Measurements vs grids in pathfinder

[Belros Bluehair]

I am building map tiles for pfs games i run. I would like to use measurements vs grid squares. Is this allowed in pfs?

[Paz]

Pathfinder (including PFS) is built around the assumption of using 5' square grids. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a PFS session run with anything else.

Even if there's an optional rule buried somewhere about using rulers/tape measures for distance (I'm not saying there is, mind) it would be a bit of a jerk move to spring this on unsuspecting players.

Life will be a lot more pleasant all round if you stick to the 5' square grids.

[Belros Bluehair]

Thanks. It just means i cut lines into my tiles.

[JohnF]

PFS doesn't allow you to change the underlying rules. That includes rules for things like flanking, cover, charge lanes, and the like, which are all defined in terms of a 5' grid. For a home game you could probably come up with usable alternatives (although, IMO, it would probably be more trouble than it's worth), but for PFS you're pretty much stuck with using the grid.

[BigNorseWolf]

mind you, charge lanes don't have an easily calculable definition, so its often a matter of looking at the board and saying "yeah sure, i don't think you'll clip anyone too badly there....

[thistledown]

There are a few scenarios with 10' grids, some of which are not obviously so. Double check before you print and cut your lines. Hmm, that might be a good project for the GM's shared prep - a list of warnings on what's 10' squares. First annoying one that comes to mind is Among the Living.

[Michael_Hopkins]

James Anderson wrote:

There are a few scenarios with 10' grids, some of which are not obviously so. Double check before you print and cut your lines. Hmm, that might be a good project for the GM's shared prep - a list of warnings on what's 10' squares. First annoying one that comes to mind is Among the Living.

Currently playing that, and it had weirded me out at first, but it's quite fun!

[Tamec]

James Anderson wrote:

There are a few scenarios with 10' grids, some of which are not obviously so. Double check before you print and cut your lines. Hmm, that might be a good project for the GM's shared prep - a list of warnings on what's 10' squares. First annoying one that comes to mind is Among the Living.

A lot of the modules and AP maps are 1" = 10'. I do know last year's free RPG Day (Risen from the Sands) game used 10' squares.....my VC printed out maps for everyone. The maps were beautiful, only to realize after we started playing that they were 1" = 10'... It was a simple matter of pulling out my flipmat and drawing the rooms the correct size, but I do know one table who didn't catch it so everyone was extremely cramped.

[Ascalaphus]

In the case of Among the Living, you really do need a map that's that huge. Otherwise it doesn't make sense that encounters don't bump into one another.

I did that, it gets messy, it wasn't so great. You're better off with the official big map.

[kinevon]

Accursed Halls is 10' squares, and ugly to deal with it.

Accursed Halls:

Then again, they have the whole level map on two pieces, since some of it overlaps, and it is really huge. And one encounter is purely designed to let the enemies get off a bunch of arrows before the PCs can make it over to them. Something like 140' from the entrance to the stairs up to the shooters.

You can use tape measures and such, but you also have to be a bit forgiving in checking for flanks without squares. Eyeballs may leave someone thinking they are on the opposite side, but slightly skewed. And don't forget there are a lot of builds that are flank and/or positioning dependent. AoO builds, for instance, are a lot easier to manage on a grid then with having to measure every bit of an enemy's movement to determine if he provokes from someone with a reach weapon.

Not to mention, at higher levels, when you get other stuff involved, so, as an example, the target gets tripped with Greater Trip, then you have to determine who else is also threatening that enemy....

[Fromper]

Belros Bluehair wrote:

Thanks. It just means i cut lines into my tiles.

There are places that sell the standard roll up mats with grid lines, but in clear plastic. So you've basically got grid lines that you can use as an overlay on top of any other surface.

[thistledown]

Ok, I went through and made the complete list. They have been getting better at it as time goes on.

Odd size maps:

The general assumption: anything not marked otherwise has 5' squares. Town and overland maps have been skipped.
0-07 Everything is at 10' squares.
0-28 The temple map is at 10' squares.
0-16 The Maw is at 15' squares.
0-20 The King Xeros ship map is at 10' squares.
0-26 The town of Geb's Rest is at 10' squares.
1-36 Skull Hill is at 10' squares.
1-48 The Swift Prison exterior is at 10' squares.
1-47 The Subterranean Lake is at 10' squares.
2-07 The Necropolis and the crypt are at 10' squares.
2-08 The Chaos Manifest map is at 10' squares.
2-09 Act 1 (the sand pit) is at 15' squares. Act 2 (the hallway), the Prayer Room, and the Main Keepare at 10' squares. The general Citadel is at 50' squares. The Pinnacle is not labeled but given the rest of the scenario I will break my general assumption and guess that this is also 10' squares.
2-12 The Assayer's office is at 5' squares, but the tiles on the floor and the way it is printed is deceptive: each 5' square is 3x3 tiles.
2-19 The Graveyard Gorge and the Keep of King are at 10' squares.
3-06 The Cavern of the Sea Witch is at 10' squares.
3-14 The Muckmouth is at 10' squares.
4-04 The Stairs are at 10' squares.
4-13 Citadel Vraid is at 20' squares.
4-22 The Abandoned Chambers are at 10' squares.
4-25 The Entrance to Koldukar and the Council Halls are at 10' squares.
5-06 The Bait on the Sellen map is at 20' squares.

[LazarX]

Paz wrote:

Pathfinder (including PFS) is built around the assumption of using 5' square grids. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a PFS session run with anything else.

I've had to deal with scenario authors who thought it would be cool to have a "one square equals 10 feet"scale on their maps. It was a damm PITA scaling them up for printing. And even more annoying to use.

May they be infested with the fleas from a thousand camels.