| Kamil Blecharczyk |
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Suppose we are moving in difficult terrain with 2x movement penalty.
Image from Core Rulebook pg. 192 claims moving diagonally in difficult terrain costs 15 feet. Non-diagonal movement takes 10 feet. This kinda makes sense as shown below.
Double Movement Cost: When your movement is hampered in some way, your movement usually costs double. For example, each square of movement through difficult terrain counts as 2 squares, and each diagonal move through such terrain counts as 3 squares (just as two diagonal moves normally do).
Diagonals: When measuring distance, the first diagonal counts as 1 square, the second counts as 2 squares, the third counts as 1, the fourth as 2, and so on.
Hampered Movement: Difficult terrain, obstacles, and poor visibility can hamper movement (see Table 7–7 for details). When movement is hampered, each square moved into usually counts as two squares, effectively reducing the distance that a character can cover in a move. If more than one hampering condition applies, multiply all additional costs that apply. This is a specific exception to the normal rule for doubling.
Okay, so when we move diagonally in normal circumstances it counts with this penalty, penalty is time two, so two diagonal moves is 15 ft.
Also there is case with 5-foot-steps:
You can only take a 5-foot-step if your movement isn’t hampered by difficult terrain or darkness. Any creature with a speed of 5 feet or less can’t take a 5-foot step, since moving even 5 feet requires a move action for such a slow creature.
Let's introduce snowshoes and cleats with this wonderful little feature:
Snowshoes reduce the penalty for walking through heavy snow by 50%; for example, if moving through snow normally costs you 2 squares of movement (1 square plus a 1 square penalty) per square traveled, snowshoes reduce this cost to 1.5 squares per square traveled"
Cleats reduce the penalty for walking over slick surfaces by 50%. For example, walking across ice normally costs 2 squares of movement (1 square plus a 1 square penalty) for every square of movement, but with cleats it costs only 1.5 squares for every square.
So...
Option a) It costs 5 feet + (5 feet penalty * 50% ) = 7,5 ft for normal movement. For diagonal movement it costs 11.25 ft as presented here 15 ft, given that diagonal is 7,5 ft. plus (7,5 feet penalty * 50%).
This seems cumbersome, and not really pathfinder like, and weird given fractions in movement, and spell ranges which tend to avoid those, awarding distance only for full levels.
Additionally prevents 5 feet step movement
b) Round down.
It costs 1 square + (1 square penalty * 50%) => 1 square per square. For diagonal movement it costs 1 square, then 3 squares(2 squares + 2 square penalty * 50%).
Seems weird and not really intuitive. Might allow 5 foot steps, as penalty effectively is removed?
c) It costs 1,5 square per square. This means when you move normally it costs you 1 square, 2 sq, 1sq, 2sq. When moving diagonally you...
Well that is problematic. 1,5x1,5per diagonal = ~2,25. Do we go: 2sq,2sq,2sq,3sq,2sq,2sq,2sq,3sq?
Anyway this might, allow 5 foot step? It's similar case to diagonal movement in normal terrain.
Maybe we should interpret this as:
d) It costs 1,5 square per square You take five foot diagonally, and then would take half of next diagonal step. This is 1 sq + (2 sq/2) = 2 sq per step. It's kind of roundabout reasoning but gives nice, simple maths. As in c) anyway this might, allow 5 foot step in straight line? However in this case 5 foot step is allowed only in straight line.
e) Some other idea
f) Is secret hidden by Norgober himself.
Black magic of this movement grows stronger with stronger penalties like: extremely deep snow in Reign of Winter, which is 4x movement penalty.
If movement cost is doubled twice, then each square counts as 4 squares (or as 6 squares if moving diagonally). If movement cost is doubled three times, then each square counts as 8 squares (12 if diagonal) and so on. This is an exception to the general rule that two doublings are equivalent to a tripling.
a) 5 feet + (15 feet penalty*50%) = 12,5 ft for normal movement. For diagonals 7,5 feet * (22,5 feet penalty*50%) = 18,75 ft.
b) 1 square + (3 square penalty*50%) => 2 squares per square. For diagonal movement it would be 2 squares then 5 squares (2 squares + 6 square penalty*50%).
c) 2,5 square per square so 2 sq, 3 sq, 2 sq in straight line. In diagonal movement 2,5*1,5per diagonal=3,75. So: 3,4,4,4,3,4,4,4.
d) 2,5 square per square so 2,3,2 in straight line. In diagonal 2 sq + (3 sq/2) = 3,5 sq. So you go like 3,4,3,4,3,4.
Every solution is weird in it's own rights. Which one is right, or am I missing something.
| Whisperer in Darkness |
movement in the game has foibles. The game is just descriptive and inaccurate when it comes to the details of physics or reality. People have been confused about the corner cases(detailed specific cases with uncommon circumstances) for many years. It's best to realize it is a rough model that quantizes 'tactical movement' to 5ft cubes within a round.
One thing that helps is it takes a spell or feat to take a 5ft step in difficult terrain, otherwise not allowed.
The angular movement is a rough rounding based on the fact that the hypotenuse of a 10ft right triangle is 14.142ft rounded to 15ft. It makes a mess of things when tactical flying is involved, doubling for descending and halving for ascending... fly checks please...
The game models impeded movement as doubling or tripling movement costs, and if the target cannot "pay" that cost it doesn't access the next square (quantization of movement) within that round. That's why there's movement per hour or days to give long term progress where none or little could be made in a round.
There are lots of threads on movement so I'd say search for one that seems close to your specific case or read up in general and note that not every post is correct as it is an ongoing conversation.
| Kamil Blecharczyk |
One more interpretation:
For difficult terrain:
1,5 square per square.
You move in straight line for: 1.5 sq, 1.5 sq, 1.5 square. Just like normal diagonal movement.
You move diagonally for 1.5 square, then 3 square, then 1.5 square. So:
1 sq moved = 1 sq movement used. 2 sq moved = 4 sq used. 3 sq moved = 6 sq used.
For very difficult terrain:
2,5 square per square.
You move in straight line for: 2.5, 2.5, 2.5 etc. Totally it's:
2 sq used, 5 sq used, 7 sq used.
You move diagonally for 2.5 square then 5 square, then 2.5 square. Totally it's:
2 sq used, 7 sq used, 10 sq used.
It's bit weird, but quite elegant still.
EDIT
Oh, right there are Reign of Winter Magical Snowshoes
These masterwork snowshoes (Pathfinder
RPG Ultimate Equipment 91) provide
greater stability and weight distribution in
snow. The snowshoes completely negate
the effects of normal snow on movement,
and reduce the movement penalties in
heavy snow by half (i.e., it only costs 2
squares of movement to enter a square
covered with heavy snow instead of 4 squares of movement).
In addition, the wearer can increase her land speed in snowy
terrain by 10 feet for up to 10 rounds per day. This is considered
an enhancement bonus and the duration need not be spent in
consecutive rounds. Finally, as a standard action once per day,
the snowshoes can generate a ripple effect that removes all
trace of tracks left: in the snow in a 60-foot radius.
That adds to mess, but there could be interpretation that 1) it removes 1 sq of penalty because of snow, leaving us with 2 sq of penalty which we halve resulting in 2 squares to enter heavy snow.