Check my math [Archive] - Wizards Community

Check my math [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Nived
01-22-07, 06:01 PM Now it's been awhile awhile since I had to convert feet per second into miles per hour... but I thought I still knew how to do it. Now when I read this thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=777210)

I sat down to figure out how fast that makes an airship... problem is when I went back to the original airship.... my numbers didn't add up

The EBCS and the Explorer's handbook says a normal airship travels 20 miles per hour or 100 ft in a 6 second round... but my math says that isn't right.
100 ft in 6 seconds equals about 10 miles per hour... 10.9090 actually.

20 miles an hour is 176 ft per 6 seconds... so a more accurate spd listed for an airship would be 175ft per round wouldn't it?

Am I crazy or do the listed speeds in the explorer's handbook just not add up?
goblin_pride
01-22-07, 06:10 PM The numbers never seem to add up right converting combat movement to overland. I'd say if you want it to be exact, go ahead and bump up the combat speed.
ophanimx
01-22-07, 06:42 PM If it's a question of how fast an airship travels during combat it's likely unspoken that the airship isn't traveling at full speed during a fight. D&D doesn't really have great vehicle rules so they fudged it and decide to say everyone goes something like 3/5ths normal speed.

That's my guess at least.
reezel
01-23-07, 02:40 PM Just a crazy notion, but is it possible that the 100ft/sec would qualify as a move action...and that when traveling it's considered double movement?
Cabral
01-23-07, 03:41 PM Just a crazy notion, but is it possible that the 100ft/sec would qualify as a move action...and that when traveling it's considered double movement?
Which equates to 22.72 miles per hour. They may have simplified it down to 20 miles per hour, but why?
Cifer
01-23-07, 04:05 PM Well, it may be that the airship has a "travel configuration" and a "combat" one. In the first one, it basically sacrifices maneuverability for speed, while in combat, trying to control the elemental while persuading it to evade enemies and maneuver into favorable positions at full speed would be likely to result in bad things.
goblin_pride
01-23-07, 06:02 PM Well, it may be that the airship has a "travel configuration" and a "combat" one. In the first one, it basically sacrifices maneuverability for speed, while in combat, trying to control the elemental while persuading it to evade enemies and maneuver into favorable positions at full speed would be likely to result in bad things.

Or extremely confused enemies.
Cifer
01-23-07, 07:17 PM Or extremely confused enemies.
Or both, if the destruction of the airship at the hands of the freed elemental is confusing the enemies...
eRaz0r
01-25-07, 12:14 PM Yeah, a Move of 200 is not the same as 200 feet per round. Flying vessels are probably assumed to be able to move at a hustle without penalty, meaning two move actions per round indefinitely, or 4000 feet per minute, or approximately 40 miles per hour (45 more accurately, but I guess they rounded down to the nearest 10 for overland movement to account for minor course corrections, and other such minimal delays )

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Nived 01-22-07, 06:01 PM	Now it's been awhile awhile since I had to convert feet per second into miles per hour... but I thought I still knew how to do it. Now when I read this thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=777210) I sat down to figure out how fast that makes an airship... problem is when I went back to the original airship.... my numbers didn't add up The EBCS and the Explorer's handbook says a normal airship travels 20 miles per hour or 100 ft in a 6 second round... but my math says that isn't right. 100 ft in 6 seconds equals about 10 miles per hour... 10.9090 actually. 20 miles an hour is 176 ft per 6 seconds... so a more accurate spd listed for an airship would be 175ft per round wouldn't it? Am I crazy or do the listed speeds in the explorer's handbook just not add up?
goblin_pride 01-22-07, 06:10 PM	The numbers never seem to add up right converting combat movement to overland. I'd say if you want it to be exact, go ahead and bump up the combat speed.
ophanimx 01-22-07, 06:42 PM	If it's a question of how fast an airship travels during combat it's likely unspoken that the airship isn't traveling at full speed during a fight. D&D doesn't really have great vehicle rules so they fudged it and decide to say everyone goes something like 3/5ths normal speed. That's my guess at least.
reezel 01-23-07, 02:40 PM	Just a crazy notion, but is it possible that the 100ft/sec would qualify as a move action...and that when traveling it's considered double movement?
Cabral 01-23-07, 03:41 PM	Just a crazy notion, but is it possible that the 100ft/sec would qualify as a move action...and that when traveling it's considered double movement? Which equates to 22.72 miles per hour. They may have simplified it down to 20 miles per hour, but why?
Cifer 01-23-07, 04:05 PM	Well, it may be that the airship has a "travel configuration" and a "combat" one. In the first one, it basically sacrifices maneuverability for speed, while in combat, trying to control the elemental while persuading it to evade enemies and maneuver into favorable positions at full speed would be likely to result in bad things.
goblin_pride 01-23-07, 06:02 PM	Well, it may be that the airship has a "travel configuration" and a "combat" one. In the first one, it basically sacrifices maneuverability for speed, while in combat, trying to control the elemental while persuading it to evade enemies and maneuver into favorable positions at full speed would be likely to result in bad things. Or extremely confused enemies.
Cifer 01-23-07, 07:17 PM	Or extremely confused enemies. Or both, if the destruction of the airship at the hands of the freed elemental is confusing the enemies...
eRaz0r 01-25-07, 12:14 PM	Yeah, a Move of 200 is not the same as 200 feet per round. Flying vessels are probably assumed to be able to move at a hustle without penalty, meaning two move actions per round indefinitely, or 4000 feet per minute, or approximately 40 miles per hour (45 more accurately, but I guess they rounded down to the nearest 10 for overland movement to account for minor course corrections, and other such minimal delays )