Creature sizes

[sjmiller]

I was looking at the announcement by Fiery Dragon Productions about the Counter Collection sale when I thought of something to ask the crowd in general.

I play 3.0, which means I do not use the 3.5 "everything lives in a square" creature sizing. I think the counters look great, but the fact they use the 3.5 sizing means, I imagine, that many of them are useless to me. So, I was wondering, does everyone who use the 3.5 rules use the 3.5 rules on creature sizing? For those who do not, what do you do with regards to representing creatures (as counters, miniatures, drawings on paper, etc.)?

 

[frankthedm]

My group usually measures distances and threatened areas rather than counting squares so a non standard base size won't throw us off much. Plus making horses 10 feet fat did not sit well with a good portion of our group. We also feel charge paths and flanking should be determined based on lines checked center-of-base to center-of-base

I often put Long creatures on long bases. Large 1"x2" [gw cavalry base] and Huge 2"x4" [rounded mage knight dark rider's base]. If hard gridding becomes that important, we can just turn the rectangles diagonally and they will basically fit in the standard base sizes.

 

[sjmiller]

To be honest, even with using a grid system we still measure line of sight using a string or straightedge. If someone is on a mount we measure from where they are on the mount, otherwise it is center to center.

 

[JustKim]

So, I was wondering, does everyone who use the 3.5 rules use the 3.5 rules on creature sizing?

I feel like it was a needed change. The 3.0 rules on long creatures pivoting, moving around corners and ability to be flanked were at least as silly as a horse having a 10' area of personal space. It also did not fit the "no facing" concept at all to have a long creature that, given its dimensions, could only be facing one direction or the other.. and it could freely face/not face one direction or the other, even though to turn while moving required squares of movement.. it was just a very iffy part of the rules that confused some conventions better left alone.

 

[adwyn]

We use the 3.5 rules mostly but allow for the 5x10 base when it seems warranted (such as charging knights).

A few of our more urban players initially balked at this so we took them out to the local stockyards and let them try to move some recalcitrant livestock. They quickly came to understand that a 10x10 base for a long animal was well within reason. Closer than that and you're usually grappling.