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Travel

Travel should be more than just moving from point A to point B. The wasteland is full of dangers and opportunities for salvage, making the journey as important as the destination. The goal of these rules is to make travel engaging, adding depth to the experience.

Travel requires preparation, with the GM determining multiple routes and potential encounters. Some encounters will occur, while others may be skipped—but nothing is wasted, as unused encounters can always be repurposed for future journeys.

Route Preparation​

Enclave Sentius is located in the Arizona desert, approximately six to eight days on foot from the ruins of Phoenix. Before the journey begins, the GM should determine available routes. For example, to reach Phoenix, the team might choose between:

  1. Congress Route – Traveling east to Congress, then southeast along the highway to Phoenix (~6 days).
  2. Highway 60 Route – Traveling south to Highway 60, then east into Phoenix (~8 days).
  3. Interstate 10 Route – Traveling overland to the remains of Interstate 10, then following it into Phoenix (~7 days).

Each route has an activity rating from 2 (inactive) to 10 (highly active), representing how frequently travelers encounter danger. Not all encounters will be hostile—some might involve neutral scavengers or traders. Example activity ratings:

  • Congress Route: 8 (high activity)
  • Highway 60 Route: 6 (moderate activity)
  • Interstate 10 Route: 4 (low activity)

Daily Encounter Preparation​

Once the GM has determined the routes and their activity ratings, they can pre-roll encounters for each day of travel. To calculate the number of encounters needed, take the maximum number of days for the route and divide it by 0.6667, rounding up to the nearest whole number. This ensures enough encounters are available even if the party moves slowly.

For each day of travel, roll 6d12, assigning each die result to a time slot:

  1. Morning (8 AM - 11 AM)
  2. Afternoon (12 PM - 3 PM)
  3. Evening (4 PM - 7 PM)
  4. Post-Dusk (8 PM - 11 PM)
  5. Midnight (12 AM - 3 AM)
  6. Pre-Dawn (4 AM - 7 AM)

Compare the results against the route’s activity rating:

  • If the roll is under the activity rating, an encounter occurs.
  • Use the roll to determine the type of encounter:
    • 1-5: A creature (odd = hostile, even = neutral or friendly).
    • 6-9: An object or obstacle (odd = hostile, even = hidden salvage).
    • 10-12: No encounter.

Once encounters are set, avoid overloading any one route with repetitive threats (e.g., constant Rover attacks), but ensure that each route has distinct challenges.

Player Agency​

Once preparation is complete, present the players with their route options and let them choose:

  • Congress Route (6 days)
  • Highway 60 Route (8 days)
  • Interstate 10 Route (7 days)

After selecting their route, players decide their travel pace:

  • Slow & Careful: Easier Perception checks, can ambush enemies, but covers less ground.
  • Moderate: Standard checks, balanced movement and awareness.
  • Fast & Careless: Harder Perception checks, risk being ambushed, but travel is faster.

For time slots without encounters, narrate the journey. When an encounter occurs, have the team make Perception checks:

  • Slow Pace: Upgraded Perception check; they can ambush enemies on a success.
  • Moderate Pace: Standard Perception check.
  • Fast Pace: Downgraded Perception check; they risk being ambushed on a failure.

If ambushed in Tactical Combat, ambushers get a surprise round.
If ambushed in Abstract Combat, the ambushers side rolls its Strength die twice, taking the higher result.

Resting and Recovery​

After an encounter, the team can rest for one hour, allowing:

  • Up to 4 Medicine & Repair checks for healing and equipment maintenance.
  • A choice to change their travel pace for the next leg of the journey.

Encounters do not stop at night, meaning unexpected events can happen even while the team is sleeping.

Nighttime Camp & Survival Checks​

At the end of each day of travel, usually between evening and post-dusk, the team makes camp and rolls key survival checks based on their travel pace.

Slow Pace​

  • Distance Covered: 2/3 of a day (kept secret)
  • Navigation Check: No penalty. Majority failed, they are lost (kept secret).
  • Survival Check: No penalty. One success means they find food and water.
  • Rations: Failure means they must use rations.

Moderate Pace​

  • Distance Covered: 1 full day (kept secret)
  • Navigation Check: Moderate penalty. Majority failure means they are lost (kept secret).
  • Survival Check: Stiff penalty. One success means they find food and water.
  • Rations: Failure means they must use rations.

Fast Pace​

  • Distance Covered: 1 1/3 days (kept secret)
  • Navigation Check: Stiff penalty. Majority failure means they are lost (kept secret).
  • Survival Check: Not allowed.
  • Rations: Always required.

Note: If following a well-known road or river, Navigation checks may not be necessary. Even if lost, characters will eventually find a major landmark or road.

Tracking Progress​

Keep track of their progress in days traveled. Let players discover if they are lost on their own rather than outright telling them. If they take longer than expected, generate additional encounters on the fly.

This system ensures travel feels meaningful while keeping gameplay engaging and immersive.