'Movement' Skill

[Tonguez]

For a while now I've been thinking about the Run Feat (as well as Swim & Climb etc) and changing them to account for Manouverability as much as Speed. The discussion on Glide rules got me thinking again so here's the proposal.

Movement is a Skill (Dex) which applies to the creatures primary Movement type (Ground, Swim, Climb, Burrow, Fly). Basic movement (eg walking for those with Ground speed) is DC 0.
The skill comes into play for three reasons
1. Trying to Run Faster than base speed (replaces Run feat)
2. Movement through difficult terrain (replaces Balance skill)
3. Manouveres/Special Tricks (eg Up the Walls)

Anyway using the current Flight rules as a basis we make get something like:
Movement Skill

• Clumsy 0
• Poor 1 -3
• Average 4 - 6
• Good 7 - 9
• Expert 10 - 12

Examples of Ground Movement
eg 1 Max is trying to run at full speed through a trackless forest. Usually he'd have to go 1/2 apeed but by making a Movement check DC 10 he is unhampered

eg 2 Legolas charges towards the oliphant, dodging arrow fire, catches hold of a harness belt and swings himself up onto the creatures back. Movement Check DC 30 (I guess)

The rules can then be used to simulate chases (using opposed roles) and aerial (or aquatic) dogfights

eg 3 Max is chasing Legolos through a Swamp DC 10. Max Spd 30 Mv Skill + 2 Legolos Spd 30 Mv Skill +4. Legolos is 10 ft ahead when the chase starts he rolls D20 (8 + 4 = 12) Max follows rolls D20 (14 + 2 = 16)
Both beat the Swamp DC 10 so can move at full speed (30ft). Also the difference between Max's roll (16) and Legolos (12) gets added to MAx's speed as a bonus
so
=> Legolos runs ahead +30 ft = 40 ft but Max catches up closing that 30 ft + 4 (the difference) (34) thus the new gap between them is only 6 ft

Legolos realising Max is gaining makes a swerve to try and avoid Max (trick Run DC +5) rolls 11 + 4 = 15 (vs Swamp DC of 10 + 5(swerve) = 15) means Legolos slips and finds himself on he's knees in the mud

Max gains and catches him

as you cn see this is still embryonic so please add thoughts

*Oh and I'd probably allow characters to pick up additional movement types using feats (eg Brachiation feat would grant a climb speed (trees only)) and Glide would be a first feat in the Flight feat chain (prereq 'wings')

 

[Frostmarrow]

Looks good. How will conversions work? Let's say I have a dragon statted up. What bonus to movement skill will it have?

 

[Vrecknidj]

I'm not interested in making extreme changes to the game. However, I could see using movement rules like yours without making it a skill. I'm not keen on getting rid of Run and Balance and things like that either.

So, maybe there's a simple d20 check. If you want to run faster than your run speed, you make a d20 check, add some modifiers, and that's that.

Here's a very, very rough idea.

Running one category faster (i.e. from x3 to x4, or from x4 to x5 speed).
As a full-round action, you can attempt to run faster than your normal speed. To do so, you must succeed on both a Dex and a Str check. The DC for each is 15 plus any additional terrain or circumstance modifiers. If you succeed on both checks, you move at the faster speed for this round. If you fail either check, you move at your usual running speed for this round. You may run at this faster speed for consecutive rounds if you continue to make your checks. Running this way is tiring. After you've run this way for a number of rounds (consecutive or not, but only if you're running the whole time) equal to your Con modifier, you must make a Constitution check DC 15+# of rounds running at higher speed. If you fail this check you are Fatigued for 1 minute.

Dave

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I like the idea and have thought of doing something similar myself.