Rather than seeing D&D travel encounters in relation to the main quest, see them as opportunities for the characters to bond!
Some of the best memories I have with friends were made on road trips—sharing stories, inside jokes, and little moments that brought us closer together. When writing travel encounters, I go back to some advice @Alphastream gave me about writing good DDAL adventures:
A good adventure teaches the player something about their character.
What question will you ask your players about their characters with this travel encounter?
— Justice Ramin Arman ➡️ PAX Unplugged (@justicearman) September 14, 2021
One of my DMs called travel role-play scenes as ‘Saddle Talk’. I love that!
— Justice Ramin Arman ➡️ PAX Unplugged (@justicearman) September 14, 2021
In #TheExpanse #RPG because travel is so long Interludes are a mechanic in the game. Specifically one of the Interlude activities is “Relating.” It serves to “establish or strengthen a Bond” which can serve mechanical purposes in the game. Lot to be learned from it. That's neat!
— Justice Ramin Arman ➡️ PAX Unplugged (@justicearman) September 14, 2021