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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 4692289" data-attributes="member: 29398">I've never had a problem figuring out or explaining that lower AC is better, but I've still never grasped THAC0.  And I think I've figured out why, as something's just occurred to me while reading this that probably should have occurred to me many years ago, but didn't:The fundamental change from pre-THAC0-using D+D to the same game using THAC0 is that built into THAC0 is your fight level, which players previously did not know (usually) but could now figure out in a heartbeat.  Starting out with a 1st-level MU, a player didn't know she fought like (in effect) a -1th level Fighter; he only knew she was bad at it.  And one's fighting skill got better, in RAW 1e, in odd jumps and starts that once again the players did not know the specifics of.And with those numbers hidden, a DM could painlessly tweak them.  I did, a long time ago, to smooth out many of those strange jumps...but the numbers are still hidden.  Which is, looking at it now, probably why I never saw the point of THAC0 as a system...as DM I still had to do just as much math as before, *plus* work in the difference between the target's AC and 0.All I need from my plaeyrs is their roll plus bonuses (at least, those they know about).  I work out the rest; it's pretty easy:Player: "I rolled a 12, plus 2 for weapon and 1 for strength; total 15."Me (unspoken): "OK, the chart says you fight like a 4th; the AC is 2; no oddball stuff going on here, so total is 21."  (spoken) "You hit." (or more descriptive words to the same effect)Note this gives the same result as using THAC0; this particular character's THAC0 would be 17 - the remaining 4 to get to 21 come from the character's fight level; 21 is still the magic number.Lanefan</blockquote>

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