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Let's Talk About THAC0
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<blockquote data-quote="Charlaquin" data-source="post: 7616760" data-attributes="member: 6779196"><p>Err... We were talking about THAC0, which is player-side information. Also, the character sheet posted up thread with a space to fill out rolls required to hit targets of various ACs would seem to me to indicate that the combat matrix (or at least the part that was relevant to your own character) was functionally player-side.It mucks up the dramatic tension of the die roll, even worse than adding a modifier does. If you know the target’s AC and your THAC0, you can quickly work out what number you need on the die, and then you get the craps-esque rush of knowing exactly what number you want to see on the dice, holding them in your hand, giving them a good shake, and holding your breath for the result as they roll. That’s a viscerally satisfying experience right there because it perfectly follows that dramatic tension curve that our human brains go bananas for.You <em>kind of</em> get that with BAB, but there’s an extra step of having to add a modifier to the die roll to figure out the total. That really messes with the drama of the die roll in a way that isn’t immediately obvious to most people but affects them nonetheless. That’s why critical hits are so exciting. It’s not just the fact that you do extra damage, it’s also the fact that they fix the broken dramatic tension curve. You see that 20 and immediately know you got a hit. The natural 20 is more exiting in an of itself than the actual damage, because it tickles your brain just right.The way you describe it, the die roll isn’t exciting or satisfying at all, it’s just a formality you have to observe before the DM can tell you what happens. At that point it would be more interesting (or at least less busy work) to just let the DM roll the die too, because you’re not getting any of the dopamine that rolling dice normally triggers.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Charlaquin, post: 7616760, member: 6779196"] Err... We were talking about THAC0, which is player-side information. Also, the character sheet posted up thread with a space to fill out rolls required to hit targets of various ACs would seem to me to indicate that the combat matrix (or at least the part that was relevant to your own character) was functionally player-side.It mucks up the dramatic tension of the die roll, even worse than adding a modifier does. If you know the target’s AC and your THAC0, you can quickly work out what number you need on the die, and then you get the craps-esque rush of knowing exactly what number you want to see on the dice, holding them in your hand, giving them a good shake, and holding your breath for the result as they roll. That’s a viscerally satisfying experience right there because it perfectly follows that dramatic tension curve that our human brains go bananas for.You [i]kind of[/i] get that with BAB, but there’s an extra step of having to add a modifier to the die roll to figure out the total. That really messes with the drama of the die roll in a way that isn’t immediately obvious to most people but affects them nonetheless. That’s why critical hits are so exciting. It’s not just the fact that you do extra damage, it’s also the fact that they fix the broken dramatic tension curve. You see that 20 and immediately know you got a hit. The natural 20 is more exiting in an of itself than the actual damage, because it tickles your brain just right.The way you describe it, the die roll isn’t exciting or satisfying at all, it’s just a formality you have to observe before the DM can tell you what happens. At that point it would be more interesting (or at least less busy work) to just let the DM roll the die too, because you’re not getting any of the dopamine that rolling dice normally triggers. [/QUOTE]
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