Forum

I am about to start running and my group has been playing 5e. So this is a new system for them but everyone is really excited. I have read the book and am trying to get a grip on zones for combat. Do zones apply individually to each participant in combat? That's how it looks to me. So any suggestions on actual distance between zones? I don't see anywhere in the book that explains that Zone 0 is engaged in direct combat, say from toe to toe to 5 or 10 feet. Zone 1 is from the 5 to 10 feet to 25? Zone 2 is from 25 to 50, and Zone 3 is 50 to 100? Any thoughts, ideas, or explanations are appreciated. I know my group will want to know distances that they can move or shoot and I would like to have an idea for when it come up.

Thanks!

Wynraith

I haven't played Vaesen yet, but I really like the rulebook and I plan on beginning a campaign. Combat zones, however, indeed don't seem to be that well-defined. It says that in a zone you only need a few steps to meet someone in melee combat, which to me suggest between 0 and maybe 15 feet. It's not clear if this is from one edge of a zone to the opposing edge. If so, that would make "3 zones away" no more than 45 feet away, which seems rather underwhelming when you're firing rifles or crossbows. Also, using the zones system as-is would mean that people standing right next to each other, with the border between two zones between them, would strictly not be able to engage each other in melee without moving.

Fortunately, the game system is optimized against micro-managing things, and actively encourages house-ruling and "filling in the blanks" as you see fit (which is part of the reason why I like it), so that is what I will do in terms of ranged combat. I'm just going to guestimate and encourage the players to constructively "protest" if they feel I'm off the mark.

I found the zones really cumbersome, and use "Close" "Short" and "Long" ranges as a relationship between all involved entities. We use TOTM for this.

Given that 10 to 25 meter sized zones are big enough for most rooms, it's not a hard thing to use.

I like zones well enough- they're just big grids, and I've used 25m grids before... in Traveller. (Specifically little black book traveller).

Rougher terrain? Use a smaller grid.

Significant cover? Creates a split in the grid.

Combat zones, however, indeed don't seem to be that well-defined. It says that in a zone you only need a few steps to meet someone in melee combat, which to me suggest between 0 and maybe 15 feet. It's not clear if this is from one edge of a zone to the opposing edge. If so, that would make "3 zones away" no more than 45 feet away, which seems rather underwhelming when you're firing rifles or crossbows.

I think that you are giving the distance to much attention. The size of a zone is not only dependent of the distance but also dependent of the terrain. The Vaesen rule system is rather narrative and abstract in design. I think it is not of any interest if you are standing at the edge of a zone or at the opposing edge of that zone. The question is whatever the characters are in the the long open grass field, at the beach or in the boat or maybe in the water which is between the beach and the boat. Two characters standing in the boat are in zone 0 to each other while a character standing on the beach and a character in the boat are 2 zones away from each other (beach <-> water <-> boat). A character that has withdraw in panic on the open grass field may be more than 3 zones away from the beach. Or only 1 zone away from the beach if the character has been moving towards the beach but hasn't really got there before the combat begins. You don't need a grid. You just have to keep the zones in mind or draw some areas on a blank paper and name the areas grass field, beach, water, boat etcetera.

Please correct me if I'm wrong!

UPDATE: I think zones in Vaesen is supposed to work in a similar way as zones do work in FATE. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70njl8wahRA&t=1015s

A combat Zone in YZE games is basically an abstracted term for a general area a character inside can reasonably affect without using a movement fast action. They are separated either by straight distance or by logical barriers. Most examples give Zone sizes as roughly that of large bedroom or moderately sizes classroom ... maybe 10m or 30 feet to a side, but GM can rule it's more or less. In all honesty, it doesn't matter since combat and movement in and out of those zones is abstracted. Sometimes, you'll have situations where logical divisions separate zones. So say you're in a house with a long corridor leading to a large bedroom, small bedroom, study, bathroom. Each of those is separate zone, with the hallway Zone being the link between them all.

The use of Zones rather than hexes or squares makes drawing up battle maps really really easy, and players and GM don't need to get bogged down with "Okay, I move 30 feet toward bad guy and ... oh damn, I'm one square short and can't do anything. My turn is done". Is the target in the same Zone? Use your slow action and you can save your fast action for a reaction or to perform a quick easy action that doesn't require a roll. Is the target one zone away and you want to melee it? Use a fast action to move over 1 zone and then your slow action to attack. Is the target two zones away? You'll need to use both your fast AND your slow action (acting as a substitute fast action) to get there.

Super duper simple.