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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iosue" data-source="post: 6006317" data-attributes="member: 6680772">I just wanted to bump this thread and make a contribution, particularly because I haven't been able to find Part 2. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Here's how things roll in B/X and BECM (Immortals is a whole other kettle.)In Moldvay, the to-hit table goes from AC 9 to -3.  The monsters range from AC 9 to -2 (Gold Dragon).  Although Green Slime can always be hit.  The average monster AC is 5.4, the median AC is 3.5, and the mode is AC 6 with 22 monsters.  Most monsters are in the range of AC 7-5.In Cook/Marsh, the to-hit table again goes from 9 to -3.  The monsters range from AC 8 to -2.  Here the average is now AC 4.2, the median is still 3.5, and the mode is also AC 4.  Most monsters are in the range of AC 6-3.Mentzer Basic skews a little easier.  The player to-hit table goes from 9 to -1, but the monster to-hit table goes to -5.  Monsters range from AC 9 to -2.  Average AC is 5.5.  The median is 3.5, and the mode is AC 6 again, with 23, and again most monsters fall in the AC 7-5 range.Menzter Expert seems to have a much wider range.  The to-hit table goes from AC to -9.  Monster to-hit is AC 9 to -6.  Monsters remain in the range of AC 9 to -2.  Average AC 4.2, and median AC 3.5, just like Cook/Marsh.  But mode is AC 7/4/2, each with 13, and most monsters fall in the range of AC 4-2 (36 monsters) and 7-5 (35 monsters)Things take a turn for the harder to hit in the Companion rules.  Player to-hit tables now go from AC 9 to -13.  Monster to-hit tables go to AC -20.  Thanks to the Other Planes list, monsters range from AC 9 to -10  (15-16 HD Elemental).  Average AC is now 1.5, the median AC is now -0.5, and the mode AC is 0/-4, both with 7.  Most monsters fall in the range of AC -2 to -4 (20 monsters), with a secondary range of AC 0 to -2 (17 monsters).In the Master set, we find the Big Tables of Player To-Hit and Monster To-Hit, both of which cover all levels/HD, and go from a Spinal Tappy AC 19 to -20.  The higher AC numbers are apparently to represent penalties due to Dexterity or magical penalties.  Monster AC ranges from AC 9 to -15 (73-80 HD Elemental Rulers).  The Average AC is 1.4, the median AC is -2.5, and the mode is amazingly AC 5 with 10 monsters (AC 0 has 9 monsters).  Monsters clump in the AC 6-4 range (27 monsters), although there are also 27 monsters with AC 0 or better.One thing that was really obvious with this is the extreme no-love for AC 1.  Out of 511 monsters listed in Moldvay, Cook/Marsh, and Menzter, only 10 have AC 1.  By comparison, 47 have AC 2, and 26 have AC 0.  Even AC 9, at the opposite end, has 26.  Companion has the most AC 1 monsters, with 4, while the Master set has zero AC 1, while having 9 monsters with AC 0.  It's weird, wild stuff.Anyhow, one reason I wanted to look at this is because BECM represents the widest range of TSR D&D, from dungeon crawling in the low levels of Basic to the utter gonzo stuff going on in the Level 30s of Master.  If we cut out the AC 19-10 stuff as more easily handled by situational bonuses (no monster in BECMI or B/X has worse than AC 9), I think you basically need to cap AC at 30, and cap to-hit bonus at 20 at the most.  The 34th-36th level BECMI fighter needs a 12 or better to hit an 80 HD Elemental Ruler, which is actually 9 or better, since they can only be harmed by +3 weapons or better.*   By comparison, the highest monster AC in 4e is Bahamut with AC 52, which presumes a attack bonus of 42 to get just a 50/50 chance of hitting him.  *Just to illustrate how gonzo BECMI could get, an 80 HD Elemental Ruler is 160' tall, has an average of 360 HP (I don't think there's a DM alive who'd want to give them the full 640 possible), any strike by one is a Save vs. Death Ray or be crushed instantly (making your save means you take "only" 12-144 damage; 36th level Fighters with 18 Con have max HP of 153), they are immune to 1st through 5th level spells, poison, all charm, hold, mental attacks, illusions, and instant death spells, and they save as 36th level Fighters, which means they only miss the save on a 1.  These guys just scream adventures of "Find the magic sword that does 3d10 damage to elementals and give it to the Fighter.")</blockquote>

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