Movement Across D&D Versions

Movements rules have changed quite a bit in various versions of D&D over the years.Here’s a breakdown of some of them.

Original D&D (OD&D)

• Scale: Movement is based on scale maps; typically, 1″ = 10 feet (indoors), 1″ = 10 yards (outdoors).
• Movement Rates:
• Characters have a base movement rate in inches per turn (10 minutes), with different rates for combat (1 minute).
• Movement in combat rounds was not explicitly detailed but generally assumed to be 1/10 of the turn rate for simplicity.
• Dungeon Movement: Exploration movement is generally 12″ (120 feet) per 10-minute turn, with combat movement being 12″ per minute.
• Wilderness Movement: Similar to AD&D 1st Edition, scaled by inches representing miles, but no specific conversion rate given; hex-based movement common with 5-10 miles per hex.
• Timekeeping: Turns are 10 minutes long, rounds are approximately 1 minute, but exact combat timing wasn’t strictly defined.

1st Edition AD&D

• Scale: Movement in inches; 1″ = 10 ft (indoors), 1″ = 10 yd (outdoors), 1″ = miles (overland, unclear scale, ~20-40 miles/hex).
• Dungeon Movement: 12″ (120 ft) per 1-minute round; exploration takes 10 minutes per 1″ (10 ft).
• Wilderness Movement: 1″ = miles traveled in half a day (scale unclear, varies by race/encumbrance).
• Magic/Spells Adjustment: 1:3 reduction (feet to yards outdoors).
• Timekeeping: 1 turn = 10 minutes, 1 round = 1 minute, 1 segment = 6 seconds (10 segments/round, 10 rounds/turn).
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  2nd Edition AD&D
• Scale: Movement in tens of feet (indoors) or tens of yards (outdoors); encumbrance optional.
• Dungeon Movement: 120 ft per 1-minute round; can use outdoor rate with penalties (e.g., no trap/door detection).
• Overland Movement: 2x movement rate in miles per 10-hour march; forced marches and terrain modifiers in DMG.
• Running Options: Jogging/running rules; running proficiency less effective than forced marching.
• Timekeeping: Same as 1st edition (1 turn = 10 minutes, 1 round = 1 minute, 1 segment = 6 seconds).

BECMI D&D

• Scale: Movement in feet and miles for clarity across all levels of play.
• Movement Rates:
• Basic/Expert (Levels 1-14): Movement rates are in feet per turn (10 minutes) and per round (1 minute). Base movement for humans is 120’/turn, 40’/round in combat.
• Companion/Master (Levels 15-36): Introduces detailed rules for overland travel, domain management, and planar movement.
• Immortals: Movement for immortals includes interdimensional travel and special movement rules for different planes of existence.
• Dungeon Movement:
• Basic/Expert: Similar to AD&D with 40′ per combat round for humans, but more streamlined with less conversion needed.
• Companion/Master: Adds rules for domain movement, where characters can manage travel of large groups or armies.
• Wilderness Movement:
• Basic/Expert: 12 miles/day at normal pace, with adjustments for terrain and encumbrance.
• Companion/Master: Introduces the War Machine for mass combat and domain management, affecting overland movement.
• Timekeeping:
• Basic/Expert: 1 round = 1 minute, 1 turn = 10 minutes, consistent with earlier editions.
• Companion/Master/Immortals: Adds longer time scales for domain and immortal play, but combat rounds remain 1 minute.

3rd Edition D&D

• Scale: Movement in feet (no inches); encumbrance integrated, not optional.
• Movement Categories: Tactical (30 ft/6-second round), local, overland (miles/hour); varies by walking, hustling, running, and armor.
• Running Speeds: Potentially high, reflecting athletic peaks rather than average capability.
• Timekeeping: Rounds = 6 seconds (no segments or turns as in earlier editions).

5th Edition D&D (5E)

• Scale: Movement in feet, with a standard speed of 30 feet for most races.
• Combat Movement:
• Characters can move up to their speed in one turn, which can be split before and after an action.
• Difficult terrain doubles movement cost (1 extra foot per foot moved).
• Climbing or swimming costs extra movement unless you have a specific speed for those actions.
• Special Movement Types:
• Climbing, swimming, flying, and crawling are detailed with specific rules; each has an additional movement cost unless you have a specialized speed.
• Crawling is half speed.
• Jumping:
• Long jump: up to Strength score in feet if moving at least 10 feet before jumping, half for standing jump.
• High jump: 3 + Strength modifier feet with a 10-foot run-up, half for standing.
• Overland Travel:
• Pace (fast, normal, slow) affects speed, with fast pace being 30 miles/day, normal 24 miles/day, and slow 18 miles/day (divisible by 6-mile hexes for mapping).
• Difficult terrain halves movement rate, doubling travel time.
• Timekeeping: Combat rounds are 6 seconds long.

Comparison Table (Including BECMI and OD&D)

Type	OD&D	1st Edition	2nd Edition	BECMI	3rd Edition	5th Edition
Indoor	120′ / 10 min turn	120 ft / 1 min	120 ft / 1 min	40′ / 1 min round	30 ft / 6 sec	30 ft / 6 sec
Outdoor	120 yd / 10 min turn	120 yd / 1 min	120 yd / 1 min	120′ / 10 min turn	300 ft / 1 min	30 ft / 6 sec
Overland	Varies by hex size	20-40 miles? / 1 day	24 miles / 10 hr	12 miles / day	3 miles / 1 hr	24-30 miles / day

• OD&D lacks precision in many areas, especially in combat, where movement is more narrative than mechanically detailed.
• BECMI offers a more structured approach with clear distinctions between levels of play, providing a complete path from basic adventuring to high-level domain and immortal gameplay.
• 5E simplifies overland travel by focusing on daily distances rather than hourly, with variable based on pace and terrain.