Thanks for taking the time to post a new comment or a reply to one! First scan these quick notes, if you please:
General
* Currently, previewing a post is optional; you're welcome to preview or post immediately.
* You should see plain text input by default; click "enable rich text" for fancy formatting tools. (Some people love that and some don't. Be aware that formatting tool performance may vary by browser.)
* With apologies to all, I have to use a simple "captcha" question for unregistered posters. Otherwise, the spam flow will dwarf the Nile.
Registration and login
* Registration is available! Sign up here. Chief benefits at present include the ability to edit your own comments and manage subscriptions (newsletter, threads, etc.).
* If you'd prefer to post as an unregistered visitor, that's welcome too. Just leave "Your name" as the default "Esteemed Visitor", or type in some other name. (But if you happen to type in a name used by a registered user – say, "tbone" – you'll get an error telling you so when you hit "post comment". And while your post text should still be there, waiting for a revised user name, there's a chance it could disappear.)
* If you're a registered user but haven't logged in and want to post a quick comment as Esteemed Visitor, that's fine; see above.
* If you're a registered user but haven't logged in, and enter your user name under "Your name" when posting, you'll get an error saying that's the name of a registered user. That's a good thing; it means strangers can't make posts under your user name! But as above, there's a chance of losing your post text. It's best to log in first here, and then start your posting.
Final
All the above is standard stuff for community web sites, but reminders are good; I hate post-related glitches, and hate to see people run into them on this site. On this or any site, it's a good practice to do a quick "Select All" and "Copy" on your post text before hitting "Preview comment" or "Post comment" – just in case.
For more on the whole topic of interaction with the site, please see User Interaction (opens in new window).
Dargon Magazine Article
Fri, 2006-11-24 08:09 — Juballa (not verified)Re the Dragon article you mention: Do you remember whether it only adjusted melee weapon initiative for weapon type, or actual attack frequency as well? The latter would be the kind of speed adjustments I'm talking about, which seem to be very rare in RPG melee rules.
Why rely on mere memory when I can just look through the stacks (and stacks, and...) of old magazines? I knew I kept them for a reason. Well, a reason other than making my wife crazy.
Dragon Magazine, issue 71 (March 1983), "Who gets the first swing?" by Ronald Hall.
It's largely a modification of initiative for AD&D 1e, centered around determining a new set of modifiers to the traditional d6 initiative roll. You factor in weapon length, dexterity, size, experience, and strength to get modifiers for closing and in-range initiative rolls, as well as rules for charging, fending, retreating, and pressing.
However, more to your point, there was also a system for replacing the standard 'multiple attacks based on level' that AD&D had.
If the figure's AP number [modified initiative roll] is between 1 and 6 inclusive, one attack is allowed at the specified time (with results of 6 attacking first, 5 second, etc.).
If an AP number is greater than 6, a second attack by that character or monster is possible. The first attack is executed ahead of any "1-6" results (see the preceeding paragraph). Then 12 is subtracted from the initial roll, yielding a result of -5 or greater, and another d6 is rolled. If the sum of those two results is greater than zero, the number is then treated like any other AP roll and given its place in the sequence of attacks during that round. With this system, a third attack is theoretically possible for those with high AP modifiers (+7 or greater).