Overland movement in the outdoors can be relatively easy, or it
can be impossible, depending on a character’s physical abilities,
his physical condition, the amount of gear he is carrying, and the
terrain across which he is attempting to move. Many of the rules
in this section are an adaptation and extension of the rules for
outdoor movement given on page 58 of the DMG, and the rules for determining encumbrance on pages 101-102 of
the PH and page 225 of the DMG. They need not be taken literally, but no great
deviation from these figures should be made. If some deviation is
considered appropriate by the DM, then every attempt
should be made to keep the movement rates and encumbrance
limits in proportion to one another.

Encumbrance of Characters
 

Terrain Definitions for Movement

The terrain designations used in other parts of this book (forest,
hills, seacoast, etc.) are not appropriate for some purposes,
such as determining the speed and ease of movement through a
certain area of the wilderness. For the purpose of determining
overland movement rate, terrain is classified as either normal,
rugged, or very rugged:

Normal terrain includes areas such as flat plains; gently rolling
hills; hard-surfaced desert; light forest (where it is easy to pick a
path between trees and other vegetation); and any well-kept path
or roadway that passes through normal terrain or rugged terrain
that is topographically consistent (does not change elevation frequently
or abruptly).

Rugged terrain includes uneven ground (such as a flat plain
strewn with boulders, which must be either negotiated or circumvented);
sharply sloping hills; soft-surfaced desert; moderate forest
(where the path angles sharply and repeatedly around trees
and other vegetation); any normal terrain covered with 5 to 10
inches of snow; areas where several streams or rivers must be
crossed (one every 3-4 hours) to maintain constant movement in
one direction; and any well-kept path or roadway that passes
through very rugged terrain.

Very rugged terrain includes mountains; thick forest (where no
path is apparent); swamps and bogs; any normal terrain with
more than 10 inches of snow cover; any rugged terrain with more
than 5 inches of snow cover; and areas where rivers or streams
must be crossed frequently (one every 2 hours or less) to maintain
constant movement in one direction.

When taken into consideration along with a character’s or
creature’s encumbrance value, these terrain definitions are important
in determining movement rate, as described in the following
sections.

Large-scale Overland Movement

* Large-scale movement considers each 1 of a character’s
movement rate as the # of miles that can be traveled by
walking at normal SPEED -- faster than a stroll, slower than a trot
-- for one-half day (see PH, page 102). This assumes that one-half day is eight hours,
and that the character in
question is lightly encumbered and moving over rugged terrain.
For example, such a character with a movement rate of 12” can
travel 12 miles in eight <8> hours, or 1 1/2 miles per hour for any span
of time less than eight <8> hours.

** If a character attempts to MOVE for
more than eight hours without a prolonged REST period (at least
one hour), he will move at 3/4 of his normal maximum speed for
the next eight hours or any part of that time he spends traveling.
Thus, after 16 hours of continual movement, a character with a
12” movement rate will have traveled 21 miles (12 miles in the
first eight hours and 9 miles in the second eight hours).

*** If a character attempts to MOVE for more than 16 hours without
stopping to eat && REST, he will move at 1/3 of his normal max.
movement rate. Thus, a lightly encumbered character with
a 12” movement rate who is traveling over rugged terrain can
cover a total of 25 miles if he travels for 24 hours without stopping
to rest. However, not resting may cause him to suffer other penalties;
see the section on Fatigue and Exhaustion.

Table 12: CHARACTER MOVEMENT ON FOOT

                                                Terrain Type
                                                        (Max. Move: Miles per 8 hours / Accelerated Move: Miles per 8 hours) <>

Encumbrance	Normal	Rugged	Very <R>ugged
None	15 / 18	12 / 16	8 / 10
Light	12 / 18	12 / 15	6 / 9
Moderate	10 / 12	9 / 11	4 / 6
Heavy	7 / 10	6 / 8	3 / 5
Severe	5 / 7	3 / 5	2 / 3

The # to the left of the slash is normal max. movement
rate (in miles per half-day), assuming a character with a
base movement rate of 12”. For a character with a slower movement
rate, the figures should be scaled down accordingly.

The # to the right of the slash represents accelerated
movement rate -- the fastest a character can travel if he exerts
himself. Strenuous activity of this sort will require the character to
rest periodically to avoid risking fatigue (see the section on Fatigue
and Exhaustion). This accelerated movement rate takes
these periodic rest stops into account; for instance, a character
who is lightly encumbered and moving across normal terrain can
cover 16 miles in his first eight hours of movement, even if he
stops to rest for two turns after every four turns of exertion. If he
keeps moving without resting to avoid fatigue, his movement rate
is increased by 1/3 of the given amount (round to the nearest
whole number) for the length of time involved. If the character described
above chooses not to stop for rest every four turns, he will
move at a rate of 21 " (16 +5), or roughly 2 1/2 miles per hour, for as
long as he chooses to maintain this pace -- or until he becomes
exhausted.

Encumbrance and Movement for Land-Based Animals

    The encumbrance categories for characters do not apply to
mounts && pack animals. For such creatures, only two designations
are important: the normal load, which an animal can carry
without being encumbered, and the max. load, which represents
the greatest amount of encumbrance value an animal can
carry and still be able (or willing) to MOVE.

An animal's large-scale movement rate indicates the number
of miles it can travel in one-half day, and the rate can vary with
terrain, just as a character's movement rate does.

Stamina:

The movement rate for a mount or a beast of burden also is a general indication
of the animal's stamina; such an animal can be forced to MOVE
continually for a number of hours equal to one-half of its current
movement rate, up to a maximum of 12 hours. If it is moved for a
longer period of time, there is a cumulative chance per hour that
the animal will become fatigued. This chance is 20% in normal
terrain, 35% in rugged terrain, and 50% in very rugged terrain.
(For the effects of fatigue on mounts and beasts of burden, see
the section on Fatigue and Exhaustion.)

Examples: A light warhorse that is not encumbered can be ridden
at 24" over normal terrain for 12 hours without the animal
suffering any adverse effects. At the end of 13 hours, there is a
20% chance of the horse becoming fatigued; after 14 hours, the
chance rises to 40%, and it continues to rise until fatigue actually
sets in unless the animal is allowed to stop moving before that
happens. A medium warhorse that is encumbered and is being
ridden over rugged terrain has a movement rate of 6" (see the table
below), and can be forced to move for three consecutive
hours without incident. At the end of four hours of movement, the
chance of the horse becoming fatigued is 35%; after five hours,
the chance rises to 70%; and if the animal is kept moving for six
hours it will automatically (105% chance) be fatigued at the end
of that time.

In addition to (or instead of) the general characteristics described
here, certain animals have characteristics of behavior
that can affect their ability or willingness to perform as mounts or
pack animals. These special characteristics are covered in the
section on Mounts and Beasts of Burden.

Table 13: ENCUMBRANCE LIMITS AND MOVEMENT RATES FOR ANIMALS

                                                                                                                                           Movement by Terrain (Unencumbered / Encumbered) <>

Animal	Normal Load	Maximum Load	Normal	Rugged	Very Rugged
Ape, gorilla	200	400	12 / 6	9 / 6	6 / 3
Bear, brown	300	600	12 / 6	9 / 6	3 / 0
Camel, bactrian*	400	600	18 / 6	9 / 6	3 / 0
Camel, dromedary*	400	600	21 / 9	12 / 6	3 / 0
Dog sled (7 dogs)	300	600	12 / 9	6 / 3	0 / 0
Donkey	150	250	12 / 6	9 / 6	6 / 3
Elephant, African	500	1000	15 / 9	9 / 6	0 / 0
Elephant, Asiatic	500	1000	12 / 9	6 / 6	0 / 0
Horse, draft	500	800	12 / 6	6 / 3	3 / 3
Horse, heavy war	400	750	15 / 9	9 / 6	6 / 3
Horse, light war	500	500	24 / 12	12 / 6	6 / 3
Horse, medium war	300	650	18 / 9	9 / 6	6 / 3
Horse, wild	300	600	24 / 12	12 / 6	6 / 3
Mule	500	750	12 / 6	9 / 6	6 / 3
Pony	200	300	12 / 6	6 / 3	3 / 0
Ram, giant	250	400	15 / 9	12 / 9	6 / 3
Sheep	25	50	9 / 6	6 / 3	6 / 3
Yak	225	350	12 / 6	9 / 6	6 / 3

How to Use the Encumbrance for Animals Table

Normal Load and Maximum Load are described in the preceding
text; the figures on the table are in gold pieces of encumbrance
value.

The three movement columns describe an animal’s top SPEED
over a certain type of terrain.
The figure to the left of the slash is its movement rate when not encumbered (carrying its normal load limit or less),
and the figure to the right of the slash is its movement rate when encumbered (carrying more than a normal
load but not more than a maximum load). An entry of “0” indicates
that the animal cannot move, or be moved into, the indicated
terrain under the indicated condition of encumbrance.
Obviously, the above table does not include every animal that a
character could conceivably use as a mount or a beast of burden.
(An animal friendship spell or a charm spell can work wonders in
the wilderness.) If the DM needs to devise figures
for another sort of animal, he should consider the animal’s physical
characteristics (size and bulk of body, strength, normal movement
rate) and, if possible, compare the animal to a similar beast
that is listed on the table. For instance, a tiger is about as large
and strong as a yak, so it also ought to be able to carry 2250 gold
pieces of encumbrance without being slowed. But because of the
flexibility of its body structure, it can negotiate obstacles more
easily than a yak can, and as such it might be able to maintain a
12” movement rate in rugged terrain when not encumbered.

Movement of Land-Based Vehicles +

MOVEMENT ACROSS SPECIAL TERRAIN

Climbing +

JUMPING +

MOVEMENT ON SLIPPERY HORIZONTAL SURFACES

A character who does not exercise caution when traveling
across a slippery horizontal surface risks slipping && falling
down, which does not directly cause him to suffer damage but
could be an indirect cause of greater problems to come.
A character can move at his full normal movement rate across
a slippery surface without risking a fall, if he travels in a straight
line. But if he attempts anything other than a very gradual turn, or
if he tries to stop or speed up abruptly, he must make a successful
DEX Check to avoid slipping and falling down. If a character
attempts to run on a slippery surface, he must make a
DEX Check after every five segments of this sort of movement
to stay on his feet, even if he is traveling in a straight line.
By moving at only half of his full normal movement rate, a character
can turn without needing to make a DEX Check. Likewise,
if he takes a full round to SLOW down or SPEED up (from full
normal movement to a standstill, or vice versa) then no DEX
Check is required.

OVERLAND MOVEMENT IN REDUCED VISIBILITY

All movement rates previously described in this section assume
that the character is traveling in daylight, under conditions
that do not impair visibility. The following table shows the maximum
safe speed for a character who is moving on foot or riding or
driving an animal in less than ideal conditions of visibility.

Table 23: MOVEMENT IN REDUCED VISIBILITY
 

-	Clear	Moderate Fog	Heavy Fog or Snow	Heavy Snow w/ Wind	Blowing Sand or Dust
Daylight	1/1	5/6	3/4	2/3	1/2
Moonlight	2/3	1/2	1/3	1/4	1/6
Darkness	1/2	1/3	1/4	1/6	1/8

The entries on this table represent the maximum safe movement
speed under the given conditions, expressed as a fraction
of the character’s or animal’s current normal movement rate. All
other factors affecting movement (encumbrance, terrain, climbing,
etc.) are applied to determine current normal movement rate,
and then that number is multiplied by the appropriate entry from
this table. (The entry of ‘1/1” for “Daylight/Clear” means that
movement is not further reduced under these conditions.)

When a character is on foot and moving at the maximum safe
speed during daylight, his short-range vision will extend far
enough to enable him to avoid hazards that he approaches. He
will not walk into a tree, stumble over an exposed root, or fall victim
to any other similar physical hazard that would be easily visible
under clear daylight conditions. Moving at the maximum safe
speed will not necessarily keep him safe from hazards at night,
whether he is in moonlight or darkness. A prime example of this
kind of hazard is a pit or the edge of a cliff being approached at
night; unless a character tests the surface (or lack thereof) beneath
his foot before putting his full weight on his next step, or unless
he is probing the ground in front of him with a pole or similar
object, he can still fall into a pit or stroll off a cliff in the darkness
even if he was moving at the safe speed.

A character who has infravision can detect certain kinds of hazards
under conditions of moonlight or darkness, provided that the
hazard is heat-detectable. A warm-blooded creature lying in wait
behind a shrub would usually be detectable; the edge of a cliff
would not usually be detectable, assuming that there is not a noticeable
difference in heat between the cliff and the air surrounding
it.

If a character attempts to move, or force an animal to move,
faster than the maximum safe speed in any conditions of limited
visibility, he must make a successful Dexterity Check whenever
he or the animal encounters an obstacle. Failure on this check indicates
either that he or the animal has blundered into the obstacle, or that the animal has stopped short, quite possibly causing
the character to be thrown from the saddle, dislodged from his
seat atop a wagon, or thrown forward into or over the front of a
chariot. In any event, a character or an animal under the character's
control cannot exceed the maximum safe speed by more
than twice the figure given, or cannot move faster than full normal
movement rate, whichever is less.

Example: A character with a normal movement rate of 12" is
plodding along under the worst possible conditions: a sandstorm
in the darkness. Instead of being able to move 120 feet per round
(in small scale) or 12 miles in eight hours (in large scale), he is limited
to one-eighth of that speed if he wants to move with the greatest
degree of safety. Thus, he can travel 15 feet per round or 1 V2
miles in eight hours under these conditions. If he desires, he can
accelerate to twice that speed - but he then must make a Dexterity
Check to avoid a painful encounter with the cactus that lies
a few paces ahead directly in his path.

For more information on the effects of environmental conditions
on visibility, see the section on Vision and Visibility.

MOVEMENT IN WATERBORNE VEHICLES

FLYING MOUNTS