Author Topic: Travel Magic  (Read 1058 times)

Samwise

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 8
    • View Profile
Travel Magic
« on: June 15, 2017, 01:27:08 PM »
Or:

"You walk, I've got spell slots and wealth by level."

Travel Magic is that area of magic concerned with getting to the adventure while bypassing all of the annoying environmental hazards that DMs love to throw around to get you to waste combat resources, lost treasure, and otherwise fight the background rather than the BBEG. While a good amount of Travel Magic has direct combat applications, flying is always helpful, along with not having to use actions to recover equipment, such utility is not the focus of this handbook.

Spells versus Items

As with all magic, you can enhance your travel using either spell slots or magic items. The trade-off is simple:
Spells come back every day, but if the big fight happens at the wrong time you are out the power of those slots. While a 1st level slot for an endure elements is not that critical, losing a 7th level slot to have Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion ready for camping every night is much more significant.
Items requires WBL never being available for combat equipment. As noted above, there is some significant crossover, but Boots of Speed will do little to help you cross 100 miles of the Desert of Torment while Boots of the Unending Journey will get you to the fight nice and refreshed but do little unless you get hits by waves of exhaustion in the fight.

Budgeting between the two will depend a lot on the campaign and specific adventures. If you are going to be in the desert constantly, losing all of your 1st level slots to endure elements is going to become annoying, even at higher levels, so 2,500 gp for sandals of the shifting sands becomes an attractive investment.


Two Notes

This guide focuses on travel. As such, spells and items with durations less than 1 hour/level are not included. While great for combat they are not going to be much use getting you to the combat in the first place.

This guide will also focus on land and air travel. Sea travel is highly specialized, particularly expensive, and has an extensive subset of rules for combat. A few spells and items will be noted, but details will have to wait for an appendix.
Likewise planar travel involves significant additional rules and complications. A few options will be noted, but details will have to wait for another appendix.


Divination

Or,

"I'm not going to stop and ask a peasant for directions!"

The best travel enhancements are useless if you can't find the adventure location in the first place. If you don't want to bother maxing out Knowledge (geography) and Survival, you are going to need these spells sooner rather than later, particularly when "later" means losing yet another treasure laden mule and hireling to quicksand.

Spells

(click to show/hide)

Items

(click to show/hide)

Labor

Or;

"There are two kinds of people in this world; those with spells slots and those who dig. You dig."

Actually, nobody digs - that's what these spells are for. Running around camping out can be tiring, and sometimes burning a spell slot is the best way to get the job done.

Spells

(click to show/hide)

Items

(click to show/hide)

Shelter

Or,

"Welcome to the Hotel California."

While not getting rained on is the most direct aspect of shelter that comes to mind, the more critical function is providing a safe space to rest and memorize spells, so you can cast another shelter spell, so you can rest and memorize spells again, so . . .

Spells

(click to show/hide)

Items

(click to show/hide)

Containers

Or;

"Encumbrance? What's that?"

Magical containers are one of the more combat relevant areas of travel magic. A Heward's handy haversack is pretty much required for any successful adventurer.

Spells

(click to show/hide)

Items

(click to show/hide)

Food and Water

Or;

"Please sir, may I have some more?"

Starving on your way to the adventure is seriously uncool.
Starving on your way home is just plain wrong.
While the various magical containers will allow you to bring enough supplies to avoid such an unfortunate fate, there are a number of monsters that specialize in destroying or tainting supplies, so a renewable source may be useful. Besides, you may want that space in your bag of holding for more gold pieces.

Spells

(click to show/hide)

Items

(click to show/hide)

Comfort

Or;

"Are you happy to see me, or is it just cold?"

Starving on an adventure is bad.
Freezing is just silly.
A few simple spells or items can solve a ridiculously minor problem that DMs and environment sourcebook writers love to torment people with.

Spells

(click to show/hide)

Items

(click to show/hide)

Special Mention

Or;

"Spell 'miscellaneous'."

A few additional items for wandering about in the middle of nowhere.

Items

(click to show/hide)

Movement

Or;

"Are we there yet?"

This is the heart of Travel Magic. Once you've made sure you can find the place, have someone else to do the heavy lifting, can keep your gear save, won't get eaten in your sleep, won't starve, and won't freeze, you can finally get to actually getting somewhere. Hopefully you can survive what is waiting for you.

Spells

(click to show/hide)

Items

(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: June 16, 2017, 07:56:14 PM by Samwise »