Unbound Tales throws open a world brimming with diverse landscapes, and navigating these environments is a key part of the adventuring experience. This section details the core rules for movement, allowing you to explore the world with both speed and strategy.

The world of Unbound Tales is measured in meters, providing a clear and consistent frame of reference for movement. Each character's speed, measured in meters per second (m/s), determines their base movement capability.

Over the course of your turn, you may move a distance, in meters, equal to your speed. You may split this movement up as you see fit, taking any amount of it before, between or after your actions. The only limitation is that you cannot move in the midst of taking an action, unless that action specifically instructs you to do so.

To increase your speed, you may take the Run action. As this is a simple action, you can take it twice in one turn. If you elect to Run after spending movement, the movement still counts against your total movement in that turn.

Movement leaves your character open for a Counterstrike. Any time that you leave a square that an enemy threatens, they may use their reaction to Counterstrike. You can avoid this by taking the Step or Shift actions.

When moving on a grid, each square of movement counts as one meter. Moving diagonally on a grid costs three meters per two squares, with the first square counting as one and the second counting as two.

Difficult terrain is tricky to cross, due to badly uneven ground, slippery or sticky surfaces, friction due to water, lots of mud, or what have you. Each meter of difficult terrain costs two meters of distance to traverse. Moving diagonally, when on a grid, costs three meters of distance to traverse one square.

For most characters, climbing is handled using the Climb a Surface action. If a creature has a Climb speed, they traverse vertical surfaces as though they were flat ground, and they do not grant favour to attacks made against them. An unstable surface might still present difficult terrain for a creature with a Climb speed.

A character that can fly has a substantial advantage, but also suffers from some limitations and conditions. A character with a Fly speed may not fly unless their Body score exceeds the Minimum Body rating of their armour.

At the start of your round, if you are airborne, you automatically lose one meter of altitude unless you immediately spend two meters of your Speed to maintain that altitude.

Gaining altitude counts as difficult terrain—a flying character must expend two meters to gain one meter of altitude. Losing altitude costs no additional movement. A flying character might also encounter difficult terrain due to turbulent air.

Water is considered difficult terrain, so long as it is deeper than the character's knees. Therefore, most characters can swim at half their speed.

A character with a Swim speed disregards water as difficult terrain, and can swim at full speed. However, even such a creature can encounter difficult terrain underwater, caused by eddies or strong currents.