Whenever enough new folks join the Dreamland RPG Facebook group or Discord server, I’m going to be posting new Dreamland material (the FB and/or Discord folks get to vote on what it is). In celebration of the Facebook reaching 325 folks, here is the second part of the “Travel” section for this month.
Herds, Steeds and Pack Animals
Wilderness-wise dreamers may prepare for their journey by riding steeds (usually horses or camels, but perhaps more unusual beasts) or bringing along pack animals (usually donkeys, oxen or yaks). The basic advantage of a steed is this: if a Wilderness challenge failure indicates that the rider of a steed is Injured and/or Exhausted, the steed instead becomes wounded and is unable to go on. (A dreamer with the Veterinarian special ability can cure a wounded steed.) In addition to this, some steeds have other special qualities.
Steed/Animal Type Effect
Donkey +1 on Fleeing and pursuing challenges
Horse or zebra +2 on Fleeing and pursuing challenges
Camel +2 on Fleeing and pursuing challenges. +2 on Wilderness in the desert, –2 on Wilderness in forests/jungles. The desert bonus increases to +4 if accompanied by a horde of other camels, and if one of the dreamers is a Stablehand (or some other Role specializing in camels) or can talk to camels.
Ox or yak +2 on Wilderness in the mountains, –2 on Wilderness in the desert. The mountains bonus increases to +4 if accompanied by a horde of other oxen or yaks, and if one of the dreamers is a Cowherd (or some other role specializing in cattle) or can talk to cattle.
Elephant +2 on Wilderness in the forest/jungle, –2 on Wilderness in the mountains. The forest/jungle bonus increases to +4 if accompanied by a horde of other elephants, and if one of the dreamers is a Mahout (or some other Role specializing in elephants) or can talk to elephants.
Hippogriff +8 on Fleeing and pursuing challenges. A dreamer can also spur the hippogriff to even greater speeds by spending one Passion Word per week or short road between them and their destination; if so, they arrive within an hour.
Riding Lizard These giant, semi-tame lizards provide +1 Fleeing and +1 on pursuing challenges. In addition, they can climb steep cliffs and vertical walls as if they had Agility 1D6+4. If the Pillar of Loathing is broken, instead of the usual effects, a riding lizard may disobediently eat a nearby animal or person.
Riding Frog These giant, semi-tame frogs provide +1 Fleeing and +1 on pursuing challenges. In addition, they can swim, and can jump great distances as if they had Agility 1D6+4. If the Pillar of Loathing is broken, instead of the usual effect, the frog may disobediently eat a nearby animal or person.
Riding Snail Ordinarily, riding a giant snail is not any faster than walking, but trained snails are capable of mysterious bursts of speed. While you are on a riding snail, Mystery Words give you ×2 on Fleeing and on pursuing challenges. A dreamer can spur the snail to even greater speeds by spending 1 Mystery Word per week or short road between them and their destination; if so, they arrive within a day.
Riding Spider These giant semi-tame arachnids get +1 on Fleeing and pursuing challenges and +2 on Wilderness in jungles due to their ability to climb and spin webs. If they are near anything they can climb or leap to, they climb as if they had Agility 1D6+4. They can also walk upside down on ceilings, branches, or the roofs of caves. If the Pillar of Loathing is broken, instead of the usual effect, the spider may steal an animal or person and take them far away, wrapping them in a web for a few days prior to eating them.
Herd animals (sheep, cows or pigs) If accompanied by a herd, and if one of the dreamers is a Herder or can talk to the animals: +2 on Wilderness in pasture, –2 on Wilderness in the desert.
Herd animals (goats) If accompanied by a herd, and if one of the dreamers is a Herder or can talk to goats: +2 on Wilderness in mountains, –2 on Wilderness in the desert.
Extra Supplies
For most game purposes, food and water are abstracted as “supplies.” Dreamers are assumed to carry some provisions on their person, or in the saddlebags of an individual steed. However, dreamers preparing for a trek may bring along more supplies, carried by more animals.
A wagonload of supplies is equivalent to what can be pulled in a wagon or carriage by two or more horses, camels, donkeys or other large steeds. A caravan-load of supplies consists of multiple wagonloads pulled by a horde of steeds or pack animals and usually accompanied by NPCs (though a dreamer who can speak to the animals can control the caravan without help).
If the dreamers end up in a situation not covered by abstract “supplies”—for instance, where they have ample food but no water, or vice versa—the DM decides what happens.
Supplies (wagonload): If dreamers with a wagonload of supplies fail a Wilderness challenge, instead of becoming Hungry/Thirsty, their wagonload is depleted. If they are passing through desert, their wagonload is depleted and they become Hungry/Thirsty.
Supplies (caravan-load): If dreamers with a caravan of supplies fail a Wilderness challenge, instead of becoming Hungry/Thirsty, their caravan is depleted and reduced to a wagonload, above. If they are passing through the desert, their caravan-load is depleted entirely.
Group of herd animals: Dreamers with a group of herd animals (10–49 sheep, cows, pigs, goats, etc.) can eat all the herd animals, causing the same effect as a wagonload of supplies.
Horde of herd animals: Dreamers with a herd (horde) of herd animals (50+ sheep, cows, pigs, goats, etc.) can eat some of the herd animals, causing the same effect and reducing the animals to a group, above.
Random Travelers’ Food
Travel food is usually selected for imperishability rather than taste. Fresh food can be provided along the way by hunting and foraging with the Wilderness skill.
1-5 dry wheat, oats or other grain (boiled in water to make porridge)
6-10 dry peas or beans (boiled in water to eat)
11-20 hardtack, crackers, ricecakes or beancakes
21-30 bread (becomes stale in 1D3 days)
31-40 salted meat or fish
41-50 fermented meat or fish
51-60 dried fruit such as figs, apricots, apples, raisins, berries or dates
61-65 pickled vegetables or olives
66-70 dried, salted yogurt (boiled in water to eat)
71-75 cheese
76-85 nuts (pistachios, almonds, etc.)
86-90 sweets
91-95 insects (salted, fermented or honeyed)
96-98 modern or futuristic preserved food (energy bars, MREs, pills which provide an entire meal of nutrition, etc.)
99-100 other
Traveling in Groups
Sometimes dreamers don’t travel alone. They may hitch a ride with a merchant caravan or seek passage on a sailing ship. They might end up traveling with a horde of beasts or a herd of wild horses. Sometimes, dreamers might even travel along with a horde of mercenaries, a bandit gang, or an army.
The DM can ad-lib the rules for such special journeys, which at the very least allow dreamers not to make Wilderness skill checks. A journey with a caravan might be an opportunity to make new friends and tell campfire tales, or the caravan might be attacked by bandits attracted by the merchants’ wealth. Mounts may starve, go thirsty, wander off, or attract predators. If the dreamers end up traveling with an army or another fighting force, some troops will inevitably die or desert on long journeys, gradually reducing the army’s FGT the farther they go from where they set out.
Even the most abundantly supplied caravan does not have all the comforts of a city or town. The need for food, water and a comfortable bed (and downtime to reset the Night Clock to 0) is a way to force dreamers back to “civilization,” and all the opportunities and problems that come with living among their fellow human beings.
Caravan Complications
1D10 Effect
1 Plague or food poisoning: dreamers must make Strength challenges or become Exhausted, Injured or worse.
2 Bad omens and disagreements: dreamers must succeed at Wisdom (religion and magic) or Persuasion challenges to prevent the caravan falling apart and scattering or refusing to go on.
3 A group or horde of soldiers representing the local monarch intercepts the caravan and demands taxes or bribes; fighting them incurs the wrath of that kingdom.
4 The well-guarded caravan is secretly transporting a local king, queen or noble; dreamers making a Wisdom (history and royalty) or Wisdom (insight) challenge realize this.
5 The caravan becomes lost; dreamers need a successful Wilderness or Wisdom (faraway lands) challenge to find the correct route.
6 A flash flood nearly wipes out the caravan, requiring Swimming challenges; or an avalanche or earthquake strikes, requiring Agility challenges.
7 Bandits ambush the group; dreamers with Alertness may be able to warn the caravan.
8 Thieves or bandits join the caravan posing as travelers; dreamers with Wisdom (insight) may detect their bad intentions.
9 The caravan is tempted to eat strange plants or wild animals scavenged or hunted along the way; dreamers must make Wisdom (plants and beasts) challenges to determine whether they are poisonous or beneficial.
10 An incursion from the waking world comes to life from a modern dreamer’s psyche, such as long-haul trucks, planes passing overhead, modern billboards, modern garbage or tar blocking the roadway, or similar; ordinary Dreamlanders may be frightened and confused.