Reworking everything would be kind of tough. If you'd like, you could just do a rough conversion of 5 feet = 1.5 meters. I don't think it's work the time to go through and rework all the material, though.
metric using european myself, the system is statted to imperial measurements, 1ft, 10yrd etc. converting those would be like 30.48cm and 9,14meters consecutively which are not easy measurements.
5ft = 1 square is easy to use and most games use a gridded map. and i know some go totally pen and paper , in that case if you keep using foot. it's not that hard
if you have a speed of 25and need to do 20 meter
or if you have a speed of 25 and need do doe 20 foot, in boths cases you know you can make it
Based on that then I would expect consistency with the system as a whole. This question doesn't really seem like it's for Beyond so much as dnd itself.
As we are using the metric system everyday, it does feel more natural to imagine and conceptualize the distance height or any unit of measure when we do use the metric system.
at my game sessions i usually have a conversion page so i can explain to my players what is what and relate it to everyday use - in metric system.
and i do think it has everything with DDB since this is a tool after all, just as if we wish to be able to print monster / spell cards its a feature that DDB might implement.
"Feet" as they exist in D&D right now are fairly representational, which is to say that it's more important to have a single, centralized reckoning of distance with a single terminology that applies to it than it is for those distances to be particularly accurate. "Feet" may as well be "Units" or "Cubits" or "Hundreth Furlongs" or "Juju Bees" for as much as they are intended to reflect reality
If you really wanted to, you could get away with converting the "5 feet" that you often see in the sourcebooks to "2 meters" with really zero effect on gameplay.
That said, a number of issues arise. WOTC would have to print one set of books for the states and another set of books for everyone else. Since "Feet" vs "Meters" is really just an issue of arbitrary terminology when you get right down to it, I think the odds of that are long. More importantly, two competing termonologies for a single measurement would create in D&D the same confusion and frustration that currently exists in the real world because of metric vs. imperial measures. That kind of thing is poison to official tournament play which is likely to figure in prominently to WOTC's profit model regarding D&D.
In conclusion, yes, the US should have converted to metric in the 70s, but we didn't because we're dumb, and no, I don't think that there will be a metric edition of D&D any time soon.
In conclusion, yes, the US should have converted to metric in the 70s, but we didn't because we're dumb, and no, I don't think that there will be a metric edition of D&D any time soon.
And by 70s, I assume you mean the 1870s. The United States was one of the 17 original signatories to the Metre Convention in 1875, after all... :-)
"Feet" as they exist in D&D right now are fairly representational, which is to say that it's more important to have a single, centralized reckoning of distance with a single terminology that applies to it than it is for those distances to be particularly accurate. "Feet" may as well be "Units" or "Cubits" or "Hundreth Furlongs" or "Juju Bees" for as much as they are intended to reflect reality
If you really wanted to, you could get away with converting the "5 feet" that you often see in the sourcebooks to "2 meters" with really zero effect on gameplay.
That said, a number of issues arise. WOTC would have to print one set of books for the states and another set of books for everyone else. Since "Feet" vs "Meters" is really just an issue of arbitrary terminology when you get right down to it, I think the odds of that are long. More importantly, two competing termonologies for a single measurement would create in D&D the same confusion and frustration that currently exists in the real world because of metric vs. imperial measures. That kind of thing is poison to official tournament play which is likely to figure in prominently to WOTC's profit model regarding D&D.
In conclusion, yes, the US should have converted to metric in the 70s, but we didn't because we're dumb, and no, I don't think that there will be a metric edition of D&D any time soon.
As aKongo previously said:
As we are using the metric system everyday, it does feel more natural to imagine and conceptualize the distance height or any unit of measure when we do use the metric system.
Converting the distances on the fly is surprisingly hard and it will ruin your immersion if you have to have the "How far is that in meters?" -conversation. I'm sure most people would be happy just to have the metric units available on this platform. I don't think WOTC should do physical books with these conversions, just on the website.
I believe that Jorlanne just want a simple switch to change the unit system of DnD Beyond. We are not talking about printing a different book version, just an add-on for the website.
While I understand I would be and incredibly boring job for whomever had to do it, many people would benefit from it. In some situations it might not be necessary (specially when playing on a grid), but when it comes to long distances, volumes and the things that could fit in certain areas, it is indeed helpful. More often than not, non-metrical-system measures can be difficult to imagine for us who do not use them.
Examples: does Hallow allow me to protect this temple that is 25 metres long? can this incredibly far reaching spell or projectile hit the target 50 metres away? does this spell create enough water to fill the bowl I have, which can hold roughly 1 litre?
I would love a button to switch between Metric and Imperial to be used with all languages.
Most of us in non English counties have this problem. We can't picture how far a feet or an inch is in our mind. The distance means nothing, it breaks my narrative as a DM and the players when they want to use spells and so forth . I have feet to metric papers on the table but it still feels clunky. Since we use a grid for combat players have stated to associate 5 feet with one square. So if I tell them the goblins are 100 feet away in their mind they are thinking in squares and not in a real life distance.
You already have the calculations done by GaleForce 9 from the international books so just use them.
EDIT the Offical Wizards and GF9 messurements are:
I have this issue as well, I just can't picture things when narrating, It just feels unnatural, because no one uses that system here, so it breaks immersion. I agree that it might be hard to republish books with international measurements, but having that reference material here would go a long way.
I have this issue as well, I just can't picture things when narrating, It just feels unnatural, because no one uses that system here, so it breaks immersion. I agree that it might be hard to republish books with international measurements, but having that reference material here would go a long way.
They actually have official books with the metric system, at least the international ones.
As an American, I'd get a kick out of participating in an all metric game, just to see how odd it felt. Also, as an American, I don't usually have a huge issue converting feet/meters, though I'll admit that they're hand-wavy. Weight is somewhat more difficult, and I'm hopeless with volume.
I have this issue as well, I just can't picture things when narrating, It just feels unnatural, because no one uses that system here, so it breaks immersion. I agree that it might be hard to republish books with international measurements, but having that reference material here would go a long way.
They actually have official books with the metric system, at least the international ones.
They do but only in native languages and not in english, it's the english part we all want. I don't want the books in my native tongue it just sounds weird, cringey and awkward. Some words just don't have the same meaning as well.
For the big EU markets that have a low literary english rate and still are dubbing all movies, tv shows ect.. they are the once that get the international releases. But for us smaller countries, english with metric measurements will do and I think we prefer it that way.
Hello,
do you think, it should be possible to add metric system unit for distances, surfaces and volumes ?
regards
Reworking everything would be kind of tough. If you'd like, you could just do a rough conversion of 5 feet = 1.5 meters. I don't think it's work the time to go through and rework all the material, though.
Do the published books keep things in feet for metric countries?
metric using european myself, the system is statted to imperial measurements, 1ft, 10yrd etc. converting those would be like 30.48cm and 9,14meters consecutively which are not easy measurements.
5ft = 1 square is easy to use and most games use a gridded map. and i know some go totally pen and paper , in that case if you keep using foot. it's not that hard
if you have a speed of 25and need to do 20 meter
or if you have a speed of 25 and need do doe 20 foot, in boths cases you know you can make it
Based on that then I would expect consistency with the system as a whole. This question doesn't really seem like it's for Beyond so much as dnd itself.
I wish.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
― Oscar Wilde.
I second the request.
As we are using the metric system everyday, it does feel more natural to imagine and conceptualize the distance height or any unit of measure when we do use the metric system.
at my game sessions i usually have a conversion page so i can explain to my players what is what and relate it to everyday use - in metric system.
and i do think it has everything with DDB since this is a tool after all, just as if we wish to be able to print monster / spell cards its a feature that DDB might implement.
"Feet" as they exist in D&D right now are fairly representational, which is to say that it's more important to have a single, centralized reckoning of distance with a single terminology that applies to it than it is for those distances to be particularly accurate. "Feet" may as well be "Units" or "Cubits" or "Hundreth Furlongs" or "Juju Bees" for as much as they are intended to reflect reality
If you really wanted to, you could get away with converting the "5 feet" that you often see in the sourcebooks to "2 meters" with really zero effect on gameplay.
That said, a number of issues arise. WOTC would have to print one set of books for the states and another set of books for everyone else. Since "Feet" vs "Meters" is really just an issue of arbitrary terminology when you get right down to it, I think the odds of that are long. More importantly, two competing termonologies for a single measurement would create in D&D the same confusion and frustration that currently exists in the real world because of metric vs. imperial measures. That kind of thing is poison to official tournament play which is likely to figure in prominently to WOTC's profit model regarding D&D.
In conclusion, yes, the US should have converted to metric in the 70s, but we didn't because we're dumb, and no, I don't think that there will be a metric edition of D&D any time soon.
And by 70s, I assume you mean the 1870s. The United States was one of the 17 original signatories to the Metre Convention in 1875, after all... :-)
Converting the distances on the fly is surprisingly hard and it will ruin your immersion if you have to have the "How far is that in meters?" -conversation. I'm sure most people would be happy just to have the metric units available on this platform. I don't think WOTC should do physical books with these conversions, just on the website.
I believe that Jorlanne just want a simple switch to change the unit system of DnD Beyond. We are not talking about printing a different book version, just an add-on for the website.
While I understand I would be and incredibly boring job for whomever had to do it, many people would benefit from it.
In some situations it might not be necessary (specially when playing on a grid), but when it comes to long distances, volumes and the things that could fit in certain areas, it is indeed helpful. More often than not, non-metrical-system measures can be difficult to imagine for us who do not use them.
Examples: does Hallow allow me to protect this temple that is 25 metres long? can this incredibly far reaching spell or projectile hit the target 50 metres away? does this spell create enough water to fill the bowl I have, which can hold roughly 1 litre?
In my case don't mind to keep the 5 feet and feet range for battles and distances. but would love a metric toggle for creatures height and weight
I would love a button to switch between Metric and Imperial to be used with all languages.
Most of us in non English counties have this problem. We can't picture how far a feet or an inch is in our mind. The distance means nothing, it breaks my narrative as a DM and the players when they want to use spells and so forth . I have feet to metric papers on the table but it still feels clunky. Since we use a grid for combat players have stated to associate 5 feet with one square. So if I tell them the goblins are 100 feet away in their mind they are thinking in squares and not in a real life distance.
You already have the calculations done by GaleForce 9 from the international books so just use them.
EDIT the Offical Wizards and GF9 messurements are:
5 ft = 1.5 m
Speed:
25 ft = 7,5m
30 ft = 9 m
60 ft = 18m
I've got the german version of the phb and the ft are converted to meters.
I have this issue as well, I just can't picture things when narrating, It just feels unnatural, because no one uses that system here, so it breaks immersion.
I agree that it might be hard to republish books with international measurements, but having that reference material here would go a long way.
As an American, I'd get a kick out of participating in an all metric game, just to see how odd it felt. Also, as an American, I don't usually have a huge issue converting feet/meters, though I'll admit that they're hand-wavy. Weight is somewhat more difficult, and I'm hopeless with volume.
For the big EU markets that have a low literary english rate and still are dubbing all movies, tv shows ect.. they are the once that get the international releases. But for us smaller countries, english with metric measurements will do and I think we prefer it that way.