We're at the beginning of Kingmaker's second book, and the land is becoming quite large. Going from an end to the other of the map gets more and more time consuming.
We have horses that could go at a 50 ft. base speed, but we're slowed by a Halfling's mount that moves at 40 ft.
Looking at the Horseshoes of Speed, the price is too high to waste on all our mounts (3000 gp each, for seven PCs), or even four horses pulling carts in couples.
Are there any other reliable means of fast travel that wouldn't overkill our treasury?
Why are your horses moving so slow? A Pony has a 40ft move speed and at medium-heavy load should still be moving at 30ft.
Hand wave. Poof! Time has passed and you are at you're destination.
Why are your horses moving so slow? A Pony has a 40ft move speed and at medium-heavy load should still be moving at 30ft.
Sorry, I meant 50 ft. and 40 ft., no idea why I wrote that, but now I edited.
The pony is exactly what's slowing us down.Hand wave. Poof! Time has passed and you are at you're destination.
It's not like we play every second of in-game time...
But days pass, seasons pass, weather hazards come, and the more days on the road, the more potential bad encounters.
Nothing like airship travel
Capture two elk and breed a baby Elk.
Have Halfling ride the elk. Its base speed is 50.
Go for a native River elk and it even gains a swim speed of 30ft.
This is a non-magical solution.
Is there a rule that a small character can't ride a large creature?
Flying carpets are good.
If they won't spend 3,000gp per character for magic horsehoes, I doubt they'll spend 15,000gp per character for flying carpets.
If it has to be a pony, is buying magic horseshoes just for him an acceptable option?
In Kingmaker, building a road is an option.
Phantom steed and its communal version
For stylish group transport Phantom chariot. Speed of 100 at CL10.
If you have a druid, let him change to behemoth hippo and cast longstrider, 60ft move while carrying the whole party.
Or he can take deinonychus form and carry just the halfling.
Natures paths speeds up your travel if you lack flying options.
And yeah, why can't the halfling use a horse?
I was also going to suggest Nature's Paths. For the cost of a single low level spell slot, it may solve your problem (assuming a high enough caster level to affect your whole party).
If they won't spend 3,000gp per character for magic horsehoes, I doubt they'll spend 15,000gp per character for flying carpets.
That would be per as many characters as would fit.
60,000gp is for a carpet that can take four people. 15,000gp per character is the minimum price. With seven people, you'd probably need two of those carpets, which is over 17,000gp per character
Store him in your bag of holding
Hire a 9th level wizard
Is there a rule that a small character can't ride a large creature?
Small creatures can ride large creatures, except that they can not use the Fast Mount or Dismount option of the ride skin.
So, relevant tactically but irrelevant with overland transport.
It's a magic carpet without actually having to buy a magic carpet.
Plus, my DM takes great joy in destroying my flying carpets. Strangely, I've been able to fit an unlimited number of mundane carpets in my Bag of holding without actually paying for them. :-)
Phantom Chariot is fun too. Like Phantom Steed for a group.
We still have access to 3rd level spells only, and can't have our Wizard fill all his slots with Phantom Steeds or do similar things.
Nature's Paths looked nice at first, but the 8 hours duration reeks of bad design. Who travels for 8 hours straight? During days of full travel, we have a break of at least two hours around noon to eat and rest.
I think we'd need a custom magic item that casts Nature's Path 2/day, so tell me if I'm getting magic item creation rules right:
An item activated on command costs spell level x caster level x 1800 gp = 1 x 6 (we need 6 additional beneficiaries other than the initial target) x 1800 = 10800
Then, an item with charges/day is to be divided by (5/ number of charges/day), so 10800 / (5/2) = 4320 gp.
Then, if we want it as a slotless item (which we won't, at this price), it's 4320 x 2 = 8640 gp.
Correct?
We still have access to 3rd level spells only, and can't have our Wizard fill all his slots with Phantom Steeds or do similar things.
Nature's Paths looked nice at first, but the 8 hours duration reeks of bad design. Who travels for 8 hours straight? During days of full travel, we have a break of at least two hours around noon to eat and rest.
Your adventurers get long lunchbreaks? Clearly they have a better union than the ones in my games.
...if we want it as a slotless item (which we won't, at this price), it's 4320 x 2 = 8640 gp.
Correct?
Custom item pricing is always an 'ask your GM' thing.
Sounds about right, Kthanid.
But honestly, if you have someone who can cast Nature's Paths (and it is on several lists), I think you might be better off just buying a Pearl of Power for 1,000gp and having your caster prepare it on the days you'll need it. Then, on days you don't need it, the spell slot and pearl can be used for something else. Much more cost effective and efficient, in my view.
EDIT: Actually, it's arguably even better that way because eventually your caster level may be high enough that you don't need two castings, and then you have a pearl of power that could be used for something else. The only downside I see with this approach is if your current caster level is insufficient to cover your whole party.