Divet wrote:
So a character can't attack while running? Charge (running) and then melee in the same round?
A Mule 120' (40') meets a Hell Hound 120' (40'). They are 60 ft apart. Hell Hound wins initiative, runs up to the Mule, but can not attack since its movement has been over its encounter movement of 40'. The Mule runs its full movement of 120'. No matter who wins initiative in the subsequent rounds, the Hell Hound can never attack because its movement will always take the entire action for the round.
...
Pg 53 “FULL RETREAT occurs when a character moves backwards at a faster rate than 1/2 of encounter movement. The character
making the movement forfeits his attack this round, and his opponent attacks with a +2 to hit.”
What are the penalties if a character turns and runs away, instead of full retreat? Why would a character chose to back away in full retreat, instead of running?
The B/X rules does not cover this stuff very well. LL does not strive to fix the gaps. Some houseruling is almost necessary on a few places in the rules, but one can try to do it with as few as possible.
1. If you are going to retreat (move at full speed or run away), make a fighting withdrawal or cast a spell, you must announce this _before_ initiative is rolled. Basically, you can translate this to a Declaration Phase, were you announce one of the three above or "Everything Else" (melee, ranged, other stuff that does not need to be declared). Four options. Many call the last one for "Melee" instead.
(This is an interpretation of the rules text. It actually says that it is only if you are in melee you need to declare retreat or FW, but since you can get into melee after a failed initiative roll - you basically need to declare anyway, if you want to run away regardless).
2. There are no attacks of opportunity in B/X. There is not any new rules about this in core LL text either. If you are in melee and declares Retreat and run, and you win initiative, then you are free to go - no attack in the back. If you lose initiative, however, then the enemy will do his attack first - after that you can run.
(But even Dan Proctor (i think?) mentioned that he gives an attack of opportunity if someone is running away, so houseruling about this is very doable.)
3. Played by the book, the Chase Rules would start to apply as soon as someone has made a Full Retreat running - otherwise it is impossible to catch up to your victim if he runs away and has equal movement rate. The wording in LL in "Chases in the labyrinth" is that the PC:s can only catch up to monsters with a lower movement rate - so, still impossible. "Chases in the Wilderness" gives a "50% chance of cathing the victim up close" or something. Not clear if this is melee or just a new encounter with distance between. The wording in B/X is very similar. (I suspect that even Moldway and his table made rulings about this stuff, not always playing strictly by the book).
The example: The mule declares Run, the Hell Hound declares "Melee" (which allows it to move and attack, run towards the enemy but not attack, etc) . Problem is unsolvable as you mentioned above. If he cathes up, the mule will run again etc.
However, labyrinths often leads to doors you need to open - run interrupted. Wilderness chases can also leave you cornered in a ravine or something.
I also think that the rules are supposed to give PC:s with a high movement rate a _very_ good chance of getting away if they choose to run. The game is very deadly anyway. If the monsters run, you still get xp so no need to chase. And the movement penalty form wearing armour is also the only penalty you get, otherwise armour is always good, so sort of balanced that it really influences chances of running.
That said, I houserule this with different ideas like lowering the Run to 2 x movement, allow Charge after run and stuff like that.