Does " actually mean feet sometimes in 1st edition rules?

[TheSwartz]

I'm reading old editions of Dragon Magazine, actually starting out with the original Strategic Review.

Very interesting, but that's another discussion!

There are sections in Strategic Review on Creatures and in these descriptions, they will give obvious reference to size in feet as in describing a Naga as being " about 15' to 20' " where the ' I'm sure refers to feet.

However, there are sections that would say something like "Ghosts will attempt to Magic Jar any intelligent living creature which comes within 6" "... usually " refers to inches, however any reference that uses " seems unlikely. I'd think the example I just gave should be 6 feet, not 6 inches.

Does my confusion make sense? I'm just curious what's going on there. I thought it was a typo at first but it's showing up in multiple examples in issue #1, #2, and now #3. I have not read any of the original D&D material.

Thanks!

 

[Morrus]

It's a tabletop wargame thing. An inch on the tabletop, from when you measured distances with a ruler or tape measure in inches. You still do in some wargames. That's the origin of the square or hex in tabletop games, which these days tend to be 5 feet (and, usually, about an inch in width).

D&D evolved from a game called Chainmail, which was a tabletop wargame.

 

[Craddoke]

1e Distances: Indoors, 1" = 10'; Outdoors, 1" = 10 yards; Long Distance travel, 1" = 1 mile (PHB 39 & 102)

 

[TheSwartz]

I understand now. Thanks!