Movement
Table of contents
It takes one Movement to enter a square. Typically, Heroes have 6 Movement. This enables them to travel 6 squares in a turn. Things like equipment, Elixirs, the terrain, and a Hero’s Movement types may affect how much Movement is consumed when entering a new square.
If entering a new square would consume more Movement than you have left, you can still enter that new square.
Combatants cannot pass through an enemy’s space. Combatants may pass through an ally’s space without issue.
When you move diagonally, count every second diagonal square as two (“1-2-1”).
Sprinting
When Sprinting, your Movement is doubled – for instance, if you can normally move only 6 squares in a round, then while Sprinting, you can move up to 12 squares in a round.
Sprinting has a few limitations, however:
- To activate Sprint, you must first sheathe or stow any items or weapons in your hands, unless the item is necessary for your mode of travel (like holding a Kingly Paraglider). For the remainder of your turn, you cannot unsheathe anything or pull items from your Pack.
- Activating Sprint consumes your Standard Action. You may still split the Sprint up over multiple movements, and use your Minor action between portions of your Sprint.
In addition, while Sprinting, your maximum Horizontal and Vertical Jump are doubled.
Difficult Terrain
Thickets, mud, currents, deep snow, and sand may all impede your movement without stopping it entirely. While you are in Difficult Terrain, each square you enter costs an additional Movement – so stepping through three squares of thick mud would use up all 6 of a typical Hero’s Movement.
Natural & Unnatural Movement
All Heroes can climb and swim to some degree. Some can glide, or even fly!
While moving in a way you find Unnatural, each square you enter costs an additional Movement. In addition, due to the difficulty of fighting in these environs, all foes are considered Hard to Hit.
Some races and creatures are noted as being “Natural Climbers”, “Natural Fliers”, “Natural Gliders” or “Natural Swimmers”. For those races, they can climb, fly, glide, or swim (depending on what they’re a Natural at) as easily as most people can walk. They don’t have to pay additional Movement to move in those ways, and their foes are not Hard to Hit just because of their environs.
In general, all Heroes can swim and climb, though they are not Naturals at those forms of movement. Some Races have different movement capabilities, though!
These alternate types of movement may also have additional complications to consider: you may need to hold your breath while swimming, keep a hand free while climbing, or be aware of gusts of wind while gliding.
Climbing
Climbing is a rigorous method of movement, requiring a strong grip – and an empty hand.
While Climbing, you must use both hands (as well as your feet) in order to move at all. To stay in place, you must keep at least one hand gripped to the surface you’re scaling.
If you lose your grip while climbing, you may begin to fall – or, depending on the situation, the GM may allow you to catch yourself (likely with an Athletics or Agility check).
This means Heroes who are fighting foes while climbing cliffsides must be aware of what is – or isn’t! – in their hands at any particular moment. You may need to put your Greatsword away to clamber up a keep wall, or choose between your Crossbow or your Shield while battling enemies on a scarp.
(See the Sheathing and Belt Items section for more information on sheathing and unsheathing weapons in combat.)
Flying
Flying is an incredibly freeing way to travel, allowing you to pass over pits, caltrops, and the heads of your enemies. However, one can neither fly too low, nor too high.
Flying close to solid surfaces is difficult, and can result in scraped feet and tired wings. While flying, you must have at least one square of space between yourself and any solid surface – be it the ground, a wall, or a ceiling. This means you cannot fly in places with particularly low ceilings, and that while flying, most Heroes and creatures can duck under you.
While flying, Natural Fliers can only go as high as 8 squares above the ground, which means you’re still vulnerable to arrows and other ranged attacks. Non-Natural Fliers can only attain a maximum altitude of 4 squares, meaning they can still be struck with not only ranged attacks, but even some melee foes who can jump particularly well.
In addition, your Armor choice impacts your maximum altitude. Wearing any Medium Armor reduces your maximum altitude by 1 square; wearing any Heavy Armor reduces your maximum altitude by 2 squares. (These alterations do not stack; if you are wearing both Medium and Heavy armor, your maximum altitude is reduced by 2, not 3.)
If you find yourself above your maximum altitude, you may still glide safely.
Gliding
Even for creatures who cannot fly, they may be able to glide via magic, technology, or their race’s innate abilities. This allows them to cover significant distance by air. Any creature that can fly is, at minimum, a nonNatural Glider, as well. However, Natural Fliers are not automatically Natural Gliders.
While gliding, you descend at least one square per turn, regardless of horizontal movement. If you Sprint, you must descend at least three squares.
The exception is when you find an updraft. When in an updraft, you ascend during your turn, up to the maximum height of the updraft. This ascent still counts as your Movement. You cannot Sprint in an updraft.
Unlike flying, gliding does not have a maximum altitude – so long as you can find an updraft to carry you there.
Holding Your Breath
In some situations – being underwater, in a room full of poisonous gas, or caught in an airless vacuum – a Hero may have cause to hold their breath.
A hero may hold their breath for (Fortitude) rounds of combat, or (Fortitude) minutes when out of combat, without any ill effects. After that, the Hero takes 1 damage every round or minute. This damage cannot be mitigated by Defense.
Sneaking
Whether you’re walking, sprinting, climbing, or swimming, you can always try to be quiet about it. Your success at being stealthy typically depends on an opposed Check: your Agility, against others’ Perception.
Generally, you roll when you begin to Sneak, only rolling again if the situation changes – such as when a guard begins searching for you, or you step on a squeaky floorboard.
Typically, you can only begin to Sneak if no one is watching you at that moment.
While Sneaking, each square you enter costs an additional Movement. This stacks with the cost increase from moving in an Unnatural way, and with being Slowed. This means that a typical hero can Sneak, while swimming, through difficult terrain… but they’ll only be able to move two squares per turn.
Falling
Heroes that fall further than their vertical jumping capability will take damage from the fall. For every square beyond their vertical jump capability they fall, a Hero takes 1 damage, ignoring Defense. If they can roll with the fall, they may roll their Athletics Trait to reduce the damage by the total roll.
Pushing Foes into Things
Pushing combatants into solid objects, or other things that would block their movement, results in the foe taking damage equal to the remaining distance they would’ve moved. (For instance, if you push a foe 3 squares, but it is pushed adjacent to a solid wall after only one square of movement, it takes 2 damage.) Damage from colliding with things is not mitigated by Defense.
Shield Surfing
Sometimes, you need to quickly get down a hill or mountain, and you need to keep your hands free while you do it. This is when Shield Surfing can come in handy!
If you have a Shield on your hip or in your hand, and you are on a downward slope, you may use a Minor Action to begin Shield Surfing. (Consult your GM to see if the current terrain is sufficiently sloped to support Shield Surfing.)
While Shield Surfing, you stand on top of the Shield in question, and are unable to use it for any other actions (such as Basic Attacks, Combat Maneuvers, Spells, Techniques, or Reactions). You cannot swap to or from a Shield being used to Shield Surf, and the hand or hip the Shield was in is now considered empty. Enchantments on the Shield do not apply to the surfer.
While Shield Surfing, your Movement costs may decrease, depending on how steep the slope is – in most cases, your Movement costs will be halved, similar to Sprinting. However, unlike Sprinting, you still have your Standard Action while Shield Surfing.
While Shield Surfing, you must use at least half of your Movement. You cannot end your turn further uphill than where you started your turn while Shield Surfing. You may still choose your direction, avoiding pitfalls and attempting to jump over obstacles. (You may need to make Athletics checks to navigate past trickier obstacles.)
While Shield Surfing, the Shield you are surfing on will take Durability damage based on the terrain you are surfing on. In most cases, the shield will take 1 Durability at the start of your turn.
On particularly harsh terrain, such as jagged rocks, the Shield might suffer 2 Durability damage per turn; on gentler terrain, such as water, snow, or sand, you might only suffer 1 Durability damage every other turn. A Shield will always suffer a minimum of 1 Durability damage for being used to Surf.
Shield Surfing may interact with terrain in other unique ways, depending on the exact nature of the terrain, the Shield, and the circumstances.
You may end your Shield Surfing as a Minor Action, returning the Shield to your hand, hip, or inventory, or leaving it on the ground. You also immediately cease Shield Surfing if you are Halted, Frozen, Knocked Prone, Disarmed of the Shield in question, or if the Shield breaks from Durability damage. If your Shield Surfing session is forcibly ended, you are Knocked Prone, and the Shield you were Surfing on falls to the ground on a random square next to you.
Squeezing
Every so often, a Hero will actually want to get into a tight spot. They might need to crawl into a small hole, slip into a crack in a wall, or push their way through a huge crowd of people. Whenever a Hero attempts to enter a space that’s too small for them to walk normally, they are Squeezing.
While Squeezing, a Hero is Distracted, Off-Balance, and Slowed. These conditions end immediately when the Hero leaves the tight conditions.
Typically, you must Squeeze to enter any opening that is shorter than one-half your height or width. You cannot Squeeze into a space that is smaller than one-quarter your height or width; it’s simply too small to accommodate you. This means that small-sized Fairy Heroes are tiny enough that they could Squeeze into a mouse-hole, while large Talking Animal bears might have to Squeeze just to enter a household doorway.