Zones and Range
Zones and range together describe the battlefield. Weapons, abilities, and movement are influenced by your zone and the range to your targets. For example, a Shortbow can only be used one zone away (because its maximum range is SHORT), and battleaxe cannot be swung in a cramped zone (because it is HEAVY), and you can't RUN from an enemy at ARM'S LENGTH!
Zones
Zones divide up a combat area. They give flexibility in expressing mechanics without the rigidity of grids. As such, they are intentionally vaguely defined and can range from a few feet to 25 meters. It's up to the GM!
Source: https://www.starshipsandsteel.com/2019/07/why-i-think-zones-are-better-than-grids.html
Zone Features
Zones affect mechanics based on a few features. Not all zones have features.
- Cramped
- Attacks with HEAVY weapons get -2, and you cannot SWING WEAPON
- Rough
- You must MOVE when you RUN into the zone. If you fail, you still enter the zone but fall prone.
- Open
- A required property for many mounted maneuvers
- Dark/Foggy
- Ranged attacks into the zone affected by -2, and cannot be made through it.
Range
Range determines the distance between actors. Each zone is connected by a segment -- the "unit" of distance between a zone.
Definitions
| Range | Description | Typical Terrain |
|---|---|---|
| Arm's Length | Right next to you | - |
| Near | A few steps away, in the same zone as you | Small room, cave tunnel |
| Short | Up to 25 meter away, in a bordering zone | Dense forest, swamp, large hall |
| Long | Up to 100 meters (4 segments) away | Forest, hills, city ruins, gigantic hall |
| Distant | As far as the eye can see | Plains, mountains |
In essence:
- If you're in the same zone as your enemy, you're either at Arm's length or Near.
- Anything in an adjacent zone is Short
- Anything between 1 and 4 segments away is Long.
Range and Movement
In combat, a RUN (fast action) will move you between zones or between near and arm's length. No roll is required unless it's a MOVE into a ROUGH zone.
Mounted animals can RUN between zones, and have a movement speed measured in segments. A horse, for example, has a movement speed of 2 segments, allowing the player to move two zones per round without spending any actions.