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Handbooks & Resources => Handbooks => Topic started by: Samwise on July 21, 2016, 03:04:46 PM

Title: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on July 21, 2016, 03:04:46 PM
Travel Magic

Or:

"You walk, I've got spell slots and wealth by level."

Travel Magic is that area of magic concerned with getting to the adventure while bypassing all of the annoying environmental hazards that DMs love to throw around to get you to waste combat resources, lost treasure, and otherwise fight the background rather than the BBEG. While a good amount of Travel Magic has direct combat applications, flying is always helpful, along with not having to use actions to recover equipment, such utility is not the focus of this handbook.

Spells versus Items

As with all magic, you can enhance your travel using either spell slots or magic items. The trade-off is simple:
Spells come back every day, but if the big fight happens at the wrong time you are out the power of those slots. While a 1st level slot for an endure elements is not that critical, losing a 7th level slot to have Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion ready for camping every night is much more significant.
Items requires WBL never being available for combat equipment. As noted above, there is some significant crossover, but Boots of Speed will do little to help you cross 100 miles of the Desert of Torment while Boots of the Unending Journey will get you to the fight nice and refreshed but do little unless you get hits by waves of exhaustion in the fight.

Budgeting between the two will depend a lot on the campaign and specific adventures. If you are going to be in the desert constantly, losing all of your 1st level slots to endure elements is going to become annoying, even at higher levels, so 2,500 gp for sandals of the shifting sands becomes an attractive investment.


Two Notes

This guide focuses on travel. As such, spells and items with durations less than 1 hour/level are not included. While great for combat they are not going to be much use getting you to the combat in the first place.

This guide will also focus on land and air travel. Sea travel is highly specialized, particularly expensive, and has an extensive subset of rules for combat. A few spells and items will be noted, but details will have to wait for an appendix.
Likewise planar travel involves significant additional rules and complications. A few options will be noted, but details will have to wait for another appendix.


Divination

Or,

"I'm not going to stop and ask a peasant for directions!"

The best travel enhancements are useless if you can't find the adventure location in the first place. If you don't want to bother maxing out Knowledge (geography) and Survival, you are going to need these spells sooner rather than later, particularly when "later" means losing yet another treasure laden mule and hireling to quicksand.

Spells
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Items
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Labor

Or;

"There are two kinds of people in this world; those with spells slots and those who dig. You dig."

Actually, nobody digs - that's what these spells are for. Running around camping out can be tiring, and sometimes burning a spell slot is the best way to get the job done.

Spells
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Items
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Shelter

Or,

"Welcome to the Hotel California."

While not getting rained on is the most direct aspect of shelter that comes to mind, the more critical function is providing a safe space to rest and memorize spells, so you can cast another shelter spell, so you can rest and memorize spells again, so . . .

Spells
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Items
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Containers

Or;

"Encumbrance? What's that?"

Magical containers are one of the more combat relevant areas of travel magic. A Heward's handy haversack is pretty much required for any successful adventurer.

Spells
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Items
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Food and Water

Or;

"Please sir, may I have some more?"

Starving on your way to the adventure is seriously uncool.
Starving on your way home is just plain wrong.
While the various magical containers will allow you to bring enough supplies to avoid such an unfortunate fate, there are a number of monsters that specialize in destroying or tainting supplies, so a renewable source may be useful. Besides, you may want that space in your bag of holding for more gold pieces.

Spells
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Items
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Comfort

Or;

"Are you happy to see me, or is it just cold?"

Starving on an adventure is bad.
Freezing is just silly.
A few simple spells or items can solve a ridiculously minor problem that DMs and environment sourcebook writers love to torment people with.

Spells
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Items
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Special Mention

Or;

"Spell 'miscellaneous'."

A few additional items for wandering about in the middle of nowhere.

Items
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Movement

Or;

"Are we there yet?"

This is the heart of Travel Magic. Once you've made sure you can find the place, have someone else to do the heavy lifting, can keep your gear save, won't get eaten in your sleep, won't starve, and won't freeze, you can finally get to actually getting somewhere. Hopefully you can survive what is waiting for you.

Spells
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Items
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Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: phaedrusxy on July 21, 2016, 03:56:56 PM
Phantom Steed is missing. It has a very high movement rate for a non-teleportation effect.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: eggynack on July 21, 2016, 05:24:13 PM
Snowshoes actually makes you faster all the time and in all contexts. Really sweet spell, strictly better than longstrider. Also, for movement speed buffs, the heart of X spells from complete mage mostly have movement abilities included, and primal speed from dragon magic has a boost to all movement speeds included. Other spells of interest include find the path, which accomplishes that task very well, and feathers from masters of the wild, which turns the whole party into small or smaller birds for hours.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on July 21, 2016, 10:48:41 PM
Phantom Steed is missing. It has a very high movement rate for a non-teleportation effect.

How the bleep did I miss phantom steed?

Where is the emoji for kicking myself?

Snowshoes actually makes you faster all the time and in all contexts. Really sweet spell, strictly better than longstrider. Also, for movement speed buffs, the heart of X spells from complete mage mostly have movement abilities included, and primal speed from dragon magic has a boost to all movement speeds included. Other spells of interest include find the path, which accomplishes that task very well, and feathers from masters of the wild, which turns the whole party into small or smaller birds for hours.

Missed that on snowshoes, I'll add a note on it. I agree, that makes it better than longstrider, as the basic version is creature touched.
I'll add in the heart spells and primal touch.
Not sure how I forgot find the path, that's as bad as forgetting phantom steed.
I'll check feathers.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: geniussavant on July 21, 2016, 10:53:36 PM
Does shadow walk count?
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on July 21, 2016, 11:04:04 PM
Shadow walk seems sort of 50/50:
It requires a connection to the Plane of Shadow.
And going on the Plane of Shadow may be more dangerous than the wilderness you were trying to bypass.

It does move you a lot faster though.

Should I add it in?
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Kethrian on July 22, 2016, 12:54:26 AM
Another item to add would be the Winged Mask (MoF p. 168).
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: eggynack on July 22, 2016, 02:24:45 AM
Missed that on snowshoes, I'll add a note on it. I agree, that makes it better than longstrider, as the basic version is creature touched.
I guess that's important too, but I meant more because snowshoes applies universally, rather than just to base land speed, and then you just happen to get snow travel bonuses. Also, no material component, which is rarely gonna be relevant, but it's kinda silly just how strictly better that spell is. It seems like they made a mistake, in not specifying that you have to be walking through snow to get the bonus, but if it's a mistake then it's one complete enough that the awesomeness of snowshoes is just part of the spell.

Edit: If I were not including shadow walk, it'd be more because it acts kinda teleportish than because it doesn't do its job.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: phaedrusxy on July 22, 2016, 09:32:24 AM
Shadow walk seems sort of 50/50:
It requires a connection to the Plane of Shadow.
And going on the Plane of Shadow may be more dangerous than the wilderness you were trying to bypass.

It does move you a lot faster though.

Should I add it in?
Yes.

Also, I've gotten great mileage out of a pair of Slippers of Spiderclimbing in one urban game I'm in. For the purposes of getting out of reach of those schlubs on the ground with their pointy sticks, it's 95% as good as flying in the right setting, but it's a LOT cheaper for an all-day effect.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on July 22, 2016, 12:57:21 PM
I wasn't thinking of shadow walk because it seems more extraplanar travel than "mundane" magical travel. (How's that for an oxymoron?)
If I put shadow walk in I would need a bunch of things like astral projection, etherealness, and various planar protections and survival spells.
Perhaps as an supplement?

For slippers of spider climbing, they are certainly fun (I had a player survive an old red dragon because of them one time), but they are only 10 minutes/day, and I was looking for long term travel options.

I will dig up winged mask and add it in.

And yeah, snowshoes versus longstrider looks like a major failure of editing. But . . . our gain!
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Endarire on September 19, 2016, 02:34:44 AM
Seriously considering making this a handbook?

Also, it would greatly help if you (the OP) bolded the spell name and source and didn't bold the effect.  This way, people could more easily distinguish and skim the article.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on September 20, 2016, 12:59:13 AM
Names and sources bolded.
(Naturally I completely forgot to keep the sources for the items when I was writing this.)

What would it need to be handbook level?

I've got the naval and planar supplements for items ready, spells for that would take a bunch more digging and review.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Endarire on September 20, 2016, 02:19:16 PM
Thankee, Sammy!  That's a lot easier to read!
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: eggynack on September 20, 2016, 06:06:27 PM
What would it need to be handbook level?
Dunno specifically, cause I doubt there are official lines, but you can generally express handbook additions as combinations of breadth and depth.So, you have this set of simple sentence long entries from a defined list of sets. You could expand the entries, as an example of simple depth, or you could add new entries or sets, as examples of simple breadth, and then it just goes from there.

So, for an example from my own doings, you could add an entry on wild shape, one a sentence long. Wild shape has movement modes, after all. You could expand that to a paragraph, because it's complex. You could start creating subentries devoted to forms with great movement, and expand those, and now you have a whole section. You could add entries for form adding feats and abilities, then turn those entries into sections populated with form entries Then you up the scale of those entries.

And then you start covering polymorph.

That's about how it went for me, at least. You do as much or as little of that as you want until you're satisfied, and maybe you call that a handbook. Maybe you're satisfied by what you have now, and consider that a handbook.If you aren't and don't though, the above is what I'd do.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Endarire on September 21, 2016, 01:24:28 AM
Agreed with Eggynack.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Kethrian on September 21, 2016, 02:30:45 AM
Few more items for movement: Sandals of Harmonious Balance (CAd pg 135), Cupric Brooch (Dragon Magic pg 100), Iyaringu of the Earth Dragon (Dragon Magic pg 102), Kuribune of the River Dragon (Dragon Magic pg 102), Opalescent Amulet (Dragon Magic pg 102), Sterling Collar (Dragon Magic pg 103)
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: eggynack on September 21, 2016, 03:24:36 AM
To give a bit of perspective on how deep you can go, now that I have access to my computer, the entry for snowshoes in my handbook runs 215 words, and things only become repetitive in the conclusion part near the end. The longstrider entry is shorter, at 92 words, but that's still many times larger than your entry. For a trip in the other direction, phantom stag has 290 words. Not to say that you should aim for that, because there's a ton of handbook styles out there, but there's a lot that can be said, even in places you wouldn't necessarily expect it. You can just about always go deeper. Right now I'm writing up an entry for evil weather from the book of vile darkness that's already 290 words before getting really into the impact of violet rain. And, despite that length, I could still make it longer by including really detailed entries, complete with ratings, for each of the five types of evil weather, and each entry would probably run somewhere in the average of all those other entry lengths, with a high end entry length for violet rain, and then something approximately entry sized to introduce evil rain as a general spell. I decided against it, because I felt that a lot of these weather majigs were pretty far on the low impact side, leaving a couple of potent ones that can fit in a paragraph alongside those shorter mentions, and then a segue into violet rain.

The whole thing is super long either way, but what's important is that it all fits into my personal notion of the topic. The idea underlying a handbook, then, is that this is all you'd want to know to deal with the topic in question. I think that a big paragraph about violet rain is something that people should know, but someone else might think that, "You get to produce some evil weather at what can be a high price. The effects are largely low-impact, but unique," is sufficient information, and they are right, in a sense. I think that, beyond whether you'd consider this a handbook by some crazy objective handbook metric, you should think about whether this is all that people should know about this form of travel, or travel in general. My version of the travel handbook might stretch on for a hundred pages, but that's not strictly better than a version that fits neatly on a few pages. Some really amazing works of fiction take up a small amount of space because it is compacted down to a perfected point. Handbooks can be the same way, catching your interest for a moment and leaving you with a bit of information. I guess my point is, if this is what you'd consider your travel based handbook, then go ahead.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on September 21, 2016, 04:21:47 PM
I've edited about half of it to contain more complete explanations of various spells and items.
I'll tackle the rest after a bit of a rest.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Soft Insanity on September 23, 2016, 12:21:38 AM
The first thing I looked for was "Lay of the Land".  It's the only spell I'm sure to cast in every game.
There's a few ways I've found to get artificer banned from games:
1. Natural Weapon Augmentation: Dislocator.  If I can find some ash, I can slap us out of this jail cell the DM is starting us in.  Feel free to add this as an extremely low level no-line of sight teleport.  Amazingly, not found in handbooks because nobody cares about infusions.  Games ended/booted from for this: 5.
2. Lay of the land.  Really, we're not lost.  I swear.  If you can't make a scroll of this, you'll just have to wait until level 2 and spell store it.  Running tally on games this has ended in the last few years: 3.  Mostly because we were supposed to be lost.
3. Of course Weapon Augmentation: Bane Weapon, but at level 3, it becomes Armor Augmentation: Bane Blind.  Bane Blind just ends encounters if you decide to scout, or are in a setting with a single type of enemy.  Sure it costs money in oil, but that's why you steal their loot as you pass through.  Haven't had a game end because of this alone, but I consider it bonkers strong.  So much so that I'm always afraid the DM will use it against me.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on September 30, 2016, 01:54:36 PM
I finished reformatting my stuff into (hopefully) more of a handbook form.
I tweaked a bunch of layout and division of items and added a few others (though not all the ones suggested).
I need to add a note about endure elements, which means scouring for similar spells, but I've been too life overwhelmed for that. (I'm even behind on my session planning :( )
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Vizzerdrix on October 04, 2016, 01:26:18 PM
Magic of Faeruns Travelers cloak is missing. 1200 gold gets you rations per day, a gallon of hot tea or cold water, a tent and endure elements vs. cold weather.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on October 19, 2016, 02:15:43 PM
I found a few more:

Lively Step and Tern's Persistence for spells.
Hand of the Mage and Uskura for items.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: SorO_Lost on October 19, 2016, 04:07:32 PM
More Shelters!
Tortoise Shell (magic of fr, 3rd): 5ft hemisphere weights 10lbs to you but 500lbs to everyone else, two medium creatures can sleep in it, you can til it up for cover in combat, or flip it outside down to use as a boat because it floats too. Spells like this remind you D&D is not just about combat.
Celestial Fortress (CoV, 4th): as secure shelter but but it's a deity themed for with consecrate and magic circle against evil.
Hidden Lodge (SpC, 5th): as secure shelter but dc 30 survival check to locate it that can only be made if you're within 30ft.
Expeditious Excavation (online (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20041022a), 7th): builds a hole in the ground, can be dismissed to bury everyone in the middle of the night.
Dune Tomb (online (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20020720a), 8th): you can bury your entire party underground and they don't need food/water. Plus you can choose who to release later ;)
Genesis (SRD, 9th): create your own pocket dimension you can't actually walk to without a gate.

Lost?
Guided Path (CM, 1st): find the desired npc shop.
Safety (SpC, 3rd): know the direction of a safe place and comes from manual of the planes so it specifically notes planar interactions and can be used to avoid certain planar problems (like forced healing or raining fireballs).

Getting There
Spiritual Chariot (SpC, 2nd): invincible chariot that has to be hooked to a special mount or it vanishes.
Mirror Walking (MotP, 5/7): jump into a mirror and travel to another, only random encounter is your evil mirror twin trying to kill you.
Cloud Chariot (CAr, 8th): pretty much what the name suggests, lasts 10 minutes but can cover 100 miles in that time.

It should be spelled FUNg Shui!
Clothier's Closet (EB:MoE, 2nd): conjure a fully stocked clothing rack that appears none magical for several hours.
Darsson's Fiery Furnace(s. south, 2nd): turn an area into an oven.
Nature's Rampart (SpC, 3rd): add a wall, or moat, around your home.
Leomund's Secret Chest (SRD, 5th): store stuff on the ethereal plane
Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound (SRD, 5th): every warm home needs a dog.
(Greater) Fantastic Machine (SpC, 6/9): build your own roomba.
Raise Volcano (online (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20031017a), 9th): every evil lair needs a volcano, this one lasts until your warforged incantatrix slave stops concentrating on it.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on October 20, 2016, 01:26:07 AM
Added the batch from Sor_0 except for mirror travel. (Which would go in the planar appendix.)

And . . . exceeded the post limit, so the original version now gets hidden here.

The original version:

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Necrosnoop110 on October 20, 2016, 09:52:09 AM
 :clap Nice work, all.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on August 14, 2017, 05:16:31 PM
Added two obscure items to the miscellaneous section, one with gratuitous abuse potential.
Added a bunch of commentary on the containers.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Nifft on October 11, 2017, 01:10:59 AM
One more item for consideration from a Far Corners article:

Quote
Treebed: A treebed looks (and functions) like an ordinary bedroll. If unrolled in the branches of a tree, though, it attaches to surrounding branches and the trunk in a manner similar to a hammock. A creature that sleeps in the treebed is protected from the elements (as if by endure elements) and remains dry and comfortable even in the most violent downpours. Finally, the treebed becomes warded with an alarm spell when so deployed.

Faint abjuration; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, alarm,endure elements; Price 2,750 gp; Weight 3 lb.

http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040919a
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: nijineko on October 11, 2017, 01:15:10 PM
Glove of storage has one more function that is of note: unlike the shrink spell it is based off of, it can affect and store magic items. This specific function was notably used in the immortality handbook (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=1179) as part of the process to one route to theoretical immortality. (The Steal Steel trick.)
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: awaken_D_M_golem on October 12, 2017, 05:38:38 PM
nifty pic for Travel Magic (or rather "magic")

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: snakeman830 on October 30, 2017, 11:30:52 PM
Since you mentioned Goggles of Day, why not Sundark Goggles from Races of the Dragon (p.123)?  They also solve the issue of Light Sensitivity (not Light Blindness, though) and also give a +2 bonus on saves vs. Gaze attacks.  Best part?  10GP and mundane.  This is actually an alchemical item, and as such nothing will stop it from functioning and it doesn't take an item slot.

Now, it does penalize you if you don't have low-light vision or Darkvision (-2 Search and Spot), but nobody with light sensitivity doesn't have one of those abilities.  Heck, if you're not playing a human or halfling, they're good pickups if you're dealing with foes that have gaze attacks frequently.  They also turn off your own gaze attacks, but this means you can tie up a medusa, slip a pair of these on them, and interrogate safely.  Circumstantial, but something to keep in mind.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Endarire on December 31, 2017, 02:16:44 AM
This is a guide I compiled for a Roll20 game I'm in (as of this writing) with lots of advice from this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?543910-As-a-pure-Druid-how-to-access-Teleport).  I made this guide with the intent of publishing it, but then I found Samwise's Travel Magic guide (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=17493.0)!

This post regards the group's ability to, indirectly or directly, get around the overworld and perhaps other places also at a speed notably faster than walking.

Only long-range abilities are included below. Normally, all party members must be affected for the party to benefit from that method.

I included certain select abilities available beyond that because they're likely useful to us eventually, but the 'available-by-level-12' was the focus.  (Most campaigns don't last past level 12 and if you do happen to have access to spell level 7+ abilities like gate, you probably don't need my advice on them here.)  I also purposely deemphasized abilities available to classes we lacked, such as a Wizard (as of this writing).

Remember, all [Good] characters in our group able to prepare and cast spells (meaning Clerics, Healers, Paladins, Archivists, and Wizards, and Druids of the appropriate alignment) can prepare and cast Sanctified spells.  Wizards can normally choose these spells at level up time (opposed schools aside), but Archivists normally need to find the spells before learning them.  (That's probably what the Archivist Scribe Scroll class feature was for, especially when used within your group.)

Remember also that prepared divine casters know all spells on their spell lists, and [Good] Clerics can spontaneous convert their prepared Cleric spells into Sanctified spells in addition to their normal conversion.

Many suggestions were considered from this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?543910-As-a-pure-Druid-how-to-access-Teleport (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?543910-As-a-pure-Druid-how-to-access-Teleport)).

[CREATE LANTERN ARCHON (LEVEL 3 SANCTIFIED SPELL)]
=Description: In short, make a Lantern Archon loyal to you that will help you for a little while. Lantern Archons can, AT WILL, use Greater Teleport on themselves to transport themselves and up to 50 pounds of gear. Stuff people in a Bag of Holding or Portable Hole and we have a flying, glowing taxi!

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/champions-of-valor--28/create-lantern-archon--307/index.html (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/champions-of-valor--28/create-lantern-archon--307/index.html)

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?473413-Abusing-quot-Create-Lantern-Archon-quot-spell-(for-world-domination (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?473413-Abusing-quot-Create-Lantern-Archon-quot-spell-(for-world-domination)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/restoration.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/restoration.htm)

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/sheltered-vitality--4158/index.html (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/sheltered-vitality--4158/index.html)

-Cons: d2 CON drain per use! Requires a Restoration spell (after), a Sheltered Vitality spell (before), or similar frequently to negate CON drain. Requires a Bag of Holding, Portable Hole, or similar for people to ride along. Lantern Archons are normally vulnerable creatures with 1d8 HP (though DR 10/Overcome by Magical Evil Weapons) and a bright glowing form, though with 60' fly (perfect maneuverability).  May also require a use of the Feathers spell or similar to fit a large party in a Heward's Handy Haversack.

+Pros: Instant, error-free warping anywhere on our current plane! If we had magical containers, we could be doing this right now, just judiciously due to the CON drain.

[DRUIDIC ANIMAL COMPANION (DIRE EAGLE)]
=Description: A Druid acquires a Dire Eagle (Races of Stone 186) animal companion, a Large creature with 60' fly speed that can take the feat Improved Maneuverability for (good) maneuverability to be able to hover.

-Cons: Requires a day. People may mourn the loss of the previous companion.

+Pros: This form can carry 399 pounds initially as a light load and more as her master levels. She has comparable stats to her Riding Dog form plus claw/claw/bite but without auto-trip attempts on hit.

[DRUIDIC WILD SHAPE (FLYING FORMS)]
=Description: A Druid shapeshifts into a flying form for 1 hour per level. He can become a Medium creature at level 5 and Large creature at level 8.

-Cons: Only transports a small number of people at a time besides the user. A Medium form could transport 1 Small creature easily or 2 Small creatures if they squeezed. A Large form could

transport 1 Medium or 2 small creatures easily or 2 Medium creatures if they squeezed.

+Pros: Doesn't require spell slots. Lasts most or all of the traveling period of a day. Can't be dispelled.

[ETHEREAL MOUNT (LEVEL 4 BARD AND WIZARD SPELL)]
=Description: Summons 1 Phantom Steed and 1 more per 2 caster levels. Each steed is super fast (20' move speed per caster level, max 240'), and, with a high enough caster level, can Water

Walk, Air Walk, and fly (average maneuverability).

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/ethereal-mount--4461/index.html (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/ethereal-mount--4461/index.html)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/phantomSteed.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/phantomSteed.htm)

-Cons: 10 minute casting time. Each steed is fairly weak (18 AC and about 20 max HP)..

+Pros: Each steed is frickin' FAST! A 240' speed means moving 380 miles per 8 hours or 47.5 miles per hour. We could cross the island of Nymm in a day or two with that, assuming we could manage top speed for most of each day. And a Shadowcraft Mage feels useful for using Shadowcraft Mage3's Shadow Illusion ability to get us these mounts.

[FEATHERS (LEVEL 4 DRUID SPELL)]
=Description: Turn 1 willing creature per caster level into a feathered, winged Animal of Small or smaller size (usually an Eagle for 80' fly (average maneuverability) or a Hawk to fit more party members in a Bag of Holding or Heward's Handy Haversack).

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/masters-of-the-wild-a-guidebook-to-barbarians-druids-and-rangers--44/feathers--1925/ (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/masters-of-the-wild-a-guidebook-to-barbarians-druids-and-rangers--44/feathers--1925/)

-Cons: These forms are not meant for combat and are unclear on if they allow casting.

+Pros: Party-wide aerial travel form for an hour per caster level!  Alleluia!  Flight speed is increasable with Mass Snowshoes, Cloud Wings, Heart of Air, Wind at Back, and others.

[GREATER PLANE SHIFT (LEVEL 7 CLERIC & LEVEL 8 WIZARD SPELL)]
=Description: Warp the group from our current planar position to another plane.  If the caster has been to the destination before, on-target arrival is guaranteed instead of landing 5d100 miles away.

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/plane-shift-greater--4638/ (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/plane-shift-greater--4638/)

-Cons: Very inaccurate unless the caster has been there before.

+Pros: Mostly useful for escaping the current plane to a place the caster has already visited.

[LESSER PLANAR ALLY (LEVEL 4 CLERIC SPELL)]
=Description: Call a LG Outsider of 6 HD or less (most likely a Lantern Archon or Hound Archon) to serve us.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planarAllyLesser.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planarAllyLesser.htm)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/archon.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/archon.htm)

-Cons: 100 EXP cost per casting. Still requires a Bag of Holding or Portable Hole. Creatures called normally require a monetary payment or quest for services (a minimum of 100G per HD of the called creature for tasks requiring at most 1 minute per caster level), though the called creature may decide that stopping [Evil] and cultists by warping people around (including people who want to stop this [Evil] and may worship a rival of this [Evil] worthy of a discount or free services. Using Lantern Archons has the same cons as listed above in the Create Lantern Archon spell. Using Hound Archons means we have better warriors (6 HD, 33 HP, and other abilities) and no obviously glowing light, but no inherent flight.

+Pros: Instant, error-free warping anywhere on our current plane! No CON drain.

[ETHEREAL MOUNT (LEVEL 4 BARD AND WIZARD SPELL)]
=Description: Summons 1 Phantom Steed and 1 more per 2 caster levels. Each steed is super fast (20' move speed per caster level, max 240'), and, with a high enough caster level, can Water Walk, Air Walk, and fly (average maneuverability).

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/ethereal-mount--4461/index.html (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/ethereal-mount--4461/index.html)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/phantomSteed.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/phantomSteed.htm)

-Cons: 10 minute casting time. Each steed is fairly weak (18 AC and about 20 max HP)..

+Pros: Each steed is frickin' FAST! A 240' speed means moving 380 miles per 8 hours or 47.5 miles per hour. We could cross the island of Nymm in a day or two with that, assuming we could manage top speed for most of each day. And a Shadowcraft Mage3 can feel special for using his Shadow Illusion ability to produce these mounts.

[MASTER EARTH (LEVEL 7 DRUID SPELL)]
=Description: Warps the caster instantly between any 2 points on the ground on the Material Plane.

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/master-earth--4545/index.html (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/master-earth--4545/index.html)

-Cons: Self-only.  Material Plane only.  The start and end points must touch the ground.

+Pros: Instant, errorless teleport-like ability that isn't blocked by dimensional lock and similar teleport blockers.  The caster can carry others in a Handy Haversack or such, especially with the feathers spell.

[PHANTOM STAG (LEVEL 5 DRUID SPELL)]
=Description: Summon a phantom deer (similar in effect to phantom steeds or ethereal mounts, above) for 1 hour per caster level with similar caster-level granted abilities to phantom steeds

(Air Walk, flight, etc.), but at later caster levels; however, despite moving at 20' per caster level (max 300'), phantom stags have more HP than phantom steeds.

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/complete-divine--56/phantom-stag--652/index.html (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/complete-divine--56/phantom-stag--652/index.html)

-Cons: Requires a level 5 Druid spell slot for one of these instead of a level 4 Wizard or Bard spell slot for more of these.  Gets its special abilities at later caster levels than phantom steeds.

+Pros: Druids get it automatically.  More HP than phantom steeds.  Higher max speed than phantom steeds (300' move instead of 240').

[PLANAR ALLY (LEVEL 6 CLERIC SPELL)]
=Description: Call a LG Outsider of 12 HD or less (most likely a Trumpet Archon) to serve us.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planarAlly.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planarAlly.htm)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/archon.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/archon.htm)

-Cons: 250 EXP cost per casting. Still requires a Bag of Holding or Portable Hole. Creatures called normally require a monetary payment or quest for services (a minimum of 100G per HD of the called creature for tasks requiring at most 1 minute per caster level), though the called creature may decide that stopping [Evil] and cultists by warping people around (including people who want to stop this [Evil] and may worship a rival of this [Evil] worthy of a discount or free services. Using Trumpet Archons means they have 90' flight (good maneuverability), and notably better stats than Hound or Lantern Archons, but normally charge more in tribute.

+Pros: Instant, error-free warping anywhere on our current plane! No CON drain. A variety of blowing- and wind-related jokes.

[PLANE SHIFT (LEVEL 5 CLERIC & LEVEL 7 WIZARD SPELL)]
=Description: Warp the group from our current planar position to another plane.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planeShift.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planeShift.htm)

-Cons: Very inaccurate.

+Pros: Mostly useful for escaping the current plane (probably the Material Plane) and likely using another fast travel ability to get to our next destination.

[SHADOW WALK (LEVEL 5 BARD & LEVEL 6 BEGUILER AND WIZARD SPELL)]
=Description: For up to 1 hour per caster level, walk in the Plane of Shadow at speeds faster than the Material Plane (that is, 50 miles per hour).

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowWalk.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowWalk.htm)

-Cons: Somewhat inaccurate. We may be stuck going way out of our way. Available at level 12 at soonest for Beguilers.

+Pros: Works regardless of local terrain. Isn't a [Teleportation] spell. Can take along 1 creature per caster level so long as they hold hands.

[STORMWALK (LEVEL 6 DRUID AND WIZARD SPELL]
=Description: Teleports the caster and 1 other creature per 2 caster levels to another spot on the same plane. Takes 10 minutes to warp the affected creatures. Seemingly only works outside or in a place large enough to hold a thunderstorm.

https://dndtools.net/spells/stormwrack--87/stormwalk--3337/ (https://dndtools.net/spells/stormwrack--87/stormwalk--3337/)

-Cons: 10 minute delay in arrival. Only works in large areas

+Pros: Druidic teleport! Can transport more creatures than teleport.

[TELEPORT (LEVEL 5 WIZARD SPELL) AND PSIONIC TELEPORT (LEVEL 5 FREEDOM MANTLE & PSION (NOMAD) POWER]
=Description: Warp the group from point to another on the same plane within 100 miles per caster level.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/teleportPsionic.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/teleportPsionic.htm)

-Cons: Sometimes inaccurate.  Can be blocked by Dimensional Lock, Dimensional Anchor, and certain Teleport blockers.  Only transports the caster and 1 additional Medium or littler creature per 3 caster/manifester levels. Keep Feather Fall handy just in case we have a mishap and warp into midair.

+Pros: Generally accurate enough. Instant warping of hundreds of miles at a time!  Available in item form via a Runestaff of Transporation (Magic Item Compendium 182), a Belt of Wide Earth (Magic Item Compendium 204), or similar.  Available in feat form as a 1/day spell-like ability via Fiendish Legacy (Complete Mage 43) and Greater Mark of Passage (Eberron Campaign Setting 65).  Available in template form via Phrenic at 15 hit dice (Expanded Psionics handbook 206).  Available in class form via Jaunter3 (Expedition to the Demonweb Pits 172).

[TRANSPORT VIA PLANTS (LEVEL 6 DRUID SPELL)]
=Description: Warp the group from one plant (not a Plant creature) to another on the same plane.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/transportViaPlants.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/transportViaPlants.htm)

-Cons: Some places on Nymm have no plants. Only transports the caster and 1 additional Medium creature per 3 caster levels.

+Pros: Instant, error-free warping anywhere on our current plane that has plants!

[TREE STRIDE (LEVEL 5 DRUID & LEVEL 4 RANGER SPELL)]
=Description: Warp the group from one tree (not a Plant creature) to another on the same plane over and over until time runs out or we reach our destination.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/treeStride.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/treeStride.htm)

-Cons: Only works when trees are close enough together (between 500 and 3000 feet depending on tree type).  Only transports the caster.  Other spells available by this point are probably much better.

+Pros: Incrementally hop between trees for spying and transport purposes.

[VALIANT STEED (LEVEL 6 SANCTIFIED SPELL)]
=Description: Call a Unicorn (or a Pegasus, but that won't work as well) to serve the caster loyally for a year.  A Unicorn can Teleport Errorlessly within its forest home.

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/book-of-exalted-deeds--52/valiant-steed--34/ (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/book-of-exalted-deeds--52/valiant-steed--34/)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/teleportGreater.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/teleportGreater.htm)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/unicorn.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/unicorn.htm)

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/sheltered-vitality--4158/index.html (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/sheltered-vitality--4158/index.html)

-Cons: d3 CON drain.  (Use Sheltered Vitality on the caster before casting!)  Limited to 1 at a time and 1 warp per Unicorn per day and only within a forested area.

+Pros: Doesn't require magical storage containers.  The Unicorn lasts for a year.

[WIND AT BACK (LEVEL 4 DRUID SPELL)]
=Description: Doubles the overland speed of 1 creature per caster level, including mounts and animals.

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/wind-at-back--4771/ (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/wind-at-back--4771/)

-Cons: Only works on dedicated travel times and only for whomever travels together.

+Pros: It can affect the same number of subjects as feathers.  And doubled speed is doubled speed!

[WORD OF RECALL (LEVEL 6 CLERIC & LEVEL 8 DRUID SPELL)]
=Description: Warps the caster and 1 Medium or littler creature per 3 caster levels to the caster's 'sanctuary' where he prepared this spell.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wordOfRecall.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wordOfRecall.htm)

-Cons: Very specific destination.

+Pros: Useful for warping home/to a safe place or to a certain other very familiar place should we need it.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Endarire on December 31, 2017, 02:23:38 AM
I also made a food & drink guide for our group, again before realizing Samwise's guide existed.  It too emphasizes abilities usable no later than level 12.

[ALL]
-Gather (especially berries)
-Hunt (if it's alive - not Undead - and meaty, it likely counts)

[BARD OR WIZARD]
-[L0] Prestidigitation (clean and reflavor food)

[CLERIC]
-[L0] Create Water (makes 2 gallons of clean water per caster level)
-[L3] Create Food & Water (makes enough food and water for 3 Medium creatures or 1 horse- ask your GM if this is total or per caster level)
**[L4] Lesser Planar Ally: MOVANIC DEVA (Create Food and Water AT WILL!; Fiend Folio 57)**

[CRAFTING]
-[Craft] Everlasting Rations (each set provides ample food for 1 Medium creature each day; each set requires 1 day and 14 EXP to craft; Magic Item Compendium 160)
-[Craft] Field Provisions Box (provides ample food and drink per day for 15 Medium creatures; Magic Item Compendium 160)

[DRUID]
-[L0] Create Water (makes 2 gallons of clean water per caster level)
-[L3] Camel's Tenacity (for 1 day per 3 caster levels, 1 subject per caster level need not eat nor drink)
-[Survival] Druids get bonuses to these and, assuming no one put ranks in Survival, would likely be ones with the highest Survival skill.

[HEALER]
-[L0] Create Water (makes 2 gallons of clean water per caster level)
-[L1] Goodberry (requires freshly-picked berries; each casting makes 2d4 berries; each berry is 1 Medium meal)
-[L3] Create Food & Water (makes enough food and water for 3 Medium creatures)
-[L5] Stone to Flesh (makes a 3' x 10' cylinder of stone into edible flesh)
-[L6] Heroes' Feast (makes a feast for 1 creature per caster level; requires 1 hour to consume; eaters get d8 temporary HP +1 per 2 caster levels and are removed of sickness, disease, and nausea; eaters get poison immunity, fear immunity, and +1 morale accuracy & damage for 12 hours)
-[?] All other abilities to be disclosed.

[SUMMONS]
-Fire Elemental (living campfire and cooker)
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: phaedrusxy on January 03, 2018, 01:28:39 PM
Just quoting this for emphasis. This is a way to access an incredibly powerful travel option at a level much lower than typical/intended.
[CREATE LANTERN ARCHON (LEVEL 3 SANCTIFIED SPELL)]
=Description: In short, make a Lantern Archon loyal to you that will help you for a little while. Lantern Archons can, AT WILL, use Greater Teleport on themselves to transport themselves

and up to 50 pounds of gear. Stuff people in a Bag of Holding or Portable Hole and we have a flying, glowing taxi! (Ask Alustran and Myrza if they have a spare Bag of Holding or Portable

Hole or know how to easily acquire one quickly.)

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/champions-of-valor--28/create-lantern-archon--307/index.html (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/champions-of-valor--28/create-lantern-archon--307/index.html)

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?473413-Abusing-quot-Create-Lantern-Archon-quot-spell-(for-world-domination (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?473413-Abusing-quot-Create-Lantern-Archon-quot-spell-(for-world-domination)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/restoration.htm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/restoration.htm)

http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/sheltered-vitality--4158/index.html (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/spell-compendium--86/sheltered-vitality--4158/index.html)

-Cons: d2 CON drain per use! Requires a Restoration spell (after), a Sheltered Vitality spell (before), or similar frequently to negate CON drain. Requires a Bag of Holding, Portable Hole,

or similar for people to ride along. Lantern Archons are normally vulnerable creatures with 1d8 HP (though DR 10/Overcome by Magical Evil Weapons) and a bright glowing form, though with 60'

fly (perfect maneuverability).

+Pros: Instant, error-free warping anywhere on our current plane! If we had magical containers, we could be doing this right now, just judiciously due to the CON drain.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Endarire on January 08, 2018, 05:00:19 PM
Thankee, Samwise, for the highlight!

I updated the previous post with better spacing and removed more campaign-specific terminology.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Endarire on January 17, 2018, 05:11:13 AM
Fix your link code in the Shelter spell section.  You have a stray URL or /URL somewhere.
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on January 29, 2018, 11:38:34 PM
Fixed.
(Missing a pair of / to end url and another pair to end bolding.)
Title: Re: Travel Magic
Post by: Samwise on March 02, 2019, 03:51:04 PM
Added safe clearing for people who like rangers.