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Narrating Travel (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by KiloGex@lemmy.world to c/rpg@ttrpg.network

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Pretty short and sweet, how do you successfully narrate travel between points of interest as a GM without it being all hurky-jerky?

I'm imagining attempting to narrate the epic travel scenes in Lord of the Rings, where they travel for days in fast-forward with nothing really interesting happening, only to then suddenly have time reel down to normal when something is about to happen. Every time I try this in a game though it just feels awkward and abrupt, while also clearly indicating to the players that something is going to happen.

Is there a way to make this a more smooth and natural transition?

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[–] TotallyGuy@ttrpg.network 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Finally, if the characters are traveling anywhere with risk you can define some traveling roles like who is scouting, who is trailblazing, and who is provisioning. Have them roll checks on these jobs to give you some interesting ideas about what might happen along the journey.

I do this. I learnt it from a game called Torchbearer which features a travel subsystem. The journey gives you a toll based on how far it is, what sort of terrain etc. To pay a point of toll you need to expend a ration of food and one of water, else you can pay it by having equipment break such as shoes and armour or you take horrible conditions.

You can take a role on the journey which increases your individual toll but allows you to do something that will benefit the whole team. A scout gets a chance to save against encounters. A hunter or forager will test to find food. A cartographer will map progress. A cook tests to stretch those rations. A guide is essential to get to the destination.

A difficult journey has resulted in the party sacrificing their animals which is something I'd never seen happen in any other system!

[–] KiloGex@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I haven't looked into Torchbearer yet! Seems like it might be good for research.