What’s that old adage? Life is about the journey, not the destination. Well, the same can be said about your Dungeons & Dragons campaign. And no situation in the game makes that more abundantly clear than when your players are on the road between one city, village, or town to the next.

Unlike our roadtrips in cars, munching on snackies, sippin’ on soadies, listening to our favorite tunes or podcasts for a few hours between cities, or states, or countries (lookin’ at you Europe), travel in most D&D campaigns is often filled with dangerous or even deadly perils and countless surprises. Whether traversing treacherous mountains, dense forests, or arid deserts, the path to adventure is rarely smooth.

Because of this, travel and survival encounters provide a wealth of opportunities to engage players, test their skills, and immerse them in the world you've crafted. They can also feel a bit daunting as a Dungeon Master as you try to balance encounter types, roleplaying opportunities, exploration prompts, and unique mechanics, all while pushing the narrative forward and tying it all to the overarching campaign. But, with the right approach, they can become some of the most memorable and rewarding experiences for players.

While we’ve already covered creating unforgettable encounters as a whole; in this guide, we'll delve into the art of crafting compelling travel and survival encounters and adventures, equipping you with the tools and techniques to make your sojourns into the wild a ride to remember.

The Importance of Travel and Survival Encounters:

It can be easy to skip past travel scenes and simply use a paragraph or two of dialogue to describe how your party got from one place to the next. In my opinion, that’s a mistake. Incorporating travel and survival elements into your campaigns can significantly enhance the overall experience. These encounters serve several crucial purposes:

Break Up Monotony: Travel and survival encounters provide a welcome change of pace. While exploring cities and towns and interacting with the denizens of these areas is always important, and where the bulk of your campaign will typically take place, there is a whole world out there to explore. It allows for more diversity in the types of encounters and adventures you can throw at your players and also allows for you to make this world you’re creating feel more lived in, vibrant, and visceral.

Highlight Character Skills: These encounters bring in many of your players typically less-used skills such as Survival, Nature, and Animal Handling, encouraging creative problem-solving and forward thinking. With this it can really allow those high -Wisdom characters to shine, like Druids and Rangers.

Immerse Players in the World: Exploration becomes the key ingredient during these adventures, which give you as a DM the chance to let all that good lore take center stage. Be thinking about the places your characters will be able to explore and the beings they can meet that will give hints to the world at large its history. Use this time to foster a deeper connection to the game world.

Encourage Banter: They’re on the road, spending days on end with few other people, make them talk. Get them to engage with one another and connect. Get them to share backstories and memories. There is no better chance to bring your characters together and get them to know one another than when they’re traveling, stopping in inns and taverns, or sitting around a fire at a campsite. Play these scenes out. It may be a bit uncomfortable at first for those who aren’t used to roleplay, but if they open up, it can lead your campaign to places it hasn’t been before.

Crafting Memorable Travel and Survival Encounters

While these adventures are important, the only way they work is if you take the time to craft them in creative and thoughtful ways. To create truly memorable travel and survival encounters, consider these key elements:

Vary the Encounters: Avoid repetition by incorporating a diverse range of challenges. Travel shouldn’t just be, wake up, hit the road, reach next destination, small encounter at new destination, rinse, repeat. Each day of travel should have a mix of encounters such as navigating treacherous terrain, encountering hostile wildlife, or facing unexpected weather conditions.

Encounter types:

Dangerous Terrain

The terrain through which your adventurers journey plays a crucial role in shaping their travel experience. Whether they're traversing tangled forests, navigating unyielding mountains, or braving vast, scorched deserts, the environment should present unique challenges and opportunities. This should include things like incorporating difficult terrain, levels of exhaustion from exposure, and routine navigation checks to avoid getting lost.

Weather Hazards

Along with terrain, weather can add an extra layer of unpredictability and excitement to your encounters. A sudden downpour can turn a simple path into a treacherous obstacle course, a blinding hot sun can lead to dehydration and exhaustion, an avalanche can lead to a deadly race to free trapped members from their icy tombs.

Skill Challenges

Throwing various skill challenges at players will test their abilities and force them to use teamwork to overcome obstacles. These can be as simple as foraging for food in a barren wasteland or tracking animal footprints to find a water source in a desert to navigating a climbing expedition up the side of a cliff or dashing to safety through a collapsing cave. These will allow different players to take the lead using their best skills.

Environmental Puzzles

While I strongly suggest using puzzles infrequently, as they can be tough to incorporate in a way that is satisfying and often end up becoming frustrating for players. Environmental puzzles can integrate seamlessly into your travel encounters, challenging your players to use their wit and problem-solving skills. A hidden cave entrance that can only be seen by ingesting mind-altering mushrooms, an ancient artifact that can only be grasped once the players have crafted and ingested a potion using ingredients found in various parts of the woods, or something as straightforward as a cryptic riddle could all serve as compelling puzzles.

Traps and Hazards

Your players are walking through a forest when fhwip one of them falls through what looked like fallen leaves and sticks into a hidden pit. They’re trudging through a desert and glrrp their feet start sinking as they fight to free themselves from quicksand. They’re navigating a narrow mountain pass, all tethered together when slllp one of them loses their footing on some loose rocks, falling over the side, dangling from the ropes, moments away from death. Utilizing traps and hazards that fit the environment can add an element of danger and excitement to your encounters, and can also lead players to possibly wanting to roll perception checks too often, so use them sparingly.

Social Encounters

Just like everywhere in your world, your players should be running into memorable NPCs while on the road. While the most obvious ones will be innkeepers, traveling merchants, and hostile bandits, make sure and think about more unique options like guides to aid in traversing dangerous environments, awakened animals to offer information about a certain area, or possibly gods or goddesses of the wilds.

Resource Management

Part of travel and survival is making sure you are smart with the supplies you have on hand. In harsh environments, your players may need to manage their resources carefully, such as food, water, and ammunition. This not only adds a layer of realism and challenge to your survival encounters, but also a chance for some downtime activities to add in such as hunting, fishing, foraging, or crafting ammunition.

Long-Term Effects

This is one more way to add some realism into this type of adventure, make the consequences of travel and survival extend beyond the immediate challenge. As your players brave the wilds and the forces of nature, there will be chances for injuries, diseases, exhaustion, and more. While D&D has plenty of spells and potions to counteract some of these things, during grueling travel sequences maybe these setbacks are longer lasting than usual. A lack of good rest can easily begin to hinder physical and magical abilities while resources will start to dwindle leading players to tough choices.

Random Encounters

While random encounter tables are something I typically steer clear of as I like each piece of my campaign to build toward the meta-narrative. I do find that random encounter tables can be useful while doing travel and survival adventures. While there are literally thousands of these o be found all over the internet and in most sourcebooks, I personally like to scour a handful or more and think of ways to tailor them to the campaign I’m running. Instead of having a group of Gnolls attack your players, instead they simply hunt them and using barks and howls push them toward a bigger threat or an area where your players will find some of the main lore necessary for the upcoming arc of your campaign. Your players come across a person stuck in a trap. They were traveling through the area with a guide and they were attacked by (insert monsters), the guide was taken prisoner. If your players follow this they get some lore, an added companion, and ostensibly, a guide. You can use random encounters, just make sure they count.

Tailor Encounters to the Characters: While using a good blend of any of the various encounter types above is a surefire way to make sure the adventure stays exciting and engaging. Make sure you consider the strengths and weaknesses of your players' characters when designing encounters. This ensures that the challenges are intriguing for all of the players and appropriate for their skill levels.

Reward Clever Play: Along these same lines, make sure that you recognize when your players rise to the challenge in ways that you maybe never even imagined. If your players are using their skills and abilities in innovative ways reward that behavior which will encourage more creative problem-solving from everyone at the table.

Tips for Managing Travel and Survival Encounters

Even if you’ve been DMing for a while now, this type of adventure offers its own set of unique problems. Unless you are set to run a pure sandbox campaign there are some things to take into account to make sure, while you’re not railroading, you don’t stray too far from the tracks.

Set Clear Goals: This is important in most any encounter, but it is overly important when traveling. If you are one of the best DMs in the world, you may be able to run an open-world RPG. But, it is no easy task. When you are describing the situation at hand to the players, clearly define the objectives of each encounter. Whether it's reaching a specific destination, overcoming an obstacle, or gathering resources, if they know what it is they are supposed to do they will likely not stray too far from the path that you have written in your notes and swimming around in your noodle.

Pace the Encounters: Balance the pace of travel to make sure that players don’t get overwhelmed, or use up all of their resources. Make sure that they have a nights rest every session or two, even if it is a poor night of rest because of the hazards you are throwing at them. While it can be fun to add some realism into the campaign, nothing is more boring, especially for magic users, than playing multiple sessions with nothing but cantrips. Remember, even when the going gets tough for the party, the whole point of this is to have fun.

Tie It to the Story: Sure, you may not be running into the BBEG on the road or in the woods and there may not be major points of intrigue pushing the overarching plot forward, make sure not to lose the meta-narrative during the in-between times. This is why dropping lore and adding in interesting locations and NPCs is so important when running this style of adventure. In most table settings, if you’re not continuing to build toward the main storyline, players will get bored and even more likely, will lose the plot.

That’s it. We’ve come to the end of the road. Travel and survival encounters are an invaluable tool for Dungeon Masters and can add so much depth and variety to your campaign. By incorporating these encounters purposefully and thoughtfully into your D&D campaigns, you can take what could be a cut scene and turn it into some of the most memorable and challenging parts of your time at the table. Happy adventuring!

Decided to mix it up a bit this week since I’ve been playing some (too much) Baldur’s Gate 3 and it reminded me just how fun it can be to create one single character with the goal of lasting a whole campaign.

Zarien, my Drow Great Old One Warlock, would not have lasted a whole campaign as I recently lost him and everyone else to a TPK from some minotaurs. In real Dungeons & Dragons, I would’ve been devastated to lose my beautiful boy and had to start rerolling a new character. Luckily BG3 just takes you back to the last save, so I’m just gonna return to the minotaurs a bit further down the road.

BG3 aside, playing it made me want to share some of the tips I’ve used over the years to create some of my favorite characters when I was on the other side of the Dungeon Master screen. And for the DMs there, I use these same tips for creating memorable NPCs. When you’re playing D&D (or most any TTRPG) creating a memorable character is the key to unlocking a truly immersive gaming experience.

So, follow me on this journey to discover the secrets of crafting characters that leap off the character sheet, ones that you’ll be excited to get back to the table and continue playing for dozens to hundreds of sessions, and who may weave their way into the hearts of your fellow players (and DM).

Choose your Species and Class

These two choices will be what everything else about your character is built upon, they determine nearly all in-game aspects of your character including physical traits, skills, spells, and abilities.

Now, you may be a person who likes to play optimized characters. If that’s the case, you’re going to make this choice based purely on that: you wanna get up in the mix, you’re a Half-Orc Barbarian; take jabs and stun all around the battlefield, hello, Tabaxi Monk; sit back and blast spells while being able to keep concentration, Yuan-ti Pureblood Sorcerer all day, every day. There are sites all over the internet for building the most optimized 5e characters and that can be fun as hell to play that way.

However, if you don’t care about all that and you just love playing gruff little Dwarf guys, or want to be an otherworldly gorgeous Elf, then you can be that and any class you want. You have in your head that you want to sneak around, steal stuff, and slit throats, be a rogue. Take the time to dive into the lore and characteristics of each species, and consider the ones that resonate with you. After all, you should already be ruminating on step three, which is unsurprisingly your character’s backstory, and these choices should complement the narrative brewing in your mind.

In the world of D&D, your character's unique qualities will shine, and if you're blessed with a thoughtful Dungeon Master, the campaign will adapt to embrace your character's quirks and strengths. So, embrace the species and class that ignites your excitement and sets your imagination ablaze.

Craft a Unique Appearance

With your species and class choices in hand, it's time to sculpt the outward identity of your character, the face they present to the world. In Dungeons & Dragons, appearances matter; they're the first brushstroke on the canvas of your character's story. While the adage "don't judge a book by its cover" holds wisdom, it's human nature to form initial impressions based on appearances, and D&D is no different. What your character presents to the world will define how NPCs, and PCs approach interactions with them.

Now, let's dive into the details. What does your character wear, and what motivates their choice of attire? Do they adorn themselves with distinctive features — a scar tracing a mysterious history, a tattoo symbolizing a past allegiance, or a piece of jewelry with sentimental value? These nuanced touches will set your character apart, but remember, less is often more. Unless you intentionally seek to make your character physically arresting or peculiar, select just a few unique quirks to weave into their appearance. Subtlety can be a powerful tool in making your character memorable without overwhelming the narrative.

As you refine your character's visage, consider how their appearance reflects their species and class. Do they carry themselves with the grace of an Elf or the rugged demeanor of a Dwarf? Does the attire of a rogue suggest stealth and cunning, while a wizard's robes hint at their command of arcane mysteries? In the world of D&D, your character's appearance is a window into their soul, a mirror reflecting their story. So, craft an image that will captivate, intrigue, and leave a lasting impression on all who cross their path.

“What your character presents to the world will define how NPCs, and PCs approach interactions with them. ”

Develop Your Personality

As I said above, this should already be in your mind. Species and Class will define your in-game aspects, the ways in which you can play your character within the bounds of the rules and regulations. Personality and backstory though, there are no rules or regulations to constrain those outside of the world you and your group have chosen to play within. This is where you will really start to bring your character to life.

Start with the basics, the foundational elements that define your character. What is their name, where is their hometown, and who and where are their family? But this is just the beginning; you must also venture into the realm of thought-provoking questions. What does your character fear most? What profound lessons have they gleaned from their life's journey? And what are the flaws that both shape and burden them, the shadows they yearn to overcome?

Crafting your character's personality is a journey of self-discovery, much like stepping into their shoes and seeing the world through their eyes. Are they known for their courage, or do they navigate life with a cautious heart? Do they wield sarcasm like a blade, or do they approach each day with earnest sincerity?

But remember, no one is one-dimensional, and neither should your character be. Just because you're a rogue doesn't mean your existence revolves solely around stealth and theft. Perhaps you have a penchant for culinary arts, a skill passed down by your beloved grandmother. Maybe a fondness for dogs stems from a childhood devoid of friends, where a loyal street dog was your sole companion. Those daggers at your side? They also serve as tools to carve intricate figurines, each one a cherished memory of those who've touched your heart.

Creating a memorable character requires infusing them with authentic characteristics, making them feel like real people with dreams, fears, quirks, and aspirations. While it may be challenging to step outside your own skin and think as another being, the rewards of this endeavor are immeasurable — moments of catharsis, insights into the human (or non-human) condition, and the fulfillment of breathing life into a captivating character that will forever etch their mark on the annals of your gaming adventures.

Define Your Backstory

Personality and backstory are intertwined threads that weave the intricate fabric of your character's existence. It's often useful to craft them in tandem, for a character's past experiences are the crucible in which their personality is forged. Much like the layers of history that shape our own lives, your character's backstory is the sum of all that occurred before the first dice was rolled, before the journey began.

Dive deep into your character's past, unearthing the pivotal moments and formative events that sculpted their identity. Did they spend their early years in the serenity of a quaint village, or were they orphaned on the unforgiving streets of a bustling city? The richness lies in the details, in the personal tapestry you weave. The more vivid and engaging your character's backstory, the more they come alive.

While it's valuable to outline your character's backstory and personality, leave room for flexibility. It’s important to remember that your character's history can evolve as the campaign unfolds. Dungeon Masters often find inspiration in these untold stories, using them to craft personalized hooks and challenges for each character.

As someone who's ventured behind the Dungeon Master's screen, I've come to appreciate the power of player character backstories. They provide essential ingredients for immersive storytelling, allowing a DM to introduce meaningful NPCs, antagonists, or allies tailored to your character's journey. The childhood bully who tormented you may reappear as a baddie that you and your party get to whomp on for a bit, or maybe they get to redeem themselves by aiding you on your quest. Either way, you’ll have a more emotional connection to the situation as it is a part of your character’s past.

Your character's backstory can also be a source of shared experiences and character development within your adventuring party. Hidden secrets may become revelations, drawing your fellow player characters closer as they help you confront or resolve the past. These interactions breathe life into your character, creating moments of camaraderie, conflict, and growth that enrich the storytelling experience.

In the world of Dungeons & Dragons, your character's backstory isn't just history; it's the key to unlocking a vibrant, evolving narrative that deepens the connection between player and character. So, as you define your character's past, remember that you're not just shaping their history — you're forging their destiny.

There are countless places on the web and in print to find question lists to answer for creating your character. I’ve used many of them and they are all helpful in their own ways. However, I’ve compiled a list of questions that I personally like that work best for me, and who knows, maybe it will work for you too. Get it right here and get to making that character.

“Creating a memorable character requires infusing them with authentic characteristics, making them feel like real people with dreams, fears, quirks, and aspirations”

Set Character Goals and Embrace Character Arcs

While the first four items are the most important aspects of creating an intriguing and memorable character. There are a few other additions that will give your character and you that extra nudge toward greatness. For one of these additions, imagine your character as a ship sailing through the boundless sea. To navigate these uncharted waters effectively, your character needs a clear destination — a purpose that drives them forward. These purposes come in various forms, spanning both short-term and long-term objectives.

Short-term goals might include proving your worth to skeptical townsfolk, becoming the most well-regarded singer in town, or discovering the truth behind a mysterious artifact. Long-term objectives, on the other hand, are the distant shores on the horizon — avenging a fallen mentor, invoking the mercy of a god to revive a loved one, or vanquishing an ancient evil that threatens the world.

With these objectives in mind, your character will inevitably encounter trials and tribulations along the way. These experiences, both triumphant and harrowing, shape your character's narrative arc. Picture this arc as the evolving path that guides your character's development — a journey of transformation and self-discovery.

Character arcs can take various forms. The classic hero's journey, where a character starts as an ordinary individual and evolves into a hero, is a timeless archetype. Alternatively, your character might embark on a more complex arc, exploring themes like redemption, sacrifice, or moral ambiguity.

The key to a compelling character arc lies in embracing change. Allow your character to react and adapt to the challenges they face, letting these experiences mold them into a different version of themselves. As they grow, you'll find that your role-playing becomes more nuanced and realistic, breathing life into your character.

Immerse Yourself in Roleplaying

This one isn’t for everyone, as roleplaying can be uncomfortable for some and just isn’t done, nor required, at every table. But, if you’re up to the task, and enjoy it, roleplay can truly be the finishing touch on creating a memorable character. Fully immerse yourself in your character’s persona during gameplay. Speak in their voice, make decisions as they would, and embrace their flaws and quirks. The more you commit to roleplaying, the more your character comes to life and the more you and the others at your table can connect with them. Also, as someone who took some getting used to roleplaying and not feeling anxious about it, I promise, it you keep trying it gets easier and (if you’re at the right table, which is most tables) no one is going to make you feel anything but good for trying.

Collaborate with Your Party

Lastly, and it’s something that I will likely harp on in some way in nearly every post I ever write, D&D is a collaborative game. While it may be tempting to embody the lone wolf (and it can payoff if you play if right), the magic of D&D blossoms when the party works together. Your character's destiny is intertwined with those of your comrades. Embrace the opportunities for interaction and cooperation, and allow your character to develop through their relationships with others.

Characters evolve not only through their personal quests but also through their connections with others. These relationships breathe life into your character, adding depth and nuance to their journey. A shared laugh, a moment of vulnerability, or a tactical alliance can all shape your character's growth.

Collaboration isn't just about planning tactics or solving puzzles together; it's about investing in the narratives of your fellow adventurers. It's about listening to their stories, respecting their choices, and embracing their flaws. Through this collective storytelling, your character becomes part of something greater.

Crafting a memorable D&D character is an art that combines creativity, storytelling, and a dash of imagination. By building a solid foundation, breathing life into your character, fostering their growth, and immersing yourself in role-playing, you can create a character that not only enhances your gaming experience but also leaves a lasting, positive impression on your fellow players, Dungeon Master and one that you’ll share the stories of years down the road.

A Guide to Travel and Survival Encounters in D&D