These rules cover movement, both moment-by-moment in the thrill of combat as well as arduous journeys over land and sea. # Speed A creature has a Speed, which is the distance in feet the creature can cover when it moves on its turn. **_Special Speeds._** Some creatures have special speeds, such as a Burrow Speed, Climb Speed, Fly Speed, or Swim Speed, each of which is defined below. If you have more than one speed, choose which one to use when you move; you can switch between the speeds during your move. Whenever you switch, subtract the distance already moved from the new speed. The result determines how much farther you can move. If the result is 0 or less, you can't use the new speed during the current move. For example, if you have a Speed of 30 and a Fly Speed of 40, you could fly 10 feet, walk 10 feet, and leap into the air to fly 20 feet more. **_Changes to Your Speeds._** If an effect increases or decreases your Speed for a time, any special speed you have increases or decreases by an equal amount for the same duration. For example, if your Speed is reduced to 0 and you have a Climb Speed, your Climb Speed is also reduced to 0. Similarly, if your Speed is halved and you have a Fly Speed, your Fly Speed is also halved. ## Movement and Position This section is taken from the _Player's Handbook (2024)_, chapter 1 section "Movement and Position" \[[[D&D 5.5E PHB.pdf#page=23|page 24]]]. On your turn, you can move a distance equal to your Speed or less. Or you can decide not to move. Your movement can include climbing, crawling, jumping, and swimming. These different modes of movement can be combined with your regular movement, or they can constitute your entire move. ### Breaking Up Your Move You can break up your move, using some of its movement before and after any action, Bonus Action, or Reaction you take on the same turn. For example, if you have a Speed of 30 feet, you could go 10 feet, take an action, and then go 20 feet. ### Dropping Prone On your turn, you can give yourself the [[Conditions#Prone|Prone]] condition without using an action or any of your Speed, but you can't do so if your Speed is 0. ### Moving around Other Creatures During your move, you can pass through the space of an ally, a creature that is [[Conditions#Incapacitated|Incapacitated]], a Tiny creature, or a creature that is two sizes larger or smaller than you. Another creature's space is [[#Difficult Terrain]] for you unless that creature is Tiny or your ally. You can't willingly end a move in a space occupied by another creature. If you somehow end a turn in a space with another creature, you fall [[Conditions#Prone|Prone]] unless you are Tiny or are of a larger size than the other creature. ## Difficult Terrain If a space is Difficult Terrain, every foot of movement in that space costs 1 extra foot. For example, moving 5 feet through Difficult Terrain costs 10 feet of movement. Difficult Terrain isn't cumulative; either a space is Difficult Terrain or it isn't. A space is Difficult Terrain if the space contains any of the following or something similar: * A creature that isn't Tiny or your ally * Furniture that is sized for creatures of your size or larger * Heavy snow, ice, rubble, or undergrowth * Liquid that's between shin- and waist-deep * A narrow opening sized for a creature one size smaller than you * A slope of 20° or more ## Unoccupied Space A space is unoccupied if no creatures are in it and it isn't completely filled by objects. ## Burrow Speed A creature that has a Burrow Speed can use that speed to move through sand, earth, mud, or ice. The creature can't burrow through solid rock unless the creature has a trait that allows it to do so. ## Climbing While you're climbing, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in [[#Difficult Terrain]]). You ignore this extra cost if you have a [[#Climb Speed]] and use it to climb. At the DM's option, climbing a slippery surface or one with few handholds might require a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. ## Climb Speed A Climb Speed can be used in place of Speed to traverse a vertical surface without expending the extra movement normally associated with [[#climbing]]. ## Crawling While you're crawling, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in [[#Difficult Terrain]]). ## Flying A variety of effects allow a creature to fly. While flying, you [[Hazards#Falling|fall]] if you have the [[Conditions#Incapacitated|Incapacitated]] or [[Conditions#Prone|Prone]] condition or your [[#Fly Speed]] is reduced to 0. You can stay aloft in those circumstances if you can [[#hover]]. ## Fly Speed A Fly Speed can be used to travel through the air. While you have a Fly Speed, you can stay aloft until you land, fall, or die. ## Hover Some creatures can hover, as noted in their stat blocks, and some spells and other effects grant the ability to hover. Hovering while [[#flying]] prevents you from falling in certain circumstances. ## Swimming While you're swimming, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in [[#Difficult Terrain]]). You ignore this extra cost if you have a [[#Swim Speed]] and use it to swim. At the DM's option, moving any distance in rough water might require a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. ## Swim Speed A Swim Speed can be used to [[#Swimming|swim]] without expending the extra movement normally associated with swimming. # Travel This section includes rules from the _Player's Handbook (2024)_, chapter 1 section "Exploration" \[[[D&D 5.5E PHB.pdf#page=18|page 19]]], chapter 6 section "Mounts and Vehicles" \[[[D&D 5.5E PHB.pdf#page=228|page 229]]]; and the _Dungeon Master's Guide (2024)_, chapter 2 section "Travel" \[[[D&D 5.5E DMG.pdf#page=40|page 36]]]. > [!NOTE] Marching Order > The adventurers should establish a marching order while they travel, whether indoors or outdoors. A marching order makes it easier to determine which characters are affected by traps, which ones can spot hidden enemies, and which ones are the closest to those enemies if a fight breaks out. You can change your marching order outside combat and record the order any way you like: write it down, for example, or arrange miniatures to show it. ## Travel Pace While travelling outside combat, a group can move at a Fast, Normal, or Slow pace, as shown on the **Travel Pace** table. The table states how far the party can move in a period of time; if riding horses or other mounts, the group can move twice that distance for 1 hour, after which the mounts need a Short or Long Rest before they can move at that increased pace again. **Travel Pace** (Distance Travelled Per…) | Pace | Minute | Hour | Day | | ------ | -------- | ------- | -------- | | Fast | 400 feet | 4 miles | 30 miles | | Normal | 300 feet | 3 miles | 24 miles | | Slow | 200 feet | 2 miles | 18 miles | Each travel pace has a game effect, as defined below. **_Fast._** Travelling at a Fast pace imposes Disadvantage on a traveller's Wisdom (Perception or Survival) and Dexterity (Stealth) checks. **_Normal._** Travelling at a Normal pace imposes Disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. **_Slow._** Travelling at a Slow pace grants Advantage on Wisdom (Perception or Survival) checks. During a discrete journey stage, the predominant terrain determines the characters' maximum travel pace, as shown in the _Maximum Pace_ column of the **Travel Terrain** table. **Travel Terrain** | Terrain | Maximum Pace | Encounter Distance | Foraging DC | Navigation DC | Search DC | | ---------- | ------------ | ------------------ | ----------- | ------------- | --------- | | Arctic | Fast* | 6d6 × 10 feet | 20 | 10 | 10 | | Coastal | Normal | 2d10 × 10 feet | 10 | 5 | 15 | | Desert | Normal | 6d6 × 10 feet | 20 | 10 | 10 | | Forest | Normal | 2d8 × 10 feet | 10 | 15 | 15 | | Grassland | Fast | 6d6 × 10 feet | 15 | 5 | 15 | | Hill | Normal | 2d10 × 10 feet | 15 | 10 | 15 | | Mountain | Slow | 4d10 × 10 feet | 20 | 15 | 20 | | Swamp | Slow | 2d8 × 10 feet | 10 | 15 | 20 | | Underdark | Normal | 2d6 × 10 feet | 20 | 10 | 20 | | Urban | Normal | 2d6 × 10 feet | 20 | 15 | 15 | | Waterborne | Special† | 6d6 × 10 feet | 15 | 10 | 15 | ^b25e9e \*Appropriate equipment (such as skis) is necessary to keep up a Fast pace in Arctic terrain. †Characters' rate of travel while waterborne depends on the vehicle carrying them. Certain factors can affect a group's travel pace. **_Good Roads._** The presence of a good road increases the group's maximum pace by one step (from Slow to Normal or from Normal to Fast). **_Slower Travellers._** The group must move at a Slow pace if any group member's Speed is reduced to half or less of normal. **_Extended Travel._** Characters can push themselves to travel for more than 8 hours per day, at the risk of tiring. At the end of each additional hour of travel beyond 8 hours, each character must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or gain 1 [[Conditions#Exhaustion|Exhaustion]] level. The DC is 10 plus 1 hour for each hour past 8 hours. **_Special Movement._** If a party can travel at a high Speed for an extended time, as with a spell such as [[Wind Walk]] or a magic item such as a _Carpet of Flying_, translate the party's Speed into travel rates using these rules: **Miles per hour** = Speed ÷ 10 **Miles per day** (Normal pace) = Miles per hour × number of hours travelled (typically 8) **Fast pace** = Miles per day × 1⅓ (round down) **Slow pace** = Miles per day × ⅔ (round down) If the characters are flying or their special movement allows them to ignore Difficult Terrain, they can move at a Fast pace regardless of the terrain. ## Vehicles Characters travelling in a vehicle use the vehicle's speed in miles per hour to determine their rate of travel. Travellers in wagons, carriages, or other land vehicles choose a pace as normal. Characters in a water-borne vessel are limited to the speed of the vessel, and they don't choose a travel pace. Depending on the vessel and the size of the crew, ships might be able to travel for up to 24 hours a day. The **Airborne and Waterborne Vehicles** table provides statistics for various types of large vehicles. The following notes apply. #### Speed A ship sailing against a strong wind moves at half speed. In a dead calm (no wind), waterborne ships can't move under sail and must be rowed. Keelboats and Rowboats are used on lakes and rivers. If going downstream, add the speed of the current (typically 3 miles per hour) to the speed of the vehicle. These vehicles can't be rowed against any significant current, but they can be pulled upstream by draft animals on the shores. A Rowboat can be carried and weighs 100 pounds. #### Crew A ship larger than a Keelboat or Rowboat needs a crew of skilled hirelings (see "Services" later in this chapter) to function. The minimum number of skilled hirelings needed to crew a ship depends on the type of ship, as shown in the table. #### Passengers The table lists the number of Small and Medium passengers the ship can accommodate using hammocks. A ship outfitted with private accommodations can carry one-fifth as many passengers. A passenger usually pays 5 sp per day for a hammock, but prices can vary from ship to ship. A small private cabin usually costs 2 gp per day. #### Damage Threshold If a vehicle has a [[Damage#Damage Threshold|damage threshold]], it's noted in the table. #### Ship Repair Repairs to a damaged ship can be made while the vessel is berthed. Repairing 1 Hit Point of damage requires 1 day and costs 20 gp for materials and labour. If the repairs are made in a location where supplies and skilled labour are abundant, such as a city shipyard, the repair time and cost are halved. **Airborne and Waterborne Vehicles** | Ship | Speed | Crew | Passengers | Cargo (Tons) | AC | HP | Damage Threshold | Cost | | ------------ | ------- | ---- | ---------- | ------------ | --- | --- | ---------------- | -------------- | | Airship | 8 mph | 10 | 20 | 1 | 13 | 300 | — | 40 000 gp | | Galley | 4 mph | 80 | — | 150 | 15 | 500 | 20 | 30 000 gp | | Keelboat | 1 mph | 1 | 6 | ½ | 15 | 100 | 10 | 3000 gp | | Longship | 3 mph | 40 | 150 | 10 | 15 | 300 | 15 | 10 000 gp | | Rowboat | 1 ½ mph | 1 | 3 | — | 11 | 50 | — | 50 gp | | Sailing Ship | 2 mph | 20 | 20 | 100 | 15 | 300 | 15 | 10 000 gp | | Warship | 2 ½ mph | 60 | 60 | 200 | 15 | 500 | 20 | 25 000 gp | ## Mounts A mount can help you move more quickly through the wilderness, but its primary purpose is to carry gear that would otherwise slow you down. The **Mounts and Other Animals** table shows each animal's carrying capacity. **Mounts and Other Animals** | Item | Carrying Capacity | Cost | | ------------ | ----------------- | ------ | | Camel | 450 lbs | 50 gp | | Elephant | 1320 lbs | 200 gp | | Draft Horse | 540 lbs | 50 gp | | Riding Horse | 480 lbs | 75 gp | | Mastiff | 195 lbs | 25 gp | | Mule | 420 lbs | 8 gp | | Pony | 225 lbs | 30 gp | | Warhorse | 540 lbs | 400 gp | #### Mounts and Cargo An animal pulling a carriage, cart, chariot, sled, or wagon can move weight up to five times its base carrying capacity, including the weight of the vehicle. If multiple animals pull the same vehicle, add their carrying capacities together. #### Barding Barding is armour designed for a mount. Any type of armour on the Armour table can be purchased as barding. The cost is four times the normal cost, and it weighs twice as much. #### Saddles A saddle comes with a bit, a bridle, reins, and any other equipment needed to use the saddle. A Military Saddle gives Advantage on any ability check you make to remain mounted. An Exotic Saddle is required for riding an aquatic or a flying mount. **Tack, Harness, and Drawn Vehicles** | Item | Weight | Cost | | ---------------- | ------- | ------ | | Carriage | 600 lbs | 100 gp | | Cart | 200 lbs | 15 gp | | Chariot | 100 lbs | 250 gp | | Feed per day | 10 lbs | 5 gp | | _Saddle_ | | | | ---Exotic | 40 lbs | 60 gp | | ---Military | 30 lbs | 20 gp | | ---Riding | 25 lbs | 10 gp | | Sled | 300 lbs | 20 gp | | Stabling per day | — | 5 sp | | Wagon | 400 lbs | 35 gp | ## Additional Rules for Long Journeys These rules describe journeys that take multiple days. ### Weather During each stage of the characters' journey, you can determine what the weather is like by rolling on the **Weather** table, adjusting for the terrain and season as appropriate. Roll 1d20 three times to determine the temperature, the wind, and the precipitation. Weather has no significant game effect most of the time, but see [[Hazards#Environmental Effects (DMG)|Environmental Effects]] for the effects of extreme weather. Adding weather details to your descriptions of the characters' journey can make it more memorable. **Weather** | 1d20 | Temperature | | 1d20 | Wind | Precipitation | | ------- | --------------------------- | --- | ------- | ------ | ---------------------------- | | 1 – 14 | Normal for the season | | 1 – 12 | None | None | | 15 – 17 | 1d4 × 10° Fahrenheit colder | | 13 – 17 | Light | Light rain or snowfall | | 18 – 20 | 1d4 × 10° Fahrenheit hotter | | 18 – 20 | Strong | Heavy rain or heavy snowfall | ### Encounters with Other Creatures The _Encounter Distance_ column in the **[[Travel and Movement#^b25e9e|Travel Terrain table]]** gives the range at which creatures might become aware of each other while journeying through the wilderness. Here are a list of different encounter types: * **Ambush.** Monsters set up an ambush along a route they expect travellers to follow. * **Attack from Above.** Flying monsters swoop down to attack the characters. * **Distant Sighting.** The characters and monsters spot each other from a distance in open terrain. * **Found by Chance.** The characters happen upon monsters that are camping, eating, hunting, basking in the sun, walking along the same trail, or engaged in some other activity. * **Pursuit.** The characters are tracking monsters, or the monsters are tracking them. The encounter begins when the two groups get close enough to interact. ### Foraging Characters without water and Rations can stave off dehydration and malnutrition by gathering food and water as they travel. A foraging character makes a Wisdom (Survival) check once per journey stage (or once per day if a stage is shorter than a day). The DC is determined by the abundance of food and water in the region, as shown in the _Foraging DC_ column of the **[[Travel and Movement#^b25e9e|Travel Terrain table]]**. If multiple characters forage, each character makes a separate check. A foraging character finds nothing on a failed check. On a successful check, roll 1d6 and add the character's Wisdom modifier to determine how much food (in pounds) the character finds per day of the journey stage, then repeat the roll for water (in gallons). ### Navigation If the characters aren't following an established path or travelling with a landmark in sight, they risk getting lost. Here are some circumstances that can cause a group to lose its way: * Branching passages underground * Horizon-obscuring terrain, such as dense forest * Obscuring weather, such as heavy rain or fog * Travelling at night * Travelling at sea while unable to see the sky or any familiar land The DM should let the players know when the characters are at risk of getting lost, and one of the characters should make a Wisdom (Survival) check against a DC appropriate to the terrain, as shown in the _Navigation DC_ column of the **[[Travel and Movement#^b25e9e|Travel Terrain table]]**. Another member of the group can take the [[Actions#Help|Help]] action to assist this check as normal. If the check fails, the party goes off course. The DM decides what this looks like: they might follow the wrong branch of a river, orient themselves to the wrong mountain peak on the horizon, or get turned around in the forest. As a baseline, getting lost extends the length of the current journey by 1d6 × 10 percent. It might also affect subsequent stages of the journey. ### Searches This challenge often comes up in the last stage of a journey: the characters have to find their destination, which might be an island, an old mine, an ancient ruin, a magical pool, a hag's cottage, or some other feature. The _Search DC_ column of the **[[Travel and Movement#^b25e9e|Travel Terrain table]]** suggests DCs for Wisdom (Perception) checks made to find something in different types of terrain. The DM can adjust these DCs based on the specific terrain features and the nature of what the characters are trying to find. ### Tracking A specific instance of searching on a journey is when adventurers choose their path by following the tracks of other creatures. To track, one or more trackers must succeed on a Wisdom (Survival) check. The DM might require trackers to make a new check in any of the following circumstances: **Resting.** The trackers resume tracking after finishing a Short or Long Rest. **Shifting Weather or Terrain.** The weather or terrain changes in a way that makes tracking harder. **Terrain Obstacle.** The trail crosses a river or similar obstacle that allows no tracks. The DC for the check depends on how well the ground shows signs of a creature's passage. No roll is necessary in situations where the tracks are obvious, such as following an army along a muddy road. Spotting tracks on bare rock is more challenging unless the creature being tracked leaves a distinct trail. Additionally, the passage of time often makes tracks harder to follow. In a situation where there is no trail to follow, the DM may rule that tracking is impossible. The _Search DC_ column of the **[[Travel and Movement#^b25e9e|Travel Terrain table]]** is a starting point for setting the DC for tracking. The DM may choose to set the DC based on their assessment of the difficulty – higher if days have elapsed since the creature passed, lower if the creature is leaving an obvious trail such as blood. They may also grant Advantage on the check if there's more than one set of tracks to follow or Disadvantage if the trail passes through a busy area. On a failed check, the character loses the trail but can attempt to find it again by carefully searching the area. It takes 10 minutes to find a trail in a confined area, such as a series of caverns, or 1 hour outdoors.