D&D 5E Alacrity, a new Ability Score

[MechaPilot]

If you can outrun and kite, then you can out run and kite.

Yes. That's true. That's one of the reasons why I always equip humanoid enemies with some kind of ranged weapon, even if the adventure or MM entry doesn't give them one.

In my experience, being +5 feet faster than your opponent is as good as being +50 feet faster.

So, the impact of +5 speed versus +25 speed, seems negligible to the gaming balance.

Additionally, the range of longbow keeps speeds irrelevant.

I can't say I agree.

Granted, if we're talking about a flat open area I think what you said above makes sense. However, taking a moment to look at the maps in the adventures I own reveals a fair number of relatively short corridors that do turn or have an opening into another room. With a +25 foot speed modifier, a character could easily get around a nearby corner or into a nearby room and out of sight of attackers.

The range of player speeds from 30 (human) to 40 (cat, wolf) to 50 (lion, elk) are all within normal beast speeds, and seem like something a legendary hero should be able to do.

To me, that seems like a better argument for +5 ft per +1 than your argument above.

 

[Yaarel]

Granted, if we're talking about a flat open area I think what you said above makes sense. However, taking a moment to look at the maps in the adventures I own reveals a fair number of relatively short corridors that do turn or have an opening into another room. With a +25 foot speed modifier, a character could easily get around a nearby corner or into a nearby room and out of sight of attackers.

Especially indoors, where there is often nowhere to run, speed (and fly) become less powerful.

 

[MechaPilot]

I, uh, should've done something to clarify that my table comment was meant jokingly.

Thanks for clarifying. I didn't catch that you were joking.

I think having the bonus come at 14 will rather already count as sort of extreme. It's approaching high enough that someone will be debating placing their 14 in it or Constitution.

I agree. I think +5 feet per four points of ability score is a good compromise between my original "extreme ends" idea and +5 feet per +1.

 

[MechaPilot]

Especially indoors, where there is often nowhere to run, speed (and fly) become less powerful.

Yes, for a fast PC trapped inside a confined room the extra speed becomes useless. However, again, looking at most of the maps in the adventures I own shows very few areas like that. Most of the time, a fast PC will be able to get around a corner or into another room.

 

[Yaarel]

Yes, for a fast PC trapped inside a confined room the extra speed becomes useless. However, again, looking at most of the maps in the adventures I own shows very few areas like that. Most of the time, a fast PC will be able to get around a corner or into another room.

But if a PC locks themself (gets trapped) in a room, I dont see the problem. There is no combat advantage, for example. Only the ability to end combat sometimes.

 

[MechaPilot]

But if a PC locks themself (gets trapped) in a room, I dont see the problem. There is no combat advantage, for example. Only the ability to end combat sometimes.

The combat advantage comes not from locking oneself in a room.

You said that ranged weapons, especially the longbow, eliminates speed as an advantage in combat. But, if a character can attack and then have enough movement to get around a corner, or to duck in a room (even without locking themselves in it) such that an enemy would have to use an action to dash just to get near them again, then the character has attacked and avoided the consequences of being in combat. That's an advantage.

 

[Yaarel]

The combat advantage comes not from locking oneself in a room.

You said that ranged weapons, especially the longbow, eliminates speed as an advantage in combat. But, if a character can attack and then have enough movement to get around a corner, or to duck in a room (even without locking themselves in it) such that an enemy would have to use an action to dash just to get near them again, then the character has attacked and avoided the consequences of being in combat. That's an advantage.

Right, but the room is only so far away, meaning within a round or two, they are trapped.

And if they are around a corner, down the hall, then they cant use their longbow either.



In 4e, I built a highly evasive character, an Eladrin Storm Sorcerer with extra speed, 1-time flight, and 1-time teleport. Who of course kited from range. There were times when the DM gave up even trying to hit him. But most of the time, the indoors either trapped the character, or else forced the character to choose between to attack while being attacked or to not participate at all. And the extra speed was only 5 feet faster.

Underground tends too have few locations to evade to, and above ground tends tends to invite longbow.

At a higher level, the character could even teleport thru walls, but the character died in a TPK along with the rest of the party because of the indoor dilemma of either fight and be vulnerable or dont fight at all.

 

[Yaarel]

The problem with base walking speed is, it has no reallife correlation with running speed.

Walking speed is almost entirely cultural. New Yorkers walk faster, Texans walk slower. Etcetera. There is literally the ‘pace’ of a culture.

Maybe the benefits of a score for speed should only apply as a bonus for Run or Dash. If so, then the +5 feet per bonus point is no problem, since the combat action is spent to go the extra speed.

 

[Sadras]

Definitely a no-no for ability scores affecting movement, it opens up to all sorts of abuse.

However the Alacrity has some merit, but then again the question can get asked is why don't you simply adopt a modified version of the Skills and Powers sub-abilities. That is the way I'm leaning these days.

 

[Yaarel]

Definitely a no-no for ability scores affecting movement, it opens up to all sorts of abuse.

Like what? Is there a problem with fast speed? How is it different from flying?