The Open Adventure Core Rules are designed to play out in the Theater of the Mind. This means miniatures, maps, and measurements are not necessary. Instead, the Adventure Guide describes the scene, and the Encounter plays out in the imaginations of the players. The Core Rules AS written don’t place a great deal of importance on character and NPC movement speed or ranges since they do not have a significant game impact on how most Encounters play out the way the game is designed.
For players that prefer a more traditional maps and minis style game, these rules provide the tools needed to make that change adapt the game to a more traditional system of movement and measurement.
Rounds #
These rules assume you are using 6 second Rounds. If you are playing an Encounter using longer Rounds, the precise Distance a character or NPC moves is not particularly important. Even ranges are less important when using longer Rounds since there is plenty of time for a character to move to whatever Range they’d like.
Converting Core Rules Distances #
The Core Rules use an abstract system of measurement for Distance, diameters, and movement. You can convert the abstract distances to concrete distances using the table below.
| Distance CONVERSION TABLE | |
| Abstract Distances | Measured Distances |
| Self | Self |
| Reach | Up to 5’ |
| Across the Room | 6’ to 20’ |
| Stone Throw | 21’ to 40’ |
| Bow Shot | 41’ to 600’ |
| Within View | 601’ and beyond |
These conversions are still quite broad, but they provide a starting point for converting distances used in material based on the Core Rules.
Movement #
AS a Minor Action, a Human-sized character or NPC can move 25 feet. With the Adventure Guide’s permission, they may interrupt their movement to perform a Major Action and then continue to move after they’ve attempted the Action.
If the character uses their Minor Action and their Major Action for movement, they may move double their normal speed.
Maps #
This rules here are designed for use on battle maps with 5-foot squares, although 5-foot hexes will work AS well.
Magic and Spellcasting
You can use the conversion table provided above to determine the Difficulty Scores for spells based on the Target Range and, in the case of Area of Effect spells, the diameter.
Eldar wants to fill the alcove where the goblins are hiding with fire to burn them out. The alcove is 30 feet away, so checking the Distance Conversion Table, this means the Difficulty Score is the same AS for a spell cast at a Distance of a Stone Throw. The alcove is only 20 feet by 20 feet, so a 20-foot diameter fireball is plenty to hit all the goblins. According to the Distance Conversion Table, 20 feet is the same AS Across the Room, so according to the Core Rules for determining magic Difficulty Scores, the total Difficulty Score for this spell is 9 (6 for Distance + 3 for Area of Effect = 9).Ranged Weapons #
Every ranged weapon in the Core Rules lists a Short Range and a Long Range. Convert these ranges using the Distance Conversion Chart and apply the following Range modifiers to the Difficulty Scores for Ranged Attack Actions.
Long Melee Weapons #
Melee Weapons with the Long property can be used to make Melee Attack Actions against Targets 10 feet away, but they may not be used to make Melee Attack Actions at Targets closer than this.