I've blogged about these before. Lately I've been working on A Band of Joyous Heroes (BOJH) again, so here I am again with some refinements.
I like to use these chopsticks to measure Speed and Distance in some of my games.
In BOJH movement is continuous unless a figure stops deliberately (ie. to shoot its bow) or involuntarily due to terrain or some other effect. Activation is only required to initiate further movement or perform certain actions; a moving figure will continue to move without requiring activation. The Initiative process governs the turn sequence and determines when continuous movement (CM) occurs and when there is the opportunity to activate figures. I will cover that process in another post. It may happen that you will be struggling to load your crossbow and fire while the messenger runs steadily out of your line of sight. Whether you get a chance to fire depends on how the Initiative works out.
A figure under CM moves at a speed one increment slower than when it was activated. There are five speed and distance increments: DS1 to DS5. These are described below:
DS1 uses the top two(2) small "knuckles" of the chopstick. This is used to represent crawling speed or something very slow like a giant slug or Gelatinous Cube. Actual measurement: 32mm (1.25"). It is the distance one can strike with a polearm such as a naginata or yari.
DS2 uses the top four(4) "knuckles". This is used to represent a cautious advance or perhaps the pace of an elder walking with a cane. Actual measurement: 65mm (slightly over 2.5").
DS3 uses the long, straight section at the bottom. This is typical walking speed and easy throwing distance for something like a baseball. Or a shuriken! Actual measurement: 140mm (5.5").
DS4 uses the full length of the chopstick. This is typical running speed and the range I use for throwing things like javelins. It is short range for archery. Actual measurement: 237mm (9-5/16"). I apply a -1 shooting penalty for every DS4 increment beyond the first, out to the range of the weapon. A powerful bow might have a range of 4DS4, meaning it can target figures out to four times the length of the stick. Creatures that move more swiftly than humans may use multiples of DS4 (typically) to measure their movement.
DS5 is actually the same as DS1 in terms of distance but very fast in terms of speed. This represents the strike of a venomous serpent or skilled martial artist.
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