Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site warwick.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!mcvax!ukc!warwick!req From: req@warwick.UUCP (Russell Quin) Newsgroups: net.games.frp Subject: combat rounds (was:Re: command spell & ropes) Message-ID: <281@snow.warwick.UUCP> Date: Thu, 8-Aug-85 18:16:34 EDT Article-I.D.: snow.281 Posted: Thu Aug 8 18:16:34 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 22:57:37 EDT References: <3073@pur-ee.UUCP> <1899@hcrvax.UUCP> Reply-To: req@warwick.UUCP (Russell Quin) Organization: Computer Science, Warwick University, UK Lines: 44 Keywords: AD&D,combat,round,melee,socks,foot Socks: brown Xpath: warwick snow snow ubu In article <1899@hcrvax.UUCP> jims@hcrvax.UUCP (Jim Sullivan) writes: >> Tying someone up in one round is o.k. if you go by the AD&D >> combat round, which is 1 minute long. [...] >Agreed, I find it difficult to believe that a fighter can only swing once >in one minute ! To be fair, the DMG s quite clear on this point (although perhaps not VERY clear :-] ) :- a combat round lasts a minute, during which time many blows will have been struck. The assumption is that only one of these is serious enough to be worth considering. >What I've always done is maintained a two-tier system. >During regular play, a round is a minute, but during melee, things speed >up a bit. This makes battle more realistic, and since my players know >that I treat time this way, I don't get any wild statements about attempting >strange feats during melee ("well, I have the time") >Jim Sullivan I think that perhaps this is most worthwhile when based on a clear understanding of what already exists. [no offence is meant here; this isn't a flame] Many people change to a "blow-by-blow" combat system, but keep the assumption that it always takes the same amount of time to get a blow in. Even AD&D has weapon speed factors..... using (say) a 10 second round & dealing with one blow/feint/parry/thrust/riposte/action per Person per round means that Time is quantified in 10sec intervals, so that in the same time that Coke'un has swung his mighty Classic Axe, I have kicked him exactly 3.0 times with my foot. Or whatever. Now, it's very difficult to run a combat where individuals have `rounds' of differing lengths... I certainly don't know if I could cope... but I thought that I'd point out that the whole concept of `round' is a little forced. Although that's not to say that it isn't useful. How many kicks do I get in with my bare left foot while Mhvrik is binding the arms of a wounded Droopian warrior? Two and a half? Is it a function of my Quickness/Lissomeness/Agility/leg-length/mass/strength? At any rate it certainly sounds an individual thing... (If my victim is wearing armour, I accede that I only make one attempt (at most)!). Hmph, sometimes game design is complex. Those are the easy days. - Russell -- ... mcvax!ukc!warwick!req (req@warwick.UUCP) "How beautiful are the socks of them that preach the gospel of peace..."