Author Topic: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.  (Read 5802 times)

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gagnrath

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How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« on: June 15, 2009, 05:15:14 PM »
I was looking at using more 4th ed stuff but everything I look at in the mosters block is confused.  For some reason more powerful monsters have higher ac's and their other abilities seem out of wack slightly.

I was hoping I could find a handy guide for calculating their thac0 the way their is for 3rd ed. stuff.  The one from 3rd ed worked fine for 3.5 but doesn't seem to be working well for 4th.

Could someone also explain why blue dragons moved from deserts to coasts?


Also how do I play an elf or a dwarf without this extra class stuff I would really prefer to do that s the classing seems rather extra wasteful and limiting.

Dan2

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2009, 05:28:19 PM »
 :lmao

Very nice

Well, you see blue dragons decided to collectively take a vacation.
I couldn't help you with the rest of it.

dither

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2009, 06:03:18 PM »
Could someone also explain why blue dragons moved from deserts to coasts?

Kept getting mistaken for oases out in the middle of the desert. They decided to move to the coast where they could use the coloration of their scales for camouflage.
"Stuck between a rogue and a bard place."

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Dan2

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2009, 06:16:00 PM »
Could someone also explain why blue dragons moved from deserts to coasts?

Kept getting mistaken for oases out in the middle of the desert. They decided to move to the coast where they could use the coloration of their scales for camouflage.

Particularly clever dragons could pose as kites.

dither

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2009, 06:25:04 PM »
Particularly clever dragons could pose as kites.

omgwtf! My little chunks of exp are getting away!
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dither, Miner, has died after colliding with an obstacle!
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awaken DM golem

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2009, 03:46:01 PM »
THAC0 ... Nancy Kerrigan says " ... why ... " ?!

Anyways,
AC = 21 - (4e AC)
that's it.

EDIT: I just remembered thac0 is ridiculously complicated on conversion, past the AC part.
{ ... insert the dude next to me is watching an early michael jackson video smiley face ... }

4e AC includes a .5*level bonus to AC
and a whole bunch of slightly different scales of bonuses.
But the attack side includes the same leveling bonus and more other stuff.
So, you get to do the first true conversion  ;)

Peaboo

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2009, 01:25:58 AM »
Uh, in 4e, just as in 3e to hit AC 0, you need a 0.

To hit ac 17 you need to roll a 17.

 :p

PhoenixInferno

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2009, 01:56:55 AM »
Uh, in 4e, just as in 3e to hit AC 0, you need a 0.

To hit ac 17 you need to roll a 17.

 :p
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Sinfire Titan

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2009, 02:58:17 AM »
Uh, in 4e, just as in 3e to hit AC 0, you need a 0.

To hit ac 17 you need to roll a 17.

 :p

I find it odd that a nat 1 still misses an AC of 0. IMO, if they have an AC of 0, just rolling the d20 against that AC should be considered a crit.


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bhu

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2009, 08:16:10 AM »
Uh, in 4e, just as in 3e to hit AC 0, you need a 0.

To hit ac 17 you need to roll a 17.

 :p

I find it odd that a nat 1 still misses an AC of 0. IMO, if they have an AC of 0, just rolling the d20 against that AC should be considered a crit.

It's a hold over from an old mindset that believes while you should always have a chance of hitting any target, you should also have a chance to miss any target.  The DM's in my group believe in the concept religiously no matter what the situation...

j0lt

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2009, 11:21:46 AM »
Please tell me this is a joke!

I was looking at using more 4th ed stuff but everything I look at in the mosters block is confused.  For some reason more powerful monsters have higher ac's and their other abilities seem out of wack slightly.
That's because you're looking at 4th Edition stats while thinking in 2nd Edition terms.
Quote
I was hoping I could find a handy guide for calculating their thac0 the way their is for 3rd ed. stuff.  The one from 3rd ed worked fine for 3.5 but doesn't seem to be working well for 4th.
THAC0 wasn't in 3rd Edition OR 3.5!  It was 2nd Edition AD&D.
Quote
Also how do I play an elf or a dwarf without this extra class stuff I would really prefer to do that s the classing seems rather extra wasteful and limiting.
...Okay now you're just fucking with us.
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PhaedrusXY

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2009, 11:42:17 AM »
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

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PhaedrusXY

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[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

PhoenixInferno

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #14 on: July 09, 2009, 04:40:52 AM »
omg, not a katana!? greatswords are t3h suxx0rz.

gagnrath

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2009, 09:12:53 PM »
Please tell me this is a joke!

I was looking at using more 4th ed stuff but everything I look at in the mosters block is confused.  For some reason more powerful monsters have higher ac's and their other abilities seem out of wack slightly.
That's because you're looking at 4th Edition stats while thinking in 2nd Edition terms.  D&D should still have the same basic concepts just like D&D and Ad&D and D&D 2nd editons
Quote
I was hoping I could find a handy guide for calculating their thac0 the way their is for 3rd ed. stuff.  The one from 3rd ed worked fine for 3.5 but doesn't seem to be working well for 4th.
THAC0 wasn't in 3rd Edition OR 3.5!  It was 2nd Edition AD&D. There was a nice conversion chart for converting 3.0 stuff attack bonus wise into proper thac0 it doesn't seem to work for 4th I was wondering where the conversion chart was


Quote
Also how do I play an elf or a dwarf without this extra class stuff I would really prefer to do that s the classing seems rather extra wasteful and limiting.
...Okay now you're just fucking with us. No I'm not they seem to want to force me to pick a class when I pick elf or dwarf which is totally unneeded you are better off playing a dwarf than a fighter and an elf has many of the same abilities as a ranger + magical abilities why would I want to limit myself to one class?

Psychic Robot

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #16 on: July 18, 2009, 01:26:07 AM »
This is a terrible troll, and I remember posting in that Uranium Sword thread.  What an abortion that was.  Dihydrogen monoxide swords > uranium swords.

dither

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #17 on: July 20, 2009, 01:23:51 PM »
This is a terrible troll, and I remember posting in that Uranium Sword thread.  What an abortion that was.  Dihydrogen monoxide swords > uranium swords.

How does H2O work out to be powerful in sword form?
"Stuck between a rogue and a bard place."

vanity
Read my webcomic!
Dither's Amazing Changing Avatars

[spoiler]
Quote from: Shadowhunter
Quote from: Flay Crimsonwind
"Vegeta! What does the scouter say about Dither's power level?"
It's over nine thousand!

Quote from: Bauglir
Quote from: Anklebite
Quote from: dither
Well blow me down! :P
A SECTION OF THE CAVERN HAS COLLAPSED!
dither, Miner, has died after colliding with an obstacle!
[/spoiler]

awaken DM golem

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Re: How do I calculate the thac0 of 4th ed creatures.
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2009, 07:59:33 PM »
1st edition Psionics converts easily to 4e.

(step 1) ... Pick any 2 Paragon Paths you want
(step 2) ... DM randomly determines order
(step 3) ... PC gets half of the abilities at 1st level
(step 4) ... the rest roll in at odd levels
(step 5) ... mysterious force in the D&D universe deletes one of these random abilities, any time you face a [psychic] monster or npc
(step 6a) ... when it's all gone, you wonder what the big deal was
(step 6b) ... as an Epic Destiny you recover the deleted powers 1 per level, and randomly
.................. except for level 30,you get to 1/day - 1 shot a deity auto-hit auto-kill (the deity just goes away for a while)

Now that I think about it, that's kinda more balanced than 1e psionics ; dang.
 :twitch