From:	Robert Blackberg III <blackbrc@***.fiserv.com>
Subject:	Moving in combat
Date:	Wed, 4 Sep 1996 12:07:10 -0400

The subject line says it all. I'm thinking of instituting a new rule
for movement in combat. The existing rule says you can walk a number
of meters equal to your quickness, and run a number of meters equal to
your quickness multiplied by a movement modifier based on your race.
You move this distance during your action phase, and, the way I read
it, this movement takes place almost instantaneously.

I had a player use the existing rules to run into a room from outside
and attack one of the men in the room with shock gloves. The
character was wounded, there was a running gun battle going on, and
one of my fine NPC's ended up on the floor, shocked into
unconscousness.

As I see it, the rules do not say how long it takes to move the
maximum distance, or when your actions takes place during an action
phase when you're moving (before moving, while moving, after moving).
(The character above attacked after moving, of course.) I think the
following house rules rectify that, but I would like some input.

I haven't changed the maximum distance a character can move, but now
it takes 10 action phases to move the full distance. If the
character only wants to move roughly half the distance, it takes 5
phases, etc. Also, characters now have to take any actions just as
they begin to move (thus getting the movement modifier to their
action, but not getting a better range, position, etc.). Thirdly,
the characters now have to take any wound modifiers into account by
subtracting the modifier from the characters quickness score (with a
minimum of 1). With these three modifications, it should be much
harder to move during combat without taking risks.

Thanks,
Robert