What does basic movespeed represent?

[randomhero00]

Say, human, 30 movespeed, uses one moveaction to go 30ft. Does that mean he's jogging? Running? Or what? It seems odd if he was running since 4x speed is running.

[Gnaeus]

I'd say walking fast. Jogging would be charging, or a double move.

Consider, you can move and drink a potion in your hand as a standard. I can walk around while drinking a soda, or reading a map. I can't really do that while running.

[Mewtarthio]

30 feet per round = 5 feet per second = 3.4 mph, so maybe a brisk walk.

[Re'ozul]

30 feet per round = 5 feet per second = 3.4 mph, so maybe a brisk walk.

Which is precisely why I always find it funny when people move their full movement speed or even double move in a creepy unexplored dungeon.

DM: "You can hear droplets of water falling in shallow puddles, the sound echoed several times. The only source of illumination being your torch, flickering shadows move over the rough hewn walls which glisten with moisture. Moss is prevalent on both walls and floor only the ceiling's small army of stalagtites proving to be more of challenge to it.
At the very edge of your sight you can see an intersection of tunnels, a light wind coming from the direction. A soft otherworldy moan is carried in its breeze."

Player(based on movement):"I jog towards the intersection."

[randomhero00]

30 feet per round = 5 feet per second = 3.4 mph, so maybe a brisk walk.

That seems super odd to me. Why would I be briskly walking toward combat?

[Gnaeus]

Well, if you were running toward combat, you would be charging.

There are lots of times people might walk towards combat. You circle as you approach. Drawing your sword. Gazing into your enemies eyes, trying to measure him as an opponent, or looking for weaknesses in his stance or guard. Exchanging insults. Combat is ultimately an abstraction.

Or you could double move (jog) towards combat, just to get closer to the enemy, but giving them the chance to react to your lack of caution (i.e. by acting on their turn).

[Karsh]

I think it's understood that a character out of combat usually moves 30' in one round (double moving out of combat is a Hustle). In combat, a move action is only about half the time of the round, so characters are effectively hustling for half the time they'd normally walk briskly when they single move, hustling the entire time when charging/double moving, and running/sprinting when they're running.

[LibraryOgre]

Another game (I cannot recall which) had a speed they called a "hustle". Not quite as sedate as a walk, but not as fast as a jog.

[ffone]

Which is precisely why I always find it funny when people move their full movement speed or even double move in a creepy unexplored dungeon.

DM: "You can hear droplets of water falling in shallow puddles, the sound echoed several times. The only source of illumination being your torch, flickering shadows move over the rough hewn walls which glisten with moisture. Moss is prevalent on both walls and floor only the ceiling's small army of stalagtites proving to be more of challenge to it.
At the very edge of your sight you can see an intersection of tunnels, a light wind coming from the direction. A soft otherworldy moan is carried in its breeze."

Player(based on movement):"I jog towards the intersection."

If you don't like PCs doing this, point out that they can use one of those two move actions to make an extra listen or spot check instead, reducing the chance they get ambushed by something.

[big teej]

at the risk of derailing the thread,

I was once testing myself to see if real life matched up to dnd (or perhaps the other way around) trying to figure what my stats were etc.

so first thing first

move speed.

I walked my normal walk for 6 seconds 3-4 times
came out to around 25 ft(I'm a tall guy, so I've a long stride, but I tend to walk pretty slow

now, having observed this, I walked at a pace most would consider 'normal'
came out to as close to 30 feet as I could measure.

so I would call a human's basic move speed "a purposeful walk"

a double move at a jog

and obviously, running is running.

[gomipile]

I can't believe I'm the first to say this:

Basic move speed represents what speed you can move, basically. :smallbiggrin:

[Curmudgeon]

Another game (I cannot recall which) had a speed they called a "hustle". Not quite as sedate as a walk, but not as fast as a jog.
You sure it wasn't D&D, or some d20 game based on D&D? Because Hustle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/movement.htm#hustle) is the standard D&D combat movement.
Hustle

A hustle is a jog at about 6 miles per hour for an unencumbered human. A character moving his or her speed twice in a single round, or moving that speed in the same round that he or she performs a standard action or another move action is hustling when he or she moves.

[Yora]

When you watch people sparring with any kind of melee weapons, you'll see them walk fast quite often, but almost never run. There's some footwork, but that is often not more than a 5 foot step.
No idea if this choreography is any good (they are certainly not really fighting), but you get the idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jhDOPblXcA&feature=related