Mass movement and time [Archive] - Wizards Community

Mass movement and time [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Jaselarethin
04-30-08, 12:33 AM Question: Moving 1000 (men, women children on foot) people across variant terrain. How long would it take to:
1. Break camp and get the mob moving from front to back?
2. Travel 20 miles?
3. Stop the front of the column to camp and catch the rear up?
4. Set up camp from the arrival of the front till the rear was ready to sleep?
5. Move the 1000 100 miles.
Stigger
04-30-08, 01:43 AM As long as the DM needs it to take is the obvious answer... doubtful anyone could really answer the question though, since it depends on a lot of specific factors that aren't known. What time do they rise, what time do they stop, how organized are they, and all those little questions that make this a virtually impossible question to answer. I'm not being a smart arse here, but you have to consider some people are going to think of the group as organized and efficient, others are going to see them as strung out and disorganized, others as something in between. Personally, I'd suggest using the PHBs rules on overland movement as your baseline and going from there.
Lord Karsus
04-30-08, 10:21 AM -There are too many variables and not enough information to give an actual answer, other than Stiggers' "As long as the DM needs it to take".
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
04-30-08, 12:39 PM Agreed, unless someone here wants to take up the mathematical challenge posed by this hypothetical situation (I certainly don't!).
Lord Karsus
04-30-08, 12:47 PM Agreed, unless someone here wants to take up the mathematical challenge posed by this hypothetical situation (I certainly don't!).

-I was thinking about it at first, but, like I said, there actually isn't enough information to do even that. I mean, is everyone running? Is it a quick pace? A slow and steady pace? Is everyone moving at the same speed? And so on and so forth.
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
04-30-08, 12:48 PM Yeah, and what exactly is "variant terrain", for the purposes of this situation? That would need to be defined.
OrderofUhlrik
04-30-08, 01:57 PM Simple idea is to take a historical example of a march. Like the Chinese Communist march to scape Chang Kai-Shek or a "quick march" of an army, and use that as a logical jumping point. If you use the "quick march" approach, triple or quadruple the time or possibly more depending on what you want. If you're the DM. Find a logical starting point and then tweak as needed. No need for math really.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jaselarethin 04-30-08, 12:33 AM	Question: Moving 1000 (men, women children on foot) people across variant terrain. How long would it take to: 1. Break camp and get the mob moving from front to back? 2. Travel 20 miles? 3. Stop the front of the column to camp and catch the rear up? 4. Set up camp from the arrival of the front till the rear was ready to sleep? 5. Move the 1000 100 miles.
Stigger 04-30-08, 01:43 AM	As long as the DM needs it to take is the obvious answer... doubtful anyone could really answer the question though, since it depends on a lot of specific factors that aren't known. What time do they rise, what time do they stop, how organized are they, and all those little questions that make this a virtually impossible question to answer. I'm not being a smart arse here, but you have to consider some people are going to think of the group as organized and efficient, others are going to see them as strung out and disorganized, others as something in between. Personally, I'd suggest using the PHBs rules on overland movement as your baseline and going from there.
Lord Karsus 04-30-08, 10:21 AM	-There are too many variables and not enough information to give an actual answer, other than Stiggers' "As long as the DM needs it to take".
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 04-30-08, 12:39 PM	Agreed, unless someone here wants to take up the mathematical challenge posed by this hypothetical situation (I certainly don't!).
Lord Karsus 04-30-08, 12:47 PM	Agreed, unless someone here wants to take up the mathematical challenge posed by this hypothetical situation (I certainly don't!). -I was thinking about it at first, but, like I said, there actually isn't enough information to do even that. I mean, is everyone running? Is it a quick pace? A slow and steady pace? Is everyone moving at the same speed? And so on and so forth.
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 04-30-08, 12:48 PM	Yeah, and what exactly is "variant terrain", for the purposes of this situation? That would need to be defined.
OrderofUhlrik 04-30-08, 01:57 PM	Simple idea is to take a historical example of a march. Like the Chinese Communist march to scape Chang Kai-Shek or a "quick march" of an army, and use that as a logical jumping point. If you use the "quick march" approach, triple or quadruple the time or possibly more depending on what you want. If you're the DM. Find a logical starting point and then tweak as needed. No need for math really.