close-quarters fights in doorways

[heirodule]

I've run several modules where there are about 4 (sometimes 3 guys in 10x10 rooms (maybe 10x15) with doorways. The hall outside is 5' wide.

The party opens the door and combat ensues.

Excitement does not because only one guy can stand at the doorway, and one badguy can fight him. Not really much chance for ranged attacks and the spellcasters can't get up to the front of teh line to have LoS

Any advice for running these, other than, use big open rooms and multiple doors?

Paul

 

[Lerris]

Very big doors and corridors is about all I can come up with, that nad encourage some of your magic users to concentrate upon beefing others up in that type of situation.

 

[Nifft]

Tumble checks to get by the guy in the doorway? Spellcasters throwing area effects through the door at the corridor? Seems like the defenders have the advantage... they should use it.

Stinking Cloud the room they're in, and run out the other door, where they ready actions to kill anyone who stumbles through.

-- N

 

[Plane Sailing]

Use the "fighting in confined space" rule from the PHB, to make it clear that it is harder to fight in restricted conditions (like the doorway). Use bullrush or other similar feats to clear the way.

Normally at a door into a room three people could fight against the guy in the doorway, one on each side attacking past the door jamb and giving him cover.

 

[Altalazar]

You almost don't need to worry about it - the players will come up with their own method of dealing with it if they find they are being ineffective. That is part of the fun of gaming as PCs - coming up with solutions to problems like that.

 

[Zaruthustran]

I've run several modules where there are about 4 (sometimes 3 guys in 10x10 rooms (maybe 10x15) with doorways. The hall outside is 5' wide.

The party opens the door and combat ensues.

Excitement does not because only one guy can stand at the doorway, and one badguy can fight him. Not really much chance for ranged attacks and the spellcasters can't get up to the front of teh line to have LoS

Any advice for running these, other than, use big open rooms and multiple doors?

Paul

Even if your walls are 5' thick, 4 people can engage in melee at one time:


OOO
XAX

Where X = wall, and O and A = combatants

All three "O" combatants can fight "A".

Also, figure in reach weapons, spells, and whatnot. Remember that creatures, as a rule, do not block line of sight. A wizard behind "A" can easily see--and target--creatures beyond the line of three "O"s (provided that the room is lit).

Bull rush is a good way to open up and crowd into the room. If "A" bullrushes straight into the middle "O" the other "O"'s won't get attacks of opportunity thanks to the cover from the doorway. Once "A" has moved into the space formerly occupied by the middle "O" he can take a diagonal 5' step next turn and another pal can move into the space he just left. In this way the party can enter the room.

If you're serious about room-clearing methods do a little reading on SWAT, special forces, and police sites. They all have essays on how to handle doors and room entries.

-z

 

[Saeviomagy]

You almost don't need to worry about it - the players will come up with their own method of dealing with it if they find they are being ineffective. That is part of the fun of gaming as PCs - coming up with solutions to problems like that.

One possibility would be to make each square on a battlemap only 2 feet across, which means that two people will fit in most dungeon doorways.

I mean a 5 ft square is pretty huge.

PS. Has anyone else noticed the combat in 'speaker in dreams' which has something like 12 dire rats in a 20x20 area that they can't get out of?

 

[Zaruthustran]

One possibility would be to make each square on a battlemap only 2 feet across, which means that two people will fit in most dungeon doorways.

I mean a 5 ft square is pretty huge.

Pretty huge if you're just standing there, but not at all pretty huge if you're swinging a weapon.

Say you're at a baseball game. Would you want to stand only 2 feet away from Ichiro when he's up to batt?

-z

 

[Saeviomagy]

Pretty huge if you're just standing there, but not at all pretty huge if you're swinging a weapon.

Say you're at a baseball game. Would you want to stand only 2 feet away from Ichiro when he's up to batt?

-z

Not really, but I could certainly walk past him at that distance, and if I paid a bit of attention, I doubt he'd actually hit me without trying. And I certainly don't have 24 ranks in tumble.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

In this case, it appears that the guy with the weapon is your ally. So the D&D rules agree with you too. You can move by him without any difficulty. (Of course, you need to have somewhere to move to so you're still SOL in the situation described above).

And if he's your foe, I think you would need 25 ranks of tumble to get by without him getting a whack in on you.

Not really, but I could certainly walk past him at that distance, and if I paid a bit of attention, I doubt he'd actually hit me without trying. And I certainly don't have 24 ranks in tumble.