Indoor exploration in MA?

[plethon]

So I'm starting a MA1e game and trying to familiarize myself with the rules, because I don't want to make any assumptions here, and I'm noticing that, while the 'Example of Play' given involves a detailed indoor/dungeon style exploration of some rooms, there's no actual rules mention of this at all. The General Movement table is about characters travelling about 2 miles in an hour turn as a baseline, and the Special Movement table gives movement in yards for 10 second turns during an encounter. The only other potential reference is that you do get one room layout map in the back of the book with the dwelling diagram. Am I missing something? Did people just use 10 minute turns and so on without noticing?

[oldskolgmr]

That's a good question. I'm not an Old hand at MA1, but I do like it. 

I have heard from some folks that I believe, 2mph is a reasonable overland pace (hacking through bushes, not wearing yourself out) for ancient armies. I've been in ruins, and you have to watch your step to avoid spraining an ankle from debris (I wasn't worried about weird robots, radiation, mutants, etc.).

Just my noobe, two shiny things.

[hamurai]

Well, you can easily calculate movement per minute from what is given as special movement in 10 seconds/melee rounds. 6 spaces equal 12 yards in 10 seconds, that's 36 spaces or 72 yards per minute. (Edit: Normal movement).

We never almost felt the need to track player movement that exactly in MA, though.

[Finarvyn]

When we ran 1E MA in the 1970's we assumed it was mostly an extension of OD&D, which is to say that if I needed a rule not in James Ward's thin little paperback I would grab it from OD&D. This still holds true today. If something isn't covered to your satisfaction, just grab an equivalent rule from AD&D or C&C or any other OSR style rulebook and go with it.

If you are walking across plains regular movement rated would apply. If oldskolgmr's example of hacking through bushes is the movement, go with something similar to his 2 mph estimation. If you are moving through corridors the mph speed is less important than game-inches per turn.

By the way, if you are starting a MA campaign for folks who have never played try to track down the "Alternate Beginning" article from Dragon. The concept is they wake up from cryogenic tanks and have no idea where they are, or that they are in a giant spaceship. This is the best starting scenario ever but it only really works for first-time players. (Try not to have any MA props visible. Use a D&D GM screen and so forth.) When they find a wall in the middle of the wilderness, or a set of stairs going into the between-decks, they will have an amazing experience.

[jeffb]

Apr 10, 2022 6:49:56 GMT -6 Finarvyn said:

By the way, if you are starting a MA campaign for folks who have never played try to track down the "Alternate Beginning" article from Dragon.

Agreed. I've always preferred this beginning scenario, and it's one of those articles from the old days that stuck with me through all my life.

For the uninitiated- Essentially a broken cable or wire is discovered and repaired by a robot and the Warden's Clone Bank finally gets a signal to start producing clones again. The PCs are the clones, and the clone bank has been damaged during the Warden's mishap, so there is all sorts of fun tables to roll on for mutations as well as skills they should have as clones of crew members. IMO, this could also set up some fun scenarios where somehow, some way, original crew members survived (through science/"magic"/mutations, etc) and one or more PC's "discover themselves"..perhaps as evil mutated warlords or "holy people"/"gods" on other levels of the ship.

I'm not sure what issue of TSR or TD it was in, but it's in Best of The Dragon Volume 1 as well. Along with some other needed/good articles on MA. IIRC, the MA reprint hardcover from Goodman has these reprinted in the back too*.

*nearly all my RPG stuff is in storage, so I can't verify this.

[oldskolgmr]

Right on all counts jeffb ! I'll edit in the first issue of Dragon it appeared in later. <Edit. The 1st appearance of this article was in The Dragon Magazine #6, and the first reprint in The Best of Dragon Vol. 1. The article is currently available if you purchase Goodman Games Metamorphosis Alpha Deluxe collector's edition (wait for a sale cause like 80 bucks , Black Friday, etc.)>