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Travel by Boats: discrepancy in the rules?
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 5:42 pm
by beckett
My apologies if this been discussed at length in another post but has anyone noticed the discrepancy in the Travel rules concerning traveling in boats downriver from the Loremaster's Book?
Page 128, from The Marsh Bell adventure in the LM cuts the travel time in half if the players are traveling on boats downriver:
Based on the journey rules, the travelling distance on foot from Esgaroth to where the Old Forest Road leaves the eastern borders of Mirkwood requires eight days of march and two Fatigue tests from each player.
• If the company will be travelling on boats downriver, it will take them four days, and require one Fatigue test from each player.
However, the Speed table on page 34 of the LM shows no difference between traveling on foot or using boats downriver, both are set at 20 miles per day.
On foot = 20 miles per day
Using boats on a river = 20 miles downstream, 5-10 miles against the current
Am I missing something or is this a mistake? Perhaps one that will be corrected in the revised core manual?

Re: Travel by Boats: discrepancy in the rules?
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 5:55 pm
by Sprigg
I'm fairly certain that in the journey rules in the LM it mentions boats having a speed of 40miles a day.
Re: Travel by Boats: discrepancy in the rules?
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 6:11 pm
by Rich H
beckett wrote:However, the Speed table on page 34 of the LM shows no difference between traveling on foot or using boats downriver, both are set at 20 miles per day.
On foot = 20 miles per day
Using boats on a river = 20 miles downstream, 5-10 miles against the current
No discrepancy, you're quoting things correctly, however travelling by foot through Mirkwood/Long Marshes applies a modifier of x2 as per the table on page 32 as it's "Hard" terrain. That's the bit you are missing, and the modifier explains why it's 4 days by boat (at 20 miles per day) and 8 days by foot (at 10 miles per day) due to the Hard terrain modifier.
Re: Travel by Boats: discrepancy in the rules?
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 6:14 pm
by Rich H
Sprigg wrote:I'm fairly certain that in the journey rules in the LM it mentions boats having a speed of 40miles a day.
No, they are 20 miles per day as per travelling by foot. See my above post for why this varies in beckett's example. Boats, travelling by a navigable river, ignore the terrain modifiers on page 32 of the LM book.
Re: Travel by Boats: discrepancy in the rules?
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 6:15 pm
by Sprigg
Ah yes, that makes more sense. Thanks for the correction!
Re: Travel by Boats: discrepancy in the rules?
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 6:21 pm
by Rich H
Sprigg wrote:Ah yes, that makes more sense. Thanks for the correction!
No problem, these rules can be fiddly and easily mixed up!
Re: Travel by Boats: discrepancy in the rules?
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 6:32 pm
by beckett
Rich H wrote:Sprigg wrote:Ah yes, that makes more sense. Thanks for the correction!
No problem, these rules can be fiddly and easily mixed up!
Yes, thank you!! I had a feeling I was missing some small detail. Much appreciated, Rich!