Threat
Another aspect of combat is the range at which your weapons can strike your enemy and that their weapons might reach you. This is commonly referred to as a ‘threat range’ and is often within five foot or one square of your target. If you imagine a box of nine identical tiles and then with the target in the center drew a circle through all of the adjacent squares around them, you would have a visual representation of the threat area.
Some weapons may provide an advantage to their wielder, such as an increased threat range. Keep this in mind when you come across an enemy with an elongated weapon such as a pike or halberd.
It should also be noted that unless otherwise specified, threat range applies only to characters wielding a melee weapon and not to those currently wielding a ranged weapon such as a bow or crossbow. Bows and crossbows require attention to aim and reload between attacks, making those who wield them unable to threaten multiple targets at close range the same way that a melee weapon would.
