Yagura:SRD:Movement, Position, and Distance

Movement, Position, and Distance

Miniatures are on the 30mm scale—a miniature figure of a six-foot-tall human is approximately 30mm tall. A square on the battle grid is 1 inch across, representing a 5-foot-by-5-foot area.

Tactical Movement

How Far Can Your Character Move?

Your speed is determined by your race and your encumbrance. Your speed while unarmored is your base land speed.

Encumbrance

A character encumbered by carrying a large amount of gear, treasure, or fallen comrades may move slower than normal.

Hampered Movement

Difficult terrain, obstacles, or poor visibility can hamper movement.

Movement in Combat

Generally, you can move your speed in a round and still do something (take a move action and a standard action).

If you do nothing but move (that is, if you use both of your actions in a round to move your speed), you can move double your speed.

If you spend the entire round running, you can move quadruple your speed. If you do something that requires a full round you can only take a 5-foot step.

Bonuses to Speed

Some class abilities, many spells, and many magic items can affect a character’s speed. Always apply any modifiers to a character’s speed before adjusting the character’s speed based on encumbrance, and remember that multiple bonuses of the same type to a character’s speed don’t stack.

Measuring Distance

Diagonals

When measuring distance, the first diagonal counts as 1 square (5 ft.), the second counts as 2 squares (10 ft.), the third counts as 1, the fourth as 2, and so on.

You can’t move diagonally past a corner (even by taking a 5-foot step). You can move diagonally past a creature, even an opponent.

You can also move diagonally past other impassable obstacles, such as pits.

Closest Creature

When it’s important to determine the closest square or creature to a location, if two squares or creatures are equally close, randomly determine which one counts as closest by rolling a die.

Moving through a Square

Friend

You can move through a square occupied by a friendly character, unless you are charging. When you move through a square occupied by a friendly character, that character doesn’t provide you with cover.

Opponent

You can’t move through a square occupied by an opponent, unless the opponent is helpless. You can move through a square occupied by a helpless opponent without penalty. (Some creatures, particularly very large ones, may present an obstacle even when helpless. In such cases, each square you move through counts as 2 squares.)

Ending Your Movement

You can’t end your movement in the same square as another creature unless it is helpless or you and the other creature are vastly different in size.

Tumbling

A trained character can attempt to tumble through a square occupied by an opponent (see the Tumble skill).

Square Occupied by Creature Three Sizes Larger or Smaller

Any creature can move through a square occupied by a creature three size categories larger than it is.

A big creature can move through a square occupied by a creature three size categories smaller than it is.

Designated Exceptions

Some creatures break the above rules. A creature that completely fills the squares it occupies cannot be moved past, even with the Tumble skill or similar special abilities.

Terrain and Obstacles

Difficult Terrain

Difficult terrain hampers movement. Each square of difficult terrain counts as 2 squares of movement. (Each diagonal move into a difficult terrain square counts as 3 squares.) You can’t run or charge across difficult terrain.

If you occupy squares with different kinds of terrain, you can move only as fast as the most difficult terrain you occupy will allow.

Flying and incorporeal creatures are not hampered by difficult terrain.

Obstacles

Like difficult terrain, obstacles can hamper movement. If an obstacle hampers movement but doesn’t completely block it each obstructed square or obstacle between squares counts as 2 squares of movement. You must pay this cost to cross the barrier, in addition to the cost to move into the square on the other side. If you don’t have sufficient movement to cross the barrier and move into the square on the other side, you can’t cross the barrier. Some obstacles may also require a skill check to cross.

On the other hand, some obstacles block movement entirely. A character can’t move through a blocking obstacle.

Flying and incorporeal creatures can avoid most obstacles

Squeezing

In some cases, you may have to squeeze into or through an area that isn’t as wide as the space you take up. You can squeeze through or into a space that is at least half as wide as your normal space. Each move into or through a narrow space counts as if it were 2 squares, and while squeezed in a narrow space you take a –4 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to AC.

When a Large creature (which normally takes up four squares) squeezes into a space that’s one square wide, the creature’s miniature figure occupies two squares, centered on the line between the two squares. For a bigger creature, center the creature likewise in the area it squeezes into.

A creature can squeeze past an opponent while moving but it can’t end its movement in an occupied square.

To squeeze through or into a space less than half your space’s width, you must use the Escape Artist skill. You can’t attack while using Escape Artist to squeeze through or into a narrow space, you take a –4 penalty to AC, and you lose any Dexterity bonus to AC.

Special Movement Rules

These rules cover special movement situations.

Accidentally Ending Movement in an Illegal Space

Sometimes a character ends its movement while moving through a space where it’s not allowed to stop. When that happens, put your miniature in the last legal position you occupied, or the closest legal position, if there’s a legal position that’s closer.

Double Movement Cost

When your movement is hampered in some way, your movement usually costs double. For example, each square of movement through difficult terrain counts as 2 squares, and each diagonal move through such terrain counts as 3 squares (just as two diagonal moves normally do).

If movement cost is doubled twice, then each square counts as 4 squares (or as 6 squares if moving diagonally). If movement cost is doubled three times, then each square counts as 8 squares (12 if diagonal) and so on. This is an exception to the general rule that two doublings are equivalent to a tripling.

Minimum Movement

Despite penalties to movement, you can take a full-round action to move 5 feet (1 square) in any direction, even diagonally. (This rule doesn’t allow you to move through impassable terrain or to move when all movement is prohibited.) Such movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal (despite the distance covered, this move isn’t a 5-foot step).

Movement Modes

Creatures may have modes of movement other than walking and running. These are natural, not magical, unless specifically noted.

Burrow

A creature with a burrow speed can tunnel through dirt, but not through rock unless the descriptive text says otherwise. Creatures cannot charge or run while burrowing. Most burrowing creatures do not leave behind tunnels other creatures can use (either because the material they tunnel through fills in behind them or because they do not actually dislocate any material when burrowing); see the individual creature descriptions for details.

Climb

A creature with a climb speed has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. The creature must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a DC of more than 0, but it always can choose to take 10 even if rushed or threatened while climbing. The creature climbs at the given speed while climbing. If it chooses an accelerated climb it moves at double the given climb speed (or its base land speed, whichever is lower) and makes a single Climb check at a –5 penalty. Creatures cannot run while climbing. A creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus on their attacks against a climbing creature.

Fly

see also Yagura:SRD:Fly

A creature with a fly speed can move through the air at the indicated speed if carrying no more than a light load. (Note that medium armor does not necessarily constitute a medium load.) All fly speeds include a parenthetical note indicating maneuverability, as follows:

• Perfect: The creature can perform almost any aerial maneuver it wishes. It moves through the air as well as a human moves over smooth ground.
• Good: The creature is very agile in the air (like a housefly or a hummingbird), but cannot change direction as readily as those with perfect maneuverability.
• Average: The creature can fly as adroitly as a small bird.
• Poor: The creature flies as well as a very large bird.
• Clumsy: The creature can barely maneuver at all.

A creature that flies can make dive attacks. A dive attack works just like a charge, but the diving creature must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. It can make only claw or talon attacks, but these deal double damage. A creature can use the run action while flying, provided it flies in a straight line.

Swim

A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. The creature can always can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. The creature can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Big and Little Creatures in Combat

Creatures smaller or larger than Medium have special rules relating to position.

Tiny, Diminutive, and Fine Creatures

Creatures smaller than Medium take up less than 1 square of space. This means that more than one such creature can fit into a single square. A Tiny creature typically occupies a space only 1-1/4 feet across, so sixteen can fit into a single square. Fifty-six Diminutive creatures or 225 Fine creatures can fit into a single square. Creatures typically have a reach equal to the space they occupy, meaning Tiny or smaller creatures can’t reach into adjacent squares. They must enter an opponent’s square to attack in melee. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the opponent. You can attack into your own square if you need to, so you can attack such creatures normally. Since they have no natural reach, they do not threaten the squares around them. You can move past them without provoking attacks of opportunity. They also can’t flank an enemy.

Small Creatures

Though Small creatures take up one quarter of a square (2-1/2 feet) and 4 Small creatures can fit within a square, Small creatures treat reach somewhat differently than Tiny and smaller creatures. A Small creature's reach being 2-1/2 feet is just enough to function virtually the same as a 5 foot reach as long as the Small creature occupies a square alone. If more than one Small creature occupies a square it forces the Small creatures to occupy a set quadrant of the square, pushing each other to the edges. A Small creature does not have adequate reach to strike an opponent in an adjacent square unless the quadrant of the square they occupy is adjacent. Therefore two halflings could occupy a single square and do battle with a human in an adjacent square, but if a third halfling were to occupy the square with the other two, that third halfling could not strike the human without using a reach weapon. Reach weapons in the hands of Small creatures grant 5 foot reach. A warband of kobolds are likely to carry spears, allowing 4 of them to attack a larger foe from the same square.

Large, Huge, Gargantuan, and Colossal Creatures

Very large creatures take up more than 1 square.

Creatures typically have a reach equal to the space they occupy, meaning that creatures that take up more than one square typically have a reach equal to the breadth of the space they occupy.

A creature with greater than normal natural reach usually gets an attack of opportunity against you if you approach it, because you must enter and move within the range of its reach before you can attack it.

Large or larger creatures using reach weapons can strike up to double their natural reach.

Size Table

Template:Anchor

Size Category	Stealth Modifier	Height or Length2	Weight3	Space4	Natural Reach4		Carrying Capacity Mulitplier
					Tall	Long	Biped	Quadruped
Fine	+16	6 in. or less	1/8 lb. or less	4 in.	4 in.	2 in.	×1/16	×1/8
Diminutive	+12	6 in.–1 ft.	1/8 lb.–1 lb.	8 in.	8 in.	4 in.	×1/8	×3/16
Tiny	+8	1 ft.–2 ft.	1 lb.–8 lb.	1-1/4 ft.	1-1/4 ft.	8 in.	×1/4	×3/8
Small	+4	2 ft.–4 ft.	8 lb.–60 lb.	2-1/2 ft.	2-1/2 ft.	1-1/4 ft.	×1/2	×3/4
Medium	+0	4 ft.–8 ft.	60 lb.–500 lb.	5 ft.	5 ft.	5 ft.	×1	×1-1/2
Large	−4	8 ft.–16 ft.	500 lb.–2 tons	10 ft.	10 ft.	5 ft.	×2	×3
Huge	−8	16 ft.–32 ft.	2 tons–16 tons	15 ft.	15 ft.	10 ft.	×4	×6
Gargantuan	−12	32 ft.–64 ft.	16 tons–125 tons	20 ft.	20 ft.	15 ft.	×8	×12
Colossal	−16	64 ft. or more	125 tons or more	30 ft.	30 ft.	20 ft.	×16	×24
This modifier applies to the bull rush, grapple, overrun, and trip special attacks. Biped's height, quadruped's body length (nose to base of tail) Assumes that the creature is roughly as dense as a regular animal. A creature made of stone will weigh considerably more. A gaseous creature will weigh much less. These values are typical for creatures of the indicated size. Some exceptions exist.

Scaling Modifiers

Whether a human attacks a gnoll or a giant attacks a wyvern, fights without a size discrepancy are generally the same. Combat between foes of different sizes introduces new modifiers depending on the difference in size.

Being Smaller

Being smaller doesn't just affect your reach. If the difference in size is two or more sizes, the smaller creature's reach does not effectively threaten the larger foe (meaning no attacks can be made even if the larger creature is within the smaller creature's natural reach). A reach weapon does allow a creature to threaten a foe two sizes larger, but not three sizes larger. If a creature is too small to threaten an adjacent foe, the creature has to move into the foe's space to make melee attacks.

Being much smaller than a foe also prevents a creature from attacking enough of the foe's body to incapacitate the larger creature merely by dealing hit point damage. If a creature is three sizes smaller than an opponent, attacks are limited to limb damage only.

Limb Damage

Limb damage taken by the larger creature is nonlethal damage that does not contribute toward the total lethal or nonlethal damage a creature takes. Every creature has 6 Limb Locations, regardless of the structure of the creature (though it may be easier to conceive of the limb locations as coordinating to the head, torso, arms, and legs for humanoid-shaped creatures, feel free to describe it however you like). A single attack made by a smaller foe deals full and equal damage to three limb locations if the attacker is three sizes smaller, 2 limb locations if the attacker is four sizes smaller, or 1 limb location if the attacker is five sizes smaller.

A creature's total lethal and nonlethal damage are added to the limb damage at each limb location. If this total exceeds the creature's total hit points, the limb location is disabled, imposing a -1 penalty to all d20 rolls made by the creature. If all 6 limb locations are disabled, further damage is no longer limb damage.

A smaller attacker can deal normal damage by targeting vital areas, but this is generally difficult. Attackers three or more sizes smaller than their foe can attempt to grapple the larger foe and move to a vital area with an appropriate movement (be it swim, climb, flight, etc). Attacking a vital area is done as though the attacker were two sizes larger when calculating the attack modifier, the damage modifier, and the way limb damage is dealt.

For example, a Diminutive bat attacks a Medium human commoner. The bat is 3 sizes smaller than the commoner, so the bat moves into the commoner's space, provoking an opportunity attack. The bat then bites, getting +4 to hit and -4 damage, dealing a total of 1 damage. Because the bat is 3 sizes smaller, this deals 1 limb damage to 3 of the commoner's 6 limb locations. If the bat successfully deals another 9 limb damage, 3 of the commoner's limb locations become disabled, imposing a -3 penalty to most rolls. If the bat somehow manages to keep attacking the commoner until all limb locations are disabled, the bat's next attacks deal lethal damage to the commoner.

Being Larger

Creatures 3 or more sizes larger than their foes gain special abilities when attacking the smaller creatures. When attacking a creature three or more sizes smaller, the attacker is treated as having the Improved Grab feat, and can throw a grabbed creature as an improvised range weapon with a range increment equal to the thrower's natural reach. When attacking a creature four or more sizes smaller, the attacker is treated as also having the Improved Trample feat, and the range increment for thrown creatures is two times the thrower's natural reach. When attacking a creature five or more sizes smaller, the attacker is treated as also having the Swallow Whole feat, and the range increment for thrown creatures is four times the thrower's natural reach.

Also, all melee and ranged attacks made against creatures four sizes smaller are considered touch attacks.

Scaling Combat Bonuses Table

Attacker Is	Attack Modifier	Damage Modifier1, 2	Special Attack Modifier3	Move Into Space?	Limb Damage Only?	Attacks Are Touch?	Throw Range Inc.	Special Abilities
Five sizes smaller	+16	-16 4	-64	Yes	Yes (1/6)
Four sizes smaller	+8	-8 4	-32	Yes	Yes (2/6)
Three sizes smaller	+4	-4 4	-16	Yes	Yes (3/6)
Two sizes smaller	+2	-2	-8	Yes7
One size smaller	+1	-1	-4
Same size	–	–	–
One size larger	-1	+1d6 (+2)	+4
Two sizes larger	-2	+2d6 (+4)	+8
Three sizes larger	-4 6	+4d6 (+8)	+16				reach x1	Grab
Four sizes larger	-8 6	+8d6 (+16)	+32			Yes	reach x2	Grab, Trample
Five sizes larger	-16 6	+16d6 (+32)	+64			Yes	reach x4	Grab, Trample, Swallow Whole
Damage modifier is applied once for the attack, and is not affected by multipliers or bonus damage. Two-handed weapons add the damage bonus listed in parenthesis in addition to the base damage. One-handed weapons wielded with two hands do not receive this benefit. This modifier applies to the bull rush, grapple, overrun, and trip special attacks. Unlike normal damage rolls, the minimum damage for these rolls is 0. If you deal damage to the vital area of a much larger creature with a melee attack (because you climbed, flew, swam, or otherwise reached the vital area) you are considered two sizes larger for the purposes of your attack. Unlike normal attack rolls, a roll of 20 is not an automatic hit. A reach weapon that doubles an attacker's natural reach effectively allows the attacker to avoid needing to move into the foe's space.