Surprise and encounter distance

[Ryan Kent]

2 hours ago, Atlantean said:

That is the way I have been running it as well. Have you used a Luck modifier/augment at all? 

I have not if another skill applies, but a stealthy party opening a door or going around a corner I could see it applying.

[Atlantean]

9 hours ago, Ryan Kent said:

I have not if another skill applies, but a stealthy party opening a door or going around a corner I could see it applying.

I have used it for ambush situations and it seemed to work well. I don’t see another option for passive detection. It is something in 5e that seems to work well (not quite the only thing but close!)

[Susimetsa]

22 hours ago, Atlantean said:

Why?

Staying on the safe side and keeping it simple (especially since I'm not sure I understood the reason of the original poster correctly): police in Europe is primarily taught to solve any situation through dialogue. Thus they get training in psychology etc. Police in the US is trained for more forceful methods - taking control of the situation quickly and effectively - where weapon use has a more more central role than in Europe.

Edited March 15, 2022 by Susimetsa

[Baron Wulfraed]

Furthermore -- while the study was done by/for law enforcement -- that guidance is also taught to civilians taking concealed carry courses to qualify for carry permits.

The primary point applicable to RQ however is that an assailant at under 21feet with a melee weapon (knife/sword/club) can go from a harmless standing position to strike range faster than a defender could get a weapon into play (better hope one has been carrying a shield on one's arm and not via a shoulder strap -- you won't be able to draw a sheathed blade and get it into a usable position).

 

I never was a runner -- think my school days 50 yard dash was in the 10 second range, and that distance is 7 times the 21 foot range of the study. Even allowing for initial acceleration, that would have put a 21 foot sprint into the 2 second range for me. <heh> 2 seconds is also the old guide line for following distance on the roads -- being that if one sees an accident starting with the vehicle 2 seconds in front, one has just enough time to react before catching up to the accident (which would have moved some distance further, giving space for one's reaction to affect a change)

Edited March 16, 2022 by Baron Wulfraed