Travel, Watches, and Watch Actions:
Watches:
A Day is divided into six 'watches', three day watches (Morning, Afternoon, Evening) and three night watches (Night, Late Night, Early Morning). A character must sleep for two watches each day - though these do not need to be consecutive, may travel for up to two watches, and may perform other adventuring activities, area exploration, and so on, for the other two watches.
Travel:
Part of the important bit in a Westmarches campaign is getting to where you want to go. When the party convenes, the first stage of the adventure will be travelling to the area you've selected to begin your exploration.
A group can travel 3 hexes/watch on the DM's map. This can be pushed to 4 hexes at increased risk, or decreased to 2 hexes/watch if foraging (and the area is suitable for foraging) or he party wishes to set a slower pace. The DM A survival check will be made by a member of the party for each day of travel, performing the "Navigate" action (see below); this duty cannot be performed for more than one travel day in a row for each character (so at least two characters must alternate on this check each day). There is a chance of getting lost - but in getting lost, adventure can and will be found.
As a travel watch, the party may choose instead to Survey:
When in a region of the Marches, an adventurer can spend time in the wilds, searching for signs of local creatures, so as to ascertain the nature of what dwells in the region. Over the course of a watch, a character may survey an entire region to determine what sorts of creatures dwell there. At the end of the watch, the character makes an Intelligence (Nature) check: they discover evidence of each creatures based on its Survey DC.
Another character can assist in surveying, provided they are proficient in the Nature skill.
Characters may not survey while travelling, but a watch spent surveying still counts toward overall travel time for the day.
Note that reporting on what you discover for a Survey is worth experience if the party returns to landfall and publishes their findings.
Travel Actions:
While a "navigate" action must be performed by some character in each travel watch, not everyone needs to lead the group in a desired direction. While many travel actions are possible for non-navigators, some specific actions include:
On Sleeping and Travel:
Provided a character doesn't have to actively be engaged in travel - for example, travelling in the bed of a wagon or under the deck of a ship - they may choose to sleep for the travel watch.
| Action: | Description: |
|---|---|
| Notice Threats/Watch: | [A character can keep an eye out for danger and threats as the party travels, making it more difficult for enemies to ambush them, or traps to take effect. A party member that is noticing threats can use their passive Wisdom (Perception) score to notice threats. If more than one party member performs this action, each checks individually.] |
| Search: | [A character can be searching for a specific object or location as the party travels, such as a cluster of ruins or rare kind of tree. A party member that is searching uses their passive Wisdom (Perception) score, against a DC determined by the GM.] |
| Navigate: | [A character can try to prevent the group from becoming lost as they traverse the wilds. A party member that is navigating can make Wisdom (Survival) checks to navigate. A party member can assist the navigator, provided that they are proficient in Survival.
When an adventurer can tell cardinal directions, such as a character with the Keen Mind or Explorer feats, they always have advantage made on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to navigate. Additionally, the Party must choose whether they're navigating by Landmark or by Direction each watch. Landmark navigation has advantage as long as the landmark is in sight (e.g. 'Moving west from Landfall' while you can see the city is a very easy endeavor - but moving 'west' has a different set of potential problems.) |
| Forage: | [A character can search for food, water, and other resources, potentially gathering useful supplies as they travel. They may only forage for one 'thing' per watch (food, water, or other item).
Roll Wisdom(Survival) against the region DC; on a success, gain 1d6 + wisdom modifier Rations or Water, or DM's discretion on 'other object'.] |
| Track: | [A character can follow a trail or set of tracks while pursuing a creature or group of creatures. Generally speaking, a tracker fills the same role as a navigator would, and thus a party will not ever simultaneously need both.] |
| Scout Ahead: | While this creates some separation between the scout and the rest of the party, the Scout can use Survival, Nature, or another appropriate skill to gain advance notice on threats in the direction of travel. Note that there is an increased risk for the Scout should this roll go poorly, as they are likely some distance from the group to be effective as a scout. |
Adventuring Watches:
Any watch not spent sleeping or travelling is an 'adventuring watch'. These watches can be used to explore landmarks, perform actions (e.g. set up a camp) or otherwise use a few hours in the day for a given task. This is an open call for action; if the party wants to do something that will take more than a few moments, generally, they'll use a watch to do so.
On Short Rests:
A short rest can be taken by any character while travelling who does not otherwise engage in a travel task, or as part of an adventuring watch. A Long Rest only occurs at the end of a character's second uninterrupted sleeping watch.
Sleeping Watches:
A character MUST have two watches of rest over the course of a day to account for their sleep and recovery period. Failing to get that rest can result in exhaustion - and worse - if not addressed. These watches DO NOT NEED TO BE CONSECUTIVE - and that should be stressed. A long rest - and all attendant effects except spell recovery/memorization - is assumed to occur at the end of the second sleep watch.
Note: If a spellcasting class requires eight hours of uninterrupted rest for any effect to regain/change/memorize spells? That does mean that to perform this activity, their two rest watches must be together. or the effect does not occur.