I just wanted to share a very nice post from Delta on the origins of free attacks on retreating, one of the many common sources of “attacks of opportunity” in 3rd edition D&D. But also a pretty common trope in a variety of RPGs – if you leave combat, your enemy gets a free attack. The real jewel of the post though is not Dan’s historical context on where this rule comes from, but this lovely video explaining exactly why it’s an entirely foolish notion:
Personally, I find any rules like that far too finicky to bother with, and I find it reassuring that historically and tactically it just doesn’t make much sense. It’s sort of the inverse of Gygax’s Golden Rule — if it neither simulates reality nor makes for enjoyable gameplay, then out the window it goes.
