D&D 5E Reasonable Movement and Athletic Feats?

[FrogReaver]

I agree. But that is the only mechanic we have in the book.

Regardless, the current system only allows for a maximum movement of 60 feet per round by a normal person.

No. That is combat speed.

 

[mrpopstar]

Unsolicited, but I would allow you to make a Strength (Athletics) check to jump higher than you normally can. It seems straightforward to me™ that it would be easy to jump an additional 1 ft., hard to jump an additional 2 ft., and nearly impossible to jump an additional 3 ft.

A 10th-level character with Strength 10 who has applied Expertise to their proficiency in the Athletics skill can succeed at a 4 ft. high jump if the d20 roll for their check is anything higher than a 1.

The same character with Strength 15 automatically succeeds at a 6 ft. high jump.

I know everyone was secretly and silently dying to know how I test the unusually high jumps of proficient experts after seeing how I test their unusually long jumps.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

As the Dungeon Master, I always reference character sheets when designing challenges. I create gaps with intention!

I do that for a lot of stuff, but I’ve never decided the dimensions of terrain that way.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Usain Bolt topped out at like 29 mph, and (I don't have my numbers with me) had a ridiculous speed for 2 "rounds". I think his performance should be doable by an 8th level character who spent both of their ASIs on feats, and maaaaaaaaaaaybe is utilizing something like Cunning action to get extra movement (I don't like having to make every athlete a rogue or a monk to get double dash, I actually don't like double dashing and think cunning action is about doing two things at once so double dashing shouldn't be there ... that's a different thread). But 29 mph requires like 300 movement and with a base speed of 30, +10 for a feat still requires a x7 multiplier for running and that's really high.

High level non-casters should be able to do mythic/tall tales level feats of ridiculousness. I don't think only spells should do fun stuff.

Other than sprinting speed, what's probably more applicable to adventuring is long distance jogging. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas ran for how long? Humans can hold a double move (6 mph) for a really, really, really long time when they're fit.

Usain Bolt's record was a flat-out, head-down, short-term sprint.
Even the Dash action of 5e represents "combat movement" where you are able to keep cognisant of threats around you, parry and dodge attacks, and move over uneven ground. That's a rapid jog at most I think.

For 100 yard sprint performance, you'd need a "sprint action" or drop to the chase rules and making athletics checks.

 

[DND_Reborn]

No. That is combat speed.

Fine. Let's take the time (wasted as it is, but I have the morning free so whatever...) to look at our uses of Speed.

a. Encounter ("Combat" is so limited, after all "Chases" also use rounds to resolve but aren't strictly "combat".)

b. Travel

Obviously, for sprinting we aren't concerned with Travel speed. So, that leaves Encounter speed, which is the only mechanic 5E offers for dealing with rapid-short range movement. Since it only allows for 60 feet of movement (move and dash) during the round by a normal person, it doesn't allow at all for the ability to sprint as people can easily do IRL.

Hell, it doesn't even allow for a 18th-level monk using Step of the Wind to achieve speeds that many college and professional athletes can accomplish (better than a 10.9 second 100-m sprint). For the record, I've known dozens of such individuals in competition (because they beat me LOL!).

 

[DND_Reborn]

Usain Bolt's record was a flat-out, head-down, short-term sprint.
Even the Dash action of 5e represents "combat movement" where you are able to keep cognisant of threats around you, parry and dodge attacks, and move over uneven ground. That's a rapid jog at most I think.

For 100 yard sprint performance, you'd need a "sprint action" or drop to the chase rules and making athletics checks.

That is really the only solution, having a sprint (and even a "run" action if you wanted one).

Chasing doesn't really do it alone IMO, since gaining a level of exhaustion is way too "strict" in this case. Afterall, you recover from sprinting much faster than using a short or long rest.

 

[Xeviat]

Usain Bolt's record was a flat-out, head-down, short-term sprint.
Even the Dash action of 5e represents "combat movement" where you are able to keep cognisant of threats around you, parry and dodge attacks, and move over uneven ground. That's a rapid jog at most I think.

I definitely want a Sprint action. It could have a multiplier that is modified by gear and terrain. He did hold a comparable speed for 2 full D&D rounds, and based on his times in longer races, he can hold out comparable speeds for a bit longer. A Sprint action with a rapidly increasing athletics DC seems like the thing to do.

There could easily be a time when a character is out of reach and needs to spirit. It could also help in a chase.

Speeds in 5E are very slow. Especially flight.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I definitely want a Sprint action. It could have a multiplier that is modified by gear and terrain. He did hold a comparable speed for 2 full D&D rounds, and based on his times in longer races, he can hold out comparable speeds for a bit longer. A Sprint action with a rapidly increasing athletics DC seems like the thing to do.

There could easily be a time when a character is out of reach and needs to spirit. It could also help in a chase.

Speeds in 5E are very slow. Especially flight.

I agree. I've posted about flight times before as well.

I don't think you need to modify things by encumbrance or terrain because that is already baked into the game. Being encumbered already reduces speed, and difficult terrain halves it as well.

 

[Xeviat]

I agree. I've posted about flight times before as well.

I don't think you need to modify things by encumbrance or terrain because that is already baked into the game. Being encumbered already reduces speed, and difficult terrain halves it as well.

What people keep saying is that Olympic events happen in safe, perfect conditions, so they're pointing out that there may be a category of terrain beyond standard and difficult, an optimal above standard. I'm not sure we'd need that level of granularity: standard and difficult is good enough for me.

We aren't looking to be able to use the system to play D&D simulation baseball, we just want numbers that can actually do the things humans can do at a reasonable level and without, like, everyone being monks with 60 movement.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I definitely want a Sprint action. It could have a multiplier that is modified by gear and terrain. He did hold a comparable speed for 2 full D&D rounds, and based on his times in longer races, he can hold out comparable speeds for a bit longer. A Sprint action with a rapidly increasing athletics DC seems like the thing to do.

There could easily be a time when a character is out of reach and needs to spirit. It could also help in a chase.

Speeds in 5E are very slow. Especially flight.

I agree. I've posted about flight times before as well.

I don't think you need to modify things by encumbrance or terrain because that is already baked into the game. Being encumbered already reduces speed, and difficult terrain halves it as well.

Yeah I think an all out sprint is possible a few different ways.

*When you dash, you can make a Strength (Athletics) check to Sprint. On a roll of 10 or higher, you increase your base speed by a number of feet equal to the check result.
This would mean double your check result, since your speed is doubled. Roll of 10 or higher, you’re at least getting an extra 20ft, up to a maximum high level max strength expertise speed boost of 37x2=74ft. That’s a roughly 8.5 mph speed boost. Which...still requires rogue or monk to reach Olympic speeds.

*New special action: Sprint. When you take this action, you cannot do anything but move on this turn, and you cannot take a reaction until the start of your next turn. Your base speed is multiplied by 5, and you move your speed three times. Each movement can be in a different direction, but changing direction more than that requires an Acrobatics check against a DC equal to half your base speed, or you fall prone and take 1d10 bludgeoning damage for every 10 ft you have already moved on this turn, and your turn ends.
this gets a 30ft movement creature to about 25 mph, which may be too much. Maybe you could make it 4 times base speed, with an Athletics check to bump that to 5 times?