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Distance on Baator

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Cyriss
Mar 07, 2004 6:26:15 I'm running the Fires of Dis module and I'm trying to figure out how far PC's would be travelling on the first layer of Baator. They are supposed to go from Darkspine to Tiamats Lair.

The funny thing is that the locations on the map of Baator from the Planes of Law Box Set are different from the map in Fires of Dis (I figure I got peeled with the box set map).

So how far is it in miles (or feet) from Darkspine, crossing over the River Styx and the Maggot Pit to Tiamats Lair? Or is this a detail that I need to just make up myself as DM?
#2
ripvanwormer
Mar 07, 2004 7:00:20 The Outer Planes aren't measured in miles or feet. They're made of belief and souls, rather than space or matter.

How fast you can travel in Baator specifically is determined by whether or not you've found one of the mysterious, contradictory paths that line it. Sometimes getting someplace means traveling in the opposite direction, or giving up part of yourself, or accepting some "truth" of evil, or turning left every three turns. In short, traveling through Baator is exactly like trying to navigate one of the twisting, fiendishly clever contracts the baatezu write.

If you don't have a baatezu guide, it's going to take a long time. If you convince a baatezu to show you the way (but at what price?) it might take no time at all.

That's why none of the maps in Planescape products have scales. Distance is always measured in travel time, rather than space. The distance between any two points is potentially infinite, but travel times are almost always finite. Travel is more a state of mind than a state of your legs.
#3
Cyriss
Mar 07, 2004 15:32:51 Well I know the Players Guide to Law has the info suggesting travel time. It mentions age can determin the days it takes to travel.

But ok, knowing that you might have to not think about the trip, pay a guide more jink, or whatever other methods are used to travel faster....how do you come up with how long it actually takes? I guess that's what I'm really asking.

I mean, if I turned left every 3 turns or pay a guide more jink, that's great to know, but how long would it then take to get from point A to point B? As DM do I just make up how many days travel will take that trip?
#4
kilamar
Mar 07, 2004 15:57:39
Originally posted by Cyriss
As DM do I just make up how many days travel will take that trip?

You got it.

Kilamar
#5
ripvanwormer
Mar 07, 2004 20:55:25 It's a matter of the needs of the adventure, more than anything. Travel shouldn't be too easy, but it shouldn't be boring, either.

So yeah, make it up.
#6
Cyriss
Mar 07, 2004 21:48:33 Thanks guys. It's been years since I DMed PS and I didn't remember if I made it up or if I used some official guidelines.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Cyriss Mar 07, 2004 6:26:15	I'm running the Fires of Dis module and I'm trying to figure out how far PC's would be travelling on the first layer of Baator. They are supposed to go from Darkspine to Tiamats Lair. The funny thing is that the locations on the map of Baator from the Planes of Law Box Set are different from the map in Fires of Dis (I figure I got peeled with the box set map). So how far is it in miles (or feet) from Darkspine, crossing over the River Styx and the Maggot Pit to Tiamats Lair? Or is this a detail that I need to just make up myself as DM?
#2 ripvanwormer Mar 07, 2004 7:00:20	The Outer Planes aren't measured in miles or feet. They're made of belief and souls, rather than space or matter. How fast you can travel in Baator specifically is determined by whether or not you've found one of the mysterious, contradictory paths that line it. Sometimes getting someplace means traveling in the opposite direction, or giving up part of yourself, or accepting some "truth" of evil, or turning left every three turns. In short, traveling through Baator is exactly like trying to navigate one of the twisting, fiendishly clever contracts the baatezu write. If you don't have a baatezu guide, it's going to take a long time. If you convince a baatezu to show you the way (but at what price?) it might take no time at all. That's why none of the maps in Planescape products have scales. Distance is always measured in travel time, rather than space. The distance between any two points is potentially infinite, but travel times are almost always finite. Travel is more a state of mind than a state of your legs.
#3 Cyriss Mar 07, 2004 15:32:51	Well I know the Players Guide to Law has the info suggesting travel time. It mentions age can determin the days it takes to travel. But ok, knowing that you might have to not think about the trip, pay a guide more jink, or whatever other methods are used to travel faster....how do you come up with how long it actually takes? I guess that's what I'm really asking. I mean, if I turned left every 3 turns or pay a guide more jink, that's great to know, but how long would it then take to get from point A to point B? As DM do I just make up how many days travel will take that trip?
#4 kilamar Mar 07, 2004 15:57:39	Originally posted by Cyriss As DM do I just make up how many days travel will take that trip? You got it. Kilamar
#5 ripvanwormer Mar 07, 2004 20:55:25	It's a matter of the needs of the adventure, more than anything. Travel shouldn't be too easy, but it shouldn't be boring, either. So yeah, make it up.
#6 Cyriss Mar 07, 2004 21:48:33	Thanks guys. It's been years since I DMed PS and I didn't remember if I made it up or if I used some official guidelines.