Space Required

[Matthew]

I remember that from Greyhawk, but don't see it in the PHB. Did I miss it, or is the AD&D note elsewhere? I can see that 1' total (versus 2') would be pretty awkward even with a spear.

It is only inferred from Greyhawk. I did a bunch of calculations and thinking about this with regard to Swords & Spells over on the Doomsday forums, which might be of interest: Space Required. I do prefer the idea of two ranks of five, but as you observe three and a third ranks of three much more closely match the Greyhawk spacings.

[genghisdon]

I use it as often as I can recall, when it should/could be applied. When 3 foes attack with spears, spear like pole arms or shortswords in a hallway, being limited to 1, maybe 2, slashing sword, mace or axemen brings home the fact a larger damage die is NOT always king.

If there is one thing that I really didn't care for in later edition/mini based combat, it was the idea people just move freely THROUGH each other or that bases touching was melee range, rather than dagger/fist type close quarters. What little use I do with Minis in AD&D 1e is based on 3' or yard squares, and generally there is a simular space desired between foes with medium length weapons. By necessity, this means some rounding off of AOE spells, weapon space required, ect, but it isn't too bad at all. It's off topic a bit, and I know minis are by no means universal amongst old schoolers, but I know plenty that do use them, and did long, long before I ever did. I avoided them like the plague for mant years. 6, 9, or 12' halls work just fine though If one does want to try it . I rarely use them these days myself, but as always was true, some players & DM's will enjoy them, & they DO help somewhat with visualisation. When they come to detract from imagining the scenes, and you are just playing a complex board game, it's time to back off them.

[AxeMental]

Matthew, P&P (and any other re-enactors) curious to know if you ever do re-enactments inside castles or buildings? Having two forces fighting in a courtyard or castle hallway could very well lend some pretty interesting real world information.

[Flambeaux]

I've done plenty of stage combat with broadswords and fisticuffs. On an 8' hexagonal 3/4thrust stage the most you could fit without endangering the audience was two men with broadswords. The ceiling in that space was max 12' and the lighting instruments hanging down shaved that down to about 9'. Every once in a while, an instrument would get clipped by a sword.

We fit three pairs of guys having staged fisticuffs battles in the same space.

My stage combat experience, while not necessarily dispositive to the question at hand, did give me an appreciation for why a 10' square is "melee range" in D&D convention.