You favorite tabletop RPGs and why

AD&D 2nd Edition forever!
I recently was thinking this, began rereading the PHB to check the rules for reals. Everything is dope until you get to the meat of it, past the equipment section. The combat rules are pretty awful.

I like lots of things like saving throws being a wacky chart based on class and level rather than ability scores, etc. But it's a rough ruleset once you go deep.
 
Dungeons & Dragons !!! Feel the Satanic Panic ! :p #Hellfire Club .... Oh and it's not strictly tabletop but it's played on top of a table haha ha .... ha :/ : Magic The Gathering ! \m/ Peace !

At first I did not understand (2nd edition) why THAC0 (To Hit Armor Class 0) is better than lower - we're getting under 0 with drow (dark elves) weapons ! :O Than in the next editions of D&D suddenly positive is better ! Did math changed ? No - it was the equations - I cannot imagine a math geek not loving D&D .... :o I mean the 20 sided dice (and sometimes You even have to throw 1d100 - my favourite - imagine : scoring a 100 critical hit on that throw .....) !!! xD I would be ecstatic - to say the least ! xD

There''s just 1 beef I have with D&D , which is how come the higher strength give You the higher chance to hit with a melee weapon ?!

And as far as the meme goes kids remember to practice Your archery because when the Apocalypse comes You're gonna be raised as an level 2 Skeleton Archer instead of an ordinary level 1 Skeleton xD
 
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There''s just 1 beef I have with D&D , which is how come the higher strength give You the higher chance to hit with a melee weapon ?!
That's one of the most realistic abstractions in the whole game.
 
That's one of the most realistic abstractions in the whole game.
Yeah shouldn't it be dexterity or agility that determines Your chance to hit of all stats !? Come on ! When You're stronger doesn't mean You're supper accurate all of a sudden ! right ? aghhhh .....

Imagine a Troll Strength 18 and Dexterity of 3 .... for gods sakes !!!
 
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Yeah shouldn't it be dexterity or agility that determines Your chance to hit of all stats !? Come on ! When You're stronger doesn't mean You're supper accurate all of a sudden ! right ? aghhhh .....
Stronger means more central nervous system control, so yes that improves your aiming accuracy.

But hitting isn't just about aiming. In a game where armor reduces your chance to hit, for example leather armor against a spear, the leather armor only provides defense against a weakly landed thrust. A strong thrust pierces the armor, and therefore hits.
 
Imagine a Troll Strength 18 and Dexterity of 3 .... for gods sakes !!!
oh for those not versed in D&D (for reference) there's a chart for stats meaning 25 is Godlike and 0-3 is "a wonder how You even got born in the first place - that's so weak !!" It's a 0-25 scale for stats in D&D ;) Humanly possible strength for humanoid in D&D is usually 18 and You cannot go above unless you're using some god-like artifacts ot "frost giant's belt of strength", for reference bears usually got 16 and trolls 18 ;)

Stronger means more central nervous system control, so yes that improves your aiming accuracy.

But hitting isn't just about aiming. In a game where armor reduces your chance to hit, for example leather armor against a spear, the leather armor only provides defense against a weakly landed thrust. A strong thrust pierces the armor, and therefore hits.

And that's my friend is why the chainmail is more resistant to slash and less resistant to pierce ;) We're talking -2 AC Slash and +2AC Pierce ;) According to well the rules of the 2nd to 3rd edition and than it got all switched up :O

Nevertheless aiming with strength is maybe a just basic ability to handle the weapon. (make Your basic swings with it etc. not aiming - that;s a skill ! ;) ) How come strength give You bonus To Hit is beyond me ;) That's my only beef ;)
 
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Nevertheless aiming with strength is maybe a just basic ability to handle the weapon. (make Your basic swings with it etc. not aiming - that;s a skill ! ;) ) How come strength give You bonus To Hit is beyond me ;) That's my only beef ;)
I mean, I gave you a perfectly clear example.
 
Stronger means more central nervous system control, so yes that improves your aiming accuracy.

But hitting isn't just about aiming. In a game where armor reduces your chance to hit, for example leather armor against a spear, the leather armor only provides defense against a weakly landed thrust. A strong thrust pierces the armor, and therefore hits.
I always interpreted the To Hit bonus from Strength as reflecting the pushing-and-shoving in melee combat. I used to imagine that only a Critical Hit represented a real hit with the weapon in hand, other damage was the 'war of attrition' between combatants who are desperately trying not to get hit by the weapon. You can imagine a human fighter battling an Orc, there's headbutts and punches and stomping on each other's feet and kneeing each other in the stomach, and throwing each other around. Depending on the character's cultural background, trained warriors would be using the equivalents of Greco-Roman wrestling, judo, Muay Thai or Krav Maga, even while they're fighting with swords and shields in armor.

I'm sure strength matters but the problem is D&Ds insistence that only 1 attribute can affect 1 particular thing.
It is deliberately simplified, yes. I don't think that's necessarily a weakness, though. There's something to be said for a quick system in a tabletop RPG game. I think it depends on how much you want it to be a tactical battle game, and how much you want it to be about the characters and the story. I've played both styles, and enjoyed both. For a campaign that focuses on the details of the fighting, I agree that D&D might be too streamlined.
 
I mean, I gave you a perfectly clear example.
Yeah You did - it just does not hold up . If for example Your Your blow is strong enough You pierce the armor and do damage - that is the mechanic that does not add up to me I guess.

Yeah You did - it just does not hold up . If for example Your Your blow is strong enough You pierce the armor and do damage - that is the mechanic that does not add up to me I guess.
In the terms of Armor Class mechanics of D&D system I mean - do not think that I am daft ! ;)
 
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Yeah You did - it just does not hold up . If for example Your Your blow is strong enough You pierce the armor and do damage - that is the mechanic that does not add up to me I guess.
Well, it's clear as day so I guess I can't help you. Perhaps try it out yourself. Maybe it'll help if you know steroids help with batting averages.
 
Another place where D&D combat fails miserably is defense. A more highly-skilled combatant should be harder to hit, but they just absorb more punishment. So you're forced to envision that Hit Points somehow represent the ability to roll with a blow, or to choose to take a lesser hit, like a punch or an elbow, in order to avoid getting chopped or cut by the enemy's blade. It's all very weird. I think you're not meant to think about it too hard.
 
It is because I'm getting the feeling of strength of the blow messing up with the chance to hit . (In D&D better Dexterity gives You better Armor Class and stronger Armor gives a better Armor Class as well, it is sort of messed up I think.
 
It is because I'm getting the feeling of strength of the blow messing up with the chance to hit . (In D&D better Dexterity gives You better Armor Class and stronger Armor gives a better Armor Class as well, it is sort of messed up I think.
I find that second part a little easier to deal with than some other things: The 'To Hit' roll is not so much "whether you get hit", but "whether you get hurt."
 
The bottom line is in D&D it boils down to "To Hit" ;) which is counter-intuitive.
 
The bottom line is in D&D it boils down to "To Hit" ;) which is counter-intuitive.
Yes, it's not a good system. Almost none of the games I played back in the day had good systems.
 
I mean does not armor should have some absorption of the damage - not talking about "to hit" ?!

that Gentleman is the main flaw of D&D I'm afraid.

Only chess seems fair , but it is not as well - white have an adventage of +1 move xD
 
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For me, I think the magic systems in D&D was the most annoying thing. The combat didn't bother me too much, as long as I didn't scrutinize it too closely, but I bumped my head on the magic systems every time I played.
 
For me, I think the magic systems in D&D was the most annoying thing. The combat didn't bother me too much, as long as I didn't scrutinize it too closely, but I bumped my head on the magic systems every time I played.

I think We've all rested 8 hours to memorize that "magic missile" at one point or another at level 1 and as it turns out it didn't do that much damage but wait until You can get to memorize 9th level spell like "meteor rain" or "power word: death" - that is where the mage's revenge begin ! xD ;)

 
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