Question about being Slowed and Double Moving

[Stalker0]

This question came up in my game. I used a ray of frost to slow a monster down. That dropped his speed to 2, but I assumed that meant he could take a double move and move 4.

However, the rules of double movement work differently in 4e, you don't move twice, you add your speed together and move. 2 + 2 + slowed = 2 speed, so even with a double move the creature could only move 2.

Is that correct, if so, slow is a lot cooler than I thought

 

[Andur]

It is correct, your speed becomes two and cannot increase past two. Catch them in some difficult terrain and that speed can become 1, in which case they are better off shifting...

 

[ozziewolf]

This question came up in my game. I used a ray of frost to slow a monster down. That dropped his speed to 2, but I assumed that meant he could take a double move and move 4.

However, the rules of double movement work differently in 4e, you don't move twice, you add your speed together and move. 2 + 2 + slowed = 2 speed, so even with a double move the creature could only move 2.

Is that correct, if so, slow is a lot cooler than I thought

You only apply penalties once.

So if his speed is normally 4 you multiply 4 by 2 and then divide by 2.

You add everything together and then add the penalty once.

You don't add the penalties add everything together and then add the penalties again.

 

[Tervin]

This question came up in my game. I used a ray of frost to slow a monster down. That dropped his speed to 2, but I assumed that meant he could take a double move and move 4.

However, the rules of double movement work differently in 4e, you don't move twice, you add your speed together and move. 2 + 2 + slowed = 2 speed, so even with a double move the creature could only move 2.

Is that correct, if so, slow is a lot cooler than I thought

Well, it is partly like that but not really - if I remember correctly.

You can still double move if you are slowed, moving 2+2=4 squares. But if you try to run, the extra 2 squares you are trying to move per action don't get you anywhere. And in difficult terrain you effectively only move one square.

Edit: Checked the rules and I see what you mean now. What still makes me think that your interpretation is wrong is the possibility of taking your actions in the order move-minor-move. Then you are not doing a double move according to the rules, and each of your moves should be seen as separate actions. It seems weird if you can move longer if you mix in a minor action than if you don't.

 

[wedgeski]

Sounds like you're over-thinking this to me. A 'double-move' in 4e is essentially replacing a Standard with a Move action. If your move rate when Slow'd is 2 squares, then a 'double-move' is 4 squares.

 

[Tervin]

It is correct, your speed becomes two and cannot increase past two. Catch them in some difficult terrain and that speed can become 1, in which case they are better off shifting...

No. Can't shift in difficult terrain.

 

[ozziewolf]

Well, it is partly like that but not really - if I remember correctly.

You can still double move if you are slowed, moving 2+2=4 squares. But if you try to run, the extra 2 squares you are trying to move per action don't get you anywhere. And in difficult terrain you effectively only move one square.

Edit: Checked the rules and I see what you mean now. What still makes me think that your interpretation is wrong is the possibility of taking your actions in the order move-minor-move. Then you are not doing a double move according to the rules, and each of your moves should be seen as separate actions. It seems weird if you can move longer if you mix in a minor action than if you don't.

You're right, I read up on it after I posted and while the end result was right the math itself was wrong.

Your movement is 2. You can use two move actions to move twice and that becomes 4. You don't add the penalty a second time.

Generally adding your movement together before hand comes in to play in difficult terrain. Such as if your movement is 5 it would count as 10 and the one square that would be lost on each turn can be combined into one additional square.

 

[doctorhook]

No. Can't shift in difficult terrain.

Unless you're an elf.

 

[Andur]

Slowed - Your speed becomes 2. This speed applies to ALL your movement modes, but it does not apply to teleportation or (forced movement). You can't INCREASE your speed above 2, and your speed doesn't increase if it was below 2. If you're slowed when moving and you've moved more than 2 squares you stop moving.

Double move state:

One Speed When you double move, add the sppeds of the two move actions together and then move.

Specific beats general, slow clearly states your speed cannot increase beyond 2, a double move increases speed by doubling it. Just like running adds 2 to your speed, you can run when slowed, but you still can't move more than 2 squars.

 

[Tervin]

Specific beats general, slow clearly states your speed cannot increase beyond 2, a double move increases speed by doubling it. Just like running adds 2 to your speed, you can run when slowed, but you still can't move more than 2 squars.

But, like I wrote in my reply, if you move in two separate actions instead of taking a double move you will have speed 2 for each of them. What makes sense is to make the double move something optional for the creature, so that weird things like stopping to drink a potion in the middle doesn't let the the character move further than just plain moving.