HYPERBOREA / Population, Overland Travel, Extreme Bowel-Loosening Danger

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 1/19/2015 12:16 pm

So, with our recent population explosion, a good time to ask about something I've been thinking about. In our two (maybe two and a half) campaigns, travel has been fairly limited. Our first group moved around in the Gal Hills fairly extensively before dying tragically and suddenly in a swamp. Our second group is in Brigands Bay and has pretty much stayed close to the base town I made up with forays to a large dungeon and other close-by areas.

My take on Hyperborea as a whole is that it is really underpopulated. The towns are small and isolated and most long-distance travel is by sea. The countryside is extremely dangerous and full of ruins and mystery. And even the population centers, outside of Khromarium, are small and inward-bent. Does this agree with others' take on the situation?

So how much overland travel do you have in your games? Is it mostly the province of higher-level types? Do you have contrivances like Vancian caravans through the dangerous areas to move people around? Do you have a lot of sea travel? Or are most games like mind and fairly geographically limited (keeping in mind that this group has just hit second level, too).

It just seems to me that the dice are against the players for extended overland travel. Random encounters will always be more danger than they seem worth unless you're traveling with enough numbers to scare most things off. Not to mention the Celestial Phenomena!

What do you think?

**Posted by The_Great_Lestrade** 1/24/2015 10:40 pm

my games have been fairly local. However, i always figured sea travel, whilst risky, would be the best route for longer distance routes.

**Posted by chrisj** 1/29/2015 1:46 pm

My campaign is based in Khromarium. There has been some overland travel to Swampgate and Kor. Mostly the party travels by sea, having acquired a ship in the Brigands Bay region by unscrupulous means.

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 1/30/2015 8:43 am

That definitely seems the safest route. I would think around Khromarium is the safest for overland travel--and then among the Gal Hills, where there is a scattering of towns. Brigands Bay is safer for those with connections, bribes, or plenty of muscle. I'm still wondering how people see travel in the rest of the continent? Routine-ish? Only done by small, mobile, heavily armed groups or enormous caravans with lots and lots of guards? (I'm thinking less of your typical guard-a-caravan job from a million boring "adventures" and more the collection of insane pilgrims that Cugel joined or the transcontinental route in City of the Chasch).

Last edited by Handy Haversack (1/30/2015 8:43 am)

**Posted by Blackadder23** 1/30/2015 9:39 am

I see most of the main continent as being a howling wilderness that's death to cross. I agree that most travel would be by sea. However, in my experience players don't usually stray far from a base town unless the referee strongly encourages it.