Comments for Paul's Blog

Comment on Fighting Shoulder to Shoulder by Charles

Charles — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:56:42 +0000

I would say 1-2 sword armed combatants. To fight free-ly with a sword takes up about a 10-foot radius, I would say. A swing and a step can put the point of the blade anywhere within that circle (try it and see – hold something three feet long in your right hand, take a big step, and extend your arm fully – the point of the sword is a looong way away).

A two-handed sword is slightly longer than a one-handed sword, maybe 4 feet instead of 3. That’s not a much bigger factor than size of combatant, not enough to be the difference in this case, I would say.

So, I would say, if you want to be realistic, 1 sword-armed combatant could take up the whole hallway (and then some). If the swordsmen were willing to limit their tactics, you could maybe fit 2. Definitely not more than two. And the difference between different kinds of swords I don’t think would be a deciding factor.

Comment on Increased Complexity in D&D by Delta

Delta — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:30:36 +0000

Oh, and an aside: Now I know where the map in the top-left of your background image comes from!

Comment on Increased Complexity in D&D by Delta

Delta — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:29:35 +0000

I agree, I think that’s a lovely, lovely article.

Comment on Fighting Shoulder to Shoulder by Delta

Delta — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:25:09 +0000

When I open up my copy of A1, there’s a post-it note with “Run just underground tournament section?” inside, which is of course just what you’re doing now.

Interesting observation about A1 tunnel widths; I think I’d run into the same trouble. Here’s a bit: the maps even seem to contradict at least part on the sewer level introductory notes: “The passageways [dirt tunnels] are normally 10′ wide…” [p. 11]. There’s other stuff about the A1 maps that don’t make sense to me, maybe this was unintentional.

Now, I don’t disagree with anything Guy said. I general I like to assume 2 people per 10′ corridor assuming a standard motley adventuring group with assorted swords/axes/maces, and not trained to fight in formation shoulder-to-shoulder. Seems: (a) realistic, (b) fits the miniature sizes if/when you use that, (c) presents a nice level of tactical options. For A1 I would consider hand-waving the corridor widths to wide enough to allow that and match the picture.

Also, there’s a typo in your DMG quote: it’s 3⅓ feet per tabletop inch (not 3½ feet). For what it’s worth, the first place the topic appeared was in OD&D Vol-3 p. 12, underlined for emphasis: “Allow perhaps 3 in a ten foot wide passage”, and what came later was reiterations and interpolations based on that. God help me and the neurons dedicated to remembering that particular fraction.

Comment on A1 Sewers in Pictures by Delta

Delta — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:57:34 +0000

That picture is crazy awesome!

And it’s a heck of a thing when players are literally banging their heads against an obstacle. (As I also experienced running S1.) I approve of what you did here.

Comment on GenCon Hotels by Delta

Delta — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:48:39 +0000

Willing to give an exemplary reference any time these people come to their senses and contract you to write a proper scheduling system.

Comment on GenCon Hotels by Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:26:12 +0000

Also, if guys would just learn to share a damn bed, the 2 suites we have will be FINE. Penises should not prevent bed sharing!!

Comment on GenCon Hotels by Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:25:40 +0000

The length of the walk from the Comfort Suites won’t bother me – it’s barely farther away than the Hilton was, but the fact that it’s a DIFFERENT walk will throw me! I JUST finally learned the walk from the Hilton – only took me like 5 years! ;P

Comment on GenCon Hotels by Roberto

Roberto — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:35:51 +0000

That s*cks… feel bad for you, hope you’ll be able to fix everything!

Personnaly it wasn’t that bad, got a 2 beds suite at the Hilton, was hoping to get one at the Embassy but I knew it was long shot.

I was at the Comfort Suites last year by myself, no complaints about the room itself, but the breakfast buffet was so-so (heard their oven was broken) and the 10 minutes walk to the Con was kinda of dark during the night, with an old factory nearby, etc…

Comment on GenCon Hotels by Paul

Paul — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:38:08 +0000

And here’s the terrible, terrible update: turns out the last room I booked at Comfort Suites is actually 1 king and a sofa bed instead of 2 doubles and a sofa bed. Looks like the 3-bed rooms all booked up and I didn’t notice and clicked on the wrong thing. So now we have one room too many but getting rid of any one will not solve our problems. What a freaking nightmare.