Displayed To-Hit Rolls
DregothofTyr
Member Posts: 229
When to-Hit rolls are turned on in the feedback menu, the first number is the roll to attack. But where does the second number come from? I don't think it's AC, is it bonuses/penalties due to armor type of the target? But it seems to be different for each character. Is it just bonuses/penalties to base THAC0? Anyone know? This is driving me crazy. (It looks like 16 + 3 = Hit : I mean the second number there)
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Comments
A roll of a 1 will always miss even if your bonus would have increased it enough to hit. A roll of a 20 will always hit even if your penalty would have decreased it enough to miss.
Say, you are a 17 str lvl 1 fighter specialised in shortsword. When you wield one, your character screen will say base THAC0 20, and then THAC0 18. Your base, natural Thac0 is 20 at lvl 1, you get +1 to hit due to strength and +1 to hit due to specialisation. Thus your final Thac0 with a shortsword is 18. When you attack a target your attack roll will look like 8+2=10 hit/miss.
But if you attack a hobgoblin who wears leather armor, you will get additional +2 to hit, since leather is weak to piercing damage. This is a situational modifier and does not show on character screen, but will be in your roll screen. So you will roll 8+4=12 (+1 str, +1 specialisation, +2 armor modifier)
If that hob also has a bow equipped you will further get +4 to hit (no melee weapon equipped gives the attacker +4 to hit) thus your final roll will look like 8+8=16 (+1 str, +1 specialisation, +2 leather vs piercing, +4 bow equipped while melee penalty)
Additionaly, if you are a cool fighter/thief that attacks from shadows for a backstab, you will get another +4 to hit. Thus when you backstab a hobgoblin that wears leather and has a bow equipped, your bonuses will look like 8+12=20 at your attack roll. Let's summarize your to hit bonuses:
+1 from strength
+1 from specialisation with shortsword
+2 from piercing vs leather (situational)
+4 cos enemy has bow equipped (situational)
+4 from backstab (situational)
If the said hob also wears girdle of piercing, you will get -3 to your roll since girdle offers +3 vs piercing. You get to add your swashbuckler or kensai to hit bonuses, too, in addition to any spell effect like bless, chant, aid.