Diagonal Movement - Better or Worse?

vhailor · Sep 24, 2008

I am new to D&D, but even I can see that the rules about diagonal movement are unacceptable.
We haven't started yet with my party, but the DM(old school) told us that we will use the old 1.5 distance diagonal rules.
Has anyone noticed any problems if we decide to go with the 1.5 distance rules?

Example: If a character has speed 6(=30 feet), and uses his movement to move diagonal, he can cover SQRT(30*30+30*30)=42.43 feet, when in straight line he could cover only 30. That's almost 13 feet more than normal (almost half his speed).

Nebulous · Sep 24, 2008

We use 1:1 per the rules and have no problem with it. It's all just a simulation anyway, so we don't really care about the minutiae like that. Players move that way and so do monsters.

Foxman · Sep 24, 2008

1) monsters have the same advantage as the players - so its a wash
2) the system is *designed* to use the 1:1 on the diag, you change that and there are numerous things that start to break down (lines don't go as far, blasts/bursts change shape, adventures designed with maps designed on the 1:1 ratio may be harder using the 1:1.5 ratio because movement is reduced, and MORE)
3) Using 1:1 *speeds up* play - it may be a simplification, but so are HP

. Why? Easier to count distance for movement/spells/attacks, etc.
4) Mobility, the game is designed to include more mobility, moving around and getting to do cool stuff, that gets cut down.

When I heard they were going to 1:1 I was annoyed and didnt like the idea. After using it, I think it works. Not a huge fan, but it does *work*.

Its like the butterfly effect - change one small rule, and you have a mydrid of effects that change the whole game system that you need to adjust. If you adjust those, they have further effects. It just ripples out from there.

Mengu · Sep 24, 2008

After 7 years of D&D 3.x, we still have players who can't move their own characters because they don't know how to count diagonals. going back to 1:1 is a huge blessing.

It took a bit of getting used to but firecubes instead of fireballs isn't that big of an issue either. The new way also makes determining areas a lot easier than counting out diagonals to determine how much of an area a 3.x critter with reach 20 on a 10x10 base is threatening.

James McMurray · Sep 24, 2008

We use 1:1 and really like it. It's a lot faster, especially when you start having to calculate distances between creatures with different altitudes. Is it realistic? Not at all. But then again, it's D&D, so very little is going to be realistic.

James McMurray · Sep 24, 2008

Mengu said:
how much of an area a 3.x critter with reach 20 on a 10x10 base is threatening.

With or without a reach weapon?

Benimoto · Sep 24, 2008

Count me as another player who fully understands how the 1.5 diagonal rules are superior, but uses the 1:1 rules just because they're faster and easier.

Which is more silly: that you can cover more distance moving diagonally than orthogonally or that every unencumbered member of a race has exactly the same movement speed? They're both abstractions for the sake of the game.

But, I don't think there should be any problems if you go back to the old distance rules. Like Foxman was saying, using the old method will reduce the size of burst/blasts, so you might want to adjust them so that they cover the same area, but are circular/cone shaped instead of square.

Obryn · Sep 24, 2008

vhailor said:
I am new to D&D, but even I can see that the rules about diagonal movement are unacceptable.
We haven't started yet with my party, but the DM(old school) told us that we will use the old 1.5 distance diagonal rules.
Has anyone noticed any problems if we decide to go with the 1.5 distance rules?

Example: If a character has speed 6(=30 feet), and uses his movement to move diagonal, he can cover SQRT(30*30+30*30)=42.43 feet, when in straight line he could cover only 30. That's almost 13 feet more than normal (almost half his speed).

"Unacceptable" is a pretty strong word, but your group will always be the best judge of what's best for itself.

I don't think it breaks anything if you use 1-2-1-2 movement, areas, and ranges. It will make it more difficult to work with zones and ranges (both of which are more common in 4e than 3e), but if it's important enough to your group, it'll work out.

I'd strongly recommend making up some templates. I don't think the wire ones would work (I forget who manufactures them), since they have even-number measurements (going from corners) while 4e has odd-number measurements (going from a center square).

Finally, I'd suggest turning Blasts into Cones if you go this route, but YMMV.

None of those are particularly difficult changes, I think. If your group doesn't mind the small bit of additional work, it should work out great.

We went ahead with the 1:1 4e default, and my players love it. I love it too, since it makes my job just a tiny bit easier for the aforementioned area effects.

-O

KidSnide · Sep 24, 2008

I didn't like the 1:1 rules when I first read about them either, but I love them in play. Now all my players can quickly measure distance on the map. Before, I used to get frustrated and counted out the distance for them.

Also, a combat in 4e has a lot more rounds in it, and - because full attack doesn't eat up the move action - characters move in most of their rounds. In 3e, counting diagonals wasn't so bad because you only had to do it a few times in a fight. In 4e, the much higher amount of movement carries with it the need to calculate that movement faster.

-SS

Asmor · Sep 24, 2008

The diagonal rules were the first (and, AFAICR, only) thing I heard about leading up to 4e that I disliked (yeah, I was a f4nboy from the beginning

). I had all the same issues as everyone else (maybe even moreso, I'm a math major!).

But I decided to give it a try and it really does speed up game play. A lot.

Is it right for you? I dunno. But give it a try before you decide not to use it. At least then you'll know for sure that it doesn't work for you.

Personally, I wish they'd sidestep the whole issue and just go with hexes.

Diagonal Movement - Better or Worse?

vhailor

First Post

Nebulous

Legend

Foxman

First Post

Mengu

First Post

James McMurray

First Post

James McMurray

First Post

Benimoto

First Post

Obryn

Hero

KidSnide

Adventurer

Asmor

First Post

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