D&D 5E Distance Estimation

[overgeeked]

As someone who spent too much time in their misspent youth with archery and "plinking" with a gun, I can guarantee that anyone who is decent at using ranged weapons has a pretty good idea of distance. I may not have been able to tell you that a target was 50 feet away, but I could adjust for the drop and still hit my target.

Note how there’s a difference between these two. Accounting for drop is not the same as accurately estimating the distance in feet. You can still accurately hit the target at range (account for drop) without any idea what the even estimated distance is. No one’s saying it’s impossible to account for drop, clearly that comes with practice. But that’s not the same as knowing the precise distance to the target.

Besides, exact distances in D&D are just there to make the game easier, it's an oversimplification to make the game playable.

The game is still playable without the exact distances. Theater of the mind and various ways to abstract distances are available and work.

 

[Oofta]

Note how there’s a difference between these two. Accounting for drop is not the same as accurately estimating the distance in feet. You can still accurately hit the target at range (account for drop) without any idea what the even estimated distance is. No one’s saying it’s impossible to account for drop, clearly that comes with practice. But that’s not the same as knowing the precise distance to the target.

The game is still playable without the exact distances. Theater of the mind and various ways to abstract distances are available and work.

My point is that it's irrelevant if you know exact feet because we only use exact feet as a simplification. I could judge how much I had to adjust for the distance even if I was only guessing feet. Using any unit of measure whether feet or meters is just an artificial construct for communication.

If you're doing theater of the mind I would assume you're either using abstract distances or still describing thing in feet. People should still know how to adjust.

 

[LordEntrails]

Note how there’s a difference between these two. Accounting for drop is not the same as accurately estimating the distance in feet. You can still accurately hit the target at range (account for drop) without any idea what the even estimated distance is. No one’s saying it’s impossible to account for drop, clearly that comes with practice. But that’s not the same as knowing the precise distance to the target.

Drop is not the point. The implication is that the wizard just knows if something is in range of their fireball. They know if they can place it so that it hits two or three targets (and which ones). The Warlock knows if their eldritch blast is in range. The archer just knows if the target is at standard or long range. Way more accurately than a player ever will.

The game is still playable without the exact distances. Theater of the mind and various ways to abstract distances are available and work.

Correct, so why punish players when their mini happens to be 31 feet away and they thought they placed it 30 feet away? It just baffles me...

 

[GMforPowergamers]

My point is that it's irrelevant if you know exact feet because we only use exact feet as a simplification. I could judge how much I had to adjust for the distance even if I was only guessing feet. Using any unit of measure whether feet or meters is just an artificial construct for communication.

when I was younger I taught drivers ed, and we used 'car lengths' and no matter how many years there was always a smart alec to say "wait like a little car or a big truck"
my answer was always the same, "Use the car you are in, and if you think it's funny to argue over that maybe you are not ready to drive"

 

[overgeeked]

My point is that it's irrelevant if you know exact feet because we only use exact feet as a simplification. I could judge how much I had to adjust for the distance even if I was only guessing feet. Using any unit of measure whether feet or meters is just an artificial construct for communication.

If you're doing theater of the mind I would assume you're either using abstract distances or still describing thing in feet. People should still know how to adjust.

Exactly. The trouble is people are equating two separate things. Accounting for drop is not accurately guessing distance. You can account for drop without knowing the distance. Accounting for drop is the thing trained marksmen can do at a glance. Guessing distances is not. So, to keep player knowledge in line with character knowledge, the character would know what range band the target’s at, not precise measurement in 5 foot units.

 

[overgeeked]

The implication is that the wizard just knows if something is in range of their fireball. They know if they can place it so that it hits two or three targets (and which ones). The Warlock knows if their eldritch blast is in range.

What magical ability on their sheet gives them this ability?

The archer just knows if the target is at standard or long range. Way more accurately than a player ever will.

Yes, exactly. They’d know range bands, not precise measurements.

Correct, so why punish players when their mini happens to be 31 feet away and they thought they placed it 30 feet away? It just baffles me...

People misjudge distances every day. Even highly skilled, trained, and generally very precise, technically minded people. Adding a dash of realism isn’t a punishment. No one’s perfect. People make mistakes.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

What magical ability on their sheet gives them this ability?

Yes, exactly. They’d know range bands, not precise measurements.

People misjudge distances every day. Even highly skilled, trained, and generally very precise, technically minded people. Adding a dash of realism isn’t a punishment. No one’s perfect. People make mistakes.

i will just say i would not to play in a game with these house rlues

 

[Vaalingrade]

Also, it's the attack roll / save part of the representation of missing due to poor aim or yes, even misjudging distance?

 

[Vaalingrade]

Adding a dash of realism isn’t a punishment.

Realism is its own punishment.

 

[LordEntrails]

Exactly. The trouble is people are equating two separate things. Accounting for drop is not accurately guessing distance. You can account for drop without knowing the distance. Accounting for drop is the thing trained marksmen can do at a glance. Guessing distances is not. So, to keep player knowledge in line with character knowledge, the character would know what range band the target’s at, not precise measurement in 5 foot units.

You are saying that a wizard/archer/character would know if something was in range of their abilities or not. I think we all agree on that. But then you are saying that they wouldn't know the exact measurement. Where we seem to disagree is on the implications of this. You say that if the player misjudges the distance, then the character fails. Myself (and others?) are saying, no, the character does not fail because they character would know if they are in range or not.

It's a lot like puzzles, do you solve them with player ability or character abilities? I prefer RPG challenges to be based around character abilities, not player abilities. You seem to enjoy the other method. Neither is wrong.