D&D General Thaco the angry clown... really?

[billd91]

Why does making fun of THACO - and I played in those days and have not forgotten IT WAS AWFUL, even the 1E tables were better - equate to making fun of older players?

I don't think I'd go that far. THAC0 had its day in freeing us from needing to use those lookup tables and the weirdly repeated 20s on it. We embraced it for that benefit. And then moved on when the game improved further by dropping that specific piece of backward compatibility.

 

[Fenris-77]

I'm pretty grognard-y and I thought Thaco the clown was pretty funny. insert shrug emoji here

 

[LordEntrails]

If you can't laugh at yourself...

Humor and satire are an important means of social discourse and people should know well enough when not to be offended by such.

 

[the Jester]

This book is full of references to the old skool. Elkhorn, for instance, is an old dwarf who deals bonus damage to bigger creatures. In his write up is this: "Having been trained in his youth to fight ogres and trolls, he's much more dangerous against creatures that are significantly bigger than he is."

That's totally a reference to early edition dwarf bonuses against giants and the like! I love it.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I'm pretty grognard-y and I thought Thaco the clown was pretty funny.

Wait ... it was supposed to be ...funny?

NO!

Everyone knows that THAC0 and clowns are ..... terrifying.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I don't think I'd go that far. THAC0 had its day in freeing us from needing to use those lookup tables and the weirdly repeated 20s on it. We embraced it for that benefit. And then moved on when the game improved further by dropping that specific piece of backward compatibility.

I found it easier than 1e (and to be honest, we were using a similar mechanic in 1e because as you say, the multiple 20s was just too clunky). In fact, I found it easier than ascending because all the modifiers were already calculated up front (like bonus to hit, etc.)

THAC0:
I rolled a 16, looking at my weapon entry (which had all bonuses already factored) on my character sheet, a 16 hits AC 2 or worse.

Ascending:
I rolled a 16, now add +2 for strength, +1 for the weapon, and a BAB of +1, so I hit AC 20 or worse.

 

[Nefermandias]

I found it easier than 1e (and to be honest, we were using a similar mechanic in 1e because as you say, the multiple 20s was just too clunky). In fact, I found it easier than ascending because all the modifiers were already calculated up front (like bonus to hit, etc.)

THAC0:
I rolled a 16, looking at my weapon entry (which had all bonuses already factored) on my character sheet, a 16 hits AC 2 or worse.

Ascending:
I rolled a 16, now add +2 for strength, +1 for the weapon, and a BAB of +1, so I hit AC 20 or worse.

Yes, because people usually calculate their attack bonus on the fly...

 

[Bolares]

Ascending:
I rolled a 16, now add +2 for strength, +1 for the weapon, and a BAB of +1, so I hit AC 20 or worse.

well, my weapon entries have the bonuses already factored in too....

 

[ad_hoc]

I mean at the end of the day its a joke about ageism (lol those old gamers and their gatekeeping in D&D), which I suppose is on the low end of "groups not to make fun of".

Ageism is treating an elder like a child because they have dementia.

It isn't this.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Haha too funny. I'd surly throw vicious mockery at this clown ☺