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MOVEMENT RULES FOR UNDERGROUND
PLAY
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MOVEMENT RULES FOR UNDERGROUND
PLAY
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New movement rules in this section address several types of situations
common to underground adventuring. Although these situations
are not necessarily exclusive to underground
adventures, they are all commonly encountered here, and these
rules emphasize treating them in an underground environment.
In the absence of other rules or exceptions, these rules can be
applied to any similar situation encountered in an AD&D@
game
campaign at the discretion of the DM.
SWIMMING +
USING ROPE +
BRIDGES +
The techniques of spelunking, or cave exploration, can be useful
to any characters who have to crawl around in narrow spaces
underground. Many aspects of spelunking are subsumed under
other movement rules, particularly climbing,
swimming, and
jumping. Mapmaking is another dungeoneering skill that has
obvious benefits for cave exploration.
Often a cave presents extremely constricted areas of movement
to a character, and this section details the effects of such
tight passageways. Also, many cave sections are choked with
rubble or require excavation, so information on clearing these
passages is presented as well.
Tunnel ceilings that are lower than the height of the characters
walking through them can penalize a party’s movement and combat
capabilities. However, since the heights of individuals within a
party may vary widely, the effects of the following conditions will
also vary from one party member to the next.
If the ceiling is lower than a character’s height, but at least 213
of his height, he can walk upright at 2/3 of his normal movement
rate. The character suffers no adverse combat effects.
Characters must travel on hands and knees through any tunnel
that is less than 2/3 their height. Of course, this means that occasionally
humans will be grunting painfully along on all fours while
their halfling, and perhaps dwarven, companions trot along with
no more precautions than an occasional ducking of their heads.
In a tunnel whose diameter is 1/4 or less of the character’s
height, the character must actually slither along in a prone position.
See the limits below for the minimum heights and widths of
tunnel that can accomodate characters of different races.
A character traveling on hands and knees moves at 1/2 his normal
movement rate. If he should be so unfortunate as to engage
in combat while in this awkward position, he suffers a -5 penalty
to all of his attack rolls. He also loses all Dexterity and shield
bonuses to AC. Additionally, weapons such as longbows, broadswords,
and battleaxes cannot be employed in these close quarters.
Note the “Space Required” listing on the Weapons
Tables
for AD&D@ rules; this gives a clear
indication of what weapons
can and cannot be employed in a narrow tunnel.
A character who is prone because of a low ceiling suffers even
more serious penalties to his chance in combat. Of course, the
space required limits his choice of weapons even further. In addition,
the character suffers a -8 modifier to all of his attack rolls,
and can gain no Armor Class benefits from a shield or a Dexterity
bonus. When moving, the character is limited to 1/4 of his normal
rate of movement.
The minimum tunnel widths that can accomodate different
characters are listed below. This chart is designed to reflect
average-sized characters; individuals of exceptional girth or slen-
derness should have the limits modified appropriately
Table 7: MINIMUM PASSAGEWAY SIZES
| Character Race | Tunnel Width | Tunnel Height |
| Human | 2 ft | 1 ft |
| Half-orc | 2 ft | 1 1/3 ft |
| Dwarf | 2 ft | 1 ft |
| Gnome | 1 1/2 ft | 3/4 ft |
| Elf | 1 1/2 ft | 3/4 ft |
| Halfling | 1 ft | 2/3 ft |
These sizes assume that the character is not wearing any kind
of bulky armor or backpack. Usually a character drags his pack
behind him, thus enabling negotiation of tighter passages.
If a character is wearing armor, the minimum size of the tunnel
he can pass through must be increased, based on the type of
armor worn. The following table lists the increases in tunnel size
needed to accomodate armor of various types.
Character Race Tunnel Width Tunnel Height of excavation is only 114 of the rate listed.
Table 8: ARMOR EFFECTS ON CHARACTER WIDTH
| Armor Type | Increase in Diameter |
| Leather armor | none |
| Padded armor | 1/6 ft |
| Studded leather | 1/6 ft |
| Scale mail | 1/4 ft |
| Ring mail | 1/6 ft |
| Chain mail | 1/4 ft |
| Splint mail | 1/4 ft |
| Banded mail | 1/2 ft |
| Plate mail | 2/3 ft |
| Field plate | 5/6 ft |
| Full plate armor | 1 ft |
Note that, particularly in the case of plate armor, the increase in
the character’s width reflects not just the thickness or bulkiness
of the armor, but the decreased maneuverability that the character
possesses in tight confines.
MOVEMENT
EFFECTS
OF DARKNESS
+
MOVEMENT
ON SLIPPERY
HORIZONTAL SURFACES
The problems inherent in moving on slippery surfaces involve
the risk of falling and a decreased ability to suddenly change
direction or speed of movement. Ice is probably the most common
slippery surface, but oily patches of smooth rock, or even
the secretions of monsters such as the boggle, can create slippery
conditions.
Characters who cautiously tread on slippery surfaces can
avoid the risk of falling down. Individuals moving thus can travel
at their normal movement rate as long as they move in a straight
line. If the character attempts to turn, stop suddenly, or break into
a run, the player must make a DEX
Check or the character
will fall down. Characters who fall down do not suffer damage, but
must spend a full round climbing to their feet.
If a character wants to be exceptionally cautious, he can move
at 1/2 of his normal movement rate. In this case, he can turn without
making a DEX Check.
Or the character can spend a
round slowing down from normal speed to 1/2 speed, and then
can turn without making the check.
Characters engaging in melee combat on such surfaces must
make a DEX Check
before every attack. If the checkfails, the
character does not make the attack, falls down, and suffers a +4
penalty to his AC for the round.
The character must
spend the next round getting to his feet, during which the AC penalty
remains in effect; the character cannot make an attack during
this round.
If the character elects to fight from the ground rather than
regain his feet, the +4 AC penalty remains in effect. In addition,
the character incurs a -4 penalty on all of his attack rolls.
Crampons are spiked plates of metal that
a character can lash
to the soles of his shoes or boots. In some cases, boots are made
with spikes attached. Crampons greatly increase the reliability of
a character’s footing on ice or other slippery surfaces. Characters
wearing crampons always retain their footing on slick surfacesthey
need not make any DEX Check
while turning or fighting.
A pair of crampons requires one turn to attach and half Mat
long to remove. If a character attempts to walk on a nonslippery
surface in crampons, he will make twice as much noise as he otherwise
would, and will wear out the crampons in ld6 miles of
such abuse.
Quote:
How did you handle situations
where a character of one class (say Fighter) was attempting to use Move
Silently or Climb Walls - Two situations that when taken literally (i.e.
- the Thief can Move with ABSOLUTE SILENCE whereas someone else might attempt
to move stealthily, and the Thief can climb SHEER SURFACES wheras someone
else might climb a rough cliff, or a tree), would mean that only the Thief
could attempt them, but when looked at in a broader fashion, might be allowed
for a character of any class ?
Generally common sense was
applied.
A fighter
in metal armor can't move silently, but without that impediment a Dex ability
roll with modifiers for surface and/or footwear, would be called for.
<actually, fighters in
metal armor CAN move silently, but with a very hefty negmod>