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Zavrith
2009-12-03, 01:16 AM
Hi there!

I've been working on creating a dungeon for my regular group for 3.5, but I'm getting pretty tired of using the straight edged rooms and corridors. I want to at least be able to throw in some diagonal hallways man! The problem that has been stopping me is that I'm unsure how to manage the combat of it.

For instance, if I have one square that is cut diagonally in half right beside a full square, who can stand/fit/fight where? What does everybody else do in these types of situations?:smallconfused:

Edge of Dreams
2009-12-03, 01:19 AM
Hexes are an option.

Another option is to have an oddly shaped "square" at each end of the hallway which serves as the trasition between diagonally-oriented squares and normal ones. In this way, a 10ft corridor is the same no matter what.

You can also treat half-squares as squeezing for medium creatures - they can stand there, but they take penalties.

ghashxx
2009-12-03, 01:36 AM
The squeezing rules would seem to be the best option, but only if there's something else next to them. So a character in a 1/2 square suffers no penalties. But a character in a 1/2 square with someone else next to him would suffer.

Gralamin
2009-12-03, 01:46 AM
I'm too lazy / tired to check, but I believe the DMG or DMG 2 mentions that a creature can enter a square as normal if it is at least half empty. (Or, equivalently, a square is only considered a terrain type if it is at least half full of that terrain)

ericgrau
2009-12-03, 03:32 AM
Well it should be fairly straight forward if you make the hallway about 2/3 the diagonal width of the squares, which is about equal to 5 feet. With the center of the corridor being the diagonal line from corner to corner. Then you'll have a lot of 3/4 and 1/4 squares. You can stand on the 3/4 squares without penalty but not the 1/4 squares. You hit a similar situation with double width corridors.

Sir.Swindle
2009-12-03, 12:08 PM
yu're not playing 4.0 your movement is in feet not squares.

but really the battle grid is a guidline, it's more fun to play w/o out a map any way.

ghashxx
2009-12-03, 12:39 PM
yu're not playing 4.0 your movement is in feet not squares.

but really the battle grid is a guidline, it's more fun to play w/o out a map any way.

I'm actually generally of the same opinion. We never play on a grid and it has always worked out fine.

Fitz10019
2009-12-03, 12:48 PM
We have a clear table'cloth' that we draw the map on. The grid is underneath it. In the situation you describe, we'd simply turn the grid 45 degrees while fighting in that hallway.

Zavrith
2009-12-03, 01:14 PM
Yeah, I was thinking that I would probably use the rules for squeezing for people in the half tiles, I just wanted to know if people had thought of different/better ways than that. Thanks for the input :smallbiggrin:


I'm actually generally of the same opinion. We never play on a grid and it has always worked out fine.

We've tried playing without it a couple of times, and find that keeping track of attacks of opportunity and threatened squares and reach gets very irritating and/or biased. :smallfrown:

dsmiles
2009-12-03, 01:17 PM
Hexes are an option.

Personally, I've always used hexes in 3.x. They allow for the less mathematically inclined to make diagonal movements.
I also use facing. If you're shield is on the left, then you only get a shield bonus taking attacks from the front, front-left and left hexes.

Random832
2009-12-03, 02:02 PM
Hexes are an option.

Another option is to have an oddly shaped "square" at each end of the hallway which serves as the trasition between diagonally-oriented squares and normal ones. In this way, a 10ft corridor is the same no matter what.


This. Who ever said the combat grid has to be universally N/S oriented? There's some slight complication if someone casts an area spell near the transition, but nothing too difficult to deal with.

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-12-03, 02:35 PM
or you could play entirely without a grid, I know CRAZY.

Sliver
2009-12-03, 02:44 PM
I'm actually generally of the same opinion. We never play on a grid and it has always worked out fine.

I tried it with my group some time ago (IRL).. My friend always did something like:
"Well, here, I move my character an inch on this map.. No AOOs now right?"
Sometimes he even moved the figures that were supposed to be the tables and stuff (without actually moving them in game, just moving them away so that there will be that extra inch and he won't be AOOed..)