Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Amurayi 05-16-06, 10:53 AM	In the travel part for the Bright Sands area it states that the movement of all heros is halfed. Does this mean it`s impossible to make a tactical 5ft step in combat there (like fighting underwater) ? You could of course move at least 5ft but you would need a move action for it.
Arvagor 05-16-06, 11:54 AM	Does this mean it`s impossible to make a tactical 5ft step in combat there (like fighting underwater) ?If combat occurs, it's going to depend on the local terrain in the area of the fight -- if the area is considered difficult terrain, then no, you would not be able to take a 5-foot step
Amurayi 05-16-06, 12:02 PM	Well... it`s unclear then. Under "Traveling in the Bright Lands" it says "Travel through the sandy wastes of the Bright Desert is slow, the PCs speed being cut by half." For me it sounds ALL outside areas (including Abbor-Alz hills) are in deep sand which makes it difficult terrain, don`t you agree?
Lupo 05-16-06, 12:33 PM	Well... it`s unclear then. Under "Traveling in the Bright Lands" it says "Travel through the sandy wastes of the Bright Desert is slow, the PCs speed being cut by half." For me it sounds ALL outside areas (including Abbor-Alz hills) are in deep sand which makes it difficult terrain, don`t you agree? where is this quote from? i looked through the "blight on brights sands sourcebook" and the "sandstorm" supplement and haven't found it. anyway this most likely is true for loose sand, the hard, baked variety and the rock wastes should be normal for movement. ciao martin m. the encounter description in an adventure should include any such hinderance to movement, when relevant. strangely enough a lot of encounters in the bright sand's first module took place "inside" ;)
Amurayi 05-16-06, 12:37 PM	""Travel through the sandy wastes of the Bright Desert is slow, the PCs speed being cut by half." ... is from the Appendix behind every Bright Sands adventure which includes traveling through the desert itself. And the encounters do not specifically state it. But the Appendix says it covers the whole area.
Lupo 05-16-06, 01:07 PM	""Travel through the sandy wastes of the Bright Desert is slow, the PCs speed being cut by half." ... is from the Appendix behind every Bright Sands adventure which includes traveling through the desert itself. And the encounters do not specifically state it. But the Appendix says it covers the whole area. hm "travelling" is different from "movement". yea, they are connected but not the same. ciao martin m.
Arvagor 05-16-06, 01:13 PM	Not everything in the Bright Lands is "a sandy waste". Interiors of dungeons and natural cave complexes might have sand in and around their entrances, but certainly not deeper down, esp. if said cave complexes have inhabitants who would be prone to clearing them out. The various oases might be surrounded by sand, but their interior is more likely akin to forest or plains terrain (including light undergrowth, etc.). Note that, gramattically and/or logically speaking, "Travel through the sandy wastes of the Bright Desert...", does not imply that all of the Bright Desert is a sandy waste, only that portions thereof are in such a condition.
solbergb 05-16-06, 01:25 PM	Also about 80-90% of the bright sands mod encounters are actually in Hardby, the Abor Alz hills or in terrain otherwise unaffected (for plot reasons and spoiler reasons) by the desertification of the area.
Amurayi 05-16-06, 01:45 PM	But it`s true that IF you have half movement (in an encounter that tells you there is deep sand only) you can`t make a 5ft step, right?
kenobi65 05-16-06, 02:50 PM	But it`s true that IF you have half movement (in an encounter that tells you there is deep sand only) you can`t make a 5ft step, right? Not a "free" 5' step, no. You are correct.
Lupo 05-16-06, 03:59 PM	Not a "free" 5' step, no. You are correct. that's what the "sandskimmer" feat from sandstorm (p. 52) is for. with this feat you get normal movement on sand. ciao martin m. ps: as the bright sands characters will spend most of their career in NOT desert environment, i wouldn't advise to take this feat unless you really can spare a feat slot.
Arvagor 05-16-06, 04:22 PM	ps: as the bright sands characters will spend most of their career in NOT desert environment, i wouldn't advise to take this feat unless you really can spare a feat slot.IIRC, some classes get the sandskimmer feat "for free" (for example, if you opted to take the 'wasteland' variants of druid or ranger)
Madfox11 05-17-06, 04:11 AM	Overland travel and tactical speed are related, but they are not the same. If you take a close look at the traveling tables in the PHB, you will note that overland speed is reduced in virtually all terrain except plains. Overland travel speed is a generalization for all the terrain you run in during the 8 hours of travel and it also includes things such as long detours around impassible terrain and regions that reduce your speed even below half. Tactical speed is based on the exact type of terrain you are in at that moment. If you are in luck, this happens to be in a scree covered rocky area, and if you are out of luck in loose sandy dunes or a maze of sharp cooled down lava flows. You are correct though when your tactical movement is halved, you cannot take the free 5 ft. steps.