D&D 5E 30 speed for all! Halflings, Gnomes, Dwarves were feeling left behind?

[Mistwell]

And yet somehow smaller athletes are not constantly (or even often, or at all?) winning against larger athletes and records for small people are not anywhere near the records for normal sized ones (and that doesn't mean only Bolt).

I posted a good example above concerning the basketball teammates.

Also, this focuses only on running. What movement in combat also represents is slower, more careful movement where you don't drop all guard to get away as fast as possible (running). And the guy who only has to make a single step has a much more easy time to keep his defense than the one who has to do 3. There comes the point where the larger person can still move without sacrificing his defensive or offensive while the smaller one has to devote so much attention to moving fast that he can't fight as well any more.

Again, see the basketball example, where the smaller player was known for maneuvering much better through traffic during a game, and getting to his target.

 

[Gorgoroth]

I sometimes wonder if one were to put up a poll asking if the sky were blue on a D&D website, a third of responders would pick the completely wrongheaded thing, every time, just as a matter of principle.

 

[herrozerro]

I sometimes wonder if one were to put up a poll asking if the sky were blue on a D&D website, a third of responders would pick the completely wrongheaded thing, every time, just as a matter of principle.

Comparing your polls on subjective opinions on game rules to objective fact is not exactly how to make your point.

With that said, the sky can range in color from midday blue to sunset pink to midnight blue

 

[Mistwell]

Long post from a runners forum, but summary is: All other factors being equal, is a taller long distance runner generally at a disadvantage? I think the answer is yes, with exceptions, obviously... shorter runners have an inherent advantage in running efficiency for one primary reason....body mass. The greater body mass that taller runners generally have results in more weight and heat production than their shorter compatriots.

 

[Mistwell]

I sometimes wonder if one were to put up a poll asking if the sky were blue on a D&D website, a third of responders would pick the completely wrongheaded thing, every time, just as a matter of principle.

It's also possible you're the one picking the wrongheaded thing, and not seeing it.

 

[Manbearcat]

I'm a runner. I'll try to keep this brief and hopefully clear.

Here are some primary factors to contend with:

1) Biomechanics: Taller bipeds have no advantage over shorter bipeds on biomechanics so long as there is no deformity. This is primarily technique-driven but there will be some genetic advantages with hip to footstrike alignment.

2) Footstriking power/frequency/efficiency: As much as anything, this is about technique (driven by 1), strength in the calf/hamstring/glute for loading rate, and rebound elasticity in the calf, achilles tendon and surrounding infrastructure. Taller bipeds don't have a precedent for clear advantage here. In fact, there are strong studies showing the achiles tendon length (and corresponding elasticity) may be the primary driver here. This will vary wildly across people of the same size (1.75 meter tall folks can have achiles lengths from ~ 190 mm to 265 mm). Athletes universally have much longer achiles than your average person.

3) VO2 max or maximal oxygen consumption: This is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can take in and actually utilize at max exertion. Put simply, if you increase your O2 uptake, you'll run faster. Taller bipeds do not have an advantage here. This is training but also genetics. Insofar as D&D is capable of simulating process (which is to say not much at all!), this would be a racial Con bonus. Dwarves and certain Halfling and Gnome subraces?

4) Drag: This is exacerbated in bipeds with higher profiles. Smaller is better here.

I'll let people do their own math. Meanwhile, I'll vote for keeping the game quick and easy with uniform speeds and I won't pretend that D&D is good at simulating real world biophysics or combat even at gross levels of abstraction.

 

[Derren]

I'm a runner. I'll try to keep this brief and hopefully clear.

So when according to you smaller persons have so many advantages, how comes most sprint stars are around 6ft instead of 5?

 

[Manbearcat]

So when according to you smaller persons have so many advantages, how comes most sprint stars are around 6ft instead of 5?

I don't see where I implied or said anything of the sort of "smaller persons have so many advantages." The only area where smaller people have a clear advantage is drag reduction, and while a legitimate factor, a nominal one by comparison to the others.

Conversely, achilles length in the extremely athletic, upper 1 percent, likely exceeds that of the corresponding upper 1 percent in people a foot shorter.

However, I don't even agree with the premise here. "Functional speed" is what matters here. The 100 is an absurd metric to make as an analogue for what is required of D&D characters in a combat skirmish. 10 m shuttle run or a cone drill of some variety is what is sensible. "Flipping hips", changing directions and maintaining optimal body control/balance, short area acceleration and deceleration (specifically out of cuts)...all while being weighed down in some capacity with gear is what is relevant. For "functional speed" (such as is required in combat), taller is unequivocally not better. The best point guards, running backs, corner backs, middle infielders (et al) are universally the shortest competitors in their respective martial disciplines. Furthermore, see flyweights in MMA.

 

[Desdichado]

It's also possible you're the one picking the wrongheaded thing, and not seeing it.

To that point, I just looked outside of my window. The sky is a pale, bright gray today, without even the smallest hint of blue.

 

[Hussar]

How about my last 3 session?
On Sunday, all 3 present PCs moved more than their full movement for half of the combats (we are outside a lot because it's the Skull and Shackles campaign and encounters often start at significant distance). The ongoing online PFS session had half the PCs moving more than their full movement more than once and we were in the sewers. And the PFS game before that had us moving up and down stairs a lot, which meant most of us moved quite a bit.

The point is the types of encounters you run matter a lot. Outdoor encounters can start a hundred yards away or more. And yes, that's quite a bit of movement potential. Better not to over assume because, you know...

How do you start an encounter 300 feet away? How do you even have line of sight here? Unless you're fighting in open fields, I suppose. Unless the two forces are already automatically hostile, wouldn't most encounters close to talking distance first?

I have to admit, I've very, very rarely seen this happen. Most modules don't start encounters so far away, particularly in 3e or 4e (Pathfinder I am not familiar with) since it's so difficult to put anything that big on a battle map.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but, I do believe this is very, very much an outlier.