Distance

On another day, in another place, Lord Robilar is wandering through the swamps to the northeast of his castle with Quij, his orcish hero. They are spotted (surprised on a roll of 1) by a group of lizard men. 6d4 are rolled to determine the encounter distance. The results are 1, 1, 4, 4, 1, and 3. These are adjusted to 1, 1, 3, 3, 1, and 2, for a total of 11. The surprise roll further reduces this total by -1, so the lizard men sight them at 10”, or 100 yards. They will keep their distance if they know what is good for them.

Dungeon Masters Guide extract (p49 & p62)

Determine distance, if unknown, between the parties.

House Rule

If the distance is known, then this can just be stated,
When a random encounter, then follow these rules for calculating distance.

Addict Combat Explanation

Determine distance, if unknown, between the parties.

1. Outdoors, base encounter distance is 6” to 24” (6d4).
   1. If either party is surprised, subtract the larger number of surprise segments from the distance.
   2. Terrain may further modify the encounter distance.
      1. Scrub — -1 per die on all 3’s and 4’s.
      2. Forest — -1 per die on all numbers (0’s are possible).
      3. Marsh — -1 per die on all 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s.
2. Indoors, base encounter distance is 5” to 10” (d6 + 4).
   1. Line of Sight: If this is unobstructed and light is involved, the distance possible for determination of another party present is virtually infinite. It could likewise be sharply restricted due to obstructions.
      The lizard men did not know what was good for them, so now Robilar and Quij have to trudge down into their lair to exterminate the rest of them. As they proceed along the 200’ long entrance tunnel, they gleefully note that the lizard men have been kind enough to light torches along its length, thus making surprise impossible.
   2. Noise: If one party is making considerable noise which is discernible by the other party, the latter will have the options of fleeing or concealment; the former negating the encounter, the latter allowing distance to be 1” to 4” before discovery by the noisy party.
      Robilar and Quij are congratulating each other on their fortune so loudly that they fail to notice the ten lizard men sneaking up behind them. The lizard men have the option of fleeing undetected, but, foolishly, they close to (d4) 3” (30’) before they are noticed.
   3. Actual Area: If the encountered party is in a small area, distance between the two can be no greater than the maximum distance possible for discovery of the one by the other, i.e. opening a door into a 20’ X 20’ room will mean the distance between the two parties can be under 10’, 10’ or thereabouts, or 20’ (d6, 1-2 = striking distance, 3-4 = 10’ distance, 5-6 = 20’ distance).
      After cleaning off their weapons, Robilar and Quij make their way into a cave, which measures roughly 30’ across. According to a d4 roll, the lizard men in the cave are: 1 = in striking range, 2 = 10’ away, 3 = 20’ away, or 4 = 30’ away. The warriors’ luck continues, as a roll of 1 shows that the lizard men are within striking distance.
   4. Planned or Unplanned Appearance: The sudden precipitation of one party upon the other due to any of a number of factors (teleportation, dimension door spell, other magical means, a chute, etc.) will cause distance similar to that found when actual area is a factor.
   5. Surprise: Surprise can only be a factor in close encounter situations. If either or both parties are surprised, the distance must be either 1” to 3” or it must be less as determined under the actual area modifier. Thus if the actual area were a 40’ X 60’ room, if surprise exists the distance between the parties will be 1” to 3”.
      In the next cave, Robilar and Quij surprise another group of lizard men. Encounter distance would normally be 1” to 3”, but, since this cave is only 20’ wide, 2” is the maximum distance possible.
   6. Light: The illumination factor or visual capability of the concerned parties will affect encounter distance as follows.
      1. A light source reliance limits the encounter distance to twice the normal vision radius of the source (2 X radius of the light source).
      2. Infravision and/or ultravision operate only to the stated limit of their range and limit encounter distance accordingly
      In the last tunnel, which is dark, Robilar uses his long sword +3 for light. It sheds light in a 20’ radius, so the maximum distance for any encounter is 40’. If Quij looks up ahead with his infravision, though, then the maximum encounter distance will be 60’.

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