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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mannahnin" data-source="post: 9777064" data-attributes="member: 7026594">Random note: the terminology originates in Chainmail, where it denotes the actual (six sided) dice each unit rolls when attacking, though it varied based on what type of unit was attacking what type of unit, and was often fractional. For example, Light Foot attack as follows:vs other Light Foot: roll one die per attacker, each 6 kills/incapacitates a defender.vs. Heavy Foot: one die per two attackers, 6s kill.vs. Armored Foot: one die per three attackers, 6s kill.vs. Light Horse: one die per two attackers, 6s kill.vs. Med Horse: one die per three attackers, 6s kill.vs. Heavy Horse: one die per four attackers, 6s kill.Whereas Heavy Horse attack as follows:vs Light Foot: roll four dice per attacker, each 5 or 6 kills a defender.vs. Heavy Foot: three dice per attacker, 5s & 6s kill.vs. Armored Foot: two dice per attacker,  5s & 6s kill.vs. Light Horse: two dice per attacker,  5s & 6s kill.vs. Med Horse: one die per attacker,  5s & 6s kill.vs. Heavy Horse: one die per attacker, 6s kill."+" values were much more meaningful in Chainmail as well, because if you had, say, 3+1 HD, it meant that you rolled three attack dice and could add 1 to any one of them to push it over the threshold of scoring a kill.  So if you had three hit dice + 1, were attacking a target you needed 5s or 6s to kill, and rolled a 2, 4, and 6, you could push that 4 up to a 5 and score two kills.  One of the areas where translating from Chainmail to D&D got funky is in translating bonuses and penalties like the -1 to hit (on all your six sided hit dice!) Orcs and Goblins, and Wights/Ghouls were supposed to get in daylight, which is massively more impactful than -1 on a d20.  Monster stats in Chainmail are given in troop-equivalents, so, for example, Wights/Ghouls (same entry) despite being infantry attack as Light Horse and defend as Heavy Horse. A Troll/Ogre (same entry) attack and defend as six Heavy Foot, and only die once they've accumulated 6 total hits against them, although Elves can kill them with three hits, and a Hero with magic weapon can kill them with a single hit.</blockquote>

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