Base measurement in DDN

[DEFCON 1]

I would prefer meters or yards specifically because their numbers = squares. So there's no calculations required if you decide to move to the grid. If a spell is range 50 feet... you have to do the math to come up with 10 squares (double the number and remove a 0). Whereas the spell would be 10 yards or meters, which then equals the numbers of squares it would be when moving to the grid.

If you have to use 5 feet... then I hope all ranged have the square equivalent right after. Range 50-200 feet (10-40).

 

[the Jester]

Since a medium creature's space is 5', it makes sense to keep the standard measures in feet.

I think a one-yard face/fighting space is too small for anyone wielding a big weapon.

 

[StAlda]

Since a medium creature's space is 5', it makes sense to keep the standard measures in feet.

I think a one-yard face/fighting space is too small for anyone wielding a big weapon.

But your weapon has to reach into the next space. I own a real katana (read not reproduction, I say that because reprodutions tend to be bigger), my arm and sword can't reach 10 feet - but it can reach 6 feet. A 6 foot 2 handed weapon would have reach (and maybe a penalty for close quarters fighting). This would explain a Bastard sword, you have to choke up on the sword for close quarters.

 

[AeroDm]

I'd like the yard/meter change. I think one of the best results of the change would be that we could stop having ridiculous maps. In order to be functional, a room needs to be large enough to accommodate the combat rules. This means we need to have tiny storage rooms or barracks that are 5x5 or 600+ square feet carved out of bedrock and protecting a goblin and his mud throne.

I can accept a 6' wide hallway, but all these destitute people spending their lives digging absurdly wide corridors need to get outside and life their life!

 

[Prickly]

I live in a metric country.

I have a devil of a time trying to sort out distance in feet.
It also confuses the hell out of my players. Especially new players.

so I vote 1 yard = 1 metre = 1 square.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I vote the pace. What D&D character is running around with a tape measure, anyway? It's always bothered me that D&D says things like "You enter a 20-foot by 40-foot room." I always think "Wouldn't my character just think of that room as 'a big room'?" Who's measuring?

It's only important if you're using a grid, or if you have someone mapping. In which case, "paces" work great because you could actually have the characters pace it out if they have a cartographer in the party (which is what they'd probably do.)

And it doesn't really matter if the pace is a yard, 5 feet, a metre, or two metres (though I suppose a pace would be better as two steps rather than one, so we don't have sprinters running 100 squares in under 2 rounds or being really slow)

At any rate, I like it.

 

[mlund]

I'd be fine with using the yard and 2-yard squares if we were going from scratch. However, all D&D's legacy materials are on a 5 and 10 ft. square scale. That's what the apostrophe is for, after all.

- Marty Lund

 

[Prickly]

I'd be fine with using the yard and 2-yard squares if we were going from scratch. However, all D&D's legacy materials are on a 5 and 10 ft. square scale. That's what the apostrophe is for, after all.

- Marty Lund

I don't think a past decsion like that should keep us from making improvements.

I don't think anything would explode if those maps in old DnD modules were made to represent a yard instead of 5ft

 

[Szatany]

Distances should be measured in arensons. 1 arenson equals (more or less) to 1 meter, equals to 1 yard, equals to 3 feet.

 

[jadrax]

I live in a metric country.

I have a devil of a time trying to sort out distance in feet.
It also confuses the hell out of my players. Especially new players.

so I vote 1 yard = 1 metre = 1 square.

A yard is about a metre, or around 1 stride.
A foot is a third of that, so around a third of a metre.

Note that a 5 foot step is actually quite a considerable distance, you could not really do it as a single step.