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<blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 6485414" data-attributes="member: 3400">You're not far from understanding and I'll try to set you right. For the goblin, when it says +4 to hit, that's the modifier you add to the d20 to see if they hit the PC's AC. You can trust it to mean what it's saying - he really is +4 to hit with that scimitar just as the balor really is +14. So where does that modifier come from? Same place as it does for a PC - stat mod appropriate to the weapon and type of attack and the monster's proficiency bonus. That's one thing you're missing. That goblin gets the same +2 to hit as a proficiency bonus as the 1st level PCs do as long as he's proficient with his weapons. And monsters are pretty much assumed to be proficient with any weapon in their stat block. The +4 comes from the +2 proficiency bonus and +2 for the goblin's dexterity. Scimitars are finesse weapons and creatures wielding them can use their dexterity to modify their attacks rather than their strength (that's why it's a +2 instead of a -1 from the 8 strength).And, yes, balors won't miss often. Their AC of 19 will get easier to hit for PCs because they will get to raise their stats as they level (possibly getting higher stat bonuses), they'll pick up a magic weapon (generally ranging +1 to +3), and their proficiency bonus will rise as they gain experience. Already a pretty typical 1st level character can be +5 to hit or so with their primary weapons. Another +6 or +7 will be pretty easy to pick up by the time they're ready to tangle with balors.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="billd91, post: 6485414, member: 3400"] You're not far from understanding and I'll try to set you right. For the goblin, when it says +4 to hit, that's the modifier you add to the d20 to see if they hit the PC's AC. You can trust it to mean what it's saying - he really is +4 to hit with that scimitar just as the balor really is +14. So where does that modifier come from? Same place as it does for a PC - stat mod appropriate to the weapon and type of attack and the monster's proficiency bonus. That's one thing you're missing. That goblin gets the same +2 to hit as a proficiency bonus as the 1st level PCs do as long as he's proficient with his weapons. And monsters are pretty much assumed to be proficient with any weapon in their stat block. The +4 comes from the +2 proficiency bonus and +2 for the goblin's dexterity. Scimitars are finesse weapons and creatures wielding them can use their dexterity to modify their attacks rather than their strength (that's why it's a +2 instead of a -1 from the 8 strength). And, yes, balors won't miss often. Their AC of 19 will get easier to hit for PCs because they will get to raise their stats as they level (possibly getting higher stat bonuses), they'll pick up a magic weapon (generally ranging +1 to +3), and their proficiency bonus will rise as they gain experience. Already a pretty typical 1st level character can be +5 to hit or so with their primary weapons. Another +6 or +7 will be pretty easy to pick up by the time they're ready to tangle with balors. [/QUOTE]

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