Becoming 10ft x 10ft while mounted [Archive] - Wizards Community

Becoming 10ft x 10ft while mounted [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
tark
09-02-04, 05:07 PM Hi All,

I need some clarification on mounted combat. I vaguely recall a rule that when a human is mounted on a horse, he/she is considered to occupy all of the squares that his horse does. However I have not had any luck finding this rule in the SRD. Does it exist, or is this a figment of my imagination?

A few follow-up questions:

1) Assume that the human in the above example wields a shortsword. Does he/she threaten all twelve spaces adjacent to the horse?

2) Likewise, with a lance does he/she threaten the twenty squares around that?

(With TWF, that's 32 squares our medium sized PC now threatens!)

3) Has WotC issued an errata to deal with the problem of using fast-mount then fast-dismount to move 15-ft as a free action?

Thanks for your thoughts.

-Tark
Kerrexl
09-02-04, 05:25 PM I dont know if they have changed it in 3.5 but in A&EG (3.0) it states that a character on a horse occupies the back-square of the horse.
So you only threathen the 7 (the 8th is the horse - part2) squares, with a non-reach weapon. Offcourse the horse can turn around in the same space, and let you attack the rest of the squares as a free action (IIRC on the freeaction).
Simetrical
09-02-04, 06:51 PM In 3.5, there is no "back square." Horses now have a 10-ft. face, so they take up four squares.
Hypersmurf
09-02-04, 07:04 PM I need some clarification on mounted combat. I vaguely recall a rule that when a human is mounted on a horse, he/she is considered to occupy all of the squares that his horse does. However I have not had any luck finding this rule in the SRD. Does it exist, or is this a figment of my imagination?

From the PHB, Combat chapter, Special Attacks, Mounted Combat: A horse (not a pony) is a Large creature and thus takes up a space 10 feet (2 squares) across. For simplicity, assume that you share your mount’s space during combat.

1) Assume that the human in the above example wields a shortsword. Does he/she threaten all twelve spaces adjacent to the horse?

Yes.

2) Likewise, with a lance does he/she threaten the twenty squares around that?

Yes, but not the inside 12.

(With TWF, that's 32 squares our medium sized PC now threatens!)

Lance and shortsword? Sure.

3) Has WotC issued an errata to deal with the problem of using fast-mount then fast-dismount to move 15-ft as a free action?

Haven't heard :)

-Hyp.
tark
09-03-04, 10:31 AM Thank you Hypersmurf. :) Have a nice day.
Bartleby_GoC
09-03-04, 11:46 AM Well, this is not compliant with the book rules, but it works for me. I run combat on giant graph paper. Since none of my minis are of mounted fighters, I use a 2x1 cutout to represent a horse. The mini of the mounted character is put in the middle.

It doesn't really make sense to me that being on horseback increases the range of a melee weapon. Sure, the mobility fo the mount can help you get closer, but that's movement, not reach. I consider the eight sqares tot he side of the horse to be where non-reach weapons can hit. Attacking directly behind is awkward enough that no reflexsive (ie AoO) strike is possible. Attacking straight ahead means striking past the horse's head. That seems awfully close to striking through a friendly characters square, so it requires a reach weapon. You still get 8 squares without a reach weapon.

Below, x is a threatened square, h is the horse, with the PC in between the h's, r requires reach, a is attackable, but awkward.

x r x
x h x
x h x
x a x

Totally unofficial, but it makes sense to me, and I've not yet seen an alternative I like better.

Bartleby
kjenks
09-03-04, 12:07 PM 3) Has WotC issued an errata to deal with the problem of using fast-mount then fast-dismount to move 15-ft as a free action?

The Smurf got the rest of them.

Not errata, per se, but if you read Skip's Rules of the Game article, All About Movement (Part Two):

Mount or Dismount a Steed: Use this action to climb aboard a mount or get off. The act of mounting of dismounting doesn't count as movement for you; however, you must enter your mount's space to mount or exit the mount's space to dismount. You can enter or exit the mount's space as a 5-foot step (if the situation allows a 5-foot step) or as part of your normal movement. For example if your speed is 30 and your mount is 30 feet away or less, you use one move action to reach the mount's space and a second move action to mount (see Part 3 for more on the Ride skill).

And then in All About Movement (Part Three):

Fast Mount or Dismount:This is a free action for you and it does not count as movement for you.

So if you're in square A1 and your horse is in squares B2,B3,C2,C3, you can use a move action to step into B2, fast mount as a free action, fast dismount as a free action into C3, then use a move action to step into D4. You've moved 20 feet (along the diagonal), but it takes two move actions to do it. (You might as well just walk, eh?)

So you can't do the free action 15 ft. mount/dismount move.

You can't take a free action 5-foot step and move in the same round, so you must usually use two move actions to mount and dismount in the same round.

If you're a ranger or a druid with a mount for an animal companion, you might be able to manage something fancy. You're in square A1 and your animal companion horse is in squares B2,B3,C2,C3. On your initiative, as a free action, you can Handle Animal to get your horse to step into your square (so the horse is now in A1,A2,B1,B2). Fast mount as a free action. Now your horse uses its second move action to go wherever you want. Fast dismount and make a full move away from your horse, then you still have a standard action left for a second move, attack, spell, etc.

If your horse has move 50 and you have move 30, you can end up 80 feet from where you started and still have a standard action left.

This fancy footwork only works for druid or ranger with his animal companion because Handle Animal is a free action for them. It might work with a paladin/bonded mount because it's too smart for Handle Animal (Int > 2); it just follows verbal commands.

This fancy footwork (and hoofwork) does NOT work if your DM considers your mount's movement as taking up your move action, something The Sage hints at, but which isn't part of the PH rules.

Here's why your mount's movement should not be considered as taking up your move action: the PH says that you can make a full attack with ranged weapons while your horse moves. That's not possible if you've used a move action on your horse's movement.
kjenks
09-03-04, 12:30 PM One more comment: About the squares threatened by your lance while mounted.

There are two rules here that I like to call the "fat rider" rule and the "reach donut" rule.

Fat Rider:
A horse (not a pony) is a Large creature and thus takes up a space 10 feet (2 squares) across. For simplicity, assume that you share your mount’s space during combat.

Reach Donut:
With a typical reach weapon, you can strike opponents 10 feet away, but you can’t strike adjacent foes (those within 5 feet).

So if you're on a horse in squares B2,B3,C2,C3 and your enemy is in A1, it depends on which rule your DM thinks takes precedence.

If your DM thinks the Fat Rider rule is more important than the Reach Donut rule, you can consider yourself to be in square C3, so you can use your reach weapon to attack square A1.

If your DM thinks the Reach Donut rule is more important than the Fat Rider rule, you can't attack square A1 with your reach weapon because you're in an adjacent square (B2).

The rules for Cover say that you can choose any of your squares for determining cover. This implies that you could use any of your squares for making a melee attack with a reach weapon.

But the rules for Big and Little Creatures in Combat say,
Large or larger creatures using reach weapons can strike up to double their natural reach but can’t strike at their natural reach or less.

So an ogre with a lance at E5,E6,F5,F6 threatens everywhere from A1 to J10, but not the block C3 to H8.

Now when you're mounted, you're not a large creature, so this doesn't really apply, but this rule does seem to have some implications to using reach weapons while mounted.

So I see the rules as being completely ambiguous in this regard. Just ask your DM.
Tonus
09-03-04, 12:46 PM "Mount or Dismount a Steed: Use this action to climb aboard a mount or get off. The act of mounting of dismounting doesn't count as movement for you; however, you must enter your mount's space to mount or exit the mount's space to dismount. You can enter or exit the mount's space as a 5-foot step (if the situation allows a 5-foot step) or as part of your normal movement. For example if your speed is 30 and your mount is 30 feet away or less, you use one move action to reach the mount's space and a second move action to mount (see Part 3 for more on the Ride skill). "

This indicates to me that you cannot both mount and dismount in the same round. If you have moved or taken your 5-ft step in order to mount, then you cannot take another 5-ft step that round. And you need to be able to take a 5-ft step in order to dismount:

"You can move 5 feet in any round when you don’t perform any other kind of movement. Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity. You can’t take more than one 5-foot step in a round, and you can’t take a 5-foot step in the same round when you move any distance."
masterofmayhem
09-03-04, 01:02 PM A bit off topic here, but I'm now confused. Do horses take up two squares or four?
Etiquette_Gnome
09-03-04, 01:21 PM Thanks to 3.5, a horse (or any large creature) takes up four squares, thus having a 10' facing in every direction. They explain this as the horse taking up the space through moving about and 'owning' it due to general moving about. Sort of like a human has a 5' reach and takes up a square 5' across, this assumes an overall weaving about.

If you worry about your horse going down a 5' wide pen, they covered that part. A creature can move through a space that's up to half his size, but is considered limited in movement due to tight quarters (forget the exact penalties).

If you think about, if you put a horse in a 5' wide pend, it's going to have at least a modicom of difficulty turning around (still able, but can't just spin). We ourselves can easily enough fit in a hallway 2.5' wide, we just feel a bit cramped since our arms hit the walls if we extend them too much. Of course, how this works for the Small creatures in 2.5' wide halls confuses me a bit...
Simetrical
09-03-04, 02:31 PM Originally posted by Bartleby_GoC
Well, this is not compliant with the book rules, but it works for me. . . .So in other words, you have facing in your game. Does this apply only for "long" creatures, or do you apply it equally to ordinary square creatures?
Bartleby_GoC
09-03-04, 03:01 PM Whoops, didn't mean to imply facing, meant to state it outright. Yes, facing, all critters including PCs, but turning as a free action within maneuverability limits.

IIRC, there were different 'foortprints' for long critters vs. tall ones beyond just threatened areas. Was that 3.0, 2nd ed, or someother system I'm getting confused with?

Bartleby
The Souljourner
09-03-04, 03:37 PM Bleah, facing. What a pain. There's nothing wrong with a 10' square horse. If you can stab someone with a dagger who is 8 feet away from you, you can certainly turn your horse a little and stab them from horseback.

You don't stand stock still in the exact center of your square(s)... you're moving around, darting in to stab people, dodging their return thrusts, etc.

-The Souljourner
kjenks
09-03-04, 03:41 PM "Mount or Dismount a Steed: Use this action to climb aboard a mount or get off. The act of mounting of dismounting doesn't count as movement for you; however, you must enter your mount's space to mount or exit the mount's space to dismount. You can enter or exit the mount's space as a 5-foot step (if the situation allows a 5-foot step) or as part of your normal movement. For example if your speed is 30 and your mount is 30 feet away or less, you use one move action to reach the mount's space and a second move action to mount (see Part 3 for more on the Ride skill). "

This indicates to me that you cannot both mount and dismount in the same round. If you have moved or taken your 5-ft step in order to mount, then you cannot take another 5-ft step that round. And you need to be able to take a 5-ft step in order to dismount:

"You can move 5 feet in any round when you don’t perform any other kind of movement. Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity. You can’t take more than one 5-foot step in a round, and you can’t take a 5-foot step in the same round when you move any distance."

Tonus, there's more than one way to move five feet. If the conditions are right, you can take a free five-foot step (a free action which doesn't provoke AoOs). Or you can jump, crawl, tumble, hustle or fly five feet as part of a move action (which does provoke AoOs, usually).

In one round, you could move, free action mount, free action dismount, then move again. It doesn't really help you much, but you could do it.
Hypersmurf
09-03-04, 05:10 PM The rules for Cover say that you can choose any of your squares for determining cover. This implies that you could use any of your squares for making a melee attack with a reach weapon.

So an ogre with a lance at E5,E6,F5,F6 threatens everywhere from A1 to J10, but not the block C3 to H8.

If you can choose any of your squares to attack from, why can't the ogre attack from F6 to C6? He doesn't threaten his natural reach (ten feet from F6 - E6 and D6), but he does threaten double that (C6 and B6)?

Remember, though, that if you allow the rider to attack from the 'far side' of the horse, or the ogre to attack C6 from F6, that in both cases the line from your square to the opponent passes through a square occupied by a creature (the horse, or the ogre himself), thus granting the target soft cover (and preventing AoOs).

-Hyp.
Simetrical
09-03-04, 05:28 PM Bartleby_GoC:
Whoops, didn't mean to imply facing, meant to state it outright. Yes, facing, all critters including PCs, but turning as a free action within maneuverability limits.Okay, then. As long as you're consistent, as opposed to the 3.0 system of "no, there's no facing in this game, because all combatants are constantly weaving around, y'see, turning this way and that to avoid attacks, and it's quite ridiculous to assume that any combatant is facing in one direction for a whole round . . . oh, except "long" creatures. Because, um . . . they're . . . long. I mean, c'mon, gimme a break! What do you want, square horses?!"

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
tark 09-02-04, 05:07 PM	Hi All, I need some clarification on mounted combat. I vaguely recall a rule that when a human is mounted on a horse, he/she is considered to occupy all of the squares that his horse does. However I have not had any luck finding this rule in the SRD. Does it exist, or is this a figment of my imagination? A few follow-up questions: 1) Assume that the human in the above example wields a shortsword. Does he/she threaten all twelve spaces adjacent to the horse? 2) Likewise, with a lance does he/she threaten the twenty squares around that? (With TWF, that's 32 squares our medium sized PC now threatens!) 3) Has WotC issued an errata to deal with the problem of using fast-mount then fast-dismount to move 15-ft as a free action? Thanks for your thoughts. -Tark
Kerrexl 09-02-04, 05:25 PM	I dont know if they have changed it in 3.5 but in A&EG (3.0) it states that a character on a horse occupies the back-square of the horse. So you only threathen the 7 (the 8th is the horse - part2) squares, with a non-reach weapon. Offcourse the horse can turn around in the same space, and let you attack the rest of the squares as a free action (IIRC on the freeaction).
Simetrical 09-02-04, 06:51 PM	In 3.5, there is no "back square." Horses now have a 10-ft. face, so they take up four squares.
Hypersmurf 09-02-04, 07:04 PM	I need some clarification on mounted combat. I vaguely recall a rule that when a human is mounted on a horse, he/she is considered to occupy all of the squares that his horse does. However I have not had any luck finding this rule in the SRD. Does it exist, or is this a figment of my imagination? From the PHB, Combat chapter, Special Attacks, Mounted Combat: A horse (not a pony) is a Large creature and thus takes up a space 10 feet (2 squares) across. For simplicity, assume that you share your mount’s space during combat. 1) Assume that the human in the above example wields a shortsword. Does he/she threaten all twelve spaces adjacent to the horse? Yes. 2) Likewise, with a lance does he/she threaten the twenty squares around that? Yes, but not the inside 12. (With TWF, that's 32 squares our medium sized PC now threatens!) Lance and shortsword? Sure. 3) Has WotC issued an errata to deal with the problem of using fast-mount then fast-dismount to move 15-ft as a free action? Haven't heard :) -Hyp.
tark 09-03-04, 10:31 AM	Thank you Hypersmurf. :) Have a nice day.
Bartleby_GoC 09-03-04, 11:46 AM	Well, this is not compliant with the book rules, but it works for me. I run combat on giant graph paper. Since none of my minis are of mounted fighters, I use a 2x1 cutout to represent a horse. The mini of the mounted character is put in the middle. It doesn't really make sense to me that being on horseback increases the range of a melee weapon. Sure, the mobility fo the mount can help you get closer, but that's movement, not reach. I consider the eight sqares tot he side of the horse to be where non-reach weapons can hit. Attacking directly behind is awkward enough that no reflexsive (ie AoO) strike is possible. Attacking straight ahead means striking past the horse's head. That seems awfully close to striking through a friendly characters square, so it requires a reach weapon. You still get 8 squares without a reach weapon. Below, x is a threatened square, h is the horse, with the PC in between the h's, r requires reach, a is attackable, but awkward. x r x x h x x h x x a x Totally unofficial, but it makes sense to me, and I've not yet seen an alternative I like better. Bartleby
kjenks 09-03-04, 12:07 PM	3) Has WotC issued an errata to deal with the problem of using fast-mount then fast-dismount to move 15-ft as a free action? The Smurf got the rest of them. Not errata, per se, but if you read Skip's Rules of the Game article, All About Movement (Part Two): Mount or Dismount a Steed: Use this action to climb aboard a mount or get off. The act of mounting of dismounting doesn't count as movement for you; however, you must enter your mount's space to mount or exit the mount's space to dismount. You can enter or exit the mount's space as a 5-foot step (if the situation allows a 5-foot step) or as part of your normal movement. For example if your speed is 30 and your mount is 30 feet away or less, you use one move action to reach the mount's space and a second move action to mount (see Part 3 for more on the Ride skill). And then in All About Movement (Part Three): Fast Mount or Dismount:This is a free action for you and it does not count as movement for you. So if you're in square A1 and your horse is in squares B2,B3,C2,C3, you can use a move action to step into B2, fast mount as a free action, fast dismount as a free action into C3, then use a move action to step into D4. You've moved 20 feet (along the diagonal), but it takes two move actions to do it. (You might as well just walk, eh?) So you can't do the free action 15 ft. mount/dismount move. You can't take a free action 5-foot step and move in the same round, so you must usually use two move actions to mount and dismount in the same round. If you're a ranger or a druid with a mount for an animal companion, you might be able to manage something fancy. You're in square A1 and your animal companion horse is in squares B2,B3,C2,C3. On your initiative, as a free action, you can Handle Animal to get your horse to step into your square (so the horse is now in A1,A2,B1,B2). Fast mount as a free action. Now your horse uses its second move action to go wherever you want. Fast dismount and make a full move away from your horse, then you still have a standard action left for a second move, attack, spell, etc. If your horse has move 50 and you have move 30, you can end up 80 feet from where you started and still have a standard action left. This fancy footwork only works for druid or ranger with his animal companion because Handle Animal is a free action for them. It might work with a paladin/bonded mount because it's too smart for Handle Animal (Int > 2); it just follows verbal commands. This fancy footwork (and hoofwork) does NOT work if your DM considers your mount's movement as taking up your move action, something The Sage hints at, but which isn't part of the PH rules. Here's why your mount's movement should not be considered as taking up your move action: the PH says that you can make a full attack with ranged weapons while your horse moves. That's not possible if you've used a move action on your horse's movement.
kjenks 09-03-04, 12:30 PM	One more comment: About the squares threatened by your lance while mounted. There are two rules here that I like to call the "fat rider" rule and the "reach donut" rule. Fat Rider: A horse (not a pony) is a Large creature and thus takes up a space 10 feet (2 squares) across. For simplicity, assume that you share your mount’s space during combat. Reach Donut: With a typical reach weapon, you can strike opponents 10 feet away, but you can’t strike adjacent foes (those within 5 feet). So if you're on a horse in squares B2,B3,C2,C3 and your enemy is in A1, it depends on which rule your DM thinks takes precedence. If your DM thinks the Fat Rider rule is more important than the Reach Donut rule, you can consider yourself to be in square C3, so you can use your reach weapon to attack square A1. If your DM thinks the Reach Donut rule is more important than the Fat Rider rule, you can't attack square A1 with your reach weapon because you're in an adjacent square (B2). The rules for Cover say that you can choose any of your squares for determining cover. This implies that you could use any of your squares for making a melee attack with a reach weapon. But the rules for Big and Little Creatures in Combat say, Large or larger creatures using reach weapons can strike up to double their natural reach but can’t strike at their natural reach or less. So an ogre with a lance at E5,E6,F5,F6 threatens everywhere from A1 to J10, but not the block C3 to H8. Now when you're mounted, you're not a large creature, so this doesn't really apply, but this rule does seem to have some implications to using reach weapons while mounted. So I see the rules as being completely ambiguous in this regard. Just ask your DM.
Tonus 09-03-04, 12:46 PM	"Mount or Dismount a Steed: Use this action to climb aboard a mount or get off. The act of mounting of dismounting doesn't count as movement for you; however, you must enter your mount's space to mount or exit the mount's space to dismount. You can enter or exit the mount's space as a 5-foot step (if the situation allows a 5-foot step) or as part of your normal movement. For example if your speed is 30 and your mount is 30 feet away or less, you use one move action to reach the mount's space and a second move action to mount (see Part 3 for more on the Ride skill). " This indicates to me that you cannot both mount and dismount in the same round. If you have moved or taken your 5-ft step in order to mount, then you cannot take another 5-ft step that round. And you need to be able to take a 5-ft step in order to dismount: "You can move 5 feet in any round when you don’t perform any other kind of movement. Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity. You can’t take more than one 5-foot step in a round, and you can’t take a 5-foot step in the same round when you move any distance."
masterofmayhem 09-03-04, 01:02 PM	A bit off topic here, but I'm now confused. Do horses take up two squares or four?
Etiquette_Gnome 09-03-04, 01:21 PM	Thanks to 3.5, a horse (or any large creature) takes up four squares, thus having a 10' facing in every direction. They explain this as the horse taking up the space through moving about and 'owning' it due to general moving about. Sort of like a human has a 5' reach and takes up a square 5' across, this assumes an overall weaving about. If you worry about your horse going down a 5' wide pen, they covered that part. A creature can move through a space that's up to half his size, but is considered limited in movement due to tight quarters (forget the exact penalties). If you think about, if you put a horse in a 5' wide pend, it's going to have at least a modicom of difficulty turning around (still able, but can't just spin). We ourselves can easily enough fit in a hallway 2.5' wide, we just feel a bit cramped since our arms hit the walls if we extend them too much. Of course, how this works for the Small creatures in 2.5' wide halls confuses me a bit...
Simetrical 09-03-04, 02:31 PM	Originally posted by Bartleby_GoC Well, this is not compliant with the book rules, but it works for me. . . .So in other words, you have facing in your game. Does this apply only for "long" creatures, or do you apply it equally to ordinary square creatures?
Bartleby_GoC 09-03-04, 03:01 PM	Whoops, didn't mean to imply facing, meant to state it outright. Yes, facing, all critters including PCs, but turning as a free action within maneuverability limits. IIRC, there were different 'foortprints' for long critters vs. tall ones beyond just threatened areas. Was that 3.0, 2nd ed, or someother system I'm getting confused with? Bartleby
The Souljourner 09-03-04, 03:37 PM	Bleah, facing. What a pain. There's nothing wrong with a 10' square horse. If you can stab someone with a dagger who is 8 feet away from you, you can certainly turn your horse a little and stab them from horseback. You don't stand stock still in the exact center of your square(s)... you're moving around, darting in to stab people, dodging their return thrusts, etc. -The Souljourner
kjenks 09-03-04, 03:41 PM	"Mount or Dismount a Steed: Use this action to climb aboard a mount or get off. The act of mounting of dismounting doesn't count as movement for you; however, you must enter your mount's space to mount or exit the mount's space to dismount. You can enter or exit the mount's space as a 5-foot step (if the situation allows a 5-foot step) or as part of your normal movement. For example if your speed is 30 and your mount is 30 feet away or less, you use one move action to reach the mount's space and a second move action to mount (see Part 3 for more on the Ride skill). " This indicates to me that you cannot both mount and dismount in the same round. If you have moved or taken your 5-ft step in order to mount, then you cannot take another 5-ft step that round. And you need to be able to take a 5-ft step in order to dismount: "You can move 5 feet in any round when you don’t perform any other kind of movement. Taking this 5-foot step never provokes an attack of opportunity. You can’t take more than one 5-foot step in a round, and you can’t take a 5-foot step in the same round when you move any distance." Tonus, there's more than one way to move five feet. If the conditions are right, you can take a free five-foot step (a free action which doesn't provoke AoOs). Or you can jump, crawl, tumble, hustle or fly five feet as part of a move action (which does provoke AoOs, usually). In one round, you could move, free action mount, free action dismount, then move again. It doesn't really help you much, but you could do it.
Hypersmurf 09-03-04, 05:10 PM	The rules for Cover say that you can choose any of your squares for determining cover. This implies that you could use any of your squares for making a melee attack with a reach weapon. So an ogre with a lance at E5,E6,F5,F6 threatens everywhere from A1 to J10, but not the block C3 to H8. If you can choose any of your squares to attack from, why can't the ogre attack from F6 to C6? He doesn't threaten his natural reach (ten feet from F6 - E6 and D6), but he does threaten double that (C6 and B6)? Remember, though, that if you allow the rider to attack from the 'far side' of the horse, or the ogre to attack C6 from F6, that in both cases the line from your square to the opponent passes through a square occupied by a creature (the horse, or the ogre himself), thus granting the target soft cover (and preventing AoOs). -Hyp.
Simetrical 09-03-04, 05:28 PM	Bartleby_GoC: Whoops, didn't mean to imply facing, meant to state it outright. Yes, facing, all critters including PCs, but turning as a free action within maneuverability limits.Okay, then. As long as you're consistent, as opposed to the 3.0 system of "no, there's no facing in this game, because all combatants are constantly weaving around, y'see, turning this way and that to avoid attacks, and it's quite ridiculous to assume that any combatant is facing in one direction for a whole round . . . oh, except "long" creatures. Because, um . . . they're . . . long. I mean, c'mon, gimme a break! What do you want, square horses?!"