i read an AD&D rules FAQ.. but there isnt anything about weapons speed factor

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i read an AD&D rules FAQ.. but there isnt anything about weapons speed factor... Whats that (well thats how fast do you swing your weapon, but i mean more precise)

AD&D rules file: http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/advanced_dungeons_and_dragons.txt

 

When you engage into combat, every player/creature rolls for initiative (on a d20) to determine who may attack/cast a spell first. Then the speed factor/casting time is substracted from this number, after which the player/creature with the highest result is the first to launch his attack.

 

You mean speed factor is needed only to determine who hits 1st?
Could no be true!
Thrusting with a dagger is 3x faster (and thats obvious!) than slashing with laaarge 2 handed sword... And i bet that not only NumerOfAttacksPerRaund BUT LASO SPEED FACTOR is involved in that! But how exactly is it calculated?

 

Well.. doesn't have a dagger a speed factor of 2 and a greatsword of 10 ?

 

Right. But what you said about speed factor was:
0. Combat begins
1. every player/creature rolls for initiative (on a d20) to determine who may attack/cast a spell first.
2. then the speed factor/casting time is substracted from this number,
3. after which the player/creature with the highest result is the first to launch his attack.
AND that all. So??? Just 1st raund? Speed factor is just to determine who strikes first?

 

and how is speed factor linked to nr of attacks? and how nr of atacks & speed factor is results in REAL SWINGS OF WEAPON PER TURN/SECOND?

 

Yes, Speed factor (SF) is only to determine who hits first (more or less anyway). Have you noted that a mage wielding a dagger has less attacks per round then a fairly high levelled fighter who has a greatsword, despite the fact that the dagger's SF is way lower then the greatsword's ?

# of attacks per round is determined by the characters proficiency with the weapon, not by its inherent characteristics.

 

From the PHB :

A specialized fighter has the following number of attacks depending on level and type of weapon :
Fighter Melee Light Heavy Thrown Thrown (Non-bow)
Level Weapon X-bow X-bow Dagger Dart Missiles
1-6 3/2 1/1 1/2 3/1 4/1 3/2
7-12 2/1 3/2 1/1 4/1 5/1 2/1
13+ 5/2 2/1 3/2 5/1 6/1 5/2


[edit : the first layout sucked ]

[This message has been edited by Lord Bane (edited March 20, 2001).]

 

LOL... It still does... Otherwise, I'm impressed with the clarity of your explanation... lol

 

well this means that speed factor is TOP M0ST insignificat attribute... Fight longs 20-30 rounds.. Who cares who hits 1st...

 

I know I know

Well, I wouldn't say that, kasio. It actually depends if you reroll for initiative each round, or keep the same roll for the entire combat.

[edit : grr, bloody smileys ]

[This message has been edited by Lord Bane (edited March 20, 2001).]

 

where from did you get those nice stats.. there must be a plenty left.. throw me an url/file pls

 

Straight from the sourcebooks. It's actually illegal, but here you go :

http://members.nbci.com/Alchordian/adndbooks/

 

And while I'm throwing links around, if you're interested in the 3E rules (which'll be used in NWN), here's the place to go :

http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html

 

*peeks back over at the board and chuckles at the new and improved smilies*

 

Well excuse me, fair Miss, but I've been out of it for a while, you know.

 

even if you reroll every urn... who cares who hits 1st.. who misses, who lands that matters. Well only if you are near death... High speed factor would steal you last hit maybe...
I still do not believe!!!!
My warrior swings halberd (not proficient) and bastard sword (not proficient) with DIFFERENT SPEED.... According to you tell me he must swing both with EQUAL speed...

 

Um, Halberd's SF is 9, Bastard Sword's SF is 8. So there is a minor difference, but that'll only show itself on averages, not in a single combat (thanks to the d20 initiative roll).

 

Spellcasters (er, sorry ... *sorcerers* ) also roll for initiative when casting spells, and spells are ruined if the mage is hit during his chanting... (or ranting, or whatever)
So the initiative roll could determine whether the mage's spell fails, yes? (Or am I totally wrong here?)

[This message has been edited by Seric Exz (edited March 20, 2001).]

 

Indeed, what Seric Exz tried to say that if your modified initiative roll grants you a number in between a spellcasting enemy's and the time it takes for him to complete his spell, and you hit, you disrupt his spell. Hmm.. that sounds awfully complicated, so I'll give you an example.

Suppose we've got two characters fighting each other. At the left, Tharked the Bold, a stout Half-Elven Swordsaint, and at the right, Zhenkda the Sly, a powerful Master of the Arcane Art (let's suppose they're standing within each other's reach for the sake of simplicity). First we roll initiative, say 12 for Tharked and 9 for Zhenkda. Tharked's Long Sword has a speed factor of 5, so he'll actually only hit (suppose his attack roll is high enough) his opponent on initiative count 7 (=12-5), which means Zhenkda gets the chance to cast a spell first. Now, if the mage decides to cast for example Magic Missile or Shield, he'll be able to do so succesfully, since they both have but a casting time of 1, which means he ends the casting on initiative count 8, a split-second before Thardek hits him.
However, if he choses to cast a spell that requires a longer period of concentration and incantations, let's say Spider Spawn (casting time 6), Zhenkda'll get hit in the middle of his casting, which'll disrupt his casting and make the spell fizzle (fail).

Initiative count : the exact time in a round when you do your action (roughly 1/20th of a round, thus every 0.3 seconds the initiative count drops with 1, starting at 20 at the begin of the round).

[This message has been edited by Lord Bane (edited March 20, 2001).]