Movement Obviously, movement is an important part of a fight. If a character is wielding a sword, he can’t hurt anyone with it unless he gets very close to them. The more time a character spends moving, the less he is able to do when he gets there.
In the standard AD&D game, every character and monster has a base movement rate. Since Player’s Option combat rounds are shorter than AD&D rounds, each point of that base movement rate allows a PC, NPC, or creature to move one square per combat round in melee scale. A human fighter with a movement rate of 12 can move 12 squares, or 60 feet, in one combat round. If a character moves diagonally, it costs 3 movement points for each 2 squares, rounded up. If a character moves three squares diagonally, it costs 5 movement points: 3 for the first two squares and 2 for the the third square.
Remember, this is a conservative advance. Figures can exceed their normal movement rates by charging, running, or sprinting (see Attack Options, below). The same human fighter sprints 180 feet in a combat round, which isn’t bad for an untrained runner wearing sturdy boots, heavy clothes, and carrying a sword.
Characters determine their combat system movement in three steps:
· Determine the character’s base movement rate from his character race;
· Adjust the base movement rate for exceptional ability scores;
· Modify the character’s movement due to his encumbrance.