Was Thac0 really that bad?

[JRRNeiklot]

I don't see the problem with Thac0. I can use Thac0 or bab interchangeably. Neither is better or faster, just different. I do miss ac going backwards, as minus four just sounds cooler than twenty four. Also, does anyone remember getting your ac to "LO" in the old Wizardry and Bard's Tale games? "LO" was -10 and the lowest you could get. That was pretty special. That said, I'm happy with either, or just using a table. I just wanna roll dice.

 

[was]

It wasn't that bad, but it was more complex then it needed to be.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Actually it is even better then, because the DM has to do all the math...

It is still funny, that people claim it is COMPLEX math. Needles complication, which we agree, but maybe it has a merit:

It is more difficult for the players to guess the AC of the enemy. Once you know the AC, your calculation is easy. Beeing a bit in the unknown is sometimes fun in D&D...

 

[Matt James]

THAC0 was awesome when it came out, but the same could be said for disco, neon-green pants, and MC Hammer. One day, we all realized how silly it was and found better ways of entertaining ourselves.

...except MC Hammer. That dude just rocks.

 

[MerricB]

Although I was fine with it, I had a campaign where I had to explain how THAC0 worked to one player every single session. She never got it.

Subtraction is not easier than addition.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

THAC0 wasn't evil; merely Satanic. "To hit" tables not systemically generated were evil.

The 3E (and later) system is much cleaner. Never subtract when you can add instead.

 

[DonTadow]

Throw in negative numbrs you will loose any chance for a lot of new players.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

It was an unnecessary step, and one that served no mathematical purpose. The number that you needed remained exactly the same as having an AC that only ascended.

Snip, gone! And the world is a slightly better place for its absence.

The Auld Grump

 

[Infiniti2000]

You are all missing the main problem with THAC0. Pronouncing it. Most people pronounce it as thack-oh, when I think it should be pronounced thay-coh. This confusion and discrepancy is really what makes THAC0 evil (see, you pronounced it incorrectly in your head as you were reading this!).

 

[Wormwood]

You are all missing the main problem with THAC0. Pronouncing it. Most people pronounce it as thack-oh, when I think it should be pronounced thay-coh. This confusion and discrepancy is really what makes THAC0 evil (see, you pronounced it incorrectly in your head as you were reading this!).

"Thayk-zero" would be more accurate, I think.