Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Zavarov 01-19-05, 03:57 PM	Hey! We've picked up our D&D campaign and I've come across a couple of issues I never quite figured out. 1. Step + Sub Machine Gun A 16th level archer has 4 attacks. In a duel all he needs to do is step away from his opponent, then let loose. This strikes me as very unrealistic. I know about the "Ready" option, but shouldn't a combatant with a bow be severely disadvantaged in hand-to-hand combat against a combatant with, say, a longsword? Would -4 to AC be an idea? 2. Oops... I Dropped My Dagger Same thing, actually. I use critical fumbles, but there doesn't seem to be a penalty in D&D for being struck when you have no weapon to parry with. -4 AC again? 3. ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOM With most dungeon rooms being something like 4x4 or 6x6 hexes, everyone seems to be speeding along at warp 9. I know rounds are 6 seconds, but I've been experimenting with reducing movement speed to 1/2 the normal speed, at least when in cramped environments. This seems to work well, giving movement a nice, more gradual flow. Anyone experiment with anything like this? That's it for now. Any help will be much appreciated! Thanks, Chris
Zavarov 01-20-05, 06:26 AM	Also, what happens if an invisible wizard speaks to the party, then decides to attack? Would he get surprise?
The_Ditto 01-20-05, 07:02 AM	Also, what happens if an invisible wizard speaks to the party, then decides to attack? Would he get surprise? You only get a surprise round if one side is completely unaware of you .. If the wizard spoke .. the PCs would now be aware of him ... ergo: no surprise round. you might easily rule that the wizard takes the first action, however, at his Init+20 ... and everyone else rolls ...
mythSSK 01-20-05, 07:04 AM	1. Why the hit to AC? I know where you're coming from on this, but your example is a bit so-so... 11th level and above are legendary-status heroes by the RAW (says so right in the Legend Lore spell!), so 16th level, really, gives me an image of Legolas ubering just about everything from 5 feet away from him... then ubering everything 100 feet away from him. Anyway, having a ranged weapon against a melee foe who's right up close to you IS a big disadvantage as is. That's one of the reasons the "Ready" action is there! Sure you could give them another disadvantage, but think about WHY he's getting hit more easily, rather then just handing out AC penalties willy-nilly. 2. Why? D&D doesn't take parrying into the combat rules in any other way (bonuses for weapons that are exceptionally good to parry with don't give extra bonuses to AC), so there's no need to give someone a negative to their AC while unarmed. 3. Hmmm, interesting idea. Though in a battle, people do tend to move quickly and not dawdle. This is a realism thing; if I am so inclined, I can easily move 60 feet (double-move) in the space of 6 seconds at what the SRD classifies as a "Hustle". Hustle: A hustle is a jog at about 6 miles per hour for an unencumbered human. A character moving his or her speed twice in a single round, or moving that speed in the same round that he or she performs a standard action or another move action is hustling when he or she moves. Hell, I could even run 120 feet in 6 seconds if I felt the pressing urgency to do so. Both of these claims are tried and tested: When I was first learning all these speed things, I thought that 60 feet was waaaay to far to move at a "Hustle", so I tested it, and it came out fine. A room measuring 4x4 hexes is about 20 feet across. I can "Hustle" through a room that size quite easily. Do you have a reason why you want your characters moving ponderously slow? --- I apologise if I sound snappish or rude. I'm tired... :embarrass
Egres 01-20-05, 07:58 AM	1. Step + Sub Machine Gun A 16th level archer has 4 attacks. In a duel all he needs to do is step away from his opponent, then let loose. This strikes me as very unrealistic. I know about the "Ready" option, but shouldn't a combatant with a bow be severely disadvantaged in hand-to-hand combat against a combatant with, say, a longsword? Would -4 to AC be an idea? No. The AoO while firing in a threatend area is enoguh. Rememeber that there are opponents with Reach weapons or natural reach. Same thing, actually. I use critical fumbles, but there doesn't seem to be a penalty in D&D for being struck when you have no weapon to parry with. -4 AC again? Actually you don't parry with your weapons. There's no "weapon" bonus to AC.
Zavarov 01-20-05, 10:31 AM	Thanks for your replys! Myth: 1) I shouldn't have used the 16th lvl fighter example. Let's just take a duel between two 1st lvl ones, a swordsman and an archer. Let's place them next to each other with plenty of space around them. - Rnd #1: - Swordsman wins initiative. Takes the "Ready" action. Defines his action as: "If my opponent steps away, I follow, attack and AoO him. If he stands still and fires, I attack and AoO." - Archer: "I do nothing." - DM: "Next round." - Rnd #2: - Swordsman: "Ok. If he just stands there, I might as well attack." Rolls, misses or hits. - Archer: "I take a step back, out of his reach, and fire." Rolls, misses or hits. - Swordsman: "Shouldn't I have some kind of advantage in melee against an archer?" - DM: "Yeah. I think you should." Writing this example down, it occurred to me maybe the problem is my understanding of the Ready action. Could the fighter expand his conditions like this: "... and if he doesn't do anything before my next turn, I take a swing at him." (which, of course, prompts the next question: but what if the archer, instead of doing nothing, readies the following action: "After the swordsman attacks me, I step back and shoot.") Aaaaaaaaaaarghhh... how I hate the Delay/Ready/AoO paradoxes. 2) Well, if you lose your sword and are attacked, that should be bad, no? 3) In a tactical miniature combat system like D&D advocates, movement is everything. Sure, 80 feet (16 squares) may be realistic, but if everyone can be anywhere on the grid from one turn to the next, it just doesn't "feel" right. At least, to me it doesn't. But what say all of you???
The_Ditto 01-20-05, 11:49 AM	your combat example isn't working because the swordsman is being dumb .. heh A smart swordsman would try to grapple the archer, or disarm or sunder his bow ..
Zavarov 01-20-05, 05:26 PM	Under D&D rules, yes... In the real world, the swordsman would just chop the archer to bits. That's why archers carry short swords - so they can defend themselves in close combat. Heh.
Tevandel Surefacet 01-20-05, 08:37 PM	Thanks for your replys! Myth: 1) I shouldn't have used the 16th lvl fighter example. Let's just take a duel between two 1st lvl ones, a swordsman and an archer. Let's place them next to each other with plenty of space around them. - Rnd #1: - Swordsman wins initiative. Takes the "Ready" action. Defines his action as: "If my opponent steps away, I follow, attack and AoO him. If he stands still and fires, I attack and AoO." - Archer: "I do nothing." - DM: "Next round." Okay here is you problem, both players should have to declare their actions at the same time, the Archer should not know what the Swordsman’s ready action is before they state their action. :rolleyes: - Rnd #2: - Swordsman: "Ok. If he just stands there, I might as well attack." Rolls, misses or hits. - Archer: "I take a step back, out of his reach, and fire." Rolls, misses or hits. - Swordsman: "Shouldn't I have some kind of advantage in melee against an archer?" - DM: "Yeah. I think you should." Dumb swordsman – should have sundered the bow, or grappled or just readied again. Writing this example down, it occurred to me maybe the problem is my understanding of the Ready action. Could the fighter expand his conditions like this: "... and if he doesn't do anything before my next turn, I take a swing at him." (which, of course, prompts the next question: but what if the archer, instead of doing nothing, readies the following action: "After the swordsman attacks me, I step back and shoot.") Aaaaaaaaaaarghhh... how I hate the Delay/Ready/AoO paradoxes. Only if you allow the second player to know what the first player is doing – make them both write down their actions then expose the notes at the same time. 2) Well, if you lose your sword and are attacked, that should be bad, no? 3) In a tactical miniature combat system like D&D advocates, movement is everything. Sure, 80 feet (16 squares) may be realistic, but if everyone can be anywhere on the grid from one turn to the next, it just doesn't "feel" right. At least, to me it doesn't. But what say all of you??? 2) no, if anything you are going to drop back into full defense and dodging and get a better AC. 3) Only if your spaces are small – make the space larger and enforce the AoO rules, if someone is moving around the battle field they get whacked by anyone with reach – or if the moving character is not careful they get whacked by everyone they move past. Tev