By dawn & jeff Ibach

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . Travel Montage

Your PCs must travel through miles of forest, hills, and mountains to reach their
goal. Besides the occasional wandering monster, how do you liven up the trip
without side-tracking them, boring them or taking up too much time?

We were never a big fan of “you travel for four days and arrive at your destina-
tion”. The journey is half the fun! But you don’t need to spend an hour describ-
ing random stuff while your players yawn or get bored either. Use this docu-
ment to liven up the scenery a bit so the players have a memory of the journey.
If they come across something and ignore it, that’s cool. If they investigate,
things could get interesting!

By Jeff & Dawn Ibach

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, and all other Wizards of the
Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.

This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under
the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

All other original material in this work is copyright 2018 by Jeff & Dawn Ibach and published under the Community Content Agree-
ment for Dungeon Masters Guild. Version 1.0

1
 Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . Travel Montage

TRAVEL MONTAGE Table 2: Odd Find d%

by Jeff & Dawn Ibach 1 Abandoned bandit hideout (remaining armor or
weapons, buried loot, notes on potential targets?)
Your PCs must travel through miles of forest, hills, and
mountains to reach their goal. Besides the occasional 2 Abandoned crop/garden (food, flowers, salvageable
wandering monster, how do you liven up the trip without or ruined?)
side tracking them, boring them or taking up too much
time? 3 Abandoned lair/cave (of monsters, beast or small hu-
manoid dwelling?)
Spice up your wandering encounters tables by adding
common mishaps and unusual finds. Many of the things 4 Abandoned mine/construction site (something started
listed here may be most noticeable to an elf, a ranger, a a project which was never finished –why—flood, attack,
druid, or any other PC with woodland skills or back- lost funds?)
ground, but they can still be fun for all. DMs can base
encounters on these oddities or just place them in the 5 Abandoned tent(s) (clues as to merchants, explorers,
adventure at random. hunters, etc.)

You can use this instead of rolling for a random encoun- 6 Abandoned wagon empty/full (with mount, cargo,
ter. Alternately, if you roll for a random encounter and get slaves, orc or goblin war wagon)
something you just don’t think would be interesting, roll
d20 (adding the modifiers below). A roll of 1-6 indicates 7 Abandoned watch/signal tower (independent rang-
A common Annoyance (Table 1). A roll of 7 - 14 indi- ers, nearby settlement emblem, humanoid lookout?)
cates an Odd Find (Table 2). A roll of 15-17 indicates
simple weather event. A roll of 18-20 means that the PCs 8 Abandoned combat site (difficult to say who won—
have encountered a monster appropriate for the terrain. corpses, arms & armor, siege weapons?)

Table 1: Common Annoyances d20 9 Any trap with occupant (bear trap, noose trap, pit
1 Become lost trap—animal monster or humanoid?)
2 Bee/Wasp/Hornet nest
3 Camp flood 10 Archery targets (humanoid tribe practice, leftover
4 Equipment strap or wheel breaks from a celebration or event?)
5 Fleas
6 Food spoilage 11 Avalanche blocked trail (possible to go round or
7 Gnats/flies must traverse? Anything buried underneath?)
8 Ill mount
9 Lame mount 12 Barrow/cart, looted (signs of combat, still functional?)
10 Lice
11 Lose an item 13 Beginnings of log cabin construction (settlement,
12 Mice in backpacks/saddlebags * why not completed - attack weather, sickness?)
13 Mosquitoes *
14 Poison ivy/sumac 14 Berry bush(es) (Edible, poison, magical?)
15 Rabid animal
16 Raccoon(s) in backpacks 15 Boulder (in the middle of nowhere? Rolled here on
17 Snake(s) in bedroll/tent purpose? Remains of a larger rocky outcropping?)
18 Thorns
19 Ticks * 16 Bridge of piled stones (toll collector, safe or may
20 Waterskin leak collapse, ranger’s trail mark or druidic sign?)
* Mice droppings, ticks, and mosquitoes are known to
transmit diseases. 17 Burrow (empty, occupied, open or concealed, large
or small?)

The following chart will really get your imagination going. 18 Campfire (remains, active, with creature on spit?)
Each entry has a number of suggestions to help spring-
board your imagination or help with improvisation!

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 Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . Travel Montage

19 Castle foundation w/ moat (abandoned, still under 37 Horse with saddle, grazing (tied to small tree or free,
construction, moat of water, quicksand, tar?) saddlebags or no, sign of rider?)

20 Cave entrance (lair or natural, concealed on purpose 38 Huge creature skeleton/corpse (dragon, giant, be-
or by flora, inhabited or abandoned?) holder, cyclops, hydra, treant, yeti, killed or natural?)

21 Clearing (from fire, natural, watched by predators to 39 Humanoid grave mounds (marked or unmarked,
catch prey in the open?) tended, guarded or abandoned, treasure?)

22 Combat practice area (humanoid dummies, obstacle 40 Humanoid territory marker (orcs, goblins, gnolls,
course, weapon rack, flag of nearby community?) rangers, settlement flag?)

23 Common grave site (of what race, abandoned or 41 Humanoid/animal/monster carcass (picked upon by
tended, marked or unmarked?) a creature, diseased, infested, signs of combat?)

24 Cursed item, discarded or as trap (minor or major, 42 Humanoid/animal/monster skeleton (bleached or

jewelry, clothing, talisman, unholy symbol?) fairly recent, arranged or natural?)

25 Dead fall trap (old or recent, still set up or set off— 43 Humanoid/monster graveyard (tended or aban-
animal or creature inside?) doned, marked or unmarked, large or small?)

26 Dead tree across path (cut, moved there or just hap- 44 Hunter's pit trap (DC 8+1d10 to spot or save,
penstance, watched ambush site?) spiked, water, dirt, another creature?)

27 Discarded monster eggs (not hatched, alive or 45 Hunter's snare trap (DC 8+1d10 to spot or save, un-
dead, diseased, cracked open with little tracks?) used triggered with victim, alive or dead?)

28 Discarded monster nest (on ground, in tree, on 46 Land drop off (natural or created, landslide, danger-
mesa, remains or clues as to the type?) ous or easily traversed?)

29 Domestic animal, alone (dog, cat, pig, horse, sheep, 47 Litter/trash (food remains, useless clothing or con-
chicken, nearby settlement or home or not?) tainer, offal?)

30 Dried out hunter's blind (used by humanoid hunter 48 Lookout post (tree, cliff side, tower, used or aban-
or rangers or camouflaged to double as hiding post?) doned, tended or is disrepair?)

31 Drowned animal/monster on bank of stream /water 49 Marshy ground (small field or large area, natural
(deliberate or accidental, more than one, bite taken out gasses, animals or creature, easy or treacherous?)
by creature?)
50 Mineral spring (guarded, hidden or open, signs of
32 Druid circle/Standing stones (abandoned or tended, recent visitation or currently being used’?)
signs or sigils, magic circle?)
51 Monster or animal droppings (old, new, large,
33 Fog/Mist (natural or magical in nature, harmless or small, multiple or single?)
poisoned, spell to conceal attackers?)
52 Mud/tar pit (creature trapped, alive or dead, path
34 Foot bridge (sturdy or dangerous, long or short, over across or not, natural or created?)
stream, crevasse or mountain path?)
53 Natural geyser and pond (used or abandoned, con-
35 Forgotten cemetery (humanoid tribe, family plot, cealed or open, going off or dormant?)
signs of necromancy or odd rituals?)
54 Natural/set forest fire (large, small, trapped crea-
36 Half cut tree w/ rusted saw (nearby skeleton of cut- tures, magical, lightning, torches?)
ter, why this tree, special or unusual properties?)

3
 Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . Travel Montage

55 Noose with occupant (criminal, suicide, onlookers, 73 Section of fruit trees (natural or part of a grove or
alone, character race or humanoid monster, still in tree farm, edible or ruined, currently being harvested?)
or fallen?)
74 Secluded grove (natural or deliberate, used or aban-
56 Old campsite (signs or clues to what creature(s), doned, signs of use or not?)
equipment left or taken?)
75 Steam vent (with sauna, near volcano, active or not,
57 Old forest fire site (haunted by spirits, large or local- creature nearby?)
ized, natural or magical?)
76 Steel bear trap DC 8+1d10 to spot or save (waiting
58 Open meadow (poppies, flowers, grass tall or low, or with victim, new or old/rusted?)
animal hunting grounds or safe?)
77 Stone obelisk (territory marker, religious, to mark
59 Outdoor altar (signs to which deity, magical or not, historical event or person?)
tended or abandoned)
78 Stone/wood totem (ritualistic, tended or abandoned,
60 Perfect ambush site (luck or manufactured, used or of animals, humanoid heads or supernatural carvings?)
abandoned, signs of combat or struggle?)
79 Stream (strong, or slow, narrow or wide, way to cross
61 Perfect fishing spot (carp, cod, flounder, halibut, or not?)
herring, mackerel, tuna, someone fishing?)
80 Stumps near burned down cabin (still smoking or old,
62 Pitchfork/farm implements (lost or used for nearby signs of conflict, bodies or no, treasure or looted?)
settlement, new or used?)
81 Supernatural occurrence (haunting, noises, spirits,
63 Polluted pond (poisoned, floating corpse, acidic or nightmares, voices, magical effect?)
diseased?)
82 Ten to twenty-yard section of old stone road (from
64 Pond/Lake (large, small, natural or made, fish or ancient empire, used as camp, safe or treacherous?)
clear, way to cross or not?)
83 Tower (large, small, used, abandoned, wizards or
65 Rare herb/plant (natural or grown & tended, medici- military, no visible entrance, flag of settlement?)
nal or food spice?)
84 Tracks (monster of humanoid, recent or old, group or
66 Ridge (guarded, or natural and unused, single file or singular?)
wide, exposed to surroundings or concealed?)
85 Trapper/hunter/poacher cabin (heavily fortified or
67 Ring of trees (natural or deliberate, alive or dead, open, used or abandoned, treasure or empty?)
fruit or usual, old or new, signs of passage?)
86 Tree decorated with humanoid skulls (character or
68 Rope bridge (cut or uncut, long or short, across monster race, same type or varied, recent or old & over-
gorge, or stream, long or short drop, for mounts or not?) grown?)

69 Rot infested tree(s) (signs of insects or ground poi- 87 Tree house (elf, human or other, ruined or used, in-
soning, large or small area?) habited or abandoned, small or large?)

70 Rowboat/canoe (in open or by body of water, use- 88 Tree seat (as lookout, for camping, hunting, old or
able or in disrepair, signs of recent use, rows or no?) recent, sturdy or dilapidated?)

71 Ruined Homestead (recent or ancient, signs of 89 Tribal holy site (monstrous or humanoid deity or
struggle, corpses or just abandoned?) power, tended or overgrown, currently in use?)

72 Section of thick bushes (natural or planted, edible 90 Unmarked grave (near settlement or wilderness, hu-
parts or as fence, tall or small?) manoid or monster, haunted or not?)

4
 Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . Travel Montage

91 Uprooted tree (from recent storm, huge monster or tage point near the altar you see a pristine stream run-
giant, for purpose (crossing) or random?) ning through some trees ahead.”
Valerie: “This is really good. Might be a good spot to
92 Village remains (recent or old, looted or with sup- camp.”
plies and equipment, signs of conflict or just aban- Joe: “There's daylight left.”
doned?) Valerie: “Yes but I think this spot would be safe. I take
some water from the stream and gently pour into the al-
93 Volcanic vent (active or dormant, large or small, ter and say words of comfort.”
creatures or no?) DM: “Awesome.”
Joe: “I’ll get to hunting so we can have a good meal.
94 Waterfall (wide, narrow, tall or small, cave behind or DM: “By the time you return with your catch, the camp is
not, creatures bathing or swimming or not?) made. Everyone eats and the night passes peacefully.

95 Way station (travelers hut, guard post, supplies for DAY THREE
wagons or caravans, used or abandoned?) 63 Polluted pond (poisoned, floating corpse, acidic or
diseased?)
96 Witch/hedge wizard's hut (small, large, inhabited or DM: “The travelling is easy, there’s a really good breeze.
deserted, locked or open, treasure or guardians?) At lunch you stop by a pool of water surrounded by
reeds.”
97 Wooden palisade fence (old or new, tended or in Scott: “I’ll fill up the water skins.”
shambles, for yard, garden, home, fort?) DM: “As you go to do so you spot a dead raccoon float-
ing in the water.”
98-100 Roll twice and combine, if possible Scott: “I DON’T fill up the water skins.”
Abby: “Let’s get a move on. I’ll scout ahead.”
DM: “By nightfall you find a good place to camp. The
night goes peacefully.”
A four-day overland travel from Loudwater to an old cas-
tle, characters have a fairly good map with little hope of DAY FOUR
getting lost. The Dungeon Master has hand-selected a 98-100 Roll twice and combine, if possible
few things for the first three days but will leave the 4th 18 Campfire (remains, active, with creature on spit?)
day to chance, 12 Barrow/cart, looted (signs of combat, still functional?)
DM: “You make great travel. With the passing of a mild
DAY ONE rain shower you make great time and arrive. The Castle
12 Mice in backpacks/saddlebags is down that ridge, about 3 miles away. Off to the side of
DM: “You set out from Loudwater. The going is easy and the road there’s the remains of a campfire, and a hand
you look forward to what awaits at this castle. By nightfall cart.”
you secure a good place to camp. Everything goes well Valerie: “How old is the campfire.”
until you go to feed the horses. Somehow mice got in the DM: “It’s old. The stones around it are cold.”
feed and a lot has been eaten.” Jim: “What’s with the wagon?”
Players: “Bloody hell.” DM: “It’s empty.”
Jim: “Did you bring extra? You do the supplies.” Abby: “Someone just left it? Any signs of struggle or
Khayre: “Not extras, just enough. combat?”
Jim: “Next time get extra.” DM: “Nope.”
Joe: “Well, I’m not camping here, what if they come
DAY TWO back? Let’s press on and camp outside the castle.”
59 Outdoor altar (signs to which deity, magical or not, Players: “Good call.”
tended or abandoned)
DM: “You wake up next morning and head out. A slight All that play could conceivable take about 10 minutes of
rain is actually a relief and doesn’t last long. By late after- real time. But this way the characters will have a travel
noon you spot a stone alter off to the side of the road montage to make the journey feel real and memories to
with flowers all around it. play with. Next week at the tavern…
Joe: “I go investigate”. Khayre “Remember when you let mice get in the saddle-
DM: You spot the symbol of Eldath, god of waterfalls, bags?”
streams and quiet glades and the like. From your van- Jim: “You’re never going to let me live this down are
you?”

5
 Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy for personal use only . Travel Montage

ENCOUNTER DESIGNER

The following page presents a very useful tool to Where is the encounter taking place, a hamlet, city
help you organize your travel montage. This way or town? The wilderness? By a river, at the base of
you can prep ahead of time and have handy cards a mountain, along a well-worn road? An arctic tun-
with the info you need at your fingertips. dra? A desert waste? A campsite? A small dungeon
or cave perhaps?
Especially useful for fleshing out a travel sequence
or making a city or community come to life, this form Then there is the how and when of the encounter.
focuses ideas and themes for interesting encoun- This is where you can throw in a little plot twist or
ters that showcase your world, make a trek seem complication to make the encounter more interest-
worthwhile, or liven up a city when a character gets ing. This can also include interesting environmental
sidetracked. effects.

These cards was originally designed to bridge the In your encounter notes at the bottom include a
gap between the quick travel sequence (the summary of the purpose and use for the encounter
“Indiana Jones” red-line style) or the detailed (and or a page reference for pertinent rules. Take the in-
often bogged-down) trip where the DM describes formation sparked above by the different categories
every mile in excruciating detail. and write yourself a little narrative summing up the
purpose and use of the encounter, or a note to jog
The party can travel just long enough until it comes your memory to a page in a rulebook with informa-
upon some part of the world you want to showcase. tion pertaining to the encounter.
It’s specifically designed so that every encounter
card should not (and need not) lead to combat. Finally, think about some generic non-combat skills
When the players are presented with options and that may come into play and circle them and brush
decide to move on or ignore the encounter, that’s up on their use. Nudge players with hints as to what
their loss. they could use these skills on.

First, decide what type of encounter it is (it could

have multiple entries). Is it a Challenge, likely to
lead to combat and confrontation? Is it strictly a Ro-
leplaying encounter where no real combat stats are
required at all? Is it Static, set in a singular location
only, or is it Dynamic, occurring anywhere the PCs
are at the time it’s needed?

Then, what is the encounter for? Is it an interesting

scene to show off something important to the play-
ers? Or is it a chance to introduce an NPC? Is it
something they can investigate that will allow you to
impart some history of the campaign?

Who is the opponent or roleplaying encounter with?

Is it some sort of trap or pitfall? What is the goal or
purpose of the thing in question? Is it providing or
hampering passage through an area? Is it imparting
or withholding important information or resources?
Does it want to encounter the party or simply avoid
it?

6
□ Challenge □ Roleplaying □ Challenge □ Roleplaying
□ Static □ Dynamic □ Static □ Dynamic
WHO WHO
Monster / NPC Monster / NPC
Scene / Trap Scene / Trap

Opponent
Opponent
WHAT WHAT
Passage / Info Passage / Info

Goal
Goal
Resources / Avoiding Resources / Avoiding

WHERE WHERE
City / Forest City / Forest

Location
Dungeon / Other

Location
Dungeon / Other

WHY WHY

Motive
Motive
WHEN WHEN

Complication
Complication

HOW HOW

___________________________________ ___________________________________
___________________________________ ___________________________________
___________________________________ ___________________________________
___________________________________ ___________________________________
___________________________________ ___________________________________
ROLEPLAYING: Athletics, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Arcana, ROLEPLAYING: Athletics, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Arcana,
History, Nature, Religion, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Survival, History, Nature, Religion, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Survival,
Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion
Also from Toolbox Publishing...

CREDITS—TOOLBOX PUBLISHING
Written by Dawn & Jeff Ibach
Editing and Layout by Jeff Ibach

Contact: jeffibach.DM@gmail.com

Jeff and Dawn are the ENnie-award winning authors behind AEG’s
Toolbox (2002) and Ultimate Toolbox (2009).
Dawn also has written nearly a dozen “Miscellaneous Mishaps”
articles for Dragon & Dungeon Magazines between 1997 and 2003.

“MGG VENTURES”
This book is part of a new imprint focusing on quality, imaginative
PDF support for 5th edition D&D through the DM’s Guild website.
The “Marauders Game Group” is a game club in New Jersey USA
consisting of over 20 members collaborating to bring products you can
trust and count on to deliver useful tools for your campaign.