Questions about Journey rules

[Thurgon]

I’m sorry if these are silly, or have obvious answers.

I’m reading The Road Goes Ever On section of the LMM, and it’s prompted 3 questions:

• Weather can modify recovery checks, but I couldn’t see any way to make recovery tests during a journey. Is the idea that the concept of weather gets extended more generally into the camp phase too?

• Is it expected that traits can be used to earn checks during a journey? Page 137 describes the Journey rules in a way that somewhat straddles adventure phase and camp/town phase logics, so I wasn’t sure about this particular matter.

• What is the obstacle for a teamster’s tests? I’m guessing the animal’s Nature, but that’s a guess based on extrapolation from BW’s test vs animal’s Will. And oxen’s Nature 5 would make for a surprisingly high obstacle for teamsters.

[watergoesred (Oliver)]

@Thurgon

Weather can modify recovery checks, but I couldn’t see any way to make recovery tests during a journey. Is the idea that the concept of weather gets extended more generally into the camp phase too?

Yeah, LMM p141 says “some weather conditions impose additional modifiers to skill and ability tests.” I read this to mean the weather can impact tests beyond journeys in other phases.

[watergoesred (Oliver)]

@Thurgon

Is it expected that traits can be used to earn checks during a journey? Page 137 describes the Journey rules in a way that somewhat straddles adventure phase and camp/town phase logics, so I wasn’t sure about this particular matter.

Yes, you can. The Dungeoneer’s Handbook only says “You cannot use traits against yourself in camp, in town or in player versus player situations.” I can’t see how travelling fits any of those exclusions, so it’s fine. I mean, you can’t use checks when travelling, so it seems a good time to earn some.

[watergoesred (Oliver)]

@Thurgon

What is the obstacle for a teamster’s tests? I’m guessing the animal’s Nature, but that’s a guess based on extrapolation from BW’s test vs animal’s Will. And oxen’s Nature 5 would make for a surprisingly high obstacle for teamsters.

This is not very clear. It feels like something is missing. But I don’t think it’s versus the animal’s nature, that’s what’s used for training an animal.

Maybe use the Peasant factors for Work. Teamster work seems pretty close to herding or tending, so Ob1 for a Rider or Peasant test. You might add the +season factor, which would make teamstering in harsher seasons harder but more worthwhile; since weather conditions already increase or decrease the toll the animal suffers.

This would make the Ob between 1 and 4. Depending on the number of animals, the gamble may be worth suffering +2 toll.

Borrowing from the Riding section, you could say trained animals with appropriate Nature Descriptors grant +1D of help for this test. This would make it harder to teamster when driving aurochs, riding oxs, or hauling with war horses.