diff --git a/zone/command.cpp b/zone/command.cpp
index bd1626f85..31cc9aa19 100644
--- a/zone/command.cpp
+++ b/zone/command.cpp
@@ -1799,15 +1799,7 @@ void command_itemtest(Client *c, const Seperator *sep)
 void command_gassign(Client *c, const Seperator *sep)
 {
 	if (sep->IsNumber(1) && c->GetTarget() && c->GetTarget()->IsNPC())
-	{
-        auto npcBind = c->GetTarget()->CastToNPC()->m_SpawnPoint;
-		database.AssignGrid(
-			c,
-			npcBind.m_X,
-			npcBind.m_Y,
-			atoi(sep->arg[1])
-		);
-	}
+		database.AssignGrid(c, c->GetTarget()->CastToNPC()->m_SpawnPoint, atoi(sep->arg[1]));
 	else
 		c->Message(0,"Usage: #gassign [num] - must have an npc target!");
 }
diff --git a/zone/position.cpp b/zone/position.cpp
index 6f9a31d29..ddbe429af 100644
--- a/zone/position.cpp
+++ b/zone/position.cpp
@@ -9,11 +9,16 @@ xy_location::xy_location(float x, float y) :
     m_Y(y) {
 }
 
-const xy_location xy_location::operator -(const xy_location& rhs) {
+xy_location xy_location::operator -(const xy_location& rhs) const {
     xy_location minus(m_X - rhs.m_X, m_Y - rhs.m_Y);
     return minus;
 }
 
+xy_location xy_location::operator +(const xy_location& rhs) const {
+    xy_location addition(m_X + rhs.m_X, m_Y + rhs.m_Y);
+    return addition;
+}
+
 xyz_heading::xyz_heading(float x, float y, float z, float heading) :
     m_X(x),
     m_Y(y),
@@ -91,11 +96,11 @@ xyz_location::operator xy_location() const {
     return xy_location(m_X, m_Y);
 }
 
-const xyz_location xyz_location::operator -(const xyz_location& rhs) const {
+xyz_location xyz_location::operator -(const xyz_location& rhs) const {
     return xyz_location(m_X - rhs.m_X, m_Y - rhs.m_Y, m_Z - rhs.m_Z);
 }
 
-const xyz_location xyz_location::operator +(const xyz_location& rhs) const {
+xyz_location xyz_location::operator +(const xyz_location& rhs) const {
     return xyz_location(m_X + rhs.m_X, m_Y + rhs.m_Y, m_Z + rhs.m_Z);
 }
 
@@ -117,6 +122,50 @@ std::string to_string(const xy_location &position){
     return StringFormat("(%.3f, %.3f)", position.m_X,position.m_Y);
 }
 
+/**
+* Produces the non square root'ed distance between the two points within the XY plane.
+*/
+float ComparativeDistance(const xy_location& point1, const xy_location& point2) {
+    auto diff = point1 - point2;
+    return diff.m_X * diff.m_X + diff.m_Y * diff.m_Y;
+}
+
+/**
+* Produces the distance between the two points on the XY plane.
+*/
+float Distance(const xy_location& point1, const xy_location& point2) {
+    return sqrt(ComparativeDistance(point1, point2));
+}
+
+/**
+* Produces the non square root'ed distance between the two points.
+*/
+float ComparativeDistance(const xyz_location& point1, const xyz_location& point2) {
+    auto diff = point1 - point2;
+    return diff.m_X * diff.m_X + diff.m_Y * diff.m_Y + diff.m_Z * diff.m_Z;
+}
+
+/**
+* Produces the distance between the two points.
+*/
+float Distance(const xyz_location& point1, const xyz_location& point2) {
+    return sqrt(ComparativeDistance(point1, point2));
+}
+
+/**
+* Produces the distance between the two points within the XY plane.
+*/
+float DistanceNoZ(const xyz_location& point1, const xyz_location& point2) {
+    return Distance(static_cast<xy_location>(point1),static_cast<xy_location>(point2));
+}
+
+/**
+* Produces the non square root'ed distance between the two points within the XY plane.
+*/
+float ComparativeDistanceNoZ(const xyz_location& point1, const xyz_location& point2) {
+    return ComparativeDistance(static_cast<xy_location>(point1),static_cast<xy_location>(point2));
+}
+
 /**
 * Determines if 'position' is within (inclusive) the axis aligned
 * box (3 dimensional) formed from the points minimum and maximum.
diff --git a/zone/position.h b/zone/position.h
index 77c09603e..fd66ede5f 100644
--- a/zone/position.h
+++ b/zone/position.h
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ public:
 
     xy_location(float x = 0.0f, float y = 0.0f);
 
-    const xy_location operator -(const xy_location& rhs);
+    xy_location operator -(const xy_location& rhs) const;
+    xy_location operator +(const xy_location& rhs) const;
 };
 
 class xyz_location {
@@ -43,8 +44,8 @@ public:
 
     operator xy_location() const;
 
-    const xyz_location operator -(const xyz_location& rhs) const;
-    const xyz_location operator +(const xyz_location& rhs) const;
+    xyz_location operator -(const xyz_location& rhs) const;
+    xyz_location operator +(const xyz_location& rhs) const;
 
     void ABS_XYZ();
     bool isOrigin() const { return m_X == 0 && m_Y == 0 && m_Z == 0;}
@@ -86,4 +87,11 @@ std::string to_string(const xy_location &position);
 bool IsWithinAxisAlignedBox(const xyz_location &position, const xyz_location &minimum, const xyz_location &maximum);
 bool IsWithinAxisAlignedBox(const xy_location &position, const xy_location &minimum, const xy_location &maximum);
 
+float ComparativeDistance(const xy_location& point1, const xy_location& point2);
+float Distance(const xy_location& point1, const xy_location& point2);
+float ComparativeDistance(const xyz_location& point1, const xyz_location& point2);
+float Distance(const xyz_location& point1, const xyz_location& point2);
+float DistanceNoZ(const xyz_location& point1, const xyz_location& point2);
+float ComparativeDistanceNoZ(const xyz_location& point1, const xyz_location& point2);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/zone/waypoints.cpp b/zone/waypoints.cpp
index bd012daca..12a81254e 100644
--- a/zone/waypoints.cpp
+++ b/zone/waypoints.cpp
@@ -1046,15 +1046,14 @@ bool ZoneDatabase::GetWaypoints(uint32 grid, uint16 zoneid, uint32 num, wplist*
     return true;
 }
 
-void ZoneDatabase::AssignGrid(Client *client, float x, float y, uint32 grid)
+void ZoneDatabase::AssignGrid(Client *client, const xy_location& location, uint32 grid)
 {
 	int matches = 0, fuzzy = 0, spawn2id = 0;
-	float dbx = 0, dby = 0;
 
 	// looks like most of the stuff in spawn2 is straight integers
 	// so let's try that first
 	std::string query = StringFormat("SELECT id, x, y FROM spawn2 WHERE zone = '%s' AND x = %i AND y = %i",
-                                    zone->GetShortName(), (int)x, (int)y);
+                                    zone->GetShortName(), (int)location.m_X, (int)location.m_Y);
     auto results = QueryDatabase(query);
 	if(!results.Success()) {
 		LogFile->write(EQEMuLog::Error, "Error querying spawn2 '%s': '%s'", query.c_str(), results.ErrorMessage().c_str());
@@ -1068,7 +1067,7 @@ void ZoneDatabase::AssignGrid(Client *client, float x, float y, uint32 grid)
         query = StringFormat("SELECT id,x,y FROM spawn2 WHERE zone='%s' AND "
                             "ABS( ABS(x) - ABS(%f) ) < %f AND "
                             "ABS( ABS(y) - ABS(%f) ) < %f",
-                            zone->GetShortName(), x, _GASSIGN_TOLERANCE, y, _GASSIGN_TOLERANCE);
+                            zone->GetShortName(), location.m_X, _GASSIGN_TOLERANCE, location.m_Y, _GASSIGN_TOLERANCE);
         results = QueryDatabase(query);
 		if (!results.Success()) {
 			LogFile->write(EQEMuLog::Error, "Error querying fuzzy spawn2 '%s': '%s'", query.c_str(), results.ErrorMessage().c_str());
@@ -1094,8 +1093,7 @@ void ZoneDatabase::AssignGrid(Client *client, float x, float y, uint32 grid)
     auto row = results.begin();
 
     spawn2id = atoi(row[0]);
-	dbx = atof(row[1]);
-	dby = atof(row[2]);
+    xy_location dbLocation = xy_location(atof(row[1]), atof(row[2]));
 
 	query = StringFormat("UPDATE spawn2 SET pathgrid = %d WHERE id = %d", grid, spawn2id);
 	results = QueryDatabase(query);
@@ -1120,7 +1118,7 @@ void ZoneDatabase::AssignGrid(Client *client, float x, float y, uint32 grid)
         return;
     }
 
-    float difference = sqrtf(pow(fabs(x - dbx) , 2) + pow(fabs(y - dby), 2));
+    float difference = sqrtf(pow(fabs(location.m_X - dbLocation.m_X) , 2) + pow(fabs(location.m_Y - dbLocation.m_Y), 2));
     client->Message(0, "Grid assign: spawn2 id = %d updated - fuzzy match: deviation %f", spawn2id, difference);
 }
 
diff --git a/zone/zonedb.h b/zone/zonedb.h
index f196e5127..9e0d50e3f 100644
--- a/zone/zonedb.h
+++ b/zone/zonedb.h
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ public:
 	uint8		GetGridType(uint32 grid, uint32 zoneid);
 	uint8		GetGridType2(uint32 grid, uint16 zoneid);
 	bool		GetWaypoints(uint32 grid, uint16 zoneid, uint32 num, wplist* wp);
-	void		AssignGrid(Client *client, float x, float y, uint32 id);
+	void		AssignGrid(Client *client, const xy_location& location, uint32 id);
 	int			GetHighestGrid(uint32 zoneid);
 	int			GetHighestWaypoint(uint32 zoneid, uint32 gridid);