How far a horse travels in one day

[kortleggur]

In your last post, your comment Special surface is also interesting. is particularly germane. I don't think we ever encountered a travel time table anywhere that took into consideration the aa lava beds you showed (Icelandic: Apalhraun) or the more crossable pahoehoe lava fields (Icelandic: Helluhraun) in your comparison.

For our project group, it's great that you posted this, because to make our future Jörðgarð campaign setting accessory The Northeast, which will include Miðgarð, Ásgarð and Tröllheim, it will be necessary to include aa lava beds (Aphalraun) and pahoehoe (Helluhraun) lava fields. We hadn't considered that yet, and perhaps wouldn't have given it proper consideration at all. So your posting already has been helpful.

That poses some questions. I've never walked through an aa lava field (Aphalraun), nor do I known anyone who has, but your photo is impressive. Based upon the picture, I would guess that if a PC party had to cross such a lava field, it would have to leave pack animals and riding horses behind. This doesn't look like the kind of terrain through which one could lead a horse on foot. Is that assumption correct?

I also wonder with what tempo a PC party could cross this lava field. Based only upon the photo, I would guess that a party on foot could cross - at the very most - about 5% of the distance in a given time frame that it could on a flat, level road. You estimate it at 25%. How about saying more about why your figure is so seemingly generous.

The Apalhraun.

Out first variable is the age of the lava. At one time I was walking over to hot lava and the bottoms of my walking shoes began to melt.
As time sets in, moss and other growth will start to form on top of the lava.

Young Apalhraun is sharp and the it will eat up the footwear in only few days, boots that was suppose lo last months if not years. But this is also tempered by the overgrowth.

Near settlements there are paths that have been made in the lava fields, by walking on the same surface repeatedly, the sharpness is dulled down to a point that even horses can be lead on them paths without harm to there feet. Also here toe overgrowth will make it all easier.

The lava is usually relatively flat even if the top layer is fussy and sharp.

There are often ways around young lava on older lava with moss and other good things on top.

Walking on thick moss can be boring as you sink into the soft moss.

So travel speed is dependent upon many factors regarding the age of the AApal-lava

[kortleggur]

You estimate it at 25%. How about saying more about why your figure is so seemingly generous.

Well, my system only has 3 penalty groups for travel -25%, -50% and -75%, but these penalties will add up on top of each other, As the adding of penalties adds complexity therefore the system has to be simple in the beginning. As a GM if I choose to have settlement nearby then I will reduce the penalty down to 50% because of all the paths. But then there is the addition of Hills or Mountains as lava is often on the mountains. that will give 93,75% or 95% penalty (if I keep it in the 5% breakages)

So AA lava on a mountain -93,75%
and AA lava on a mountain in a storm -98,44%

[Mark Oliva]

Great. The last two postings make clear why the 25% figure and, also, that it probably is a pretty good figure.

Next question: One assumes that the jötnar with their added weight might crush those fussy sharp spots as they cross them, so would you give a jötunn a bonus against the penalty?

(You're already excused if you don't take that question too seriously.)

Bless!

[kortleggur]

Some easy travel time on home made maps, (no training, easy speed)

Manor/dungeon (sq): 20 sq/min
Town (sq): 3 sq/min
Municipality (hex): 1 min per hex
Province (hex): 3 hex/hour (15 hex/day for ready deployment of an Army)
Kingdom (hex): 2 hours per hex (4 hex/day for ready deployment of an Army)
Empire (sq): 1 week/sq for supplies, 2 weeks/sq for ready deployment of an Army

[kortleggur]

Next question: One assumes that the jötnar with their added weight might crush those fussy sharp spots as they cross them, so would you give a jötunn a bonus against the penalty?

Jötunn... here is one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6r%C3%B0 it is the Earth it self.

The brothers Ægir, Logi and Kári were also Jötnar, thay are representatives of the water, fire and wind. I believe Jörð to be there sister, witch makes them kin to the Thunder god Þór, as Jörð is his Mother, she had him with Óðin as a father.

To manifest the forces of nature as giants that walk the surface of the Alpahraun...

I would rule as a GM that they do not disturb the ground they walk on, as their shoes have magical powers that allow them to travel fast on the ground with little penalty. They are also larger and that will also give them more speed in overland travel without the use of their magic.

Here is one of the Þursar Surtur...

Sutr ferr sunnan
með sviga lævi:
skinn af sverði
sól valtiva

... https://books.google.is/books?id=BGc...=surtr&f=false

Jötnar are naturally good with nature, they merge well with nature and do not disturb it unless it is there will to change it in some way.

but there are so many variables... It simply boils down to a comparison to the Tolkien world. Jötunn would be something like like the Ainur and Þurs would be something like the Maia.

vertu sæll í kvöld

[Nim Tara]

Oh finally! The answers to my questions! My friend and I struggled with this problem years ago, while writing a story about Robin Hood. Now These will be more useful for my book!!! Thanks!!!

[Peter 67]

This whole thread has now saved me weeks of mental torture as I was about to start researching this very subject.

[Midgardsormr]

Oh good, then you can turn your attention to "How far a clipper ship travels in one day."

[Mark Oliva]

Oh good, then you can turn your attention to "How far a clipper ship travels in one day."

That's a problem again. Are you talking about a clipper with sails or are you taking a more historical perspective and are referring to a PanAm Clipper? I can assure you, the differences in travel time will be HUGE! Let us start calculating. Kortleggur, do we have to build in any modifiers (for one clipper, the other or both) if the local eldfjall happens to be blowing its top?

Forward, onward and upward!

[Azélor]

Oh good, then you can turn your attention to "How far a clipper ship travels in one day."

Wikipedia states it could be 30 km/h in the best possible conditions. He can maintain that speed as long as he remains in the trade-winds. Apparently the record is 41 km/h but only for a short moment. Otherwise it depends on the winds. Apparently, the average speed of the Trade-winds is about 25-30 kmph. Navigation in the Doldrums and the Horses latitudes is usually very slow since the winds are weak.

Anyone knows the speed of the Westerlies and the Polar Easterlies ?