Was Thac0 really that bad?

F

foolish_mortals

First Post

• Jan 19, 2012

• #1

flumphs,

Thac0, the number you need to hit AC 0. Your opponent has an AC from 10 to -10. Subtract or add that AC to yer Thac0. Roll a dice and get that number or over and you win.

That's not that evil is it? Why do people hate it so?

I hope I remembered it right.
foolish_mortals

 

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billd91

Not your screen monkey (he/him) 🇺🇦🇵🇸🏳️‍⚧️

• Jan 19, 2012

• #2

It's not that it was evil. It was an improvement over the table lookup in 1e. That said, it was also needlessly complex when you could very easily turn it around and make hitting an AC easier to calculate with much simpler addition and no negative numbers. Plus, you got to get rid of counter-intuitive positive armor modifiers (like magic) lowering the characters AC. It was pure win all around to get rid of it.

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Jan 19, 2012

• #3

Even though I knew what it meant, it gave my brain fits.

 

F

foolish_mortals

First Post

• Jan 19, 2012

• #4

did I remember it right?

foolish_mortals

 

S

SimBloodaxe

First Post

• Jan 19, 2012

• #5

Ascending is what most people prefer. Most of the retroclones give it as an option at least I think (S&W, Labyrinth Lord, LotFP are the ones I know of).

So is it really a big deal to go up? Even if I was fine with descending AC (and I am), if more of my players like it ascending (and they ALWAYS do), and if it's really not a big deal (it isn't), then who cares? I don't.

Let's just have fun. And IMO, there's no way they are bringing back descending AC so it doesn't really matter anyway if we are talking in terms of official D&D.

 

billd91

Not your screen monkey (he/him) 🇺🇦🇵🇸🏳️‍⚧️

• Jan 19, 2012

• #6

foolish_mortals said:

did I remember it right?

foolish_mortals

Click to expand...

That's the trick, ain't it? Sure, you add or subtract the AC from the THAC0 and that's the number you need to roll.... but which is it? It's even quirkier when you've got a player who hasn't taken a math course in 10 years and they try to figure out how to subtract a negative number.

My method was to subtract the die roll from the THAC0 and that told me what AC I hit.

 

F

foolish_mortals

First Post

• Jan 19, 2012

• #7

that's not hard to do.

1 - -9 = 10

foolish_mortals

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Jan 19, 2012

• #8

Didn't I just say it gave my brain fits?

Let's see if I can avoid a seizure. The way I experienced it was like this: you knew your PC's THAC0, and you would roll your dice. If your THAC0 was 12, and you rolled a 9, you knew you'd hit any AC of 3 or worse. If you missed, you then knew the creature either had an AC of 2 or better, OR you didn't have the right weapon to affect the creature.

 

Quickleaf

Legend

• Jan 19, 2012

• #9

foolish_mortals said:

did I remember it right?

foolish_mortals

Click to expand...

I think that about sums it up.

 

Stormonu

Legend

• Jan 19, 2012

• #10

foolish_mortals said:

that's not hard to do.

1 - -9 = 10

foolish_mortals

Click to expand...

For me, not a problem. Some of my other players (including my wife) had fits. Also, when +1 chain mail makes your AC go from 5 to 4, it's counter intuitive.


Flipping AC's was just one of those things that just made life easier. Like putting the starter in the car, instead of leaving it as a crank out front.