Movement & Positioning

Purpose

This document defines spatial mechanics. It establishes how distance works, how movement happens, and how position affects combat.

TDGS supports both grid-based tactical play and theater-of-mind abstraction. The engine defines both systems. Your table chooses which to use.

Distance

TDGS uses a hybrid distance system. Grid rules provide precision. Range bands provide abstraction. Both are valid.

Grid System

A character with MOV 10 can move 10 squares with a Move action. TDGS calculates in squares - content defines what a square represents in your world.

Diagonal movement costs 1 square (not 1.5). Gameplay trumps geometry.

Range Bands

For theater-of-mind play, distance is measured in bands:

MOV determines how many bands you can cross per Move action:

• MOV 6 or less: 1 band
• MOV 7-12: 2 bands
• MOV 13+: 3 bands

"Distance is just a number until someone has to cross it. Then it becomes a decision. Do you close the gap? Hold your ground? Every square between you and your enemy is a choice waiting to be made."

Measurement Units Note

TDGS uses squares as its abstract unit of distance. The engine calculates in squares and is agnostic to real-world measurement systems. Content defines what a square represents:

• Fantasy content: 1 square = 5 feet
• Metric content: 1 square = 1.5 meters
• Sci-fi content: 1 square = 2 meters

The examples in this document use feet for familiarity, but your content can use any scale. See also Document 15 (Equipment & Slots) for weight unit (WU) standardization.

"Squares are language. Feet are dialect. The engine speaks squares fluently. What those squares mean in YOUR world? That's your story to tell. A dungeon crawl might use 5-foot squares. A space opera might use 10-meter hexes. The math doesn't care. It just counts."

Movement

Move Action

A Move action lets you move up to your MOV in squares.

This costs your Action for the turn. You can move before or after other activities on your turn, but the total cannot exceed MOV.

Step

A Step is a free action allowing minor repositioning.

Step is for small tactical adjustments. Need to move more? Use your Action.

Terrain and Movement

Terrain affects how far you can travel:

Example (MOV 10):

Step ignores terrain. It's always 1 square, always free.

Terrain Types

The engine defines four terrain patterns. Content builds specific terrains using these.

Difficult Terrain

Movement costs double. Half your MOV (round down).

Examples: Mud, rubble, undergrowth, shallow water, loose sand, icy ground.

Hazardous Terrain

Deals damage when you enter or start your turn there.

Damage amount defined by content (fire might deal 1d6, acid pools 2d8, etc.).

Examples: Fire, acid pools, spike traps, extreme heat, toxic gas.

"Hazardous terrain is my FAVORITE terrain! Fire, acid, lava—all the best squares are the ones that hurt! Pro tip: push your enemies into the burny bits. They hate that. I love that. Everyone wins! Well, I win. They don't. But that's winning!"

Blocking Terrain

Cannot pass. Blocks line of sight.

Examples: Walls, boulders, closed doors, thick trees, pillars.

Obscuring Terrain

Blocks line of sight. Does NOT block movement.

Examples: Fog, smoke, magical darkness, heavy rain, dense foliage.

Line of Sight

To target something, you must see it.

Blocking terrain and Obscuring terrain block line of sight. One line. Clear or not. No arguments.

Adjacency

A character has 8 adjacent squares (the ring around them). Sharing an edge or corner both count as adjacent.

Melee attacks require adjacency unless the weapon has Reach.

Range and Weapons

Weapons have range categories determining where they're effective.

Weapon Range Table

Optimal: No penalty. This is where the weapon is designed to work.

Extended: -2 to hit. One band beyond optimal. Pushing the weapon's limits.

Beyond Maximum: Cannot hit. Out of range entirely.

Melee and Reach

Melee weapons (swords, axes, fists) only work at Adjacent range. No extended range. You're in arm's reach or you're not.

Reach weapons (spears, polearms, whips) threaten both Adjacent AND Near. This is their advantage—zone control without sacrificing close combat.

"Reach weapons are interesting. The spearman controls more space. But control isn't damage. The swordsman who closes the gap hits just as hard. Reach buys you time and options. What you do with them determines if it was worth carrying ten feet of pointy stick."

Cover

Cover makes you harder to hit with ranged attacks.

Cover affects REF (making you harder to hit). If the attack still hits, armor reduces damage as normal.

Cover applies against ranged attacks. Melee attackers are already adjacent—a wall between you isn't helping.

Opportunity Attacks

When you leave a hostile's threatened range, they get a free attack.

This prevents cost-free disengagement. Position matters. Leaving melee has consequences.

"Oh, you thought you could just WALK AWAY? From ME? In the middle of COMBAT? How delightfully optimistic! Go ahead, turn your back. I'll wait. My sword will wait slightly less."

Reach and Opportunity Attacks

Reach weapons threaten Adjacent AND Near squares. Leaving either range triggers an opportunity attack from the reach weapon wielder.

The spearman controls more ground. That's the trade-off.

Flanking

Coordinated positioning grants attack bonuses.

Flanking rewards teamwork and tactical movement.

Surrounded

More attackers means more pressure.

"SURROUNDED. LET ME CONSULT THE PERCENTAGES. AH. THEY SAY YOU ARE ALREADY DEAD. THE DICE SIMPLY HAVE NOT INFORMED YOU YET."

High Ground (Optional Rule)

Elevation can provide advantage.

This rule is optional. Use it if your table wants elevation to matter mechanically. Otherwise, handle elevation narratively through GM discretion.

Falling

What goes up must come down. Usually painfully.

After 20 squares, you've hit terminal velocity. The ground doesn't hit any harder.

Reducing Fall Damage: The engine doesn't mandate a method. Content may provide skills (Tumble, Acrobatics) or abilities (Slow Fall, Cat's Grace) that reduce or negate falling damage.

"Ah, falling! My moment to SHINE! Every two squares, another d6! Every bounce, another roll! Will it be ones and you walk away with a bruise? Or sixes and you become a cautionary tale? I've seen heroes leap from towers thinking they're invincible. They're not. But oh, the DRAMA on the way down! The screaming! The regret! And then—MY dice decide if it's a funny story or a funeral!"

Forced Movement

Some abilities push, pull, or slide targets.

Critical: Forced movement does NOT trigger opportunity attacks.

You're not choosing to leave. You're being moved. There's a difference.

"Push them into the fire. Pull them off the cliff. Slide them into their friends. Forced movement is poetry in motion—specifically, YOUR motion applied to THEIR body. And the best part? No opportunity attacks! They can't even complain about it! Well, they can. They will. But it won't help them."

Summary Tables

Movement Quick Reference

Terrain Effects

Positional Modifiers

Range Bands

Design Notes

Why Hybrid Distance?

Some tables love grids. Some hate them. Both are valid. The engine supports both so content can choose.

Why Diagonals Cost 1?

Technically, diagonal movement across a square is ~1.4 times the distance. Some systems alternate 1-2-1-2. We don't.

Simpler math means faster play. The geometric inaccuracy is a worthwhile trade for not arguing about whether your move was 7 or 7.5 squares.

Why Opportunity Attacks?

Without them, melee combatants get kited. Ranged attackers just walk away forever. Opportunity attacks create sticky melee engagement and make positioning matter.

Document Status

This document defines movement and positioning for TDGS. All spatial mechanics in TDGS-based systems should follow these rules.