s size and weight, DEX (Dexterity) is its ease of handling, and CON (Constitution) is 
  its durability and the quality of its construction. 
  Seaworthiness 
  This is the vessel’s ability to sail the high seas, and reflects its durability in rough waters and difficult conditions.  A d100 
  roll is made every day of travel in calm seas and must be made with disadvantage if in a storm that day, as determined 
  by the Weather Tables.  If any roll is greater than the Seaworthiness score, there are two results: 
  1. 
  The crew has disadvantage on all Hazard checks, including any for an existing storm, until a subsequent 
  Seaworthiness roll indicates a success. 
  2. 
  The DM rolls on the Seaworthiness Failure table in this supplement, with any result being an independent 
  effect from any Hazards currently impacting the ship. 
  # of Masts/Oars/Rowboats 
  Masts indicate how many sets of sails are on the ship, oars will be divided into banks on each side of the ship, and 
  rowboats are the “lifeboats” for larger ships in case they founder (and have the same stats as Rowboat in this table). 
  Open Market Cost (gp) 
  This is the average, or “retail,” cost to purchase the ship in the open market, and may be adjusted based upon a number 
  of variables – including quality of location, seller’s personality attitude, and the buyer’s ability to haggle (see Social 
  Interaction in the DMG pp. 244-245 for more details on this). 
  Capacity, Crew 
  Maximum crew and passenger complement for the ship, with the minimum crew required for normal travel pace noted in 
  parentheses (half that amount will allow for half normal travel pace when sailing but not for rowing).  If the crew drops 
  below this amount, the ship founders and will go the speed and direction of the current. 
  Capacity, Cargo 
  Total cargo capacity in tons. 
  Travel Pace 
  Modifiers (daily only) 
  ±5 mpd per 10 mph when sailing with/against the wind 
  ±Crew Quality Score (see the section in this supplement labeled Ship Crew Quality) 
  Normal Speed 
  Normal daily (and hourly) ship travel speed, provided there is at least a minimum crew. 
  Full Speed Ahead 
  If at least the minimum crew complement, the captain can elect to push the limits of ship and 
  man, increasing the distance traveled at the risk of crew fatigue and ship damage.  Every day of 
  such travel: 
   
  The ship’s crew has disadvantage on all Hazard checks. 
   
  Every day of Full Speed Ahead, the crew’s Quality score is reduced by 1.  Unless a mutiny 
  occurs, any penatlies are removed after 24 hours of shore leave (or a positive event occurs 
  at the discretion of the DM, such as finding buried treasure on a deserted isle). 
   
  A Seaworthiness fail reduces crew Quality by an additional point and permanently reduces 
  the ship’s Seaworthiness score by 10%.  Drydocking repairs 10% Seaworthiness per day. 
  
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  20 
   
   
  WATERBORNE VESSELS TABLE TWO: COMBAT ATTRIBUTES 
  Vessel Type 
  Hull 
  Helm 
  Oars 
  Sails 
  Naval Weapons 
  AC 
  HP 
  DT 
  AC 
  HP 
  AC 
  HP 
  Combat 
  Speed 
  AC 
  HP 
  Combat Speed 
  Baseline/Into 
  Wind/With Wind 
  Ballista 
  Mangonel 
  Naval 
  Ram 
  Barge 
  14 
  100 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  12 
  50 
  10ft 
  12 
  75 
  20ft/10ft/25ft 
  (-10ft per 25hp) 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  Frigate 
  16 
  600 
  25 
  17 
  75 
  12 
  150 
  35ft 
  (-10ft per 50hp) 
  12 
  125 
  50ft/20ft/65ft 
  (-5ft per 25hp) 
  6 
  2 
  1 
  Galleon 
  16 
  800 
  30 
  16 
  100 
  12 
  200 
  30ft 
  (-10ft per 50hp) 
  12 
  150 
  35ft/15ft/50ft 
  (-5ft per 20hp) 
  8 
  2 
  — 
  Galley 
  15 
  500 
  20 
  16 
  50 
  12 
  100 
  30ft 
  (-5ft per 25hp) 
  12 
  100 
  35ft/15ft/50ft 
  (-10ft per 25hp) 
  4 
  2 
  1 
  Keelboat 
  15 
  100 
  10 
  12 
  50 
  12 
  100 
  20ft 
  (-5ft per 25hp) 
  12 
  100 
  25ft/15ft/35ft 
  (-5ft per 20hp) 
  1 
  — 
  — 
  Longship 
  15 
  300 
  15 
  16 
  50 
  12 
  100 
  20ft 
  (-5ft per 25hp) 
  12 
  100 
  45ft/15ft/60ft 
  (-10ft per 25hp) 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  Rowboat 
  11 
  50 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  12 
  25 
  15ft 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  Sailboat 
  12 
  50 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  12 
  50 
  25ft/15ft/40ft 
  (-10ft per 25hp) 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  Sailing Ship 
  15 
  300 
  15 
  18 
  50 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  12 
  100 
  45ft/15ft/60ft 
  (-5ft per 25hp) 
  1 
  1 
  — 
  Sloop 
  13 
  200 
  5 
  18 
  50 
  12 
  100 
  25ft 
  (-5ft per 20hp) 
  12 
  100 
  55ft/20ft/70ft 
  (-10ft per 25hp) 
  2 
  — 
  — 
  Warship 
  15 
  500 
  20 
  18 
  50 
  12 
  100 
  20ft 
  (-5ft per 25hp) 
  12 
  100 
  35ft/15ft/50ft 
  (-10ft per 25hp) 
  2 
  2 
  1 
  All waterborne vessels possess the following combat-related attributes: 
  Damage Immunities: poison, psychic 
  Condition Immunities:  blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, 
  unconscious 
  COLUMN DETAILS 
  Vessel Type 
  This is the name of the type of vessel.  Vessel Types in italics are featured in Ghosts of Saltmarsh. 
  Hull attributes 
  AC: 
  HP: 
  DT: 
  Armor Class to hit the hull with an attack 
  Hit Points of the hull; if the hull is reduced to 0 hit points, the ship sinks 
  Damage Threshold; an attack must exceed this amount of damage in order to cause damage, in 
  which case it does the full amount of the damage 
  Helm attributes 
  AC: 
  HP: 
  Armor Class to hit the helm with an attack 
  Hit Points of the helm; if the helm is reduced to 0 hit points, the ship cannot turn 
  Oar attributes 
  AC: 
  HP: 
  Combat Speed: 
  Armor Class to hit a bank of oars with an attack 
  Hit Points of the full array of oars; see the table above for speed reduction based upon damage taken 
  Speed in feet per turns to be used in initiative mode; if there is a second entry, it indicates how 
  damage to the oars reduces this speed  
  Sail attributes 
  AC: 
  HP: 
   
  Combat Speed: 
  Armor Class to hit some portion of the sails an attack 
  Hit Points of all sail rigging (sheets, masts, cross-beams, ropes, etc.); see the table above for speed 
  reduction based upon damage taken 
  Speed in feet per turns to be used in initiative mode; if there is a second entry, it indicates how 
  damage to the sails reduces this speed  
  Naval Weapons 
  Ballista: 
  (AC 15, HP 50 
  each) 
  A massive crossbow firing heavy bolts; if multiple on a ship normally an equal amount are installed 
  on the fore and the aft; takes one action to load it, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it; 
  ranged weapon attack: +6 to hit, range 120/480 ft, one target, 16 (3d10) piercing damage. 
  Mangonel: 
  (AC 15, HP 100 
  each) 
  A catapult that hurls heavy projectiles in a high arc even over cover; normally only installed at the aft 
  on a sterncastle; takes two actions to load it, two actions to aim it, and one action to fire it; ranged 
  weapon attack with a stone: +5 to hit, range 200/800 ft (60 ft minimum), one target, 27 (5d10) 
  bludgeoning damage (other types of projectiles may be used which may vary in damage and effect) 
  Naval Ram: 
  (AC 20, HP 
  100, DT 10) 
  A fortified protrusion on the ship’s bow used to batter other ships; melee weapon attack: +8 to hit, 
  advantage on all saving throws related to crashing, any damage taken is applied to the naval ram 
  rather than the ship until the ram is destroyed; crashing damage is based upon ship size which for 
  gargantuan ships (all ships on this list with a naval ram) inflicting 16d10 bludgeoning damage 
   
   
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
   
  21 
  SHIP DESCRIPTIONS 
   
  This section provides a brief description of the added ships in this supplement.  All the statistics 
  are provided in the tables above.  For all italicized ships listed in the tables, please consult the 
  Ghosts of Saltmarsh compendium for descriptions. 
   
  Barges are slow, rectangular ships generally used for hauling 
  people and cargo across or down rivers (river barges) and along 
  lakeshores (lake barges).  They are not seaworthy.  They are not 
  manuverable.  River barges either are suspended across a river by 
  strong ropes which are used to pull them from bank to bank, or 
  get pushed along by long poles thrust down to the bottom of the 
  river with oars for both motion and maneuverability.  Lake barges 
  rely on 2 banks of 20 oars to slowly move it along the smooth waters. 
   
  Frigates are the most advanced of the big ships, boasting three tall 
  masts with a large array of sails, which along with its cutting-edge 
  rigging design and streamlined hull make them one of the fastest 
  ships available (second only to the sloop).  They are prized by 
  admirals as the flagships of naval fleets.  They have four forward 
  ballista and two at its aft, all able to swivel up to 30 degrees, along 
  with twin catapults on its sterncastle and a battery ram at their bow. 
   
   
   
  Galleons are massive vessels, with three tall masts with extremely 
  wide square sails.  In spite of their size they move quite well in the 
  wind, with dual banks of 75 oars on each side to propel them forward 
  admirably when there are no winds.  For armament, the ships bristle 
  with four fore and four aft ballista and two large catapults on the 
  sterncastle, with sufficient swiveling capabilities to strike anything 
  along their perimeter. 
   
   
  Sailboats are essentially rowboats with a single mast and square sail instead of oars.  They rely 
  entirely on the wind for travel, and are mostly owned by fishermen and sailing enthusiasts – though 
  they are good at speeding down rivers and generally versatile on small lakes. 
   
  Sloops are sleek, fast and maneuverable sailboats, but also durable 
  and seaworthy ships.  They do have two banks of oars which propel 
  them along at a good clip, but their mainstay is their mainsail off a 
  very tall single mast, with a sleek decision which makes them the 
  fastest of the mass-produced vessels.  They are commonly armed with 
  one ballista at the fore and one at the aft. 
   
   
  
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  22 
  NAVIGATING THE DIFFERENT BODIES OF WATER 
   
  SEAS 
   
  Travel over seas can be a risky affair, with strong winds and storms always posing a threat to 
  smaller vessels.  Therefore the party should generally look to book passage on the larger, more 
  seafaring vessels.  Barges cannot travel on seas, and rowboats and sailboats can be found but stay 
  close to the coastline. 
   
  A significant consideration when deciding which route to take overseas is the prevailing current.  
  Sea currents are strong, averaging 2 mph.  The DM will determine this, but trade routes almost 
  always sail along with the current. 
   
  The DM will also define the ports and trading routes where passage may most easily be sought.  
  Ports can be found at any city adjacent to the body of water.  Finding passage on a boat without 
  settlements nearby, however, is generally a tricky affair and largely dependent upon how close you 
  are to a road or other main throughfare. 
   
  If you have no coin or are reluctant to part with it, one can sign on with a vessel as part of the crew, 
  particularly one who carries weapons and knows how to use them should the ship be beset by 
  pirates or other maritime threats.  Of course, should players need to reach a location not normally 
  visited by trading vessels or official vessels, you might end up signing up with a band of pirates, 
  or pirate hunters, or swashbucklers of a different color.  The party may even seek commision from 
  a city or empire to complete the mission across the seas. 
   
  LAKES 
   
  For all intents and purposes, travel over lakes is the same as sea travel.  The principal differences 
  are lack of a prevailing current and storms that aren’t quite so fierce.  Large lakes could 
  conceivably have any kind of ship, while smaller lakes will only have rowboats, sailboats, large 
  barges, and keelboats.  Very large lakes can have a 1 mph current, but small lakes will be calm 
  and have no noticeable current. 
   
  As with seas, boats are generally easy to find at ports adjacent to towns or cities.  Beyond that you 
  have fishing villages and personal vessels, which will not be immune to the charms of a little gold. 
   
  RIVERS 
   
  When viable, travel by river can often be faster and safer than by land…but you can not guide the 
  river, the river guides you, and you are at the mercy of the path it takes and the direction the water 
  flows.  If it works in your favor, river travel deserves consideration. 
   
  Travel speed on a river is determined in the same way as travel over seas or lakes, so follow those 
  guides for sail vs. oar travel.  Rivers will have a downstream current, which by default is 1 mph.  
  Keelboats are the principal river transports when it comes to traveling upstream or downstream. 
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
   
  23 
   
  First order of business is to find a boat.  Riverboats tend to come in four flavors: rowboat, sailboat, 
  barge, and sloop.  Other, larger ships are built primarily for the sea, though of course it is not 
  unheard of for trading galleys to make their way up or down a river to reach certain city ports – 
  though it is rare to find any oarless sailing ship sailing upstream. 
   
  Unless the party owns a boat, they will need to either purchase a boat at some port, or find passage 
  on a passenger boat (or any boat, for that matter…everyone has his price).  It is at the discretion 
  of the DM, as always, but boats can be purchased, rented, or passage purchased in riverside towns. 
   
  Along rivers in key locations, there are often boatmen with river barges who charge travelers a 
  simple fare to cross the river.  Most of the time these barges are connected to both river banks by 
  two very thick ropes which can be used to pull the barge across, or to ensure it does not float 
  downstream as the crew paddles from bank to bank. 
   
   
  OTHER SHIP CONSIDERATIONS 
   
   
  Cost For Ship Passage 
   
  More than likely you and your hearty band of adventurers will not be plunking down serious coin 
  to purchase your own ship – except perhaps for a rowboat or sailboat.  Cost for passage on a ship 
  can vary wildly from locale to locale, but the primary considerations are distance, availability, and 
  willingness.  The following set of suggestions is offered, for which the DM can of course modify 
  based upon preference and situation: 
   Downstream (river) or with predominant current 
  (sea/lake): 1 gp per 100 miles of travel 
   Upstream (river) or against predominant current 
  (sea/lake): 2 gp per  100 miles of travel 
   River crossing: 5 sp (a river barge is normally found 
  at strategic river crossing locations) 
   Suggested modifiers: 
  o Speed of vessel: +1 gp per 2 mph ship base 
  speed (sail or oar) over 4 
  o Horses: Double normal rate (vessel must be a 
  barge or large ship (at least 100’ long); each 
  horse takes up 3 of the ship’s complement 
  o Horse w/wagon: Triple normal rate, only 
  available on barges, takes up 5 of the ship’s 
  complement 
  Note that proximity to major cities doesn’t factor into cost so much as it factors into availability 
  of passenger ships.  Also captains of merchant vessels or warships are much less likely to be willing 
  to take on passengers, and may be expected to charge up to double the suggested rates.  Persuasion 
  obviously can play a part in such exchanges. 
   
  
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  24 
  Ship Crew Quality 
   
  A big component of seafaring success is the competency and attitude of the crew.  Since individual 
  crewmember competency would be too difficult to figure out, D&D focuses on attitude to 
  determine overall crew quality.  This is explained in the Ghosts of Saltmarsh. 
   
  In most campaigns, the player characters will come across a ship with an existing crew.  For those 
  situations, it is handy for the DM to have a means to randomly determine the quality of its crew 
  and the officers commanding it. 
   
   
   
   
   
  Quality of Ship’s Crew and Commanding Officers 
  Quality and Nickname of the Ship’s Crew 
  Quality of the Ship’s Officers (roll individually for each officer) 
  D100 
  Starting 
  Quality 
  Crew Nickname 
  Officer Title 
  D20 
  NPC Attributes 
  Officer 
  Quality 
  01 
  -10 
  Mutinous dogs 
  Captain 
  01-05 
  INT +3, CHA +3, +6 proficiency with 
  intimidation, persuasion, and water vehicles 
  Good 
  02-03 
  -9 
  Lily-livered landlubbers 
  06-15 
  INT +1, CHA +1, +3 proficiency with 
  intimidation, persuasion, and water vehicles 
  Average 
  04-05 
  -8 
  Sour scuppertongues 
  16-20 
  INT -1, CHA -1, +1 proficiency with 
  intimidation, persuasion, and water vehicles 
  Poor 
  06-07 
  -7 
  Sack of sorry 
  seamonkeys 
  First Mate 
  01-05 
  INT +3, CHA +3, +6 proficiency with 
  intimidation, persuasion, and water vehicles 
  Good 
  08-10 
  -6 
  Pack of bilge rats 
  06-15 
  INT +1, CHA +1, +3 proficiency with 
  intimidation, persuasion, and water vehicles 
  Average 
  11-13 
  -5 
  Scurvy-laden curs 
  16-20 
  INT -1, CHA -1, +1 proficiency with 
  intimidation, persuasion, and water vehicles 
  Poor 
  14-16 
  -4 
  Yellow-bellied 
  hornswagglers 
  Bosun 
  01-05 
  STR +3, +4 proficiency with athletics and 
  carpenter’s tools 
  Good 
  17-20 
  -3 
  Sad ol’ swabbies 
  06-15 
  STR +1, +2 proficiency with athletics and 
  carpenter’s tools 
  Average 
  21-25 
  -2 
  Lazy laggards 
  16-20 
  STR -1 
  Poor 
  26-30 
  -1 
  Crusty barnacle-backs 
  Quartermaster 
  01-05 
  WIS +3, +6 proficiency with navigator’s 
  tools and nature skill 
  Good 
  31-70 
  0 
  Salty sailors 
  06-15 
  WIS +1, +3 proficiency with navigator’s 
  tools and nature skill 
  Average 
  71-75 
  +1 
  Stalwart shellbacks 
  16-20 
  WIS -1, +1 proficiency with navigator’s tools 
  and nature skill 
  Poor 
  76-80 
  +2 
  Willful waterdogs 
  Surgeon 
  01-05 
  INT +3, +6 proficiency with herbalism kits 
  and the medicine skill 
  Good 
  81-84 
  +3 
  Trusty mariners 
  06-15 
  INT +1, +3 proficiency with herbalism kits 
  and the medicine skill 
  Average 
  85-87 
  +4 
  Lively scallywags 
  16-20 
  INT -1, +1 proficiency with herbalism kits 
  and the medicine skill 
  Poor 
  88-90 
  +5 
  Shameless lick-spittlers 
  Cook 
  01-05 
  CON +3, +6 proficiency with brewer’s 
  supplies and cook’s utensils 
  Good 
  91-93 
  +6 
  Jolly jack-tars 
  06-15 
  CON +1, +3 proficiency with brewer’s 
  supplies and cook’s utensils 
  Average 
  94-95 
  +7 
  Hearty seafarers 
  16-20 
  CON -1, +1 proficiency with brewer’s 
  supplies and cook’s utensils 
  Poor 
  96-97 
  +8 
  Loyal sea dogs 
  Cabin Boy 
  01-15 
  Just a cabin boy 
  N/A 
  98-99 
  +9 
  Master mariners 
  16-18 
  Can replace a random poor officer (roll 1d6 
  with captain as 1 and cook as 6) 
  Poor 
  00 
  +10 
  Feverish fanatics 
  19-20 
  Can replace a random average officer (roll 
  1d6 with captain as 1 and cook as 6) 
  Average 
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
   
  25 
  SHIP COMBAT:  Although this supplement, particularly, Table Two, does cover most of the 
  attributes around naval warfare, everything else you need can be found in the Ghosts of Saltmarsh 
  compendium.  These tables are in fact meant to aid such an endeavor by providing a quick 
  reference to said attributes in a convenient table format. 
   
  REPAIRING YOUR SHIP:  Incremental repairs can be 
  performed while at sea, but full repairs will require a 
  drydock at port.  A crew can repair hit points of ship 
  components equal to 20 hp per day at sea (provided 
  normal travel without incident) or 40 hp at port, plus or 
  minus their quality score multiplied by their bosun’s 
  carpentry bonus.  The repair job can focus on one or more 
  damaged components during this time. 
   
  MAKING FOR PORT OR COMING ASHORE:  Of 
  all the ships in the chart, only rowboats (and canoes which 
  share the same attributes), sailboats, barges, and keelboats 
  can be beached.  All the larger ships have too deep a draft 
  and must find a port or a dock of some sort, or weigh 
  anchor and use their own rowboats. 
   
  CARRYING A BOAT OVER LAND:  Only the 
  smallest vessels are light enough to be carried across land, 
  which can be done for short distances by several men, or 
  placed on large wagons and carted, from one waterway to 
  another.  Rowboats generally weigh 100 pounds while 
  sailboats come in at 125 pounds. Note that keelboats and 
  river barges can also be relocated, but would require a 
  large engineering contingent of several dozen workers 
  with ropes and pulleys, and either custom-built wagons or 
  logs to roll the ship along.  The player characters would need to pay for this service so we will not 
  fill these pages with that detail.  All other ships are far too large, heavy, and unbalanced to ever 
  fully leave the water. 
   
  UNDERWATER TRAVEL:  This manual generally does not deal with underwater travel as this 
  is not considered a normal form of routine travel.  Please consult the Players Handbook and 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide for additional guidance on managing travel underwater. 
   
   
   
  
  WATERBORNE TRAVEL 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  26 
  Author’s Reflection: Navigating The High Seas 
   
  In a truly realistic environment, the same ship 
  could sail in a solid morning breeze, pick up 
  the oars when the wind has died in the 
  afternoon, and unfurl the sails again for a 
  sunset breeze later that day.  But this 
  supplement is for Dungeons & Dragons, not 
  “Sailing & Rowing,” and it is assumed the 
  adventurers want to, well…adventure.  So we 
  introduce a daily system – still quite a few 
  rolls, granted, but the weather often keeps for 
  several days and don’t need to be re-rolled 
  (except the wind, which can be the life or 
  death of any sailor on a daily basis). 
   
  This is still a lot to keep track of, but the 
  intrepid DM will maximize use of these charts 
  and tables to hopefully provide the players 
  better game immersion with real-world 
  environmental challenges and realistic travel 
  expectations.  But if this is too much to absorb, 
  manage, and maintain, I included the 
  “Common Distance per Day” column of the 
  Waterborne Vessels chart.  This value makes 
  travel much easier for those Dungeon Masters just dying for the party to reach that dungeon with 
  the treasure horde protected by the fire-breathing dragon. 
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WEATHER TABLES 
   
  27 
  WEATHER TABLES 
   
  Weather can play a part in an adventuring 
  party’s travel plans.  In its most basic form the 
  climate adds color, like “It is a sweltering ninety 
  degrees and your knight feels like he is encased 
  in an oven,” or “The rain pelts down and soaks 
  your elf ranger, drenching her cloak as the 
  whipping wind entangles it in her long, silky 
  hair.”  Then the players can espouse creative 
  prose to relay what their characters may be 
  experiencing in the moment.  Maybe they do, 
  maybe they don’t, but if they do it can make the 
  moment that much more immersive and evolve 
  from a “point A to point B” interlude to a point 
  of character and party development.  Does the 
  knight clench his teeth and bear it with true grit, 
  or does he whine like a chamber-pot boy?  Does 
  the elf revel in the wild power of the elements, 
  or does she complain that her cloak is getting 
  ruined or her recent perm is now a shambles?  
  And how do the rest of the player characters 
  react to these responses?  Does it change how 
  they feel about the sweltering knight or wet, 
  wind-whipped ranger?   
   
  Such situations can allow the players to role-play the moment, belting out some creative prose to 
  make for a potentially more immersive moment.  But weather can have other impacts.  It can slow 
  progress and can actually cause damage if severe enough.  On the open seas, it can be truly deadly.  
   
  But it also can be helpful.  A tall ship can fly like a bird with a strong wind in its sail.  A dense fog 
  can help conceal the party’s approach.  And a downpour’s muddy results can actually help a party 
  when they are being hounded by a pack of goblin wolfriders. 
   
  How will you play this? 
   
   
  
  WEATHER TABLES 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  28 
  CLIMATE ZONES 
   
  The type of weather encountered depends primarily upon the climate of the region.  Many other 
  factors can play a part, such as unusual land masses (like, say, an enchanted desert), but for 
  simplicity’s sake the weather tables are broken up into six different climate zones: 
   
  Zone 
  Region Type 
  Description 
  Example Terrain 
  A 
  Tropical/ 
  Subtropical 
  Hot and humid region, normally 
  equatorial 
  Rainforests, swamps, lush 
  grasslands 
  B 
  Arid/Semiarid 
  Hot and dry, limited greenery 
  Deserts, dry plains 
  C 
  Temperate-
  Warm 
  Generally mild winters and hot, 
  dry summers 
  Grasslands, deciduous 
  forests 
  D 
  Temperate-Cold 
  Generally mild year-round with 
  warm summers and cool winters 
  Grasslands, deciduous 
  forests 
  E 
  Cold 
  Generally cool year-round with 
  even colder winters 
  Dry plains, snow-covered 
  mountains, evergreen forests 
  F 
  Arctic/Polar 
  Very cold year-round, difficult for 
  humanoids to live 
  Frozen tundra, glacial 
  mountains, lakes of ice 
   
  Here is the author’s concept of how these climate zones might be broken out in the super-continent 
  which includes the Forgotten Realms settings of Faerûn, Kara-Tur, and Zakhara on the world of 
  Toril.  Keep in mind this is just provided for consideration, and there are many exceptions based 
  upon specific locations and terrain types (such as deserts within the temperate regions, forests in 
  the arid/semiarid region, and of course mountains have their own climates based upon elevation). 
   
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WEATHER TABLES 
   
  29 
   
  Determining the various components of the elements, and their impact to travelers, roll on the 
  Climate Table below based upon the climate zone the party is currently in, and follow the 
  instructions.  Then, separately, roll on the Wind Table that follows to determine how hard that 
  rain is hitting you in the face. 
   
  There are also sub-rolls in both tables that indicate the chance a storm hits (consult the Storm 
  Table), and the chance the current patterns repeat.  All is explained in each section. 
   
  WEATHER TABLES:  STEP-BY-STEP AID 
  Step 
  The Question 
  The Answer 
  1 
  What’s the 
  weather like 
  outside? 
  Determine what climate zone the party is in and then roll d100 daily on the Climate 
  Table.  This will give you the current temperature, any current precipitation, 
  adjustments to traveling by land, a chance of storm (roll a separate d100) and a next-
  day chance the current weather pattern continues (yet another d100 – what is this, is 
  D&D now a d100 game??). 
  2 
  OK but is 
  there any 
  wind? 
  It can still be gusty even on a sunny day.  Separately, roll on the Wind Table, which 
  takes into consideration wind direction, proximity to large bodies of water, impact to 
  travel speed (both land and sea – but the main impact is to sailing ships), and similar to 
  the Climate Table a next-day chance of the current wind continuing. 
  3 
  How long will 
  this weather 
  pattern last? 
  From the two main tables come a chance the same patterns repeat the next day: the 
  general weather (defined as temperature + precipitation) and the wind.  This may seem 
  needlessly complicated, but it helps safeguard this system against having wildly 
  variable, nonsensical weather patterns from one day to the next.  It makes sense for a 
  nonmagical storm to quickly abate, but sunny or cloudy weather often persists longer. 
  4 
  OK there’s a 
  storm 
  outside, how 
  bad is it? 
  If the Climate Table sub-roll indicates a storm kicks up that day, consult the Storm 
  Table.  Note that this supercedes the current wind pattern, which resets and should be 
  consulted again after the storm subsides (which will happen if the Climate Table 
  indicated the pattern will NOT repeat the next day, though in that case there will 
  sometimes be a new storm chance based upon the next-day d100 rolls!). 
   
   
   
  
  WEATHER TABLES 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  30 
   
  CLIMATE TABLE 
  Roll initially based on Climate Zone, and again for every day the prior day’s weather does NOT repeat 
  CLIMATE ZONE 
  Temp 
  era- 
  ture 
  Weather Type 
  Land 
  Speed 
  Modifier 
  Storm 
  Chance 
  Chance 
  Weather 
  Pattern 
  Repeats 
  WARMER 
   
  COLDER  
  A 
  B 
  C 
  D 
  E 
  F 
  01-05 
  01-08 
  01-02 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  110° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  06-08 
  09-10 
  03-05 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  100° 
  Overcast 
  — 
  5% 
  60% 
  09-15 
   
  06 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  90° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  — 
  10% 
  50% 
  16-30 
   
  07 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  80° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -2 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  31-40 
   
  08 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  70° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -4 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
  41-50 
  11-20 
  09-15 
  01 
  — 
  — 
  90° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  51-60 
  21-25 
  16-20 
  02-03 
  — 
  — 
  80° 
  Overcast 
  — 
  5% 
  60% 
  61-70 
  26-28 
  21-23 
  04-05 
  — 
  — 
  70° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  — 
  10% 
  50% 
  71-80 
  29 
  24-26 
  06 
  — 
  — 
  60° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -2 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  81-91 
  30 
  27-28 
  07 
  — 
  — 
  50° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -4 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
  92-93 
  31-45 
  29-35 
  08-12 
  01 
  — 
  80° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  94-95 
  46-50 
  36-50 
  13-16 
  02-03 
  — 
  70° 
  Overcast 
  — 
  5% 
  60% 
  96-97 
  51-53 
  51-55 
  17-20 
  04 
  — 
  60° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  — 
  10% 
  50% 
  98-99 
  54 
  56-58 
  21-23 
  05 
  — 
  50° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -2 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  00 
  55 
  59-60 
  24-26 
  06 
  — 
  40° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -4 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
  — 
  56-75 
  29-35 
  06-10 
  07-08 
  — 
  70° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  — 
  76-85 
  36-50 
  11-15 
  09-12 
  — 
  60° 
  Overcast 
  — 
  5% 
  60% 
  — 
  86-88 
  51-55 
  16-20 
  13-15 
  — 
  50° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  — 
  10% 
  50% 
  — 
  89 
  56-58 
  21-23 
  16-17 
  — 
  40° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -2 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  — 
  90 
  59-60 
  24-26 
  18 
  — 
  30° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -4 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
  — 
  91-94 
  61-70 
  27-36 
  19-22 
  — 
  60° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  — 
  95-96 
  71-78 
  37-45 
  23-28 
  — 
  50° 
  Overcast 
  — 
  5% 
  60% 
  — 
  97-98 
  79-83 
  46-54 
  29-31 
  — 
  40° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  — 
  10% 
  50% 
  — 
  99 
  84-97 
  55-58 
  32-33 
  — 
  30° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -2 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  — 
  00 
  88-90 
  59-60 
  34 
  — 
  20° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -4 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
  — 
  — 
  91-93 
  61-68 
  35-38 
  01-04 
  50° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  94-96 
  79-75 
  39-47 
  05-08 
  40° 
  Overcast 
  — 
  5% 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  97-98 
  76-80 
  48-50 
  09-12 
  30° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  — 
  10% 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  99 
  81-84 
  51-52 
  13-15 
  20° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -2 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  — 
  — 
  00 
  85-87 
  53 
  16-17 
  10° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -4 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  88-92 
  54-56 
  18-22 
  40° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  93-95 
  57-68 
  23-28 
  30° 
  Overcast 
  — 
  5% 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  96-97 
  69-72 
  29-33 
  20° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  — 
  10% 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  98-99 
  73-75 
  34-36 
  10° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -2 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  00 
  76-77 
  37-38 
  0° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -4 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  78-80 
  39-48 
  20° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  81-90 
  49-55 
  10° 
  Overcast 
  — 
  5% 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  91-93 
  56-60 
  0° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  -2 mpd 
  10% 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  94-95 
  61-64 
  -10° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -4 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  96-00 
  65-68 
  -20° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -5 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  69-75 
  0° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  76-80 
  -10° 
  Overcast 
  — 
  5% 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  81-83 
  -20° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  -2 mpd 
  10% 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  84-86 
  -30° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -5 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  87-88 
  -40° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -7 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  89-93 
  -20° 
  Sunny 
  — 
  0% 
  70% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  94-96 
  -30° 
  Overcast 
  -2 mpd 
  5% 
  60% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  97-98 
  -40° 
  Precipitation, Light 
  -4 mpd 
  10% 
  50% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  99 
  -50° 
  Precipitation, Steady 
  -6 mpd 
  15% 
  30% 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  00 
  -60° 
  Precipitation, Heavy 
  -8 mpd 
  20% 
  15% 
   
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WEATHER TABLES 
   
  31 
  EXPLANATION OF COLUMNS AND RELATED RULES 
  Climate Zone 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Optional season modifiers: 
  Roll on this initially based upon climate zone, and again the next day if the pattern does not repeat 
  A= Tropical/Subtropical (hot and humid region, normally equatorial) 
  B = Arid/Semiarid (hot and dry, limited greenery) 
  C = Mediterranean (generally mild winters and hot, dry summers) 
  D = Temperate-Warm (generally mild year-round with warm summers and cool winters) 
  E = Temperate-Cold (generally cool year-round with even colder winters) 
  F = Arctic/Polar (very cold year-round, difficult for humanoids to live) 
   
  Spring = -10%, Summer = -20%, Fall = +10%, Winter = +20%  (highest roll = 01, lowest roll = 100) 
  Temperature 
  Optional temperature modifiers: 
  +5° per 2000 ft elevation 
  -10° for nights 
  ±15* for deserts (day/night) 
  -10* if at sea or coastal (<2 miles from sea) 
  Weather Type 
  If precipitation, type determined by temperature: 
  >40° 
  = rain 
  30°-40° 
  = hail 
  <30° 
  = snow 
  Storm Chance 
  Roll every time the weather pattern changes (see Chance Pattern Repeats below). 
  Land Speed Modifier 
  Append any Wind Table modifier, but replace with any Storm Table modifier. 
  Chance Pattern Repeats 
  After a weather pattern has been rolled, roll on this column instead each subsequent day until it fails; 
  once it fails, re-roll for a new weather pattern based on climate zone 
   
   
  WIND 
   
  Wind determination is purposely a separate table and a separate daily roll.  After all, you can 
  have a strong wind on a sunny day or a rainy day.  Plus we need to know which direction the 
  wind is blowing which will dictate potential impact to travel speed – particularly for sailing 
  vessels which of course depend upon wind to move.   
   
   
  
  WEATHER TABLES 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  32 
  WIND TABLE  
  WIND SPEED (roll daily & independently of Climate Table roll) 
  WIND DIRECTION 
  (roll daily along with Wind Speed) 
  General Terrain Type 
  Wind 
  Speed 
  Wind-Based Modifiers 
  Chance  
  Wind 
  Repeats 
  Over-
  land 
  Coastal/ 
  Lake 
  On the 
  Sea 
  Ship Crew 
  Success 
  Modifier 
  Waterborne 
  Sailing Speed 
  Overland 
  Travel Speed 
   
  01-20 
  01-15 
  01-10 
  0 mph 
   
  No mvmt 
   
  20% 
  21-60 
  16-50 
  11-40 
  10 mph 
   
  ±5 mpd 
   
  60% 
  61-80 
  51-75 
  41-60 
  20 mph 
   
  ±10 mpd 
   
  70% 
  81-88 
  76-85 
  61-80 
  30 mph 
   
  ±15 mpd 
   
  50% 
  89-92 
  86-91 
  81-88 
  40 mph 
  -1 
  ±20 mpd 
   
  40% 
  93-95 
  92-95 
  89-92 
  50 mph 
  -2 
  ±25 mpd 
   
  30% 
  Die Roll Chance of Direction Change 
  01-80 
  Wind blows in predominant 
  direction (as determined by the 
  DM; for sea travel it should 
  follow established trade routes) 
  96-97 
  96-97 
  93-97 
  60 mph 
  -3 
  ±30 mpd 
  ±1 mpd 
  20% 
  98-00 
  98-00 
  98-00 
  70 mph 
  -4 
  ±35 mpd 
  ±2 mpd 
  10% 
  81-00 
  Direction changes (d8 on compass) 
  EXPLANATION OF COLUMNS AND RELATED RULES 
  Wind Speed by  
  General Terrain Type 
  Overland:  Includes river travel 
  Coastal/Lake:  Coastal lands include lands within 2 miles from the seashore in both direction (land and sea). 
  On the Sea:  Must be >2 miles from the seashore. 
  OPTIONAL MODIFIERS BY CLIMATE ZONE 
   
  Climate Zone A: -20 to wind speed roll 
   
  Climate Zone B: -10 to wind speed roll 
   
  Climate Zone C: no modifier 
   
  Climate Zone D: no modifier 
   
  Climate Zone E: +10 to wind speed roll 
   
  Climate Zone F: +20 to wind speed roll 
  OPTIONAL “DAILY PRESSURE ZONE” RULE: 
  ROLL FOUR TIMES DAILY INSTEAD OF ONCE 
  1. 
  Morning (6-10am): +20 to wind speed roll 
  2. 
  Day (10am-4pm): no modifier 
  3. 
  Afternoon (4-8pm): +20 to wind speed roll 
  4. 
  Night (8pm-6am): -20 to wind speed roll 
  Wind repeat and direction tables should still be rolled. 
  Ship Crew Success Modifier 
  Modifier to the success of a ship’s crew when checks are required to overcome various hazards (as detailed in the 
  D&D core book Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Appendix A, starting at page 200). 
  Waterborne Sailing Speed 
  Add to ship speed if wind is at your back (aft, off the port quarter, or off the starboard quarter); subtract if wind is 
  in your face (foreward, off the port bow, or off the starboard bow – see Halfmoon’s Waterborne Travel Guide for 
  additional information).  Superseded by Storm Table. In a dead calm (0 mph), not even the ship’s base sailing 
  speed will be applicable, and the ship will only move with the water’s current (or by rowing). 
  Overland Travel Speed 
  Apply a similar approach to land speed as ship speed, i.e. if wind is at the traveler’s back, add this modifier and the 
  reverse if in his/her face.  Stacks with the Land Speed Modifier from the Climate Table, but superseded by the 
  Storm Table. 
  Chance of Wind Repeat 
  Roll this first on subsequent wind rolls to determine if the same wind strength holds for another day. 
  Wind Direction 
  Roll initial wind direction, then roll Chance of Direction Change along with each new wind speed roll. 
   
   
  STORMS 
   
  If a roll from the Climate Table indicates a storm has struck, the below table supercedes any land 
  speed modifier from that table as well as the values in the Wind Table.  Whatever storm is rolled 
  remains until the weather pattern changes.  Also, unlike the +/- travel pace variables noted in those 
  tables, traveling in a storm can only hinder travel owing to the ferocity and variability of its winds. 
   
   
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WEATHER TABLES 
   
  33 
  STORM TABLE 
  STORM ATTRIBUTES (roll every day the Climate Table indicates a storm) 
  Die 
  Roll 
  Storm Type 
  Wind 
  Speed 
  Travel Pace Modifiers 
  Damage Per Day of Exposure to Precipitation 
  Obs-
  curity 
  Storm 
  DC 
  Waterborne 
  (Ship) 
  Overland 
  Lt Rain/ 
  Any Snow  
  Steady/ 
  Hvy Rain 
  Hail 
  Sand 
  Dust 
  01-50 
  Gale/Light Storm 
  80 mph 
  Special 
  75% pace 
   
   
  1 hp 
   
   
   
  10 
  51-80 
  Strong Storm 
  90 mph 
  Special 
  50% pace 
   
   
  2 hp 
  1 hp 
   
   
  15 
  81-88 
  Hurricane Category 1 
  100 mph 
  Special 
  40% pace 
   
  1 hp 
  3 hp 
  2 hp 
   
   
  18 
  89-92 
  Hurricane Category 2 
  110 mph 
  Special 
  30% pace 
   
  1 hp 
  4 hp 
  3 hp 
  1 hp 
  Light 
  20 
  93-95 
  Hurricane Category 3 
  120 mph 
  Special 
  20% pace 
  1 hp 
  2 hp 
  5 hp 
  4 hp 
  1 hp 
  Light 
  22 
  96-98 
  Hurricane Category 4 
  140 mph 
  Special 
  10% pace 
  1 hp 
  2 hp 
  6 hp 
  5 hp 
  2 hp 
  Heavy 
  26 
  99-00 
  Hurricane Category 5 
  160 mph 
  Special 
  5% pace 
  2 hp 
  3 hp 
  7 hp 
  6 hp 
  2 hp 
  Heavy 
  30 
  EXPLANATION OF COLUMNS AND RELATED RULES 
  Travel Pace Modifiers 
  Waterborne (Ship): 
  Impact to a ship’s speed by a storm is dictated by the Storm Hazard rules as defined in 
  Appendix A of the Ghosts of Sartmarsh core D&D book (page 202).  In short, there is no 
  impact to a ship’s speed if all officers and the crew succeed on their Storm Check rolls. 
  Overland: 
  This is the % of travel pace listed by mode of transport, type of terrain, and other variables 
  in the Overland Travel Pace Chart of Halfmoon’s Overland Travel Guide. 
  Damage Per Day of 
  Exposure to Precipitation 
  Any individuals caught in a storm for at least 4 hours over the course of the day will take the indicated damage, 
  with snow/rain causing bludgeoning damage and hail, sand, and dust causing piercing damage.  The damage 
  assumes normal clothing worn.  This damage is adjusted as follows (shield effect is cumulative): 
   
  No clothing: +1 to damage 
   
  Light armor: -1 to damage 
   
  Medium armor: -2 to damage 
   
  Heavy armor (including stoneskin): -3 to damage 
   
  Shield (including the spell): -2 to damage 
  OPTIONAL RULE – THUNDERSTORMS:  Wearing or wielding metallic items will result in a chance of being 
  struck by lightning for 3d6 hp lightning damage each day (effects are cumulative): 
   
  Metal weapon exposed: 2% 
   
  Metal helm worn: 3% 
   
  Metal shield exposed: 5% 
   
  Medium metal armor: 8% 
   
  Heavy metal armor: 10% 
  Obscurity 
  The stronger storms create vision impairment as indicated (for details on obscurity, consult the PHB page 183). 
  Storm DC 
  This column indicates the Difficulty Class by storm type as an expanded version of the DCs suggested in page 202 
  of the Ghosts of Saltmarsh core D&D book, and is principally oriented toward ship-based travel. 
   
   
   
  
  WEATHER TABLES 
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
   
  34 
  CATCHING A COLD (OPTIONAL) 
    
  Normally one assumes adventurers are very hardy and don’t have to worry about such mundane 
  concerns as catching a cold, but it does add a level of realism to the game.  This is an optional 
  component so is not included in the storm subtables, and assumes only characters who are exposed 
  to the elements would have to worry about catching a cold.  Technically the adventurer who fails 
  his or her save would have already contracted a cold and the weather simply makes it manifest into 
  an impactful condition.  If the DM decides to add this element of flavor, follow these rules: 
   
  CONTRACTING AN AIRBORNE VIRUS 
  CON save vs. DC equal to 1/10 windspeed every day player is exposed or contract a cold, with these modifiers: 
   
   
  ±1 to DC per 10° below/above temperature of 50° (after wind chill factor calculated) 
   
   
  If precipitation:  DC = +2 for light, +3 for steady, and +4 for heavy rain, hail, or snow 
  If cold is contracted, CON save again as above every day exposed or cold becomes flu 
  If flu is contracted, CON save again as above every day exposed to storm or flu turns into pneumonia 
  If pneumonia is contracted, CON save again as above every day exposed or suffer pneumonia sympoms again 
  COLD:  
  Character suffers 1 point of Exhaustion 
  FLU: 
   
  Character suffers 1-2 points of Exhaustion (cumulative with cold) 
  PNEUMONIA: 
  Character suffers 1-3 points of Exhaustion (cumulative with cold and flu) 
   
  For example, a character in 50-mph winds (5 DC base) in 0° weather (+5 DC=10) in a heavy 
  snowfall (+4 DC=14) rolls a 10 CON save and starts coughing and sneezing, having contracted a 
  cold and suffering 1 level of exhaustion (disadvantage on all ability checks).  He finds shelter 
  and does a long rest, recovering from exhaustion. 
   
  The next day he still trudges through the same blizzard (same DC of 14) and rolls a 5, failing 
  again and contracting the flu.  The DM rolls a 2 (4-6 on d6) and the character is now at the 2nd 
  level of Exhaustion, meaning he’s back to ability disadvantage plus his speed is halved. 
   
  Let’s say he doesn’t get a chance to long-rest, and continues through the freak storm the next 
  day.  He rolls a 13, failing yet again and catching pneumonia, and the DM rolls a 3 (5-6 on d6), 
  which is added to his flu exhaustion for level 5 exhaustion.  On top of his flu sympoms, he now 
  has disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws, his hit point max is halved, and he has a 
  move of zero.  Unless rescued, one more failed save exposed to the elements will result in death. 
   
   
   
  
  HALFMOON’S TRAVEL AND WEATHER GUIDE 
  WEATHER TABLES 
   
  35 
  Author’s Reflection:  It Was a Dark and Stormy Night…according to my dice 
   
  Weather plays an important part in anybody’s travel, whether you’re living in a mundane, 
  nonmagical place like Earth or living in the exciting multiverse of Dungeons & Dragons.  While 
  it is true that meteorology, the science of weather forecasting, has not yet made it to the fantasy 
  universe (though perhaps the party can find some high-level wizard who can predict future weather 
  patterns), 
  nevertheless 
  the band of adventurers 
  can consult a map or 
  discuss plans with city 
  travel advisors (or the 
  town bartender) before 
  venturing out.  Climate 
  zones can potentially be 
  marked on a map of the 
  land in which the DM is 
  running the adventure, 
  which 
  would 
  provide 
  travelers with a general 
  knowledge of what kind 
  of climate and weather 
  they might expect. 
   
   As with all things in this book, random weather determination is simply an option for the DM.  It 
  provides additional flavor by introducing the natural unpredictability of weather, projecting a 
  physical feel to the players (e.g. “It is sweltering hot and you are very uncomfortable in your full 
  plate”), and giving the DM a practical tool for determining actual, physical impact (e.g. “The winds 
  are blowing strongly against you, slowing your progress for that day” or “A violent storm pelts 
  you with hail that cuts you like shards of glass, dealing 1 hit point damage”). 
   
  But should the DM already have similar tools in his back pocket, or already has a plan for weather 
  tied to his campaign (as in “You near Mount Thunder and suddenly the air around you turns to a 
  biting cold”), or simply doesn’t want to juggle yet another variable in his campaign, I won’t feel 
  slighted. 
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Halfmoons Travel and Weather Guide.pdf