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<blockquote data-quote="genshou" data-source="post: 2804201" data-attributes="member: 13164">Yes, I've determined combats with a single die roll before, in rules-light games.&nbsp; But I think you're missing my point... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f615.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":confused:" title="Confused&nbsp; &nbsp; :confused:"&nbsp; data-smilie="5"data-shortname=":confused:" />&quot;Realistic simulation&quot; isn't always an oxymoron, you know.&nbsp; The definition of realistic according to sense 2 of the word in my Oxford English Dictionary is &quot;representing familiar things in a way that is accurate or true to life&quot;, and I don't really think that D&amp;D combat fits the bill.&nbsp; But it does nicely for an abstract representation.All I'm trying to say is that D&amp;D isn't real, nor is it a realistic simulation.&nbsp; I'm sure we could come up with very realistic rules for waiting for an opportune moment to leap back out of harm's way and cast a spell, including exactly how many milliseconds the caster would have before their foe closed once more, determined by ability scores, encumbrance, and weapon mass and shape.&nbsp; But I prefer something that only takes up a small section of a rulebook and doesn't require me to take several minutes out of my game every time someone wants to take a 5-foot step.&nbsp; Yes, I prefer a rule that is simple enough that it can be used quickly in a variety of situations, even if that rule isn't the best at representing familiar things in a way that is accurate or true to life.Besides, it's pretty easy to describe combat round-by-round even with 5-foot steps and machine gun archers and spellcasters... instead of imagining a single 5-foot leap backward, imagine that the wizard/archer is stepping back a little at a time, staying right at the edge of the opponent's reach.&nbsp; When he casts a spell, he is too far away for the opponent to kill him immediately, but the action of spellcasting lets his opponent close the distance and attack when the spell is finished.Remember, somatic components only require one hand, and advancing on someone wielding a quarterstaff has given me a number of bruises from my time with ARMA even when fellow combatants were only using one arm.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="genshou, post: 2804201, member: 13164"] Yes, I've determined combats with a single die roll before, in rules-light games. But I think you're missing my point... :confused: "Realistic simulation" isn't always an oxymoron, you know. The definition of realistic according to sense 2 of the word in my Oxford English Dictionary is "representing familiar things in a way that is accurate or true to life", and I don't really think that D&D combat fits the bill. But it does nicely for an abstract representation. All I'm trying to say is that D&D isn't real, nor is it a realistic simulation. I'm sure we could come up with very realistic rules for waiting for an opportune moment to leap back out of harm's way and cast a spell, including exactly how many milliseconds the caster would have before their foe closed once more, determined by ability scores, encumbrance, and weapon mass and shape. But I prefer something that only takes up a small section of a rulebook and doesn't require me to take several minutes out of my game every time someone wants to take a 5-foot step. Yes, I prefer a rule that is simple enough that it can be used quickly in a variety of situations, even if that rule isn't the best at representing familiar things in a way that is accurate or true to life. Besides, it's pretty easy to describe combat round-by-round even with 5-foot steps and machine gun archers and spellcasters... instead of imagining a single 5-foot leap backward, imagine that the wizard/archer is stepping back a little at a time, staying right at the edge of the opponent's reach. When he casts a spell, he is too far away for the opponent to kill him immediately, but the action of spellcasting lets his opponent close the distance and attack when the spell is finished. Remember, somatic components only require one hand, and advancing on someone wielding a quarterstaff has given me a number of bruises from my time with ARMA even when fellow combatants were only using one arm. [/QUOTE]

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