Quote:
1: If DW "running" speed is really just a brisk jog, your character should be able to put on a burst of speed and go faster than this when they really need to, such as when disengaging from combat. They can't.
2: If DW "running" speed is really just a brisk jog, animals with a high sustained movement rate (such as wolves) should be much faster. They're not.
3: If DW "running" speed is really just a brisk jog, you shouldn't need to spend an entire round slowing down when they need to stop moving at this speed.
4: The bestiary clearly states that the higher movement rate is "the maximum move distance, i.e. when running, galloping etc.". Galloping is by definition a horse's maximum running gait. The description conspicuously does not use the words "trot" or "canter" here.
5: If DW "running" speed is really just "jogging" speed, it should be possible to enter combat at this speed. It is not.
6: 20 seconds is probably about the longest you'd ever need this rate of speed given they way it is used in the game. Long distance movement rates are covered in chapter 18 of the rulebook.
The fact is, the movement values given are wonky. The question is, why?
I've come rather late to this thread (but better late than never, they say)...
Here are the rules I've been using for quite some time regarding movement in DW. They seem to work, but I'm open to comments / suggestions.
(This doesn't deal with disengaging from combat, but can be used once out of reach and running!)
Movement in Melee CombatMovement on foot uses the character’s
Movement Rate. If the character is mounted then the mount’s
Movement Rate is used. Each Combat Round the character may move a number of metres up to his
Movement Rate characteristic and engage in combat (either in attacking or retreating). A character or creature may move more than this score in a Combat Round but cannot then attack, though it may defend itself if set upon by an opponent that moves into weapon range (1½ metres or less).
If a character or creature has
Surprised its foe, it can move up to double its
Movement Rate and attack in the same Combat Round (see the rules on Basic Combat).
The Movement Rate is the number of metres which an encumbered character or creature (an armoured warrior, or a horse carrying a rider, for example) can move and fight in a single Combat Round. A character’s
Movement Rate is calculated by adding his
Strength and
Reflexes then dividing the result by ten; fractions are rounded off.
Movement Rate = (
Strength +
Reflexes) / 10
ExampleAescwine the Barbarian has a Strength
score of 15 and a Reflexes
score of 10. Aescwine’s Movement Rate
is (15 + 10) / 10 = 2½, rounded up to 3.
The normal distance that a character or creature can move in a single Combat Round is its
Movement Rate / 4. This is considered normal walking speed. For horses (and other four-legged creatures) this speed is considered a trot; faster movement may be considered a canter. Galloping is when the horse moves at its full running speed (see below).
RunningRunning flat out allows the character or creature to move its
Movement Rate x 8 per Combat Round, but if this is sustained for more than a few Rounds, a
Reflexes or
Strength roll may be required every subsequent Round, at the GamesMaster’s option. Failure indicates that the character slows down, while a fumble indicates exhaustion and collapse. Modifiers may be applied if the sprint is continued.
EncumbranceA character or creature may be ‘encumbered’ in DRAGON WARRIORS. Characters and horses are usually encumbered during the game as their normal state of affairs, and no special rules apply. However, characters and horses that are
unencumbered gain an increase of +2 to their basic
Movement Rate. Thus Aescwine, with his
Movement Rate of 3 would move 5 metres in combat when unencumbered.
Encumbrance is defined as a ‘heavy load’. Clothing, or even a sword and shield, are not enough to constitute a heavy load for a character; but full armour, weapons, and a heavy backpack do qualify as a heavy load. An armoured warrior and heavy saddle is clearly a heavy load for a horse to carry, while a small girl riding bareback is not much of a burden for most steeds.
When deciding encumbrance, the GamesMaster is in charge of judging specific cases. In borderline situations, add 1 point, rather than 2, to the
Movement Rate of the character or creature in question.
If a character or creature is bearing an extremely heavy load, perhaps carrying another armoured warrior on his back, the GamesMaster may wish to reduce the Movement Rate by 1 point.
Note that the +1 or +2 bonus is already included in the
Movement Rates for characters and creatures that do not normally bear heavy burdens (i.e. giants, bandits, hawks, bears, dragons, peasants, etc.).
Horses are assumed to be encumbered by the weight of an armoured rider or a heavy pack. So a sumpter horse bearing an empty pack would have a Movement Rate of 7 (5 + 2).
As a rule of thumb:
UNENCUMBERED:
(+2 bonus) Unarmoured and no more than a third of the maximum number of items allowed are worn or carried.
LIGHT ENCUMBRANCE:
(+1 bonus) Soft or hard leather armour worn and bearing no more than half the maximum allowed number of items.
ENCUMBERED:
Studded leather, chainmail or plate armour worn and up to a full load carried.
VERY ENCUMBERED:
(-1 penalty) Armoured and lifting up to twice the maximum allowed number of items.
ChasesSometimes two characters will chase each other on foot or on horse, or a creature will be chased by several characters, etc. If the
Movement Rates are different, the character or creature with the higher rate catches the lower. If the rates are the same, but one is more encumbered than the other, the GamesMaster must make a ruling based on common sense. For example, two characters racing on identical horses might find that the horse carrying the lighter load (the least heavy character) will gradually outdistance the other. Alternatively, opposed rolls on appropriate characteristics or skills can resolve these situations. For instance, when a character chases another, opposed Horsemanship or
Reflexes rolls might be appropriate, with the winner catching or escaping the other. The GamesMaster may wish to apply modifiers to the rolls at his discretion (based on the exact situation).