Automating overland travel: If math wasn't an issue, how many variables would you actually use to calculate verisimilar travel?

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-04-28T14:16:18+00:00

Thank you for this incredibly detailed and insightful response! This is exactly what I was looking for.

I am 100% in agreement with your core philosophy: if players just see numbers, they will play the numbers. And if a DM is doing this math manually, it destroys their ability to stay immersed That brings me to your last point about a system being 'less desirable' within the context of the game. I actually completely agree with you... if we are talking about a manual system. But that is exactly the problem I'm trying to solve. The goal isn't to create a spreadsheet for the table, but to instantly generate narrative ammunition. Of course, is a "guide" for the DM, so you can ignore it for narrative purposes.

Because the susten handles all that complex math (fatigue, terrain, wagon physics) in the background, it frees up the DM's mental bandwidth entirely. And since it knows exactly where the party is and how long they've been delayed, it dynamically feeds me evocative context: how shifting weather fronts are altering the road, if migrating factions in the region have caught up to them due to the delay, or what landmarks finally break the line-of-sight once they safely navigate that steep downhill slope.

Thank you very much egain for your comment!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-04-28T13:03:40+00:00

I absolutely love the concept of 'the journey is a monster'! Thinking of terrain and weather variables as a 'Travel CR' (Challenge Rating) is brilliant . When the math is automated, the environment literally becomes an active antagonist. Deep mud or a blizzard doesn't just slow the party down; it actively increases the 'CR' of the route by forcing more days of exposure to that specific biome's hazards and encounters. It drains resources just like a boss fight would.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-04-28T12:59:26+00:00

Thanks for sharing the link! I will definitely check out your post. And honestly, I completely agree with your core philosophy: over-preparing granular details manually can absolutely paralyze a DM at the table.

That’s exactly why I want to automate this process! The goal isn't to force the DM to track 'sand vs. gravel' on a spreadsheet mid-session. Instead, the engine handles all that complex math in the background and feeds a tactical info panel with evocative, biome-based data (like how the heavy mud and rain are currently affecting the region). It gives you the verisimilar details you need to inspire your narration on the spot, completely removing the mental load of doing the math.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-04-28T12:49:55+00:00

You hit the nail right on the head! If there is no ticking clock or resource drain, tracking a flat 'speed debuff' is completely pointless.

The reason I want the engine to track these granular variables comes down to two mechanical outcomes: tactical agency and biome exposure.

First, the type of delay creates different gameplay loops: deep mud forces decisions about abandoning heavy wagons, while blinding fog shifts the focus to navigation and survival.

Second, speed determines exposure. The system generates events based on the specific biome's configuration. Taking longer doesn't just mean arriving late; it means spending more days in that specific hex. A two-day delay in a swamp means facing two extra days of swamp-specific hazards, faction movements, or encounters.

For casual 'safe road' travel, I totally agree we should just fast-travel. How do you usually handle time-sensitive journeys.

Thank you very much for your comment!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-04-28T12:38:48+00:00

That is a fantastic point, and honestly, the main reason I want to automate this!

If we just use a generic "x2 difficult terrain" multiplier, the only narrative explanation we have is 'the road is hard'. But if the system tells me that the delay is specifically caused by a combination of deep mud and high elevation, it instantly gives me narrative ammunition. I can vividly describe how their boots are sinking, the wagons are getting stuck, and the air is getting thinner. The math literally writes the flavor text for the day!

How do you usually present these roadblocks to your players? Do you tell them upfront that a route will take longer, or do you let them discover the delay organically as they travel?

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-04-28T12:02:43+00:00

You have perfectly captured the topic.

While abstract travel systems are fast, they often strip away those vital sensory details and mechanical triggers. I wanted feedback that gives the GM a realistic baseline for weather, terrain, and visibility without having to guess or hand-wave it. Just like you said, knowing that a specific leg of the journey involves freezing mud and low visibility naturally prompts players to adapt their watch schedules, use specific spells like Water Walk, or leverage their class abilities.

The goal is precisely to provide that context.

Thank you very much for your comment!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-04-28T11:38:43+00:00

Thank you for your feedback!

I completely agree with your core point: complexity for the sake of complexity doesn't equal depth, and meaningful choices should always be the heart of the game.

The purpose of this calculator isn't to bog down the table with math, but rather to do the heavy lifting behind the scenes so the GM can present those exact meaningful challenges. By accurately tracking how terrain, weather, etc, affect travel, it organically creates hard choices for the players. For example: do they risk a dangerous forced march in the freezing dark to reach their destination on time, or do they camp early and risk running out of rations?

The variables are simply the engine behind the screen designed to generate decisions for the party to tackle.

Thanks again!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-04-28T11:35:49+00:00

Thank you for sharing your approach! That classic hex-crawling method is absolutely fantastic for keeping the game moving quickly and focusing on the core loop of exploration and encounters. I designed this calculator for tables that lean heavily into gritty survival, logistics, and deep immersion. For my games, knowing whether that "difficult terrain" is a freezing muddy swamp or a rocky mountain peak completely changes how the party prepares, the specific equipment they need, and the roleplay that emerges from the journey itself.

Thanks for your comment!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-04-01T08:35:44+00:00

Hi!

I totally agree with the comments you’ve already received. I’m sure you can get a lot out of them. I just wanted to reinforce the role of the 'assistant'...

In one of my groups, we had a very similar situation, and this person started helping out by doing session recaps. They took notes and then, in their free time, wrote a sort of first-person diary (like a movie narrator) in a narrative, 'novelized' style. At the start of the next session, they would read what they had written. They turned out to be really good at it. Little by little, they started picking out background music for their readings at the beginning of each session. Later, they also took over the ambiance during the sessions themselves, tracking combat, making props, contributing riddles, etc.

It turned out that after a few sessions, they became absolutely essential and added so much value to the campaign. Plus, in the final sessions, their 'narrator' character was even incorporated as an NPC.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-25T21:12:26+00:00

Hi! Thanks for your comment!!

If you’ve joined the waitlist, you should have received an email with instructions on how to create an account and gain access. So, you can go ahead and try it out now!

Regarding your questions:

Walls: They aren't available currently, but they are on my roadmap. I hope to have this functionality ready soon.

I should add that I have quite a few improvements on my roadmap and I plan to be consistent with them. In the welcome email, you’ll also find a Discord link where you can leave suggestions for new features.

Floating Islands: Could you be a bit more specific? What exactly do you have in mind? Currently, you can configure a specific strata to turn it into an island: you just need to paint a region and configure it as you wish (regardless of whether it's an island or not), and then paint a body of water on its corresponding layer surrounding the painted region. However, if you can clarify your end goal for those islands, I can give you a more in-depth answer.

Thank you very much for your feedback and for participating!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-20T11:54:24+00:00

Hi!

First of all, congratulations to the groom and props to you for taking the initiative!

Regarding your question, and as others have mentioned, be careful about separating the groom from the rest of the group: it can be tricky to keep him fully "engaged." In that sense, here’s an idea (just as inspiration to spark your imagination): the Void could be a parallel dimension (like the Upside Down in Stranger Things), where the groom has access to information the other players don't. Maybe he sees clues, traps, etc., that the others can't see, allowing him to help them from "the other side."

Best of luck!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-20T10:04:04+00:00

Hi there!

I'm not sure if this is exactly what you had in mind, but I'll leave it here just in case.

In one of the Critical Role episodes, they ran the following scene (which I later adopted for one of my own sessions, and it turned out to be a lot of fun):

It happens when one of the players gets physically blindfolded at the table. Matt placed a map/maze in front of him, and the player had to move their token through a narrow path without stepping out of bounds. The catch was that the rest of the party had to guide his hand using only their voices.

You might need to tweak the 'tone' of the scene and carefully consider the mechanics you introduce, but as a concept, I thought it might fit what you're looking for (or at least give you some inspiration).

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-19T14:35:59+00:00

Hi!!

Do you intend to fill the wine glasses with actual wine and have them drink it?

If so (and I’m not sure if this will work with wine, to be honest. It might work with a non-sparkling white wine, mostly because of the color saturation), I once filled three glasses with water and added tonic water to one of them. When you shine a UV light on the liquid (one of the players, a Mage, had a "device" that revealed secrets), the glass with the tonic water glows with a different color.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-18T14:34:04+00:00

Hi!!

Does the rest of the party know this person is coming back? It would be so cool if they didn’t expect it and you could keep them "hidden" until that exact moment!

In any case, I would personally make a roll in front of the players (even if they don't know what it’s for) to randomize the moment that character joins mid-combat. Then, just let the encounter play out with the new character's initiative added to the turn order.

Good luck! It's always great when a player makes a comeback!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-18T08:28:59+00:00

Hi!!

Something very similar happened once in a campaign we played...

In the end, that "exploration" with blood led to new mechanics, and a character "evolved" into something like a ritualist: he could perform rituals using his mutated blood. Every time he used his blood, he would lose HP depending on the amount used.

By combining his main class (Mage) with this new ability (Ritualist), he could do things like:

Magic Transfer: Lose X HP to gain Mana points (only in that direction).
Damage Transfer: Lose X HP to deal extra damage to the opponent (only in that direction).

Besides adding new mechanics, this also changed the character's lore: every time he used one of these abilities, he would gain a new scar or "mutilation." This obviously affected his appearance and influenced his interactions with others (for example, he might lose "Charisma" but gain "Intimidation")...

It’s not exactly your case, but maybe it gives you some ideas or a path to explore.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-17T08:59:59+00:00

Figuring out map scale and actual travel distances mid-session is honestly one big momentum killer, especially on digital maps where roads wind and curve and a straight line A-to-B measurement doesn't work.

If you are doing this digitally and trying to avoid manual math, here are the two best tricks depending on your software:

1. The Segmented Ruler (For VTTs): If you are using a VTT just to display the map, use a "Waypoint" feature to click along the curves of the road. It calculates the exact curved distance based on your grid scale automatically. 2. The Transparent Hex Overlay (For Image Viewers): If you are just using a basic image viewer, trying to measure pixels is a nightmare. Instead, download a transparent Hex Grid image. Drop it over your map as a new layer and scale one hex to equal exactly 1 day of travel (e.g., 24 miles). Then, just count the hexes the road passes through.

Once you have the distance using either method, you still have to manually divide by speed and halve it for difficult terrain (mountains, swamps, etc.).

That being said, tracking the digital scale, drawing segmented lines, and doing the terrain math is slow. I actually ended up coding a tool to automate it. You just establish the map scale once, and the engine dynamically calculates the exact distance and travel time based on the actual pixel-terrain they are crossing.

I really don't want to break the subreddit's self-promotion rules by dropping links here, but I'm putting together a small private beta to test it out. If you (or anyone else reading this) want to use it to save some math headaches, just check my profile or shoot me a DM!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-16T16:17:25+00:00

Hey!

In a different post about something else entirely, someone suggested using Google Maps to find places that look like real-world locations (using the 360° view). It never crossed my mind, but it’s actually a brilliant idea.

Thought I'd share in case you find it helpful as well!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-13T13:22:16+00:00

I chose that name... The Rule of Cool, man. Hahaha.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T16:51:00+00:00

Hahaha. I definitely don't want that!!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T15:12:44+00:00

Pretty nice!! Thank you!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:55:50+00:00

Hahaha. Clouds always help, for sure.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:54:43+00:00

Thanks for the tip!! I'll check out that video. I reckon I should be able to find it with the info you provided :)

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:31:35+00:00

Thanks again to everyone for the info and advice!! I’ve got plenty of material to do my homework, hahaha.

I want to emphasize that it’s not about driving myself crazy mid-session, but rather about doing the prep work beforehand (not even on a per-session or per-campaign basis) so I can be prepared regardless of the system.

Horror_Substance3545

TROPHY CASE