So, you enjoy the D&D game, but you hail from a
civilized country where the metric system rules minor little things such as
weights and measures. You grew up thinking metric and you'd like to have a
better idea of what the game's measurements actually represent. The table below
shows some common English units and their metric conversion factors.
Game Measurement |
Multiply By |
To Get |
Length |
|
|
Inches |
25.4 |
Millimeter |
Inches |
2.54 |
Centimeter |
Feet |
30.5 |
Centimeter |
Feet |
0.305 |
Meter |
Yards |
0.914 |
Meter |
Miles |
1.61 |
Kilometer |
Leagues[1] |
4.83 |
Kilometer |
Area |
|
|
Square inches |
6.45 |
Square centimeter |
Square feet |
0.093 |
Square meter |
Square yards |
0.836 |
Square meter |
Square miles |
2.56 |
Square kilometer |
Acres |
0.405 |
Hectare |
Volume |
|
|
Fluid ounces |
29.6 |
Milliliter |
Pints[2] |
0.473 |
Liter |
Quarts[2] |
0.946 |
Liter |
Gallons[2] |
3.79 |
Liter |
Cubic feet |
28 |
Cubic decimeter |
Cubic feet |
0.028 |
Cubic meter |
Weight[3] |
|
|
Ounces |
28.3 |
Gram |
Pounds[3] |
0.454 |
Kilogram |
Tons[3] |
0.907 |
Metric ton |
1. One league equals 3 miles
2. US measure
3. Short ton (2,000 pounds)
Converting Tactical Distances
The basic unit of distance for all tactical movement and combat in
the D&D game is 5 feet, which is the size of one square. Also, all
ranges are given in numbers evenly divisible by 5. The conversion table shows
that 5 feet is about 1.525 meters (5x0.305=1.525). The number 1.525 isn't a
very practical one for gaming, so let's say that 5 feet equals 1.5 meter for
game purposes, and let's always round any distance down to a whole number. Each
square is then sized to 1 meter. Why 1 meter? Because a whole number is more
convenient to use than something that's closer to the mark, such as 1.5 meters.
Trying to count of movement or ranges across squares would be a lot
more tedious of each square represented a fractional distance. With
squares equalling 1 meter, counting distances on a game board is simplicity
itself. Unfortunately, some other d20 game that was designed from the
beginning using metric measurements, use 2-meter squares. When using such a
game, use 1-meter squares instead.
It's not important to make our distances conform to the same number
of squares as long as the distances are (more or less) the same. For example, a
character with a speed of 30 (feet) travels 9 squares (9 meter) in the metric
game (not 6 squares as in the english game). In either case, the character
travels roughly the same distance (9 meter or 9.15 meter) in one move action.
The table below shows common tactical speeds and their metric
conversions:
Speed Table (English Units) |
Tactical Speed* |
Base Speed |
100 |
90 |
80 |
70 |
60 |
50 |
40 |
30 |
20 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
Encumbered |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
40 |
35 |
30 |
20 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
5 |
One Minute (Local)* |
Current Speed** |
100 |
90 |
80 |
70 |
60 |
50 |
40 |
30 |
20 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
Walk |
1,000 |
900 |
800 |
700 |
600 |
500 |
400 |
300 |
200 |
150 |
100 |
50 |
Hustle |
2,000 |
1,800 |
1,600 |
1,400 |
1,200 |
1,000 |
800 |
600 |
400 |
300 |
200 |
100 |
Run (x3) |
3,000 |
2,700 |
2,400 |
2,100 |
1,800 |
1,500 |
1,200 |
900 |
600 |
450 |
300 |
150 |
Run (x4) |
4,000 |
3,600 |
3,200 |
2,800 |
2,400 |
2,000 |
1,600 |
1,200 |
800 |
600 |
400 |
200 |
One Hour (Overland)*** |
Current Speed** |
100 |
90 |
80 |
70 |
60 |
50 |
40 |
30 |
20 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
Walk |
10 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1.5 |
1 |
0.5 |
Hustle |
20 |
18 |
16 |
14 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
One Day (Overland)*** |
Current Speed* |
100 |
90 |
80 |
70 |
60 |
50 |
40 |
30 |
20 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
Walk |
80 |
72 |
64 |
56 |
48 |
40 |
32 |
24 |
16 |
12 |
8 |
4 |
*Tactical and local speeds are in feet. |
**Use normal or encumbered speed, whichever applies to the creature. |
***Overland movement is measured in miles. |
Speed Table -- English to (Metric Units) |
Speed (feet) |
100 |
90 |
80 |
70 |
60 |
50 |
40 |
30 |
20 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
Speed (meters) |
30 |
27 |
24 |
21 |
18 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
Speed Table (Metric Units) |
Tactical Speed* |
Base Speed |
30 |
27 |
24 |
21 |
18 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
Encumbered |
20 |
18 |
16 |
14 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
One Minute (Local)* |
Current Speed** |
30 |
27 |
24 |
21 |
18 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
Walk |
300 |
270 |
240 |
210 |
180 |
150 |
120 |
90 |
60 |
40 |
30 |
20 |
Hustle |
600 |
540 |
480 |
420 |
360 |
300 |
240 |
180 |
120 |
80 |
60 |
40 |
Run (x3) |
900 |
810 |
720 |
630 |
540 |
450 |
360 |
270 |
180 |
120 |
90 |
60 |
Run (x4) |
1 200 |
1 080 |
960 |
840 |
720 |
600 |
480 |
360 |
240 |
160 |
120 |
80 |
One Hour (Overland)*** |
Current Speed** |
30 |
27 |
24 |
21 |
18 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
Walk |
15 |
13.5 |
12 |
10.5 |
9 |
7.5 |
6 |
4.5 |
3 |
2 |
1.5 |
1 |
Hustle |
30 |
27 |
24 |
21 |
18 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
One Day (Overland)*** |
Current Speed* |
30 |
27 |
24 |
21 |
18 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
Walk |
120 |
108 |
96 |
84 |
72 |
60 |
48 |
36 |
24 |
16 |
12 |
6 |
*Tactical and local speeds are in meter. |
**Use base or encumbered speed, as applicable. |
***Overland speeds are in kilometer. |
|