LINEAR MEASUREMENT upon Barsoom

            The basic unit of linear measurement is known as the ad which is equal to 117 inches or equivalent to 9.75 feet or 3 meters.  

 

Players are encouraged to use pewter miniatures or plastic figurines to simulate action upon a game board or table.  This allows greater visualization of game action and facilitates determination of a PC’s position relative to NPCs or monsters. Usually 28mm scale miniatures are used; therefore, the game board is divided into one inch (real not simulated) spaces with each space (square, grid or hex) representing ½ ad or 5 feet of simulated distance.  In combat, characters are assumed to be moving around a lot; hence, the location of the miniature or figurine represents the most frequent (not the precise) location of the character or beast.

Only one conscious character is allowed per space and character facing should not be arbitrary. Characters placed in adjacent spaces are within range for melee combat if there are no intervening obstacles (walls, doors, etc).    

 

                                                              Table 1.2  

   1  sofad        =   Barsoomian foot

  10 sofads       =   1 ad             (9.75 feet)

    200 ads        = 1 haad          (1949 feet)

 100 haads       = 1 karad        (37 miles)

360 karads      = circumference planet at equator.

 

            Distance and Weapon Ranges are measured according to the miniature scale where 2” of real or table top distance simulates one ad.  Weapon ranges and movement are expressed in inches assuming action is occurring indoors with suboptimal lighting conditions and/or moving targets.  The GM or referee may double weapon ranges if sunlight and stationary targets.    


IMAGE is from Frank Frazetta